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.

Pride & LEGO: LGBTQ+ LEGO fans in their own words [Feature]

Happy Pride Week! Today we continue our celebration of diversity within our LEGO community by shining a light on some previously unheard voices. In my last article, I spoke of what it’s like being an LGBTQ+ LEGO fan from my perspective. As I mentioned then, I am not the representative of the LGBTQ+ LEGO Community nor do I want to be. What makes us great is that we all bring different experiences to the table. One of the biggest online groups for LGBTQ+ LEGO fans and their allies is undoubtedly GayFOLs. A thriving online community on Facebook, GayFOLs is currently home to over 850 members form all over the world. I asked its founder, Bruce H., to tell us a bit about his experience and how and why GayFOLs came to be. I also reached out to members to hear what their experiences have been like in the hobby. Below are their stories, lightly edited for flow.

A LEGO Pride Parade from LEGOLAND in Westchester, NY

Read on to hear the stories of LGBTQ+ LEGO fans in their own words

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There is a castle on a cloud

What is it about the persistent fantasy of castles among the clouds, whether it is on a floating rock or built on the cumulonimbus itself? It’s certainly pervasive, even being featured in everyone’s favorite space fantasy, ruled by Prince Calrissian. I’m not complaining, mind you; I have a deep love for the idea myself and have been tempted to build something along those lines one of these days. But LEGO builder Caleb Saw beat me to the punch, creating this stunning castle afloat on the aether.

Now, I love domes, and this castle has excellent domes, including, quite fittingly, half of Bespin. There is wonderful variation among the buildings, and yet they look a cohesive whole, too. The tan and dark tan colors look great together here, and the foliage is top-notch; indeed, the vines and trees look incredibly organic. And then there are the clouds. So many round bits that work so well together to create something light and fluffy out of shiny ABS plastic!

Do you love floating islands and floating rocks, too? Then check them out in the TBB archives!

A not-quite standard “Standard”

The Gibson Les Paul was one of the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitars. There are a lot of versions and editions, but this is the first time I’ve seen one made out of LEGO, at least at a 1:1 scale. Builder morimorilego has paid close attention to realism in this reproduction of the “Les Paul Standard”. The body is decked out in layers of red, orange, and yellow tile and brick, with the pickguard standing out in vibrant white. Golden dishes and transparent yellow 2×2 round brick are used for the control knobs, and the output jack is courtesy of a system wheel rim. Those details complement the work done in the neck and headstock, which help make this build feel like it’s ready to play.

Click for a closer look

Music for my babushka

Last weekend, Timofey Tkachev went to see his babushka. There is no place like a countryside cottage to spend long summer evenings, sipping hot tea, and enjoying a slice of a berry pie. But one doesn’t simply go to babushka empty-handed. Being a very talented LEGO builder, Timofey designed something exceptional: a full-sized replica of a traditional balalaika, a Russian stringed instrument. The brick-built design looks wonderful in its simplicity. The iconic triangular shape became possible thanks to the clever use of regular slope pieces. And thanks to the hues of LEGO colors, this balalaika looks almost exactly like a real one.

Kudos to Vera Senyuta for joining the tea party and taking her camera with her. We always love to see custom LEGO creations shot in beautiful settings. For a musical instrument like this one, there is no better background than a couple of birches in the evening sun.

LEGO 71705 Ninjago Legacy: Destiny’s Bounty [Review]

As the heroes’ mobile headquarters, Destiny’s Bounty is a key vehicle in the Ninjago universe. We’ve seen three versions of it before, and the Summer 2020 Ninjago wave brings a fourth in the form of an updated “Legacy” version. 71705 Ninjago Legacy: Destiny’s Bounty is available now for US $129.99 | CAN $159.99 | UK £124.99. As a callback to the earliest days of Ninjago lore, can this set hold up to fan’s nostalgic expectations, as well as providing something new? And what appeal does it have for those of us who just like ninjas but don’t have any real context for the set? Read on and see!

Click to read the full hands-on review

LEGO and National Geographic partner to inspire kids about the environment and conservation [News]

LEGO and National Geographic have announced they are partnering on a new line of LEGO City and Friends sets meant to inspire kids to be more environmentally conscious. The new sets (which have been available in most countries since June 1st–available in the Americas starting August 1st) feature ocean exploration and animal rescue themes. The sets include a menagerie of new LEGO animals including a hammerhead shark, anglerfish, manta ray, baby pandas, sloths, alpacas, and multiple elephants.

