Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

“I suggest a new strategy, Artoo. Let the Wookiee win.”

Did you know that, despite their visual effects fame, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) only elected to use stop-motion animation once in the original Star Wars? The scene in question is the Dejarik board on the Millennium Falcon, depicted on Instagram by Shaun Sheepa (brick.sheepa). Shaun is a dab hand when it comes to Star Wars creatures, so the holochess board is a veritable feast. You’ve got, um, the big grey one, and, er, the dude with the hammer, and the red… Caterpillar… Thing? I won’t pretend to know their names. I bet Shaun could tell you – after all, he’s done a phenomenal job of building them!

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Thomas the Tank Engine of Destruction

Caleb Flutur didn’t have to go this hard for the pun, but we’re glad he did. By transforming the classic children’s character “Thomas the Tank Engine” into simply “Thomas the Tank,” Caleb has produced a surprisingly accurate military vehicle. Sure, it’s made from primary colors and has eyes, but look at the details! The intricate tank tread mechanics, the machine gun atop the turret. And it had to be done while incorporating some of Thomas’s iconic striping, which actually ups the difficulty level beyond what a regular tank would require.

Thomas the Tank

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Home is where the tree is

This LEGO scene by Josh speaks of gentle breezes and a relaxing atmosphere to rest. Take a moment to appreciate everything on display here. Vibrant colors are everywhere, from the coral beneath the water to the bright blue house and the greenery surrounding it. And there’s wildlife everywhere! Some crabs hang out underwater while a rabbit explores the verdant foliage. Butterflies and a cute little bumblebee visit the blooming flower patch, and a green duck lazily floats by the house and reeds. Standing tall over all of it is the great living tree with it’s branches spread wide to offer shade to all below. But not too much shade, or those flowers and vines atop the house would have trouble growing! This is a lovely build with cool techniques in the suspended water layer and the curving roof. Oh, look–a blue bird!

Under the Leaves

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Burger of the Day: the “block” angus burger (made out of LEGO)

As a die-hard fan of the show Bob’s Burgers, I’m constantly on the hunt for LEGO constructions honoring the cartoon. And this excellent lime and yellow façade cooked up by Steven Stelter has got to be one of the best I’ve come across. All of the intricate brickwork to create the designs around the second story windows is spot-on to the show’s intro. All it needs is a pun-inscribed pest control van pulling up to the curb. It’s a masterclass in plate spacing and clean lines, heavily relying on the 1×2 jumper plate to create a sight that’s speaks to me like Bob does to the Thanksgiving turkey. With a lit interior, and a huge picture window showing off the bar inside, there’s a lot of depth here to uncover. And that tiny tree design right off the front stoop is almost as cute as Little King Trashmouth!

Bob's Burgers LEGO MOC

Beyond what’s visible through the front window, the interior is fully decked-out, complete with a custom sticker for the iconic Burger of the Day chalkboard. The whole scene is something worthy of Coasters magazine, for sure!

Bob's Burgers LEGO MOC

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Putting the creative into “Créative Technologie”

Although Finland is often called the home of rallying, in recent years you’d be forgiven for thinking it was France. Since 2003, every year bar one has seen a Frenchman (two Frenchmen, in fact, both called Sébastien) crowned World Drivers’ Champion. From 2004 to 2012, Citroën extended this dominance to the Manufacturers’ championship, although Reddish Blue MOCs‘s depiction is from their leaner, more recent years. Nonetheless, it’s a superb model! It’s built to the same scale as LEGO’s Speed Champions line and would look right at home among them.

The C3 WRC, as it’s called, is packed full of detail, making it very faithful to real rally cars. A spare wheel sits in the trunk, and it can accommodate bonnet lights for night stages. By far the coolest detail is the ability to swap between a tarmac setup and a gravel or snow one. This isn’t done by just swapping out some pieces (although the custom stickers are swapped from Monte Carlo to Finland, which is a nice touch) – there’s a tool in the back to do it on the fly. How cool is that! This car may not have won many rallies in its three years in the WRC, but it’s certainly won our hearts.

