Godzilla is an iconic beast who first appeared in Ishirō Honda‘s 1954 film Godzilla and has remained a feature of Japanese pop culture ever since. There have been many builders who have created a LEGO Godzilla, but this version by 62778grenouille really caught my attention. Firstly, it’s huge. And secondly, it has been built in the most extraordinary manner, using Technic parts that seem to flow into the shape of Godzilla.
See more photos of this massive LEGO monster
Fans of Bravest Warriors rejoice! After vanishing for two and half years, this wacky space animation from the mind that created Adventure Time is now back from the dead, with a third season beginning today on Cartoon Hangover. And because LEGO makes everything 9000% sexier, here is a building guide for Catbug to get you in the mood.
(Click here for enlarged version)
With the recent passing of the actors that portrayed them, we’ve seen a number of fantastic LEGO models of Star Wars characters Princess Leia and R2-D2. But none have captured the connection between these two like Miro Dudas has in this recreation of a scene from A New Hope that really requires no introduction.
In the following loveable hug that would melt any astromech’s circuits, one can almost imagine that this is from an out-take on the set! Miro’s builds have undergone several iterations, and this modified Leia now sports articulation at both the neck and hips, allowing the model to pose perfectly. Meanwhile, his version of R2 possesses a fully retractable 3rd leg, pivoting side legs, and a rotating head! While there are many LEGO R2-D2 designs out there, both official and fan-created, Miro’s is one of my favourites at this scale.
Today we take a look at two great LEGO mech builds by exceptional builders. They have some similarities, like darker colours and menacing looks, but each in its own unique style.
We will start with XF56DAL3 Stingray by Moko. I have a soft spot for Moko as a builder, since he was one of the first builders I was exposed to when I discovered the online LEGO community, and he’s still active! As far as the build goes, there is a good balance between clean surfaces and greebling. My favourite details are the mech’s menacingly sharp head, and the hoses made of gold ring pieces from LEGO Lord of the Rings. But what makes this mech a truly amazing model is the posing and photography.
Continuing on, we have this industrial-looking THR-01 Droid by Marco Marozzi. The colour blocking is spot-on and I could easily imagine the mechanical function of each individual detail. While not as complicated and large as Moko’s build, it has no less character or spirit.
While the 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is an amazing collector’s item, there’s no denying that it makes a fantastic parts pack, especially with all those orange Technic panel pieces. František Hajdekr has used those panels in a unique way, fashioning them into a cordless drill hammer.
If you look closely at the build, you may notice the Technic power functions XL-Motor. This isn’t a flashy model; under all those orange panels is a working mechanism that causes the chisel to move back and forth. While it might not help you in your next home improvement project, it’s certainly a fun idea! You can see it in action below:
This amazing pirate-themed collaboration between Grant Davis and Eli Willsea was built in just three weeks. The gorgeous diorama features excellent rockwork, moving features in the waterfall and the ancient stone calendar, as well as lighting inside the temple. One more very important aspect of the build, in my opinion, is the ratio between the land and sea, which adds a lot to the overall impression of the creation.
I highly recommend you check out the many closeup photos showing all of the incredible details in this build, as well as the following time-lapse video which highlights some of the moving features:
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Paul Hetherington and take a tour inside his head to see how he invents such fantastic creations. Our readers will recognize him as the builder of our Creation of the Year 2016, Gotham Theater Showdown, but his creations span a much greater range in subject and technique than many people may realize. Let’s get to know Paul, shall we?
TBB: Can you give us a little background on how you got into the LEGO hobby and what inspires you to build?
Paul: I’ve been into the LEGO hobby since before you could reasonably use the word “classic” to describe old space and castle sets. I bought my first set as an adult in 1991, which was the Space M-Tron Pulsar Charger. Little did I know back then that I had just taken the first step on an epic journey — one that would introduce me to so many amazing people, and have my LEGO creations be recognized around the world. Because back in 1991, as far as I knew, I was the only crazy adult who bought LEGO sets.
