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.

Bookmark this Bookshop

LEGO recently added a bookshop to their line of modular buildings. That’s a fun set, but if you’re like me, you’d never be satisfied with just one corporate Birch Books bookstore in your town. You also need the sweet goodness of an indie store – they always stock the more interesting volumes. Happily, builder Maxim Baybakov has created a masterful bit of competition with Once Upon A Book. This modular-style building is full of fun details and avid readers.

Click here to learn more about Once Upon A Book bookshop…

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Yes, you CAN take it all with you!

We would have been totally impressed with just a LEGO Ford pickup. Really, we would have. But colognebrick went the extra mile and added a stunning fifth-wheel camper and now we’re in awe. This is what the world could be like if we had a wide-open road and unlimited time and gas money. The possibilities are endless! It makes your heart go pitter-patter, doesn’t it? I should get on the horn with Brothers Brick brass to see if we have it in our budget to get a real truck and camper like this one. We could use it as a mobile headquarters for…you know…article writing and stuff. I really like the gray and blue stripe along the side. The trailer’s color scheme and the “Wildlife Caravans” stickers comes from this set. But if that wasn’t impressive enough, the sides expand out, and the camper has a fully detailed interior.

Here’s some of the inside.

Guys, come on. Seriously, do we have the budget for this? It’ll be like the Batmobile except for less crime-fighting and more sightseeing. Andrew? Chris? Brothers Brick road trip? Anyone?

A cabin in the woods

LEGO creations often make me want to experience what’s built but in the real world. Carter Witz’s Mountain Cabin really makes me want to get out into the wilderness and go hiking. Sure, you can’t really feel the temperature of what’s depicted in a photo, but the hue of the green grass and the orange leaves on the trees peg this as an autumn scene. The trees tell me there’s a slight breeze too. And for some reason, I think it’s an overcast day. If I slip and fall into the cold mountain runoff in that stream, I’ll have no problem warming up in the snug little cabin. Aside from all the wilderness feels I’m getting, I need to also take a moment to appreciate the quality of these birch trees. The technic pins take them to a whole new level, making it look like the bark is falling off along with the leaves.

Owl be one of the cutest birds you ever saw

Guys, have you ever seen a Eurasian Pygmy Owl? If you haven’t, you need to look it up because they are one of the most adorable animals on the planet. Between their tiny stature and sweet expressions, these little predators swoop in and snatch your heart. This LEGO version is built by none other than the incredible Eero Okkonen. It’s a slight departure from some of the characters he’s known for, but this bird is just as lovely. How can you resist that little face?

If you’d like to see more owls, check out this fierce flyer and these builds of Hedwig.

Your guide to the 23 new LEGO sets for March 2020, including Dots, Fiat, Marvel and more [News]

A new month means new LEGO sets are now available, so here is your TBB New LEGO Set Guide for March 2020. There are 23 new items available (much less than the 153 sets from January but more than the 12 sets from February). New items include the entire new Dots lineup, Fiat 500, Marvel Black Window and Spiderman sets, a few minifigure accessory packs, an Easter seasonal set, and Mickey and Minnie key chains among others.

LEGO is also offering a unique gift-with-purchase to celebrate 40 years of LEGO trains: 40370 Steam Engine. The set will be available March 1st to 15th while supplies last with purchases more than US $99 | UK £99.

See the entire March 2020 wave of new LEGO sets now available

The vacation rental market can be a real beach

February is gone, and March is beginning; soon the college basketball mania will start, and spring breaks will be taken at schools across the USA. That means hordes of high school and college kids descending upon such popular vacation spots as Cancun, Acapulco, and Miami. Copious amounts of alcohol will likely be consumed, and a fun time will be claimed by many. Not all will enjoy their vacations, however, because some will be staying at a rental like this LEGO one built by alego alego. Yes, it is a beach house, but that is about all it has going for it. According to the fine print (who reads that, anyway?) the beach is near the nuclear plant (that explains the dog, perhaps), the hot tub is only hot when the weather is, and the electricity doesn’t work. Among other things. But hey, it makes for a great story when you get back! If you get back, that is.

The little girl is cleverly done with the Beast’s micro body, and I love the bushes used as palm trees ripped in the hurricane winds. All the little bits pushed through here and there for weeds in the cracks are perfect, and the syringe by the outhouse and the dog poop in the yard give it just the right vibes. Next time, read the fine print on your Airbnb!

Surrounded by a rainbow of sound

Each year, talented LEGO builder City Son reveals a new focal creation. This time he was inspired by something special to so many: music. Not just music, but the inherent emotional beauty of it. It’s something that many can relate to. Personally, ever since I was a child, my dad would play all kinds of different music and quiz me on the titles and artists until I had them memorized. As I grew, I learned to play a few different instruments, and when I hit high school, the saying, “music breathes the words we cannot speak,” was my mantra. Indeed, it got me through tough times, and I still cherish it every day. And it’s true; music does speak. It speaks a language so powerful that it’s universal across all ages and races, no matter their tastes or connection to it. This colorful piece embodies the emotion of music. The dimension, liveliness and expertly crafted instruments speak for themselves. But I am most impressed with the expression of pure bliss upon the face of the headphone-clad woman. It takes a truly brilliant builder to bring LEGO to life in this way, and he couldn’t have done it better.

