I’m certain no one asked for this big assault VTOL called Beluga. But clearly LEGO builder ReD M is a master at bringing us what we’d love to see but never knew we wanted. Whether it be the shaping, intricate details, or striking color scheme, this hefty gunship is very suddenly the object of so many LEGO fans’ desires. It’s like something out of all the best sci-fi movies ever made. With its parameters established long ago by a legendary and influential builder who has passed some twelve years ago, there is a certain look to the Vic Viper. Click the link to check out how this big Beluga fits into it. And as tradition goes, these Vic Vipers are almost always exclusively built in NoVVember. What a great way to honor a fine tradition. We’ll surely be on the lookout for whatever else ReD M builds.
Category Archives: LEGO
We all float up here
LEGO builder Jesse van den Oetelaar must have his head in the clouds as evidenced by this stunning new creation. Fall colors, hot-air ship, floating islands, great build techniques; what’s not to love, really? There’s been a good deal of floating island-themed builds gracing the pages of The Brothers Brick lately. Not that we’re complaining! Sometimes the best place to be is a fantasy world high among the clouds. Take a lofty trip into our archives to see more floating island creations by talented builders all over (or way above) the world.
Bringing Star Wars down to Earth
It’s a matter of record that George Lucas used World War II combat footage as a placeholder for the starship battles in early cuts of the original Star Wars. LEGO builder Jordan Fridal has built on this fact by creating an inspired series of digital mash-ups; Star Wars vehicles combined with the WWII-era planes that might have stood in for them before the special effects were done. Here we see an X-Wing/P-51 Mustang trying to outrun a Tie Intercepter/Messerschmitt ME BF-109. And just like groundbreaking special effects need a team to complete them, sometimes a LEGO creation takes more than one person to bring it to life. With that in mind, Jordan credits brick_squadron and Inthert for a bit of help on the X-51.
A LEGO chest full of D&D winning
Some people have a special talent for cooking, crafting, music making, and what have you. Esteemed LEGO builder Sean Mayo’s special talent lies in…well LEGO building but also mixing in other nerdy hobbies and making them super cool. I mean, take this treasure chest chock full of neat little Dungeons & Dragons doodads, for example. It includes a collectible silver figure, dice storage complete with dice and bag, a vertical holder for a notepad and D&D spell cards, and a gold coin. Sean tells us he has taken the classic Castle LEGO dragon of yore and combined it with the D&D logo to make the graphic. Clever!
The whole shebang can be stored neatly inside the box. What Dungeon Master wouldn’t want this at their next gaming event? If this wasn’t enough to warrant a full-on nerdgasm, then you may also be thrilled to learn that the outer panels are easily interchangeable to instead reflect a pirate theme or whatever else you’d like. What a special talent indeed! My special talent? I’m glad you asked! I write sensitive poetry about the man from Nantucket. While you’re mulling that over, check out some other Dungeons & Dragons-themed creations from other people around the world who also have special talents.
That Mickey Mouse sculpture sure is swell
Builder Nobu_Tary did something LEGO couldn’t or maybe just didn’t. They created a Mickey Mouse sculpture using only unprinted LEGO bricks. The original design by LEGO featured printed parts for the eyes to create the expression. Nobu_Tary relied on half-round tiles to do that job. To be quite honest the simplicity of this build’s facial expression really suits the early basic yet classic Mickey Mouse design. I skipped out on the official LEGO set, but I would buy this in a heartbeat! They even managed to nail the iconic Mickey Mouse pose.
Have a butcher’s delight at this neat little vignette
Frog’s legs are a popular delicacy in France and other parts of the world, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in a butcher’s shop. There are certainly some to be found in Thomas Gion‘s LEGO meat seller though! This vignette perfectly captures the essence of your friendly neighbourhood butcher’s shop. The star of the show is undoubtedly the clever use of the frogs though. They look great used as hanging chickens (or turkeys, if we are to be seasonal) and minced meat coming out of a grinder. In fact, with the bacon and drumsticks at the front, this is making me hungry. Does anyone fancy a trip to France?
A sky-high scientist’s sanctuary.