There are so many things that inspire me to build. My first creations were just built for my own enjoyment, as there was no way to share them. Then when the internet came along, all of a sudden a local LEGO club formed which I joined. From that point I had a reason to build. The first years of creating were mainly spent recreating local buildings, trains and hot rods for train shows and museums. I found I really enjoyed doing research to ensure that my creations were historically accurate and to scale. I soon became inspired to add some fantasy elements into my creations. I discovered Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and the works of Antoni Gaudi. Theme parks, Mardi Gras floats, and parades were also a great source of inspiration.
More recently, I had the pleasure to work with the artist Douglas Coupland on an installation and came to the realization that Lego has a place in the Art world. I find the Surrealists, especially Dali, and Pop Art, and Comic book art to be particularly inspiring. In recent years my creations have had more of an artistic twist and I see myself going more in that direction. Architecture will always be at the heart of what I do and is usually the catalyst for my creations.
Having grown up playing the Halo series, I was initially excited to see some of the series’ classic vehicles appear in plastic brick form. But that excitement was immediately overcome by heartbreak when I noticed a toy construction company other than LEGO picked up the franchise. That hasn’t stopped builders from recreating some great scenes and vehicles in the far superior LEGO medium. Taking a break from the castle theme, I tried to throw down with my own creation:
I initially tried to build the big Covenant anti-aircraft guns from Halo 3 but quickly realized I didn’t’ have enough dark purple (a problem I thought I’d never have). So I went with a smaller version fictional to the Halo universe but still within the Covenant aesthetics we’ve come to know and love.
To an untrained eye, this mud hut by Magma Guy might seem like just another medieval farmer’s house, but I assure you, this is placed in current time, in our world. Inspired by the Youtube phenomenon Primitive Technology, Magma has recreated the focal point of the Youtube channel’s most popular video, Primitive Technology: Tiled Roof Hut, which has over 21 million views and shows the process of building a simple structure completely from scratch. The model has all the details captured exceptionally well, from the ceramic roof tiles, to the rock and mud walls, as well as the stone foundation and a picture-perfect recreation of the stick door. The scenery is also complete with some ceramic pots and the “Primitive Technology” guy with a resin torch.
As a great fan of the videos myself, this creation means even more to me personally, especially the extra photo showcasing some of the creations from Primitive Technology’s other videos.
If you read our site often, you’ve probably noticed that a group of builders have been collaborating on an ongoing Harry Potter LEGO series. Each builder has tackled a different book in the series, producing a small vignette scene for each chapter. Mel F. recently finished the sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, with 30 vignettes for the book’s 30 chapters, and the tiny scenes just keep getting better and better.
Mel’s take on the Harry Potter vignette series is quite spectacular and a little different than those who have come before her. Most noticeably, Mel incorporated several intricate building techniques and even some microscale buildings (the Burrow) into her series. Of course, she also included a plethora of Unikitty tails (Mel’s signature LEGO piece) into her builds.
If you missed any of the previous Harry Potter vignette series, be sure to check them out here:
See each of the fantastic Half-Blood Prince vignettes below.
Bigger isn’t always better, and this micro machine by František Hajdekr is living proof. I’m always impressed with the amount of detail builders are able get into builds at this scale. The inverted 1×2 plate on the side looks just like grill on the real thing. Follow this simple instructions video and this miniature bulldozer could be clearing away small piles of rubble on your desk too.
Bored with dull city dioramas where everything is awesome? Professional South Korean LEGO-building quartet OliveSeon knows how to ring the changes on the major LEGO city airport hub. How about a massive superhero battle? They’ve done some impressive work recreating one of the biggest screen brawls of the previous year, from Captain America: Civil War. And don’t be surprised: those planes and little yellow service cars are actually from official LEGO City sets, and they look simply perfect in this diorama.
What’s particularly awesome about this scene is the main airport building. I bet that perfectly planned and executed interior would make you forget there’s a battle going outside on the runway! Bonus points awarded for an extremely smart use of the tram from LEGO set 60097 City Square, which here is turned into an inter-terminal train.
And if you like this airport, also check out the incredible LEGO airport we covered in November.