If you’re on a music kick, take a look at our music archive. You can also check out City Son’s animal inspired creation from last year.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for February 29, 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 last week of February 2020.

LEGO takes home multiple awards at Toy Fair 2020. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS, FEATURES AND REVIEWS:: This week we saw some great Toy Fair announcements, the release of the new LEGO mobile game, the next gift with purchase and more.

LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed mobile game is out today bringing more than 50 iconic LEGO characters to your smartphone – The LEGO Group and Gameloft are releasing a brand new mobile digital adventure.
LEGO Gift With Purchase 40370 – Push-Along Steam Engine [Review] – We get a hands-on look at the upcoming LEGO gift with purchase, set 40370 Push-Along Steam Engine.
Leaving LEGO Masters: An interview with the second team to leave [Feature] – We sat down with the team of LEGO Masters contestants eliminated last week to chat about their experience on the show.

TBB TOY FAIR 2020 NEWS

LEGO Collectible Minifigures: LEGO unveils 71027 Collectible Minifigures 10th Anniversary Series
LEGO Star Wars, Rise of Skywalker: LEGO unveils life-size D-O droid from Star Wars, available in April
LEGO Star Wars, The Mandalorian: LEGO unveils two new Star Wars: The Mandalorian sets including the Razor Crest and an adorable Baby Yoda minifigure
LEGO Star Wars, The Mandalorian: Hands-on with LEGO Star Wars sets from The Mandalorian
LEGO Spider-Man: 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush unveiled, complete with Spider-Ham
LEGO Minions, The Rise of Gru: Minions: LEGO reveals five new sets based on Minions: The Rise of Gru
LEGO Minions, The Rise of Gru: Hands-on with LEGO Minions: Rise of Gru sets
LEGO Friends: LEGO unveils new five new Friends Play Cubes Series 2
LEGO Gear: New LEGO gear and books revealed at Toy Fair New York 2020
LEGO Gear: More LEGO gear from Santoki revealed at Toy Fair New York including Dots-themed school supplies
Toy of the Year: LEGO wins three Toy of the Year awards at Toy Fair New York 2020

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:

Jens Nygaard Knudsen, designer of Lego minifigure, dies at 78, Washington Post – Danish Lego designer Jens Nygaard Knudsen, has died at 78.
Lego CEO confident on Chinese economy, investment will continue, CGTN – The coronavirus outbreak doesn’t change the attractiveness and growth of opportunities of the Chinese economy.
Lego System Helps The Visually Impaired Reach New Heights At Rock Climbing Gym, CBS Boston – A 22-year-old blind entrepreneur is working to make rock climbing more accessible to the visually impaired using LEGO.

LEGO Card Shooter

LEGO’s newest Creator Expert vehicle revealed as the Italian classic Fiat 500 [News]

One of the best things that have happened to the LEGO Creator Expert theme over the previous decade is the introduction of large scale vehicle sets. It all started with a fantastic 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van set in 2011. Soon we got a taste of iconic British motorcars with 10242 MINI Cooper MK VII and even got behind the wheel of the charged version of 10265 Ford Mustang. Today, LEGO invites all car enthusiasts on a road trip down the Amalfi Coast with the newest addition to the Creator Expert garage, 10271 Fiat 500 set. The set consists of 960 pieces and will retail for the price of US $89.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £74.99; it will be available directly from LEGO Stores & LEGO.com from March 1, 2020.

Click here to learn all the details about the new Creator Expert set…

Fine dining at its toughest

The meat may be a bit difficult to chew, but this meal still gets top marks. Builder Pistash took extra care in preparing a dish that is entirely LEGO, down to the dinnerware itself. Fun techniques include swords for fork tines, pink afro hair for raspberries, and stacked bottles for the wine glass stem. And if you’re wondering about a couple of the less obvious elements, the napkin is made from the cloth “picnic blanket” found in 10242 Mini Cooper set, while the broccoli is a retro LEGO tree. Compliments to the chef!

At BrickCon last October, the Brothers Brick led a fan-collaborative “Brick Banquet” that turned out to be a big hit. You can see that original article along with other impressive food models in our food archives.

A cool rover for February

February is the least favorite month for many people, at least in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s often cold, still dreary, and all the magic of winter and Christmas is long forgotten. But not for me. It certainly helps that my birthday falls in this shortest of months, but there are many other positive features to recommend it. For example, it is the month to build LEGO rovers (Febrovery). I love rovers. And what better way to combine winter with rovers than a solid Ice Planet 2002-inspired rig like this one from the appropriately named Frost? It’s got giant wheels that are really erasers (perhaps it erases its own wheel marks from the snow?), the glorious trans-neon orange canopy, and the can’t miss blue-and-white color scheme. Some stickered pieces from the Galaxy Squad make some nice details, and I love white greebles. The coral highlights set it apart though, which is good because this is on Ice Planet 2003, not 2002.

Brick-built adorableness

What says cute more than a LEGO hedgehog? Okay, maybe a real hedgehog, but dang this guy is a cutie! Created by excellent builder Eli Willsea, it’s a great use of that claw element for the spines. Eli says there are almost 200 of them, which comes as no surprise! The trademark curl of the body, little white tummy, and pink toes makes for a loveable build.

Willsea (AKA Forlorn Empire) has been featured numerous times on The Brothers Brick. You can check out more of his builds here.