Dave Slater has an amazing talent for recreating vehicles with an utmost level of accuracy that just makes my jaw drop not once but repeatedly. His previous build of the 1989 Tim Burton Batmobile was a huge hit with the LEGO community, and now he’s back with the sleek modified DeLorean from Back to the Future II.
Click to see more of this futuristic time machine
I met Javier Soravilla at Japan Brickfest in Kobe a couple of weeks ago, and I swore to him that if he ever looked the other way even for a minute, I’d steal his Queen of Hearts away from him. This lovely character was one of my favourite builds on the floor. It looks so perfect with that solemn pose, graceful stance, and beautifully shaped back bow down to the rubber belts for the sandals.
I’m also heartbroken to say that though I did make a proposal, she did find her way back to Javier in the end.
At first glance, it is easy to mistake these two boats by ER0L as wooden or plastic models, rather than LEGO creations. In part, this is due to the impressively constructed curved hulls, which is not the easiest thing to do. However, building a memorable LEGO boat is about more than just smooth curves. The smallest detail can make a big impact. One such detail on the larger Sirius is the white rubber band used as a hatch seal. With the smaller Mona, the use of some older hinge plates to line the inside of the rear compartment is genius.
How many of you have had that dream where you’re a muscular and shirtless demon-lord clad in black leather pants and sitting atop a throne of skulls of all the souls you have vanquished? You know….the one where you’re in a hellish, burning landscape and the sky rains kerosene while Motorhead or Mastodon blares at ear-splitting volume from some unknown source. Wait, none of you? Wow, you people are weird! That is like my most recurring dream, besides the one where I’m taking final exams only to find that everyone else is naked except me. I’m sure Cid Hsiao likely knows what I’m talking about as evidenced by this recent creation.
Devilman is a Japanese manga series, first written and illustrated by Go Nagai in 1972. The dark storyline made it stand apart from other manga of the time. Here we see Akira/Devilman stepping on the skull of a three-eyed hell-beast. There are multiple horns and sets of bat wings adorning this model but the most impressive by far are the dark red folding dragon wings found only in the Hobbit LEGO set 79018 The Lonely Mountain. While Cid’s days may or may not be fueled by heavy metal music, you should check out the rest of his creations as they are still worthy of my darkest and weirdest dreams.
G. K. Chesterton was a prolific English man of letters from the early 20th century, writing countless articles, editorials, letters, non-fiction books, short stories, novels, and even epic poems. One of his most beloved and recognizable characters is the crime-solving priest, Father Brown. Father Brown could rival the more famous Sherlock Holmes in his ability to unravel any mystery by using his powers of observation and deduction. Brought to life in LEGO form by prolific Finnish man of bricks Eero Okkonen, this Father Brown is modeled after the character as played by Mark Williams on the BBC show. The eyes are hidden behind round glasses, and the shoulders are slightly hunched over. The black cassock, the clerical garb worn by the priest in his exploits, is well done, even including a slight bulge for the rounded belly that the unassuming Father Brown had acquired over the years.
A round wheel well in white makes for a lovely clerical collar, and a tire holds on the hat, allowing for a more natural angle. A Technic connector allows a subtle curve for the chin. The studs on the cassock were inevitable, as covering them would have ruined the otherwise flowing lines of the fabric, and they don’t detract from the final appearance. To distinguish between the studs and the buttons, 1×1 round tiles have been used. The base adds a nice touch, with a small splash of color against all the black, with the vaguely gothic architecture recalling the English countryside where the priest did most of his sleuthing. My favorite detail, however, is the umbrella that the crime-solving cleric carried everywhere he went.
The LEGO DC exclusive set for San Diego Comic-Con 2019 has been revealed to be a 427-piece set featuring the theme celebrating Batman’s 80th Anniversary. 77903 The Dark Knight of Gotham City features the iconic diorama with Batman standing high on a building with gargoyles with the Bat-Signal in the background. The good news is at first glance there does not seem to be any unique parts to re-create this with parts on hand with the exception of the unique printed sticker. Similar to the reveal 2 days ago with Captain Marvel, it will be available at the convention for USD $45 and only available to those who win it at the Exclusives Portal Lottery.