Look up into the sky and you might spot a man looking even further up into the sky. Herschel’s Observatory by Ayrlego is an academic’s retreat floating aloft in the clouds. It’s the perfect vantage point for stargazing. Ayrlego has done some really impressive building here. The texture of the roof is sublime. And I love the way the cobblestone gives way to vegetation, which in turn gives way to the stone that keeps them up in the sky. I’d love to see what kind of aircraft soars up to that dock.
LEGO reveals 71037 Collectible Minifigures Series 24 with 12 new characters coming Jan. 1 [News]
Today LEGO has revealed the next round of the popular Collectible Minifigures, 71037 Series 24. This wave brings 12 new characters in blind bag foil packs with a pink theme, including a few minifigs that are likely to catch the attention of many adult fans, such as a brown Classic Space figure and a Black Falcon soldier. Series 24 will be available for US $4.99 | CAN $5.99 | UK £3.49 each when they’re available starting Jan. 1.
Don’t miss our full review of the previous Minifigures Series 23.
Click to see the full Minifigures Series 24 lineup
Something old, something new and a floor to die for
I am a huge fan of putting together custom LEGO minifigure. Mixing and matching minifigures can be a true art form, which some builders have taken to a next level. Well-thought-out minifigures can really highlight your creation. Whereas sloppy put-together minifigures can draw away the attention of an otherwise stellar build. In this creation by Ids de Jong we can spot some great minifigure combinations.
Combining new parts with old classics can really make the old parts look current again. For instance, the man in the middle features a really old torso combined with dual moulded and printed legs, top that off with a more modern hairpiece and you would hardly notice that the torso is a classic. The build itself is quite stellar too. There are stairs used for the roofing of the Golden Crown Inn. The backside of masonry bricks are used to represent wooden doors and the floor in this creation, which you would look past quite easily, is a true work of art.
A fifties Ford in fitting LEGO form
Builder Tony Bovkoon takes us back to the mid-fifties with this modified Ford F-100. This vehicle is quite the collection of sand green curved slopes! It’s the signature contours we saw in the early days of the F-series, accurately recreated in this beautiful truck. Tiny details like the katanas for windshield wipers and the tan bed liner really make this construction pop. And I love the modern wheels and lowered chassis on this resto-mod design.
The hood even lifts open, revealing a detailed engine design. The radiator design at the front of the cavity is such a simple, yet easily recognizable classic truck feature, even for a fair-weather auto fan such as myself. It’s beautifully executed, and my favorite part of the build.
These LEGO dominos keep getting knocked down, but they get up again
Engineering mastermind Grant Davis comes to us today with an infinitely brilliant design: a machine that knocks over and resets ten LEGO dominos. The simplicity of the tan dominos atop a plain gray box with only “D-O-M-I-N-O” spelled out on the front belies the complex machinery within. Grant has rigged up sections of of the base to open, revealing liftarms that right the fallen dominos in reverse order. This allows for another round of toppling via a different poking device, again hidden in the base. But the really impressive genius here is the magnet system in each domino making sure that the rectangular tiles always fall and reset into the same positions. To hide the standard LEGO magnet in a two-stud width without sacrificing any exterior design is truly marvelous!
Of course a picture can only do this build so much justice. Check out a full explanation of Grant’s design process, and the final product in action, in the video below. Oh, and prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor, as well. This machine isn’t designed to reset that…
40563 Tribute to LEGO® House GWP saves you the trip to Billund [REVIEW]
Since the opening of the LEGO House in Billund in 2017, LEGO fans from around the world have wandered the building in awe, enjoying many large brick-built displays, and even getting to check out one of the injection molding machines that create the beloved brick. Now, with 40563 Tribute to LEGO® House gift with purchase, you can enjoy a taste of the fabled destination with 5 mini-models based on actual LEGO displays, the original wooden duck, and a model of a brick molding machine. This set contains 583 pieces and will be available for a limited time from 11/25 to 11/28 with a qualifying purchase of US $250 | CAN $320 | UK £250. And please consider using those affiliate links while you do your shopping. You can help support TBB this holiday season while you fill your cart.
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.