This weekend we’ve got BrisBricks in Brisbane, and AMRA in Sydney will be showcasing LEGO trains. I’ll be at Brisbricks for at least the Saturday with my latest toys.
Category Archives: News
LEGO Adventure Book
I admit we’re a little late to the party with this one, but good things come to those who wait. We present an unofficial sequel to the great LEGO Ideas Books from the 80s.
With a builder’s list reading like a “who’s who” of LEGO builders (see right), and a special guest (see later) who will tickle the KFOL in every AFOL, Megan Rothrock’s (megzter) The LEGO Adventure Book looks to be very exciting for children and adults alike. The book is an unofficial sequel to 6000: LEGO® Idea Book, which any LEGO fan of sufficient age would have ogled in their younger days. I have to confess I only own one fan written book from many years ago, but plan to buy this one for myself, and my nephew and niece.
Megan says “For me and many other children who are now AFOLs the LEGO Idea Book showed us so much potential for what else could be built with LEGO bricks beyond the sets they came in. My wish is to have LEGO Adventure do the same for this generation as well as shake up the AFOL builders a little with a few challenging builds thrown in for them.” There’s over 200 pages featuring 200 models and 25 sets of instructions (yes instructions from some of the best builders featured here on TBB). Even without seeing the real book, I’d say she’s achieved her goal.
You can find more info online: at facebook, No Starch Press, Amazon.com
Above and below are a couple of models from my usual realm of building, but if you flick through my stream you will find more great samples.
As for the special guest mentioned above… Megan persuaded one of the designers for the original 6000 book to come out of retirement and build something for this book. I’ll let you speculate on which of the builders it is ;)
The Most Interesting AFOL in the world
Awesome graphic, Iain Heath. And remember, register now to guarantee engraved bricks, swag bags, and other good stuff.
Get building! BrickCon 2012 collaborative displays + MOC registration reminder
While some other LEGO conventions have individual builders reserve their own table space, BrickCon is all about large-scale collaborative displays. Each year since 2008, The Brothers Brick has sponsored a display, ranging from a highly coordinated zombie apocalypse to our anything-goes celebration of all things Japanese.
Last year, we tried something even more anarchic than a zombie apocalypse — a totally unstructured experiment in planetary colonization — which we think came together fairly well, so we’re going to try it again this year, as “Numereji 2422”.
As we said last year:
Our hope for the Numereji 2421 display at BrickCon 2011 is that the contributors will be free to create their vision of what kind of community would develop from a group of crash survivors isolated for a generation, and how their reconnection with other space travelers would play out.
We worked up quite a backstory and suggested lots of inspiration last year, but many potential contributors said they didn’t really get the concept until they’d seen the actual display at BrickCon (ah, the consequences of an experiment in anarchy!). Here are a few links to help refresh your memory:
- Photos on Flickr
- Basic timeline and planetary backdrop
- Official backstory
- Inspiration and ideas
- Building standards (if you want/need them)
Naturally, there are many other opportunities to contribute to a display in whatever way works best for your building style or preferred theme. Here are a few of our favorites:
| Theme | Description | Info/Discussion |
|---|---|---|
| Numereji 2422 | The official collaborative display for readers of The Brothers Brick. Do you have space fever? Will you be a peaceful colonist, a rogue smuggler, alien trader, or the long arm of the galactic law? You decide! | Right here, or on Flickr |
| Bricks of Character | The notorious Iain Heath & Tommy Williamson are at it again, bringing together LEGO and all your favorite characters from TV, movies, and video games — as long as they’re not minifig-scale! This year’s Bricks of Character display also includes Heather Braaten’s Darlings, a memorial to a beloved LEGO fan we lost earlier this year. | Info | Discussion |
| Castle | BrickCon is famous for its massive, sprawling, and still somehow well-coordinated castle displays. Each year, LEGO Castle builders up the ante with taller spires, bigger armies, and more integrated motion. I can’t wait to see what Josh and his team pull together this year. | Classic-Castle.com |
| The Dark Side | Most LEGO models are meant to be appreciated in the light. But Roger Hill’s “Dark Side” display brings together all the LEGO models that glow in the dark and blink their lights. Given how hard it is to photograph LEGO in the dark, these are models you’ll definitely want to see in person. | Contact Roger through BrickCon.org |
| Microscale | Coordinator Steve Oakes shared a wonderful vision for the Microscale display at the SEALUG meeting yesterday. In addition to the usual Micropolis modules and mini-trains, this year’s micro display will include a microscale version of BrickCon itself, complete with tables, stanchions, and Miniland-scale attendees! So, build a tiny version of whatever you’re bringing to BrickCon, along with a Miniland version of yourself to admire your own tiny creation. Awesome. | Contact Steve through BrickCon.org |
| Superheroes | With the release of official DC and Marvel Super Heroes sets from LEGO, now’s the time to bring all those LEGO superheroes and supervillains together — LEGO Avengers (and others) assemble! Sean Forbes is coordinating this display, which isn’t just limited to minifig-scale models. Bring your mosaics, statues, vehicles, and anything else inspired by comic books. | Contact Sean through BrickCon.org |
See the full list of themes & collaborations — from Architecture to Town/Train — on BrickCon.org.