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Crane your necks to get a good look at this MOC

I love spaceships with unusual shapes, and Pascal has come up with a doozy in this regard. He has dubbed it the Sky Crane; presumably to reflect its role as a cargo-carrying craft, but perhaps also because the cockpit shape is reminiscent of a crane bird. The unique cockpit is a wonderful concept neatly executed, using the transparent yellow windshields from 10497 Galaxy Explorer. Speaking of which, this set didn’t include the moonbase that the original in 1979 had. If it had done, it could well have looked like the mobile habitat slung underneath the Sky Crane here!

NCS Sky Crane

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A fresh take on classic space

The recent release of LEGO’s revamped Galaxy Explorer has put a lot of builders in a Neo Classic Space frame of mind. This creation from Titolian combines that classic color scheme with a healthy dose of angles and curves. The result is an insectoid-style craft that leaves us itching to own one ourselves. If you dig this, make sure to check out more of Titolian’s clever characters and spectacular spacecraft in our archives.

Star Striker LL 608

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LEGO Ideas 21335 Motorized Lighthouse – a beacon of brick-built class... and cost [Review]

During the COVID lockdown, thousands of people all over the globe found themselves with a significant amount of extra free time and the ability to create wonderful builds. The LEGO Ideas page was overwhelmed with submissions, with an unprecedented number of builds being approved for production. Many of these have been officially licensed products like the Fender Stratocaster, Home Alone, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

While licensed LEGO sets can be very cool, it is always nice to see the LEGO Ideas team approve projects that are wholly original and appeal to a wider range of people. Often these sets don’t have the extra cost associated with licensing, but sometimes they do – as is the case for the newest addition: LEGO Ideas 21335 Motorized Lighthouse. This 2065 piece set will be available September 1st and retail for US $299.99 | CAN $379.99 | UK £259.99. Join us as we take a closer look and see if that high price tag is worth it.

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.

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This dragon is ready for a hot knight out

The Black Falcon faction has their hands full trying to combat Yzur, the Fireheart in this scene by seb71. The color scheme on this mythical beastie is en fuego! The blocking of red, dark red, black, yellow, and gold feels organic without being monotonous. And the sculpting on the limbs and tail is downright perfect, making the build feel complete. Even the dragon’s fire breath is a wonderful blocky construction, much to the chagrin of our mounted knight. I particularly like the sculpting of Yzur’s face, with excellent use of the Brickheadz eye piece. Even without the cryptozoological wonder, the background stands up on its own. Check out that delicate wispy pine behind our crimson menace!

Yzur, coeur de feu

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The car that is business up front, party in the back

I wish the car-truck still existed in the US. These were the El Caminos and Rancheros from the fifties to the eighties. They, like the mullet, are a timeless classic that could only be operated if the radio was tuned to classic rock and the driver wore either no shirt or one without sleeves. A six-pack of Schlitz was sometimes included. Australia, as it turns out, kept that beautiful dream alive right up until 2017 with the Holden Ute. Here we see a stunning LEGO example built by Chris Elliott. It’s the 1971 Turbo Coupe Utility, making it precisely as old as I am. Frankly, I’m not sure if my paint job and luster have held up as well as this beautiful machine. While my chrome is also not as shiny, my ability to air-guitar to Iron Maiden is still legendary, so that’s something.

1971 Aussie Turbo Coupe Utility (Ute)

Not to make this all about me but if you really want to go back in time, check out an old offering of the 1971 Ute from yours, truly. Chris tells us his version received the “Staff Favorite” award at Brickfair Virginia 2022. Bravo! Here it is posed next to it’s major award.

1971 Aussie Turbo Coupe Utility (Ute)

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It was a brick like any other...

Theres something about Film Noir that captures the heart of any cinephile and Casey McCoy brings us a Film Noir inspired scene in his latest LEGO build. I love the composition of this scene, effortlessly capturing the 30’s/40’s era. The attention to detail as you explore the construction is a real treat, from the window and blind build and on to the Art Deco radio, carpet (which is a master build in itself!) and Dado rail, which itself hidden behind set dressing that looks like its always been a part of the Private Eyes office.

Noir: A Grade-A Gray Day - 1

What’s of particular interest in this is that Casey hasn’t snapped his latest creation in black and white but instead taken full advantage of a limited greyscale colour palette to present this tale of a dame, a seedy detective and a brick. Now excuse me whilst I dip my fedora and fold up the collar of my raincoat…

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.