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.

Elegant character from Journey created in LEGO

Toronto builder Mel Finelli has built a rather wonderful model of the character from the 2012 indie game Journey. I am the first one to admit that apart from Mario Kart I don’t know a ton about most video games, in particular when they are indie, but that doesn’t take away from the appreciation I have for Mel’s beautiful model. She has done a fantastic job of layering curves and slopes to create the flowing robes of the character, something that is anything but easy to do with LEGO.

The resulting 15″ character is interesting to look at from every angle, which Mel was nice enough to provide in her composite image. Those of you that are lucky enough to be going to BrickCan this weekend will be able to see the model in person.

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Gorgeous 8-foot-tall LEGO mobile crane has complete working functions

Leibherr’s LTM 1090-4.1 mobile crane is an impressive piece of construction equipment with a top speed of 85km/h, a telescopic boom up to 50m, and a maximum load capacity of 90 tonnes. If that doesn’t impress you, then this scaled LEGO version of the mobile crane by Dirk Klijn should attract your attention. Dirk has spent 3 and a half years working on this 80cm long model that has 5 Sbrick‘s controlling 17 functions, including driving, working rear lights, indicators and reversing lights, boom and jib extension, power-lifting objects, steering and motion, as well as non-motorised functions such as full suspension, opening doors, and the manual folding jib.

On a model this big, there are plenty of details to pore over…

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Happy 20th birthday, Brickset’s database! [News]

20 years ago today, in 1997, Huw Millington created his first LEGO set guide online, laying the foundation for what would become Brickset’s database. The database is arguably the most complete, thorough data archive on all things LEGO available online today, and has certainly come a long way.
Initially just an online copy of a LEGO catalog, the database has grown and evolved to include sets, prices, pieces, colors, photos and more. Brickset posted a look back at various versions of the database over time, which is worth a read and a good chuckle, if you remember what old HTML web pages used to look like (shudder). If you want to know more about Brickset’s past, check out this article Huw wrote in 2014: Brickset through the ages.

TBB has a great relationship with Brickset, and we’re honored to have Huw and his assistants as part of the LEGO community. So how does one properly express gratitude to such an amazing site? Through poetry, of course, and by borrowing heavily from fellow brit and poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous sonnet:

How do I love thee, Brickset database? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height of a 2×4 brick.
My searches can reach, and find that part that clicks
For the means of winning the set collection race.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and moonlight.
I love thee freely, as I look up a set price.
I love thee purely, your color chart I praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs without thee, and with my dark age.
I love thee with a love never to lose
With my lost parts. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my AFOL life; an idea of Huw’s,
I shall but love thee database until death.

Mining with spaceships and portals

Everybody likes a good Classic Space model, and this crystal mining diorama by Brick Knight has all the right details. From the characteristic grey-blue colour scheme with yellow and black stripes, to antennas and recreations of vintage sets, all placed on a tan landscape, just like the box arts of the 1980s. The cracks filled with green minerals break up the landscape very well, but the main focus is obviously in the sci-fi elements like space stations, spaceships and most notably the round portals. The builder explains the diorama as an uninhabited planet where the Classic Space explorers discovered a new energy source and are mining it for its engineering uses.

Click to see more of this space outpost

Everyone’s favourite Disney princess

Immediately recognisable, and packed with a whole heap of attitude — that’s Miro Dudas‘s latest LEGO model: Princess Leia Organa, dressed for cold weather, hand on hip, all ready to give Han a hard time. In a relatively small amount of bricks, this creation really manages to capture Leia’s feisty character. The padded jacket and the boots are nicely built, but it’s the way the model has been posed which does all the work. The stance is perfect. I can almost hear her speak. “I don’t know where you get your delusions from, laser brain.”

We’ve covered one of Miro’s brick-built Leia figures previously, but he appears to be on a roll with a whole series of them. As well as the great Hoth-variant above, there’s an excellent rendition of the Princess disguised as Boushh the Bounty Hunter. Don’t miss the clever use of the printed letter-E tiles on the mask, and the great brickwork to create the belt and harness…

Looking for a private spacecraft? Hokkien jumper is your best choice

There is a certain type of LEGO builder who never runs out of ideas and concepts. Adrian Florea is one of them. When you’ve seen hundreds, thousands of brick-built starships and nothing excites you anymore, you visit Adrian’s photostream and — surprise! — here’s a new one, even more bizarre and alien than any other. And the longer you stare at the picture, the less sure you are about how this pretty ugly thing grabbed all of your attention. The only thing that bothers me right now — where can I sign up for a ride?