Not sure which theme, collaborative display, or category your LEGO creation fits into? For example, does a microscale space fleet go in Microscale or Space? (Probably Space.) Read over the full list, and then just ask us and we’ll get you pointed in the right direction.
Important: Regardless of whether you choose to contribute to one of the group builds, it’s still important to register your LEGO models (MOCs — My Own Creations) as well as yourself. Registering all the MOCs you plan to bring ensures that coordinators know how much space we’ll need. You can’t just show up on Thursday morning with a six-foot spaceship! This really wasn’t an issue until last year, but BrickCon has grown to over 500 registered attendees, and only registered MOCs will be guaranteed table space.
Register for BrickCon 2012 by Sep 15 to guarantee brick badge, swag bag
The BrickCon 2012 private convention kicks off on Thursday, October 4th — that’s less than a month away!
If you want to guarantee yourself an engraved brick badge, swag bag, and other benefits of pre-opening registration, now’s the time to do it. Registrations after next Saturday, September 15th can’t be guaranteed these goodies.
Still not sure you want to come? BrickCon is our favorite convention because of its relaxed atmosphere, fun (non-LEGO) stuff to do around the venue, and the great people we get to hang out with each year.
Of course, the heart of the convention is the LEGO itself. Be sure to check out the BrickCon photo pool on Flickr to see photos of LEGO models, people, and events from years past, as well as pics of creations you can expect to see there this year.
Register today, and we hope to see you at BrickCon in a few short weeks!
Real World Starfighter Contest winners announced
Those of you that have been around the community long enough, may remember a contest that ran many moons ago… :P
Well after some very lengthy deliberation, we have finally narrowed down the entries to declare the 3 winners!
1st Place
Shannon Ocean’s Boeing C-15 "Strike Eagle" with a score of 175/200
2nd Place
Mainman’s Project HAVE SHIVER with a score of 169/200
3rd Place
Pierre E Fieschi’s 1973 ‘HERCULES’ Nuke Platform with a score of 168/200
We scored a total of 11 entries in our semi-finalist round. These were the other 8 semi-finalists:
4th- Halfbeak’s Moonrock 1 with 157/200
5th- Ted Andes’ Gladius with 156/200
6th- Fernald’s Solid Fuel Starfighter with 155/200
7th- xiei22’s Pilum with 153/200
8th Brainbikerider’s Chernobog with 152/200
9th Lego Junkie’s Soyuz 7-K12 with 150/200
10th madLEGOman’s Spaceghost with 149/200
11th bloei’s ISF Zodiac with 143/200
To say that the judges were impressed with both the quantity, but more importantly the QUALITY of the entries is an understatement. You didn’t make it easy on any of us to judge, but you also all made it extremely fun to watch!
So a huge CONGRATS to the winners, and also to all that participated! Also a giant thank you to all the judges, and especially Stijn and More Bricks for the prize sponsorship!
Peter and I have already talked about this becoming a recurring contest…it was just an absolute hoot to be a part of!
Free shipping, 10228 Haunted House out, & free Monster Fighters mini-set [News]
The LEGO Shop online kicks off September with free shipping in the US, UK,
and Canada
on all orders over $75/£50, with a free Monster Fighters mini-set thrown in to sweeten the deal.
