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.

Take a trip through the LEGO looking glass for two very different spins on Alice

When LEGO introduced a new scale of buildable figures for characters like Wednesday Addams, the sets introduced interchangeable printed faces with big eyes. As builder lavishlump points out, these faces are quite similar to the ones used for the popular Japanese Nendororoid figures and work great for LEGO anime characters too. Lavishlump used the Glinda face for a model of Alice Margatroid, a magical puppeteer from a Japanese PC game.

LegoWyrm uses the same techniques for a very different video game Alice – the heroine of American McGee’s Alice. Wednesday’s goth expression is a perfect match for this dark spin on Wonderland.

Time will tell if LEGO continues to release buildable figures at this scale and expand the face options for anime fans, but for now it’s great to see a specialized part spur creativity in the community.

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Take a trip to Kyoto for a postcard perfect build of the Golden Pavilion in LEGO

Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is a jewel of Kyoto with a storied history. It burned down several times since the site became a Zen Buddhist temple in 1399, most recently in 1950, but it was always rebuilt with its top stories covered in gold leaf. Now it’s been rebuilt in LEGO as well, courtesy of Lasse Vestergård. Unlike the original, Lasse’s version isn’t just gilded but uses pearl gold bricks. With a limited range of elements in that color, the builder had to find creative solutions and work with small 1×1 and 1×2 plates to build the large structure. (Lasse has some experience with golden temples!) The temple looks incredible as it sits at an angle on a placid lake surrounded by gardens. I appreciate the brick-built hills in the distance, keeping every element on screen made from LEGO.

This isn’t the first time we’ve featured a MOC of Kinkaku-ji. 18 years ago we presented a version by Japanese LEGO legend Jumpei Mitsui.

It’s time to bring back the UCS Star Wars Tantive IV

I was just telling anyone who would listen (friends, neighbors, courtroom judge) that it’s been awhile since LEGO produced a (wicked huge) UCS Tantive IV. Then LEGO Star Wars builder Mr. Idler comes along and fills the Tantive IV-shaped hole in our hearts with this amazing new creation. He nails the odd 11-engined corvette with perfect shaping and some rather clever build techniques. We all love Minifigures and I applaud LEGO for including them in their 2009 and 2019 sets but they’re rather improperly-scaled when posed next to the ship. Mr. Idler takes care of that with Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2 microfigures that seem just about the right size for this model.

Doubling down on Friends to make a sweet modular candy shop

The Heartlake City Candy Store is a sweet addition to the LEGO Friends line built from bubblegum colors and packed with fun printed elements and sporting adorable mascots. But while it’s a good value for a playset, the shop is only a facade. Builder Suzies_bricks was inspired to give it a major upgrade to integrate into her Suzieville city of colorful custom modulars. Combining two copies of the Friends set and a whole lot more pieces, Suzie added an en extra story and adapted the interior to be minfig-friendly. Speaking of, Suzie assembled the most colorful characters possible to try out the new sweets. The building stretched Suzie’s supply of dark azure elements to the limit (nice assist from Ninjago City Gardens with that lovely pointed arch).

The best part of this sweet shop? There’s a slide into the ball pit that loops outside the building, a feature sorely lacking in LEGO’s official modular sets.

Alternative builds, Iron Builders, and international buildings in this Week in Bricks! [Feature]

This week LEGO news is a blur with all the summer set announcements, but there are a lot of other great stories by and for LEGO builders to seek out. Thankfully, ABrickDreamer has gathered them into the latest This Week in Bricks. My favorite feature this week? In honor of May the Fourth, I have to go with this incredible Bespin diorama from Hypolite Bricks! I also found Jesse Gros’ story of rediscovering LEGO to be relatable and inspiring. What is your highlight of the week?

New LEGO sets announced for Disney, Harry Potter, and more arriving in June [News]

As we begin the month of May, the minds of many a LEGO fan turn to the upcoming wave of summer sets from our favorite toy brand. This week, many of those sets are popping up on LEGO.com. We’ve compiled a list of our favorites below, be it Disney sets paying tribute to 101 Dalmatians with LEGO Disney 43269 Disney 101 Dalmatians Puppy, a glorious new LEGO train of an arctic persuasion called LEGO City 60470 Explorers’ Arctic Polar Express Train, or the next in the new LEGO Book Nooks: LEGO Harry Potter 76450 Harry Potter Book Nook: Hogwarts Express. Read on for all these sets and more, with plenty of pictures, prices, and release dates included!

There’s plenty from Disney, Minecraft, Harry Potter, and more below!