Keep your Mini running like new with this well-oiled shop

This fantastic service shop by _BrickBro_ will tune your official 10242 Mini Cooper to tip-top shape, with just a quick engine and transmission replacement. It’s got all the necessary tools and accessories to spruce up that evergreen hatchback, from replacement hubs to new steering wheels.

Based on the popular youtube series Mighty Car Mods, the shop features hosts Marty and Moog walking viewers through their top-to-bottom restoration of this cult classic car.

Click to see more of the shop

Dreadnought delivers the whale mail

A cute pocket battleship combines forces with a whale, apparently to deliver the mail, in this LEGO creation from Revan New. I genuinely have no idea what is going on here, but I like it. First up, we see the chibi-styled dieselpunk dreadnought sailing into a moody sunset, a companionable whale matching the ship’s course…

And then the true nature of this partnership is revealed — some sort of oceanic postal service…

The styling of the little dreadnought is smart — I particularly like the curve of the hull and the maroon striping. Those deck guns are pretty good too. And then the whale itself has a friendly face. Who wouldn’t want this guy turning up at the door with their Amazon packages?

All-in-all, this is nicely built, nicely photographed, and nicely crazy. Just the sort of stuff we like round here.

The most subtle way to celebrate Easter

As Christian and Christian-influenced areas of the world celebrate Easter, we see many representations of Easter eggs and religious motives, with an occasional Easter bunny. This rabbit by accomplished animal builder Felix Jaensch is more loosely related to this subject, as it would be a great creation any time of the year, but the timing still pushes it a bit further.

The rabbit is built in Felix’s signature style, a realistic but pixelated shape with some finer shaping on the head. The bright tan overall colour and white belly draw the eye and make for a very fluffy effect. I just want to cuddle it! (…if I could catch it)

Unibunny wants chocolate

And now, for your continuing Easter enjoyment, Chris McVeigh presents his latest LEGO model — a hypercute Bunny version of the mighty Unikitty. Perched in a smart little basket and surrounded by eggs, Unibunny looks all set to enjoy a mountain of chocolate and then probably go on some sort of sugar-induced rampage. The colour choices here are great, as are the use of Angry Bird egg pieces, and whilst the crinkled paper isn’t quite purist in terms of building techniques, we’ll let Chris off because it’s ALL SO PRETTY.

Light-hearted brick Jesus reminds us of the real meaning of Easter

There’s always a question of taste when it comes to the depiction of religious or political themes in any artistic medium, and LEGO bricks are no exception. However, I hope it’s impossible for anyone to take offence at Lasse Vestergård‘s brick-built interpretation of Jesus’ return from the grave.

This is a great little model, depicting victory over misery and death and carrying an appropriate sense of joy — something you can surely enjoy regardless of your particular choice of belief (or unbelief) system. The thumbs-up and the cheeky inclusion of wounds in Jesus’ palms add a touch of black comedy, but the visual contrast between the grim grey backdrop and the bright flowers carries a more serious message of hope and an eventual release from suffering.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for April 16, 2017 [News]

In addition to the best LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick also brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the second week of April 2017.

TBB NEWS, REVIEWS & INSTRUCTIONS: Star Wars ruled the week with a new movie trailer, new LEGO sets, and even free instructions. May the force ever be in your favor!

Review of LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector’s Series Snowspeeder 75144 – TBB has your exclusive early review of the most iconic Rebel vehicle of The Empire Strikes Back, the Snowspeeder, clocking in at 1,703 pieces and a $199.99 USD price tag.
Build your own Twin-Pod Cloud Car from Empire Strikes Back – Fly through the clouds of Bespin in your own orange, iconic two-seater.
BrickCan LEGO convention is back in Vancouver next weekend – Next weekend, April 22-23, hundreds of AFOLs will converge on BrickCan, and tickets are selling fast!
LEGO City Undercover now available – Chase McCain is back and better than ever, solving puzzles and defeating bad guys in the crime-ridden LEGO City, now remastered for the Switch, Wii, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

OTHER NEWS: There was a good amount of LEGO news from other places around the web this week. Here are a few items we noticed and thought you might enjoy.

Thousands of LEGO daffodils are blooming in Britain, Smithsonian – Nearly 2,000 daffodils have packed the town square there—each made entirely of LEGO bricks.
At 90, a great grandfather latches onto LEGO, Hartford Courant – Only nine more years to go before the box says he can’t play with them anymore.
How LEGO could change what we know about plants, Smithsonian – Researchers are using toy bricks to study how plants react to environmental factors.
LEGO on the hunt for top marketer as Taylor exits for Asia role, Ad News – LEGO is on the hunt for a senior marketer as Australia’s top marketer Troy Taylor is exiting to take on a senior management role at LEGO in Hong Kong.