Category Archives: News

Stay current on the latest news and information about LEGO, from sales & deals to new set announcements. We also cover LEGO events and conventions all over the world.

Ask a Lemur – “MOCs, LEGO and Prehensile Tails, oh my!”

Ask a Lemur

Hello again, friendly readers! It’s the TBB Intern Lemur here, ready and willing to answer your questions about LEGO, the fan community and The Brothers Brick!

Sorry for the delay. I will be trying to write these posts every Monday morning, if my workload allows. The contributors generally sleep late on Mondays, to recover from the weekend, and that gives me a chance to catch up. Today it was even quieter than usual because Andrew is off on his yacht, doing some research on penguins for the next TBB collaborative build. Oh, that reminds me, some of you asked about his car. Apparently I’m not allowed to talk about Master Andrew’s personal possessions on here any more. Which will be hard because there are a lot of them. He probably won’t be happy that I mentioned the yacht. Let’s keep that between ourselves, shall we? The other reason it is quieter around here right now is that Iain is off on a Wingsuit Tour of the French Pyrenees. He’ll be back in a few days. Anyway, on to the questions! A couple of these are from our contact form and some are from the comments on last week’s post. Here we go!

What is a MOC?
MOC is an acronym that stands for My Own Creation. It generally refers to anything that you make from your own imagination that isn’t an official set. Some people use it as a word (sounds like ‘mock’) and other people just say the letters (EM-OH-SEE). Either one is correct. The catch is that the thing you build has to be made from LEGO. I once made something here in the office and showed everyone my “MOC”. They were not impressed and told me to clean it up. That is when I discovered that only things you make from LEGO are called MOCs.

What is the correct way to refer to LEGO bricks?
There is a lot of debate about this. The LEGO company would like you to capitalize the word “LEGO” and refer to bricks as “LEGO building bricks” or “LEGO elements” and not to use the term “LEGO” as a generic term for their product. Some people pluralize the word into “Legos” and for many hard-core fans this is heresy. No, seriously, they really flip out. You should try it at a big fan convention some time. The LEGO grammar police come out of the woodwork. Scared the MOC right out of me the first time I saw it. Regardless of how you refer to them, we should stop arguing about it and just build with the yummy little things!

Can you build with your tail?
Of course. What else would I use? However, sad to say, most lemurs cannot build with their tails, as their tails are not prehensile. Sorry, but that is a myth! I’m actually the only lemur that has one. Chris thinks it has something to do with my diet of TBB mail, which might also account for the color. Hmm, I’ll have to think about that.

Well, that is all for today. I have other work to do and Miss Caylin is giving me the ‘eye’. Oh, yes, I have news! I have been given some Brothers Brick loot to share with you! If I use your question in next week’s post, I will contact you and send you a little Lemur love in the mail. Don’t worry, no MOCs. Have a great week and remember…the lemur cares.

A. Lemur

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Minecraft sets now available on Amazon

The minifig scale Lego minecraft sets are now available on Amazon. The official release date is November 15th. Below are the sets and their retail prices.

21118 The Mine ($109.99 USD)
21117 The Ender Dragon ($69.99 USD)
21116 Crafting Box ($49.99 USD)
21115 The First Night ($39.99 USD)
21114 The Farm ($29.99 USD)
21113 The Cave ($19.99 USD)

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Comic Bricks at Designer Con

This weekend, STUDS (the collectible card series) hosted a LEGO art show at Designer Con in Los Angeles. The theme of the show was comic book covers, and builders were asked to build their own rendition of a cover of their own choice. From the photos in the gallery, I must say that the results were largely spectacular (they actually make me feel like my own contribution was insufficient).

Comic Bricks

I think my absolute favorite is this Captain Marvel cover by Zach Clapsdale (zachmoe), but I encourage you to take a look draw your own conclusions.

Captain Marvel #5

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Ask a Lemur – Our new intern answers all your questions and more!

LemurColor
Greetings, Dear Readers!  Allow me to introduce myself.  I am The Brothers Brick’s intern and I have been given the honor of answering the tasty mail that you send to us.