Click to see more images from the Batman SDCC 2019 Exclusive
You can now own and build the largest dinosaur ever created in a LEGO set. 75936 Jurassic Park: T. rex Rampage is now available to LEGO VIP members for US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £219.99. LEGO VIP membership is free, but if you don’t want LEGO perks and the occasional free set with purchase, this terrific Tyrannosaurus will be generally available beginning July 1st.
Also the LEGO Ideas 40335 Space Rocket Ride promotion we reviewed a few weeks ago is now available with purchases more than $99 through the end of the month, so the behemoth Jurassic Park set certainly qualifies. Too bad the dinosaur can’t fit on the space ship…
Everyone has their favorite season, and mine is definitely winter. But looking at this magnificent vignettes by Markus Rollbühler, I think I have to reconsider this. Studying these vignettes is the opposite of putting together a jigsaw puzzle; instead of searching a correct place for a small piece, Markus invites us to find all the tiniest details in his assembled dioramas. I shall not spoil fun of discovering all the brilliant ideas hidden around the seasons, but I can’t help admiring a genius reindeer built of visor goggles and a stud shooter trigger!
LEGO has produced a few brilliant sets representing London Architecture in its Creator Expert line, such as Big Ben and the Tower Bridge. Hyungmin Park has added to this, with renditions of Nelson’s Column and King’s Cross Station. Laid out smartly with the predesigned sets in the background and fan creation in the front, the spaces between are filled in with details of typical London scenes.
The Hogwarts Express popping out of the train station is an easy one to see, and in my mind is the first thing I think of when I hear “King’s Cross”.
My favourite Easter Eggs though, are the more subtle ones such as the Star Wars Royal Guard mixed in with the British Royal Guards, and the cat with the Mohawk, which has always reminded me of a feline British punk rocker.
Legendary car builder George Panteleon tells us that one of the most iconic and beautiful generation of Porsche 911 is the 1973 Carrera RSR. I consulted the records of all things beautiful and iconic and that statement checks out. He started with the yellow one about a year ago but has not photographed it until recently. Later he wanted another with a more striking color scheme so he went with the white with blue and red racing stripes.
Each consists of 779 pieces and features a fully detailed interior and opening trunk, hood and doors.
George’s prowess with car building doesn’t end with this perfect pair of Porsches so be sure to check out his other automotive wonders on his photostream. If you are inclined to build a few dream cars of your own, his book How to Build Dream Cars with LEGO Bricks may help with that.
The LEGO Movie 2 was recently released on DVD and Blu-ray, so we thought we’d take a look at the special features and let you know what we think! To be clear, this review is not of the movie itself. If you’d like, you can read a separate article about The LEGO Movie 2‘s box office performance and what several of our contributors thought of it. If you haven’t watched it yet (seriously???) and you are trying to decide if you should, check out spoiler-free The LEGO Movie 2 review.
Click to read more about the special features!
Do you dream of steam? Glenn Holland not only dreams of of steam; he lives and breathes it, which is why he decided to build this sleek LEGO replica of a Buffalo Creek & Gauley 2-8-0. Glenn has been a fan of locomotive number 13 since he was a little boy, and his passion for this train is evident in the level of painstaking detail. It’s an attractive-looking engine, thanks in part to some extensive greebling, custom rods, and silver striping. You can almost hear that ear-pleasing “chug, chug, chug.”
As this angle suggests, it looks just as awesome leaving the station as it does arriving. The tender has received just as much attention as the locomotive, going so far as to include detailing underneath. If you’d like an in-depth look at Glenn’s model, you can read more about it in his own words on LEGO train fansite Brick Model Railroader.
