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.

A box full of summer, courtesy of IKEA

The product of the recent LEGO-IKEA collaboration, the BYGGLEK box, has practically become the new LEGO baseplate. I’ve already seen a ton of interesting models incorporating this new 3D template. Lego fjotten’s modern boxy beach house is a great example of the creativity that can be achieved with a studded plastic parallelogram.

Bygglek Beach house

Fjotten uses two of these boxes for the first and third stories of this structure while the second floor is a hybrid — part BYGGLEK box, part brick-built. I really enjoy the application of brown tiling, bricks, and black telescope pieces to create balcony railing, flooring, and stairs. Fjotten also cleverly adds windows onto his building by utilizing the notches molded into the boxes. Of course, all of the ancillary details of the build – the furniture, grill, jacuzzi, and other brick-built pieces of décor are a delight. I have to say, adopting the BYGGLEK box in this capacity is actually quite advantageous in that Fjotten probably saved a lot of time and bricks by using it to compose the majority of the structure. Models like these really serve to show the true creative energy builders can channel through any LEGO element or product, and I am excited to see more builds incorporating these boxes in the future.

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.

A lived-in universe

One of the things that made the Star Wars universe so magical was its relatively groundbreaking take on approach to depicting a lived-in, weathered place, that felt like it had history and people striving to earn a living, unlike the clean, sterile environments of scifi predecessors like Star Trek. LEGO builder DarthBricks has set about building a series of large vignettes as part of a LEGO RPG they’re playing. The detailed scenes perfectly encapsulate the cluttered, imperfect world of the Empire. First up is this scene from Corellia, where a few Rebels spy on an Imperial patrol.

[The Survivors RPG] "A Shocking Exposure" 2 /4

Next is a scene from the desert world of Tatooine, where the Rebels ambush some troopers. The amount of detailing feels just right, with enough texture to the dust-covered walls to make it feel worn, while still keeping the focus on the action.

[The Survivors RPG] Mission 1 - Espionage on Tatooine "Lunch time!"

Let’s see where DarthBricks goes next. Perhaps Kashyyk or Scarif?

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.

BrickCon 2020 virtual convention this weekend, tickets still available [News]

BrickCon, the longest continuously running LEGO convention, is happening this weekend, October 2-4. Usually occurring in Seattle, this year the organizers have moved the con completely online. The adult-builder-focused con will consist of panels with special guests, breakout sessions on a variety of LEGO topics, games, trivia, prizes, and more. Various tiers of registration include the options to get a variety of swag, such as the con t-shirt, a surprise goodie bag, participation in the door-prize pool, and more. Ticket prices range from $25 to $80 depending on tier and shipping location, though we have been told that some tiers are close to selling out. Every AFOL-focused tier will get access to the full con experience.

For fans who just want to tune in see cool LEGO MOCs, visit the virtual Brick Bazaar, and watch a more limited live-stream of Q&As and builder discussions, more akin the typical public convention experience, tickets available for $5.

The Brothers Brick is proud to be an official sponsor of BrickCon. 

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.

It’s a fish-eat-fish world

Can’t visit a natural history museum or an aquarium? Luis Peña has us covered with his LEGO build of a couple Devonian sea critters – the larger of which is the Dunkleosteus and then its smaller prey being the Stethacanthus.

Dunkleosteus chasing a Stethacanthus

Peña certainly got all of the anatomical details of both fish correct from the eye placement on the Dunkleosteus to the anvil-shaped fin of the Stethacanthus. Both builds are also are seemingly correct in terms scale as the Stethacanthus was actually a pretty small shark-like fish. Peña’s use of differing white slope pieces is effective in rendering the teeth of the Dunkleosteus; I also appreciated his use of the feather-pin element as the tail for the tinier fish. Thankfully the Devonian age has passed; these sea creatures seemed to have been pretty frightening, whether big or small, but it’s definitely pleasant to be able to learn about them in some capacity.

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.

Spaceship or space slug?

As September comes to a close, I’m always amazed at what amazing new designs space builders can come up with. And while Ivan Martynov’s Larva Carrier is a digital model, it is still an impressive creation.

Larva Carrier

Spaceships offer so much for an inventive builder. The thought of an organic carrier type ship launching spacefaring larvae is equal parts wacky, creepy, and creative. The chosen colour scheme works great: dark tan and olive green seem totally grubby to me compared to the cleaner tan and gold of less organic parts of the ship. The giant worm on the bottom of the ship tie the concept together, but also makes me wonder if that’s some sort of queen space bug, and she lays eggs that hatch into the larvae that get launched?

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.

A deep dive into NPU

NPU, or “Nice Part Usage” is often a hallmark of the LEGO creations we feature here at the Brothers Brick. The Sludge Diver by djokson is a prime specimen. A specimen of what, exactly, remains up for debate. It seems likely those eyestalks are partially composed of dinosaur tails, but the bulk of the diver remains hidden behind that fascinating bit of protective gear. Combining Duplo tubes, rubber tires, and even the packaging from the 8050 Bionicle Kraata booster pack, this explorer is ready for whatever life throws at them.

