I know this year feels like it’s going quickly, but surely we’re not in October already are we? We featured one LEGO witch here last week, and now Markus Rollbühler has graced us with another one. They couldn’t be more different, though, apart from the green skin and black robes. Oh, and the clever parts use! Some black curved arches lend some graceful shape do this witch’s dress, while the cauldron makes use of an inverted tire. I’m not sure what’s happening with that little mouse, though. Is she giving it a bath? That must be it. The green bottle in her other hand is clearly bath lotion. Nothing nefarious happening here, no sirree…
Category Archives: LEGO
TBB Mailbag – A call for questions [Feature]
Dear reader, we know you have so many questions for us about LEGO news, reviews, and the creations we feature on our site. We see them regularly in our comments, in messages sent via Facebook and Instagram, and through our Contact Us page. And while we try to reply to the multitude of inquiries we receive through these portals, it’s about time we had an official Q&A session with you all. Use the form below to submit your questions, and I’ll be back next week with as many answers as I can muster (to questions submitted through any of these channels, both old and new). If there’s something you’ve been wanting to ask us about LEGO, writing, or anything else relevant to the site, let us hear it!
Fill out the form below with your questions
A fabulous Fabergé of LEGO
Clad in pearl gold and transparent purple LEGO bricks, this is quite the ornate ovum by builder Pistash. While both colors provide a limited palette of parts, they’re combined well here, appropriately forming the ovoid shape and proper filigree befitting the moniker “Fabergé.” All the crowns, leaves, and vines are held in place with a delicate network of flaxen bars and clips. But a secret lies beneath that golden lattice of elegance.
An army of frogs have assembled within the center of this regal keepsake. Who knows what grand designs they’re planning? And, believe it or not, this isn’t the first time we’ve featured Fabergé. Check out our archives to hatch some more great egg builds.
40679 Love Gift Box Gift with Purchase: No love lost, or love at first sight? [Review]
The LEGO seasonal sets have become something of a regular tradition by now. Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, so what are we getting this year? In 2022 we had 40522 Valentine Lovebirds, with 40462 Valentine’s Brown Bear the year before. In 2024, LEGO are switching it up, and our love-themed offering is a Gift with Purchase in the form of 40679 Love Gift Box. It will be available with purchases totalling US $75 | CAN $TBD | UK £TBD, and consists of 158 pieces. It’s available for two weeks from February 1st, so if you need a gift for a LEGO-loving partner, you can get one in time for the 14th. But should you? Keep reading to find out!
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
What a long, strange trip it’s been for this VW T1 Kastenwagen
LEGO builder Isaac Wilder is sort of a master at creating patinaed vehicles, but he didn’t perfect the technique instantly. He tells us that way back in August of 2020, he approached legendary builder Simon Liu about patina techniques and he gave him some sage advice. This turned into a small “patina collaboration” of sorts, and, speaking from experience, it’s kind of magical when that happens. Isaac is also an admirer of VW Life on YouTube so, over time, he kept up with his inspirations and practiced the patina look and now we have this.
In a vehicle with this much character, it makes you think of the adventures it may have had. Perhaps it had a fresh, psychedelic paint job during the Summer of Love; maybe its occupants made tofu and granola in it for years at a time; or maybe it was involved in a medium-speed chase from the fuzz in the 80s. Oh, the stories this VW could tell! Just be prepared for deep introspection and the munchies because I’m pretty sure Kastenwagen translates to “contact high”.
TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 27th, 2024 [News]
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of January, 2023.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS Hope you’ve had a productive week! When you’ve taken a moment to get caught up on our previous Brick Report take another minute to read through all the news from the last two weeks below. We’ve got news about the next IDEAS set, a new IP partnership, and a recruitment drive!
- [NEWS] LEGO Ideas announces the next set in the theme as 21347 Red London Telephone Box — London’s calling with the news of this brand new Ideas set announcement.
- [NEWS] LEGO teams up with Hasbro to bring Peppa Pig to LEGOLAND parks and Duplo sets — Get ready to see even more of Peppa, George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig!
- [NEWS] The Brothers Brick is looking for Contributors, News Writers, and Graphic Designers to join our team — Fancy yourself a LEGO superfan and an avid writer? We may have a spot for you on the team!
- [NEWS] Introducing a Playful Board Game Collaboration by the LEGO Group and Asmodee – [LEGO.com] – New game Monkey Palace coming soon!
