The last time I did something just for the heck of it I ended up getting banned for life from Sizzler. But when LEGO builder Isaac Wilder does something for the heck of it you get this sweet little Gillig CNG bus. Admittedly his approach to doing things for the heck of it is far more constructive than mine. Hah-constructive, get it? Anyway, I’m enjoying all the build techniques here and the photography and wet look turn a nice little build into something amazing indeed. It’s such a relatable thing because it reminds me of all the times I’ve waited for a bus in the rain. That’s all in the past now because, for reasons unrelated to the Sizzler incident, I’m also banned from city buses.
Category Archives: LEGO
The slickest Republic Gunship
One of the things I love about the LEGO community is that no matter how many times something’s been done, it’s possible for someone to build a new take on a model and add more details and accuracy. Star Wars ships are a prime example; because of their ubiquity both in official sets and fan models, there’s no end of inspiration and various designs, and Thomas Jenkins has crafted a jaw-dropping new version of the LAAT, better known as the Republic Gunship from Attack of the Clones and The Clone Wars. Thomas has used lots of great design details here to make a super accurate minifigure-scale version, with clever bits ranging from the oars on the engine nacelles to the backpack on the nose. But perhaps the most impressive thing is that all of the detailed color blocking is brick-built.
All aboard the nostalgia submarine
People are suckers for nostalgia. This is a well-known fact that even the LEGO company has been tapping into lately. It is no wonder that this creation by Bob DeQuatre is hitting all the sweet spots. It is a rebuild of the 6175 Crystal Explorer Sub from the Aquanauts theme. This version is quite a bit larger than the original. The cockpit manages to fit 3 seats and a hatch to access the ocean. I am not sure, as it is not mentioned by Bob, but I can imagine quite well that the big trans purple windscreen from the Pop-up Party Bus was the starting point of this amazing build. To top it all off it even has working lights.
Aren’t you a little cute for a gangster?
Isn’t the mythology around gangsters odd? Although they were criminals, they do seem to make for fascinating characters in novels and on screens. In fact, as Versteinert demonstrates, they can be excellent subjects for LEGO creations! And if you’re going to depict a gangster, you might as well depict the gangster: Al Capone. For someone who was designated public enemy number one, there’s a lot to love about this build. The parts usage is great – I count at least four alternate uses for things like bananas and stud shooters – but the characterization of Capone is what makes this build. The tilted fedora and cigar off to one side give him heaps of personality, and I daresay he almost looks cute!
LEGO reveals new Ideas set: 21340 Tales of the Space Age [News]
Today LEGO is revealing the newest Ideas set, 21340 Tales of the Space Age. The 688-piece set will feature four vignettes in striking colors depicting sci-fi scenes in a vintage style. The four scenes can be displayed separately or connected together, as well as standing up or hanging on a wall. The set will be available for LEGO VIP members starting May 5, with general availability May 8, and will retail for US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £44.99.
The set is based on a submission to LEGO’s crowdfunding platform by Jan Woźnica which was chosen in the first 2022 round and we featured back in 2021 when he first entered it into the LEGO Ideas “Out of This World” challenge.
Some towers have spires and some towers inspire
There’s magic waiting to be revealed in every LEGO piece, and builders like exis- (or like you, dear Reader) bring it out. In this case, the build itself is quite magical, being a mage tower of sorts. The black roofing and crenellations create a forbidding–or foreboding–presence. However, the tan of the rest of the architecture balances it out. Perhaps this hints at the risk vs reward of entering such a place. Looking closer, you’ll see wonderful details abounding throughout the build. I really like the use of minifig legs for details in the base floor windows. I do recommend taking a trip over to the builder’s photostream to take a look at the wonders that fill the tower’s interior. There’s even a brief video showing off some cool play features.
Where’s a Strider when you need one?!
We’ve had a glorious wealth of LEGO Lord of the Rings builds lately, thanks in large part to a contest going on right now over on the LEGO Ideas site. As a result, we can see builder Faëbricks ply their expert rock technique in this beautiful recreation of the Weathertop scene. Faëbricks does an excellent job of distinguishing between two types of weathered stone. There’s the ruins of the watchtower, built in light gray and retaining evidence of man-made features: crumbling arches, a few ruined statues, and so many clean lines intentionally broken with a crack or crevice tell the history of this place. Juxtapose that feel with the rocky terrain in dark gray, dark green, and brown. The weathered earth appears in larger “chunks” and involves far more slopes and natural shapes than the construction atop it. And yet both sides of this metaphorical coin coexist wonderfully in this exceptional recreation from the movie.
Game Boy Color: Get into it!
While this LEGO Game Boy Color (GBC) doesn’t play actual games, it’s still a treat to see from Nick Brick. Personally, I never owned one of these handhelds, but that has never stopped me from appreciating the look and feel of the hardware. This build captures one of the iconic bright colors of the console – kiwi green. That’s something I love about the GBC: all the different colors it came in instead of the flatter colors of the Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket. It takes some imagination and sweet designing to build this handheld out in LEGO. It looks like you can just flick the power switch and hear that iconic chime before playing whatever game you want. Personally, I’d love to throw The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX into this thing and play around on Koholint Island.
Bringing back the classic Boba bust
While the LEGO Star Wars helmet series has been terrific, I also enjoy builds of a smaller scale accomplishing the same thing. Builder George Panteleon provides an excellent example of this scale with his classic take on Boba Fett. The dark green coloration stands out here, especially next to the bits of white and red trim. And I love the shaping, utilizing an array of slopes and curves to get the Mandalorian helmet just right. But the best detail for me has got to be the perfect use of handlebars to create the hexagonal pattern on Boba’s chest. It’s the perfect part for the job.
The age of men is over, the time of the Mecha-Orc has come!
Well, now I’ve seen everything! Direct from the imagination of Illia Zubashev comes this hearty band of LEGO orcs armed with a mech suit, a rocket pack, and one huge rocket launcher. I absolutely love the colors here! The greens of the orcish skin and dark tan of the terrain provide wonderful contrast with the safety yellow and of this troop’s equipment. Unorganized and organic patters interplay with neat black-and-white checkerboards and safety striping. It instantly signals that these devices are out of place in this setting. And yet, the hints of rust and a few haphazard patch jobs apparent on the modern equipment still anchors this scene in reality (or at least a reality where fantasy has been gut-checked by sci-fi). May this platoon have much success in its raid of the nearby kingdom of Cyber-Elves.
This Pikachu-wannabe just wants a hug!
I can’t think of a creepier Pokémon than Mimikyu, even in LEGO form. While some may mistake it for a sickly-looking Pikachu, the clever disguise hides a malicious Fairy/Ghost type underneath. Builder Brickmill has created a wonderful likeness of this spooky creature, complete with two shadowy arms emerging from underneath its costume. Cheese slopes are doing quite a bit of work in this creation, from the tattered end of the ‘Mon’s sheet to its zig-zaggy mouth attempting a smile. And while a simple solution, its menacing claws are spot-on for the specter underneath.
LEGO Creation of the Week (#13): Cold Solitude by Mono
Every week readers of the The Brothers Brick Telegram channel choose the Creation of the Week: one project that impressed all of us the most. Winter is back as Ventum Vox gets the most recent Creation of the Week award! His Cold Solitude is one particularly impressive build, featuring very unusual rockwork.
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