I am a green-tailed lemur from the island of Madagascar and am very happy to be working in the TBB compound.  This “mailbag” feature is my own invention.  I got the idea after noticing that the lovely paper that I was given for lunch had messages on it.  When I asked Master Andrew about them, he said they were from our readers and that I could eat them.  The messages that is, not the readers.  He said the other contributors were too busy to deal with the mail, but that I was free to do as I pleased as long as the coffee was fresh and his Bugatti Veyron was washed.

I plan to answer a few questions each week.  In this first post I will answer some common questions we have received.  If you have questions that you would like me to answer, either serious or silly, real or imagined, please ask. Here we go!

Will you sell me the models featured on The Brothers Brick?

Unfortunately, no.  With few exceptions, they are one-of-a-kind creations and are not owned by The Brothers Brick.  You can always contact the builder, via whatever website they are using to host their pictures, and see if they are interested in selling their work. We do not sell contributors at this time either. Please stop asking about Simon. We are keeping him.

What is an AFOL?

AFOL is an acronym that stands for Adult Fan of LEGO.  It is a broad term that applies to anyone over 18 years old who is a fan of the LEGO company and/or its products.  Similar terms are ALE (Adult LEGO enthusiast), AFFOL (Adult Female Fan of LEGO), TFOL (Teen Fan of LEGO), KFOL (Kid Fan of LEGO).  There are many kinds of AFOLs including those who build their own creations, those who collect sets, those who customize LEGO elements, etc. It also can stand for Adult Fan Of the Lemur.

Are the contributors of The Brothers Brick actually brothers?

No.  One of us is a sister.

Thank you for your time and messages! Please leave any new questions in the comments below. Josh is having one of his ‘episodes’ and won’t come out of his office. Once he recovers, I will ask him to create me an email address.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Lego Ideas announces two new sets: Birds and The Big Bang Theory

Although I do like the Ecto-1 set and am happy for fellow Brickish member Peter Reid, whose exo-suit got turned into a set, I never cared much about Lego Ideas. However, today LEGO announced the next two ideas that are to be turned into sets and I like both of them.

The first idea is the brainchild of Thomas Poulsom, who by coincidence is also a Brickish member. It is the fantastic Lego birds project.

Lego Bird project

The set will undoubtedly be a bit different from the submission, but I’m sure the birds will be cute and I can imagine a lot of people finding inspiration in the set to build their own birds. What is not to love?

The second is The Big Bang Theory, by Alatariel and GlenBricker.

Lego Big Bang theory

As some of you may know, I have a PhD in physics and when this show first aired the then-girlfriend/ current wife of one of my friends remarked how much Sheldon, Leonard, Rajesh and Howard reminded her of her boyfriend and his circle of friends, including yours truly. We never had the same superhero fetish as the characters in the show and, of course, she is far smarter than Penny, but I cannot deny the similarities. Somewhat worryingly, though, in The Big Bang theory it’s Sheldon who builds with LEGO, referring to his Lego Death Star in a number of episodes. In any case, the submitted model has all the characters and lots of details of Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment and I’d be surprised if the final set won’t include all of the characters as minifigs. Somehow I picture Sheldon’s as wearing a green T-shirt with a classic space logo.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Exclusive Hobbit Game launch brick is being auctioned for charity

Whenever TT Games releases a new computer game, people who made significant contributions to the game in question are presented with launch bricks. We had two of these to give away several years ago, but they are normally not available to people outside the company. However, through the help of TT games designer Carl Greatrix, a launch brick from the latest Hobbit Game, with a Bard The Bowman minifigure, has been given to Fairy Bricks, which is a UK charity that donates LEGO sets to hospitals and hospices.