BrickCon 2025 is picking up STEAM! Attendee registration opens today! [News]

After 24 years, we in the Seattle area still look forward to BrickCon each fall, the longest-running fan-run LEGO convention and the local con for the Brothers Brick. This year, the theme is all about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, fully embracing the roots of this wonderful hobby with their theme Full STEAM Ahead. On September 4th through the 7th, BrickCon will return to the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA, with the public display happening on the last two days of the event. As in years past, attending fans (in-person and virtual) can count on plenty of presentations, games, and roundtables that happen alongside the massive showcase of builders from all over the world. Registration is now open, so be sure to visit brickcon.org to get signed up ASAP.

More details on BrickCon 2025 below, including hotel information

Pull up a seat and apprecaite this next-level LEGO furniture [Building Techniques]

LEGO modular interior decor can be pretty cozy, but this next-level furniture setup by Oshi Builds could be straight out of a high-end design catalog. The builder employs a mix of familiar and new techniques while drawing on a very on-trend color palette to make a move-in-ready living room ensemble. Just look at those bowl chairs, formed from flower petals, and that console with bucket handles tucked away and slim legs held in place by rubber band. The only drawback to the room is there’s not much space for displaying one’s LEGO collection. We’re going to need a few more of those wonderful bookshelves.

LEGO Star Wars sets lead the way for May releases [News]

Star Wars Day is just around the corner. Fans have been well-served so far: The Revenge of the Sith anniversary showings have led to it becoming the highest-grossing re-release ever, and at its halfway point Andor season two is still getting rave reviews. Best of all, May brings with it a host of new LEGO Star Wars releases! We’ve reviewed almost all the new sets, ranging from 75409 Jango Fett’s Starship to 75407 Star Wars Logo. And don’t forget the 40765 Kamino Training Facility Gift with Purchase, available with qualifying purchases from May 1st to May 5th. If Star Wars doesn’t take your fancy, there are sets from the Marvel, Art and F1 collections coming out this month too. The full range is of course available over on LEGO’s website: LEGO US | LEGO CAN | LEGO UK.

This is where the fun begins… Read on for our highlights of May’s new releases!

A Schwimmwagen The Central Scrutinizer would approve of

LEGO builder Martin Spunkt presents a satisfying amphibious Volkswagen Schwimmwagen. It’s rugged features, heightened stance and oars assures us that this little beast can do some serious off-off-off roading right into the water. It’s a far better ride to haul band equipment around than the ’54 with a mashed-up door. He situates the vehicle in a grungy garage setting; a white zone, so to speak, which I presume is for loading and unloading only. My question: Is Martin even aware of the Frank Zappa reference staring us right in the face? Sound off in the comments if you’re in the know.

We’re howling with praise for this LEGO model of Studio Ghibli’s iconic Moving Castle

Studio Ghibli films are known for unusual and fanciful vehicles like the floating castle of Laputa from Castle in the Sky, or the glider from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, but few vehicles are more iconic than the walking, and at the end of the film, flying, castle belonging to the enigmatic magician Howl. The enchanted structure made from buildings, round cannon turrets, fishlike fins, and a large rusty face complete with riveted tongue, all walking along on four spindly chicken legs, poses many challenges to any builder, but Sakiya Watanabe works magic and brings it to life in bricks like never before.

When building something so iconic, choosing the right parts can be challenging, as there is nothing conventional about the outer surface of the castle. How do you form a cohesive model out of such a chaotic inspiration? (I’ve tried myself once before – it wasn’t easy!)

Read on to learn how Sakiya Watanabe weaved his LEGO magic and tamed Howl’s famous castle

Spreading joy and crossing cultures with LEGO legend Dicken Liu [Interview]

TBB: Your LEGO creations first came to our attention after your appearance on LEGO Masters China, when you started a Flickr gallery. From the start, you were building at a very high level. I’m sure there was a long journey between when you first discovered LEGO to where you are today. When did you first discover LEGO?

Dicken Liu: Lego hasn’t been in the Chinese market for very long, and the price was a big reason why it wasn’t a toy for the average person when they first appeared in China. I first saw Lego in a shopping mall in the 90s. But it was more than a decade later that I actually bought my first Lego set.

TBB: How did you discover that LEGO was more than just a toy? When did you become “serious” about making your own creations?

DL: It was probably from 2016 that I started to try my hand at making small pieces. (Before that my interests were more focused on models, drones, and film.) I started to look around for information and learn techniques to enrich my MOC knowledge, but at that time the actual LEGO MOC pieces I saw were quite limited. Here are a few pieces I’ve kept. They’re pretty rough to look at now, but it was really the start of my MOC journey.

Our interview with Dicken Liu continues