The sets feature the National Geographic Explorers logo, and LEGO announced it is also donating to the National Geographic Society to fund grants in ocean exploration and species conservation. As part of the campaign, LEGO has also launched an “Explore the World” website and video series to help kids develop creative ideas to address real-life environmental issues.

Learn more about LEGO and National Geographic’s partnership

LEGO 40411 Creative Fun 12-in-1 promotional set for July revealed [News]

An early reveal by the LEGO Korea Store gives us a closer look at the upcoming gift with purchase (GWP) set for July. The LEGO 40411 Creative Fun 12-in-1 set consists of 240 pieces. According to the US July store calendar, these will be available from July 1st to the 26th or while stocks last, with a minimum purchase of USD $85. The set is reminiscent of the two 24-in-1 Christmas Build-Up sets 40222, released in 2016, and 40253, released in 2017.

Take a closer look at the 12 builds in the set

One man’s garbage is another man’s also garbage

If you were to say we post garbage here at The Brother’s Brick you might have a couple of people agree with you. However, this time at least, we are posting garbage with this clever LEGO garbage collector built by R 194. This one has all the intrigue and charm of other garbage collectors you may have met except this one is a robot. Or possibly a person in a mech suit. I don’t know, I didn’t really think this premise through. Still, it’s the coolest thing I’ve seen in my admittedly isolated day. It would seem we are quite fascinated by such a dirty subject. What do you think?

This Star Wars R2 unit is all gummed up [Video]

In the Star Wars universe, R2 units are super useful droids. They can help navigate hyperspace, handle power routing, and even do spot repairs. That’s all great if you have a starship, but what about us here on Earth? What sort of assistance can we hope for? Well, John Cooper has a possible answer: this LEGO version of R2-D2 is a fully functional gumball machine. There’s a crank in the center of the chest, and opening hatches on the front reveal a hidden coin slot and gum dispenser. A hatch on the back protects the accumulated cash. I love the clear dome panels used for the head – the exposed gumballs remind me of an old Fisher Price Corn Popper toy. Sadly this version lacks that pop-o-matic type function.

Curious to see things in action? Check out the video!

John also shared a few behind-the-scenes tidbits about the build with us:
Originally the gumballs were going to come out a simple hinged door at the front. But when I decided to use the three-leg configuration, that tilted the body back. So I devised the drawer to capture the gumball when it exists the sloped vertical drop.

I have a deep and profound fondness for robots with gumball machines for heads. I can only hope this is just the start of a whole LEGO sub-theme.

LEGO 42107 Ducati Panigale V4 R motorcycle [Review]

You may have seen our news announcement awhile back featuring the 42107 Technic Ducati Panigale V4 R motorcycle set. The set comes with 646 pieces and marks LEGO’s first license with Ducati Motor Holding. This is also the first motorcycle model in LEGO Technic history to include a gearbox. The 42107 LEGO Technic Ducati Panigale V4 R is rated for fans aged 10+ and will retail for $69.99 USD | 54.99 GBP | 99.99 CAD. The press release states the set has already been available since June 1st but LEGO.com cites it as “coming soon”. They call it a superbike but is the set really super? We’ve had a chance to review this set so read on to see what we think.

Click to read our full review.

LEGO Jurassic World 75939 Dr. Wu’s Lab: Baby Dinosaurs Breakout [Review]

Whatever creature you create, here’s a lifehack to make everyone adore it: make it a baby. It has been proven to work with alien babies from a galaxy far, far away, but it also works with creatures populating the Earth; dinosaurs are no exception. The name of one of the latest LEGO Jurassic World sets, 75939 Dr. Wu’s Lab: Baby Dinosaurs Breakout speaks for itself. This medium-priced set comes with 164 pieces and includes two minifigures and two adorable dinosaurs. Let’s build it and see if these sweethearts are worth the set’s price tag of US $19.99 | CAN $29.99 | UK £17.99.

Click here to read the review…

SPIKE on a bike [Video]

Several months ago, we reviewed LEGO Education’s new product, SPIKE Prime. And just a couple weeks ago, we featured news about the latest addition to the Mindstorms theme, the SPIKE-esque 51515 Robot Inventor. This new generation of programmable robotics brings bright colors and fresh ideas to the table. We’re already seeing some awesome builds coming from the education community, like this bike by the folks at Creator Academy Australia and Project Bucephalus. What’s so awesome about it? It’s self-balancing. This little guy can ride along on its own without tipping over (as long as there isn’t a wall). Click the link below to see it in action!

Click to watch!