TT-Games / game brick

Fairy Bricks is now auctioning this brick via eBay; an extremely rare opportunity to get your hands on this exclusive item. I’m sometimes shocked by the amounts of money that are being paid for LEGO collectables, but with the proceeds going to a good cause in this case, I’ll say start your bidding!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

“Bricks of the Mouse Guard” project launched on Kickstarter

2015 may well be the year of Mouse Guard, as it celebrates it’s 10th anniversary and – as we previously mentioned here – Seattle’s own ArchLUG will be unveiling a big collaborative Mouse Guard display at Emerald City Comic Con in March. Of course you can expect some pretty amazing architecture in this display. But how are they going to recreate the Mouse Guard characters, you might ask? Simple, with Bricks of the Mouse Guard, that’s how! And you can get in on the action too.

Following on from his wildly successful Munchkin Bricks project, Guy Himber of Crazy Bricks has just launched a new project to bring you Mouse Guard themed LEGO accessories.

Backers have the opportunity to receive a set of mouse heads in various colors, and a set of matching accessories (including a flagon that looks like a must-have for almost any Castle enthusiast). And as you might imagine, there are all kinds of stretch goals that will unlock additional items in additional colors, and even a fully equipped custom Mouse Guard mini-fig with pad-printed torso. Other goodies include BrickArms crates, printed bricks and even original artwork by Mouse Guard’s creator for top-tier backers.

Rewards start at $19, and the project will be accepting pledges for the next 32 days, so back it today!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Announcing BrickUniverse In Raleigh, NC, March 26-29, 2015

There is a new Lego convention coming to Raleigh, NC called BrickUniverse organized by Lego fan Geryson Beights. This is a standard 4-day Lego convention held at the Raleigh Convention Center. Below is the announcement:

We are pleased to announce BrickUniverse 2015, a convention for LEGO fans of all ages coming to Raleigh, North Carolina. BrickUniverse 2015 will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center.

The event will be held on March 26, 27, 28, and 29 with public days being on the 28 and 29.

  • Show off your awesome creations
  • Try your luck and earn free LEGO in our drawings
  • Test your skills and win in our various games
  • Learn more about the bricks in our seminars
  • Hang out with fellow LEGO enthusiasts

And much much more!

Check out our builder website for more info on the four day convention and to register. The quicker you register, the cheaper!

Please go to here to learn more: www.brickuniverse.org

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO unveils new line of BIONICLE sets for 2015 [News]

BIONICLE is back! At New York City Comic Con last week, LEGO unveiled detailed information and images for a new line of BIONICLE sets. The sets will be available globally from January 1, 2015 and revolve around an entirely new storyline. Prices will range from USD $9.99 – USD $19.99.

“We are thrilled to announce the relaunch of the LEGO BIONICLE franchise, which was one of our most popular LEGO franchises and our first ‘constraction’ or constructible action figure line.” said Michael McNally, Senior Director of Brand Relations. “We are eager to introduce and immerse a new generation of children in this rich character-driven world and can’t wait for fans of all ages to interact with the new story.”

The January line-up consists of six “Master” sets, and six “Protector” sets, each based around the elements of Fire, Earth, Water, Stone, Jungle and Ice. There is also a thirteenth set called the Lord of Skull Spiders. You can find photos and set details up on our Flickr stream, so go check ’em out now!

Can the Toa save Okoto from the latest threat?

The new storyline takes place on the mythical island of Okoto, where the forces of darkness are on the move, and the evil Makuta is once again materializing. Makuta is overcome by the desire for the three mythic masks that will cast the world into darkness: the Mask of Creation, the Mask of Control, and the Mask of Ultimate Power.

The desperate island inhabitants enlist six heroes called the Toa – each masters of a sacred element – to help save their beloved island. The Toa must embark on a quest for Okoto’s ancient power masks, that will allow them to unlock the full potential of their elemental powers. Only when the heroes are united, will they be able to battle the forces of evil, defeat Makuta, and save Okoto.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

President Obama interviewed regarding his LEGO obsession

Contributor Iain Heath was able to sit down with President Barack Obama during TBB’s monthly junket to Washington DC. The President himself requested the interview citing a desire to “come out of the sorting bin” in regards to his Adult Fan of LEGO status. He also wanted to make it clear that the First Lady, Michelle Obama, supported him in this decision. We look forward to covering the Commander-in-Chief’s involvement in the LEGO fan community and hope to highlight some of his creations here in the near future.