The Sludge Diver

The best bit of this build for me is the DOTS bracelet used for the helmet gasket. If you agree, check out other innovative uses of those bracelets in our DOTS archives.

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.

Troll in the castle

Ethan Johnson is not only a really gifted LEGO builder, he is also an expert when it comes to adding light to his creations. His troll in the castle creation shows how adding light to LEGO creations brings them to life! And I am not talking about setting up a nice lightbox to take pictures of your LEGO creation. I am talking about adding actual functional lights to the creation itself.

Not only the lighting is excellent, but the creation itself is also very nice. Just look at those brick-built toilet booths and the little niffler playing hide and seek. LEGO Harry Potter has been around for quite some time now. Some characters and creatures got redesigned along the way. Some characters and creatures, however, did not. Sometimes a redesign is long due; sometimes an old figure still works perfectly fine, sometimes an old figure just needs to be spruced up a little bit with some new accessories and needs to be positioned just right so you do not see that there is a small plastic bridge between its legs.

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.

The spawn of Cthulhu are adorable

The creature Cthulhu, from the mind of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, has been the inspiration for many modern horror stories, video games, and movies, like Hellboy, for example. Many LEGO builders have also taken inspiration from his works, like this render from Ivan Martynov. This model has some nice part usage which makes me wish LEGO made these parts in more colors, like the fingers of the beast, made from the hands of those early Homemaker figures with jointed arms. Another great choice is the one ring to rule them all, used to connect the wing joints. But of course, the most perfect part is the octopus used for Cthulhu’s monstrous head and the tiny octopi for his spawn. Don’t miss Ivan’s Yithian we featured yesterday, too!

Star Spawn of Cthulhu

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.

Is Unikitty a Disney Princess?

Sure, you might recognize this build by Koen Zwanenburg as a mini version of the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Paris. But if you imprinted on The LEGO Movie like I did, this looks like Unikitty bought and redecorated Cinderella’s castle. And that’s not a bad thing. (Well, maybe for Cinderella.) Built on a 32 x 32 baseplate, Koen has crammed an enormous amount of detail and creativity into a compact footprint. There are little rewards all over for taking a close look, like spotting a Gungan shield as decoration, or recognizing bunches of golden ski poles as turret toppers.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

There are even more building Easter eggs on rear of the castle. Can you spot the hot dogs and unprinted minifigure heads?

Sleeping Beauty Castle

All in all, it’s a masterful effort, and an impressive display piece. But we’ve come to expect that level of “wow” from Koen, as a trip into our archives will show.

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.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for September 26, 2020

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of September 2020.

Baby Yoda is back and bigger than ever in our review of the new 1,000-piece set that will launch with The Mandalorian Season 2.

TBB NEWS, REVIEWS AND FEATURES: Over the past week we reviewed the newly announced Baby Yoda and got to go a hands-on with two new Christmas sets: the Elf Club House and the Seasonal Wreath. We also got a first look at the upcoming UCS-style 1989 Batwing.

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Continue reading →

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.

Shazam’s Mister Mind

Tim Lydy surprises us with his LEGO Mister Mind build. Not being familiar with the source material, I thought at first it was just a cute little caterpillar. But I was sadly misinformed, this is none other than DC’s most evil and devious villain Mister Mind, an alien worm and the nemesis to Shazam. I was drawn to this creation because I really enjoy it when something really small gets turned into an upscaled LEGO model. (Keep in mind, I still thought this was just a mere caterpillar.) The body is made of a bunch of projectile disks on what I presume is a piece of flex tubing. The head is made of the insect cap headgear and the butt is a sport helmet with vent holes. The eyes are quite cleverly made of two minidoll necklaces. Did you spot the paperclip on the floor?

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.

You may feel a slight prick

Have you ever had the feeling that your mind and body has been taken over by time-traveling extraterrestrial beings for the purpose of one day inheriting the Earth? No? Wow, I don’t even know how to respond to that other than you people are a bunch of weirdos! A LEGO builder who surely knows the gentle mind-touch of a Yithian is Ivan Martynov, which definitely isn’t weird so don’t get that idea in your heads. To be clear, this is a computer render as evidenced by a few of these parts in non-production colors but to the likes of Ivan and me, this is instantly recognizable. He tells us that “there lies upon this world of man a mocking and incredible shadow out of time.” Indeed, Ivan. Indeed. Still not attuned to our wavelength? Then just let Ivan and I have our knowing nods. Remember, you people are the weirdos, not us.

Yithian

But if you’re totally jibing with what we’re into, then you may want to submit your delicious minds and check out some of Ivan’s other creations.

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.