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!
Category Archives: LEGO
LEGO teams up with Hasbro to bring Peppa Pig to LEGOLAND parks and Duplo sets [News]
LEGO has been no stranger to brand tie-ins of late, and they have added another popular TV character to their line-up. The Danish company is teaming up with Hasbro Entertainment to produce DUPLO sets featuring Peppa Pig and her friends. Peppa has been a mainstay of children’s TV for 20 years as of 2024, and the collaboration will see sets released in the Duplo line aimed at toddlers and pre-schoolers. Merlin Entertainment, custodian of the LEGOLAND parks, is also being brought into the fold. In LEGO’s hometown of Billund, the LEGOLAND park will get its own Duplo Peppa Pig play area. Meanwhile, LEGOLAND Deustchland in Gunzburg, Germany, will get a new neighbour in the form of a Peppa Pig-dedicated theme park. More details on the sets are slated to come later on this year.
What do you make of this news? Have a read of the press release below, and let us know what you think in the comments!
The Brothers Brick is looking for Contributors, News Writers, and Graphic Designers to join our team [News]
Dear reader, you’re likely already familiar with all the tremendous news, reviews, and LEGO creations we feature here at The Brothers Brick. But producing all this content takes a team of people with a deep passion for the hobby. I was lucky enough to join this wonderful group two years ago, and we’re once again looking to expand our ranks. We’re looking for Contributors to help write up the best darn LEGO creations the internet has to offer. We’re seeking News Writers to help cover breaking information on this hobby that we love. And we’re after Graphic Designers to help create the cover images that draw you all into the news and reviews we have to share. Are you interested in helping us out? Read on for more on the open positions at TBB and how to apply!
Click to read more about the open roles
A cup of gnomish creativity
It’s not too often that the LEGO bricks line up in a way that we can do a theme day here at TBB. But when two great builders push the limits on a certain hard-to-use part, it’s tough not to write them up together. We already saw Nate’s spaceship earlier today, and now we’re treated to this delightful gnome-built cottage by Maxx Davidson, both built around this human-sized LEGO mug. Fitting with the Iron Forge challenge to use as many LEGO liquid containers as possible, the creation also features mug-turbaned gnomes with Minecraft Shulker faces, and some lovely window awnings made from latte cups.
The builder of this spaceship is no mug
What does it take to succeed in the Iron Forge? Well, I don’t exactly have any experience to draw on, but you can be sure that a bit of ingenuity and outside-the-box thinking will go a long way. Exhibit A: Nate Chiles‘ latest effort. In this early phase of the contest, the seed parts are not always as prescriptive as in the Iron Builder finals, so the ongoing second round challenges builders to use any LEGO piece tagged as a cup or goblet. And that does technically include the actual LEGO mug that forms the engine of this spaceship. Or at least, we’re assuming that’s what’s going on here. The alternative explanation is that this is a standard minifigure mug, and Nate has a shrink ray. Are they even allowed in this competition? Can we get a ruling on this please?!
Just when you thought it was safe to walk past LEGO barns...
Even if your aim’s so terrible that you can’t hit the broadside of a barn, you can certainly use one to hide, as we see in this LEGO vignette by Mihał Ch (BardJaskier). With an army dressed similarly to the 10297 Boutique Hotel staff hiding in the foreground, my attention is drawn to the expect expert techniques used in the granary. Brown brick-built doors look sturdy as can be and the foundation is appropriately cobbled. But it’s those thick black lines framing the structure that really make the building pop. Make sure to zoom in and check out the cheese slope technique used to get those smooth diagonal lines.
Break free of the chains that bind you – and turn them into a boat
Aido K‘s latest LEGO masterpiece has left me lost for words. Well, not completely speechless – but this is a family-friendly website, so I can’t publish my audible reaction. My favourite genre of creation – if you can call it that – is people using the engineered properties of the LEGO system of parts in unusual ways. That’s where the idea for this build came in: LEGO bricks are designed to work under compression – that is, being squashed together. Aido turned that on its head, so this uses elements in tension (i.e. being pulled). So that boat in the middle is almost entirely shaped by chains under tension and the pull of gravity. It’s beautiful!
That means the boat can fold down flat for easy transport – which is just as well, as this model made its debut at the Brickvention show in Melbourne over the weekend. Seeing the boat rise from the chains is very satisfying!
All that talent down the drain
In a LEGO world of castles, mechs, and spaceships it’s neat when someone with the amusing name of Pistash comes along and builds something totally ordinary. A golden faucet is an ordinary thing if you happen to be in a higher tax bracket than most, but you get what I mean. The smooth porcelain of the sink and even the water splatter effects are all amazing touches. I even love the gold wheel rim used as the drain. It was built for the Iron Forge competition over at, well, Iron Forge. We’ve been amazed with this builder’s work before. Check out our Pistash archives to see what I mean.
900 years to wear down a temple, 7 days to build it out of LEGO
The proficiency of LEGO builders never ceases to amaze me. Timothy Shortell (AKA Classical Bricks) tells a story of coming across a photo of the Ta Prohm temple in Cambodia. A week goes by, and boom – we get this amazing model at the end of it. That’s no time at all! Just the careful positioning of the roof tiles for that jungle-weathered temple look must have taken a good while. In fact, all the weathering is very well judged, and the tree roots winding their way down to the ground – very nicely done. It’s almost unfair how quickly this was all achieved. When I build for a week, I’m lucky if I’ve even got a half-finished model at the end of it, let alone one as good as this!
What if HR Giger designed LEGO starfighters?
Space Jam contestants, beware. Ted Andes is done with being a judge as of this year, and he’s getting involved in the LEGO building competition instead! It’s not just Ted you need to be wary of, though. His “Ravager” looks as deadly as it sounds. It has a touch of the “HR Giger”s about it – which is appropriate, given it’s entered in the Bio-Mechanical Fusion category (Giger was a pioneer of the biomechanical art style). But it’s even more apt that this look is achieved using a host of Bionicle parts. Bio-Mechanical, indeed!
This LEGO Dark Knight is more than black and dark gray
While LEGO Batman will forever be Will Arnett, there’s certainly room for creations that take the caped crusader a bit more seriously. For instance, check out this glorious scene from Batman Begins by Joe (jnj_bricks). Within their temple high in the Tibetan Himalayas, the League of Shadows is about to adopt a new member. But Bruce Wayne manages an escape from Ra’s al Ghul and his minions. Here we see the explosion that kicks off the action-packed scene, frozen in plastic-y time. And it’s a good thing, too, because it allows us plenty of time to admire Joe’s impressive use of Harry Potter wands in the vignette. Employed both in the windows above and the railings below, the pair of wands still attached to their sprue provide an interesting and hard-to-achieve texture in the model.
Ridin’ low, baggin’ and crankin’ the hog
Sometimes LEGO legends fade away for a little while but come back onto the scene in style and still chock full of piss and vinegar. Dennis Glaasker reminds us that it has been three years since he last built something but comes screeching back on a glorious low and bagged Harley. LEGO released the 10269 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy way back in 2019 and Dennis used this as the basis for his new ride, but even a casual glance at our old review proves that Denni’s design diverged greatly from there. Most notably you have the lowered stance, the massive 30″ front wheel, the slanted bags, and enough custom chrome LEGO pieces to make anyone’s heart rate race a little. Throw in some custom LED lights and you have all the makings of a badass build, true to Dennis’ style.