- [NEWS] Pharrell Williams and the LEGO Group announced ‘Piece by Piece’ Film – [LEGO.com] – From Focus Features and Academy Award® Winning Director Morgan Neville comes a unique new documentary movie animated with LEGO bricks
- OTHER NEWS Our news roundup includes other news from around the world, including a film about Pharrell and a bricktastic board game partnership.
Never practice turning people into frogs in the mirror
Witches are known for, among other things, flying around on broomsticks and turning people into frogs. F.S. Leinad‘s LEGO witch has certainly got the former nailed – this particular broomstick uses some minifigure hair to mimic the bristles flapping in the wind. As for turning people into frogs… Well, her spell seems to have backfired somewhat. Her nose, hat, hands, and feet have all transformed into tiny amphibians! She’s probably not very happy about it, but surely even the grumpiest of witches can appreciate some Nice Parts Usage.
Keep an eye out for the latest in LEGO cybernetics!
Ever wondered what cybernetic enhancement you would get if you lived in the future? Rocket feet, perhaps? Or a brain that can access the internet? As someone with seriously shoddy eyesight, I would settle for some functioning eyeballs. Jan Woźnica has got me sorted, it seems! This product is simply titled “Eyeball, Mk2”. I like what I see! Dots bracelets for optic nerve cables, and part of General Grievous’ wheelbike for the iris. Mind you, that part is now giving me an idea of the scale… I’m not sure I can fit one of these in my skull, let alone two. Perhaps it’s best to wait for the Mk3, or 4, or 5. I’ll keep an eye out for those…
Pry it from my cold, dead hands, mate!
Apparently, Australia had gun-toting outlaws, too. Aido Kessler has built a LEGO replica of Ned Kelly, an Australian outlaw who roamed the Land Down Under almost 150 years ago. He was known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armor with an iconic helmet. What is neat about this is it was the official convention model at Brickvention this past weekend. So, if you were there, it is possible that you could have also gotten -uh-your cold, dead hands on this hot exclusive model. Aido tells us it’s very odd seeing your creation on the front of a box, an experience not many of us can boast. He must be having the best week ever as we have recently featured another of his creations. Check it out as well as many of his other amazing works in our Aido Kessler archives.
A portion of medieval village that has us eager for more
We see a lot of enormous collaborative LEGO dioramas here on TBB, albeit often through the individual modules that make them up. At first glance, this serene windmill scene by Sandro Damiano might seem like one such module. There are some conspicuous holes to connect to other parts of the diorama, and after all, it is referred to as “Module #2”. But the only person Sandro is collaborating with on this particular project is… Himself! He has taken on the construction of an entire medieval village. This section is already pretty big, so this could end up being very impressive once finished!
Not only that – if the other modules are as well-built as this one (and with Sandro’s skill, there’s no reason to doubt they will be), it could be pretty stunning too. Take a look at the river flowing over the weir here, for instance. Using trans-light-blue cockpit is the perfect way to capture the movement of the water! We can’t wait to see more, Sandro…
A lil’ dozer for those tiny LEGO construction jobs
As an avid fan of LEGO microscale, I adore this Lilliputian Liebherr by builder EMazingBrix. As we’ve seen with other models made for the ongoing Iron Forge competition, this scene utilizes so many cups and vessels in its makeup. A series of yellow mugs comprise the dozer’s wheels, from front idler to sprocket. An upside-down goblet forms the earthmover’s exhaust, and a pair of teacups form hardhats for the compact construction workers. And with so many atypical (and highly illegal) connections between parts, this scene bears all the hallmarks of inventive microscale.
These elves literally turn the tide of battle
In the realms of fantasy, it seems like there’s always a horde of orcs taking on a band of elves somewhere. And in this Tolkien-inspired LEGO scene by Graham Gidman, these two groups are at it once again. But this time the battle appears to be more fluid than normal, and I mean that literally! There’s a rush of trans-clear bricks about to knock those orcs right off the bridge. But the shaping of this “water” is only one part of Graham’s brick-built mastery on display in this scene. The smooth white curves of the Elvish architecture feel perfectly at home here, projecting a regal tone. And every bit of plant life dotting the rocky landscape is inspired. But my favorite detail in the whole scene has got to be the darker shade of tan used on the waterlogged portion of the bridge. It’s quite the excellent, and easy-to-miss, detail that sets this build apart!