UPDATE: The original video has been partially censored to comply with some half-baked legal threats made by the organizers of an event that had been mentioned in it. Some people apparently have no sense of humor, and dealing with such people is too boring and tedious to be worth the trouble, so the video was edited to shut them up. As the old saying goes… THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE OIL.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Star Wars 75060 UCS Slave I unveiled at BrickCon in Seattle [News]

Earlier this evening here in Seattle at BrickCon, LEGO officially unveiled the new 75060 Slave I. Unlike every other incarnation of this set, the UCS version is truly minifig-scale, and includes Boba Fett, Han Solo (with carbonite), a Bespin guard, and Stormtooper. With nearly 2,000 pieces, the set will be released in January 2015 for $200 in the US (full pricing details in the press release later in the post).

75060 UCS Slave I (1)

75060 UCS Slave I (5)

75060 UCS Slave I (16)

We had a chance to take a close look at the new set at BrickCon. Play features include everything you’d expect — pop-out blasters, revolving cannon, rotating wings, etc. See nearly 20 official photos in the photoset on Flickr.

Slave I is quite swooshable, as I demonstrate with my Hadouken! pose.

Andrew swooshes the slave 1

Here’s the full press release from LEGO.

75060 Slave I™

Ages 14+. 1,996 pieces.
US $199.99 – CA $229.99 – DE 199.99€ – UK £169.99 – DK 1699.00 DKK
*Euro pricing varies by country. Please visit shop.LEGO.com for regional pricing.

Lift off for bounty-hunting adventures in the Slave I!

Search the galaxy for fugitives with Boba Fett and his Slave I with rotating cockpit and wings, dual shooters and a display stand.

Track down fugitives with legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett aboard the powerful Slave I! This exclusive LEGO® Star Wars model features a rotating cockpit and wings for flight and landing mode, plus dual shooters and hidden blasters to repel attackers. Reenact the capture of Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and take off from Bespin with the carbonite-imprisoned Rebel hero in the cargo hold. Attach the stand to display this iconic ship in characteristic upright flight. Includes 4 minifigures with weapons: Boba Fett, Bespin Guard, Stormtrooper and Han Solo.

  • Includes 4 minifigures with weapons: Boba Fett, Bespin Guard, Stormtrooper and Han Solo
  • Also includes Han Solo in carbonite!
  • Features a rotating cockpit and wings, opening side hatches with hidden guns and missiles, 2 rotating dual shooters, cargo hold and a display stand with data sheet
  • Weapons include special blaster pistol for Boba Fett, blaster pistol for Bespin Guard and a blaster rifle for the Stormtrooper
  • Boba Fett and Bespin Guard minifigures are unique to this set
  • Rotate the cockpit and wings for flight and landing mode
  • Place carbonite-imprisoned Han Solo in the cargo hold
  • Open the side hatches to unleash missiles from the hidden guns
  • Showcase the huge Slave I in upright flight on the display stand
  • Recreate classic scenes from Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
  • Measures over 7” (20cm) high, 17” (45cm) long and 14” (37cm) wide in landing mode

Available for sale directly through LEGO® beginning January 2015

Finally, here’s the designer video. Be sure to watch it to catch a pretty hilarious play feature.

Nannan will also have a walk-around video, unless I was talking too much in the background…

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Creations for Charity now accepting donations for the 2014 fundraiser

The 6th annual Creations for Charity fundraiser is now accepting donations of custom Lego creations to sell and raise money to buy Lego for underprivileged children. The store opens from October 15th to November 30th where you can buy one-of-a-kind Lego models made by builders from around the world. Check out the awesome creations sold last year and the over $20,000 worth of Lego sets that were donated.

Merry Christmas from Creations for Charity 2013!

Visit creationsforcharity.org to learn about the fundraiser and see how you can take part in the Lego community’s annual tradition of giving back.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.