LEGO’s latest exclusive set, Monster Fighters 10228 Haunted House, has also just been released.
The set comes with six minifigs, over two thousand parts, and enough zombie heads to build a horde.
Here’s a look at the freebie, which actually looks like it has some pretty nice pieces in it (including another zombie):
As Ace over at FBTB rightly guessed, LEGO has also been kind enough to create a page for The Brothers Brick on the Shop@Home website. We’ll be filling it up with the sets we recommend shortly, but in the meantime you can click through from here to get your free shipping and free set:
- US: The Brothers Brick page on the LEGO Shop
- UK: The Brothers Brick page on the LEGO Shop
- Canada: The Brothers Brick page on the LEGO Shop
Important: If you’d like to help support The Brothers Brick, we’d love it if you would bookmark this blog post and use it to click through to the US, UK, and Canadian Shop@Home websites. (Don’t bookmark the pages I linked to above. Oddly, LEGO’s systems won’t know where you came from and 3% of your purchase won’t go toward helping us pay the bills. Ah, software…)
BrickForge releases accessories inspired by a distant galaxy
BrickForge has just released a batch of new custom accessories perfect for bounty hunters and scoundrels alike.
They kindly sent me a batch of their latest custom accessories — a pleasant surprise in my mailbox this afternoon. I haven’t been doing too much minifig-building this past year, so I can’t necessarily promise a review before BrickCon (too busy building other stuff), but it’s obvious these are well-designed pieces that take BrickForge in an interesting new direction.
Check out the full line on BrickForge.com.
Amazon.com discounts LEGO Lord of the Rings sets
Adding to the LEGO Star Wars sets that are 30% off, Amazon.com has just discounted most of the LEGO Lord of the Rings line as well.
Here’s the list:
- Save $27.50 on 9474 The Battle of Helm’s Deep
- Save $10 on 9473 The Mines of Moria
- Save $24 on 4194 LEGO Whitecap Bay
(LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, but still a good discount…
Some of the discounts have dropped or ended since I got Amazon’s email this morning, so this one might not last as long as the Star Wars sets.
And unfortunately, these may only be available to our US readers. (We’ll have something cool for people in more places in a couple of days.)
[Event] BrisBricks 2012 – Sep 29 to Oct 1 2012
While I’ve dusted off my login credentials I’ll also take a moment to pimp something that’s never happened to me before: a LEGO event in the city I live. So I announce the BrisBricks 2012 show, running here in sunny Brisbane from Sep 29th to Oct 1st. Find more details below the logo.
BrisBricks – LEGO® Fan Expo 2012: Sept 29, 30 & Oct 1 Brisbane [News]
The Brisbane LEGO® Train Group is proud to announce our first Annual LEGO® Fan Expo – BrisBricks!
Our inaugural show will be three fun filled days open to the public across the October long weekend in the sunny South Brisbane suburb of Mt Gravatt.In addition to some great MOCs, awesome displays and some classic sets we’ll also have specialty LEGO® retailer Bricks n Fun on-site for all your LEGO® needs.
Show times:
Saturday 29th September 9:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday 30th September 9:00am to 5:00pm
Monday 1st October 9:00am to 4:00pmLocation:
Mt. Gravatt Showgrounds
Hamlyn-Harris Pavilion
1644 Logan Rd, Mt Gravatt QLDTicket Pricing:
Adults: $6.00
Children: $2.00 (3-15yrs)
Children under 3 FreeIf you’re interested in exhibiting, you can drop us a line at layoutcoordinator@brisbricks.org
Stay tuned for more details about special exhibits and other fun stuff.
Checkout our website at www.brisbricks.org for more details or follow us on Facebook!
Perijove’s LEGO MSL Curiosity Rover hits 10K on CUUSOO [News]
UPDATE (June 14, 2013): LEGO MSL Curiosity Rover is go for launch!
———
Back on August 5th when I first highlighted the excellent Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover project by Stephen Pakbaz (Perijove) on LEGO CUUSOO, the project had been online for about eight months and had accumulated about 1,300 votes.
In a sign that timing is everything (with a little help from a few friends on the web), Stephen’s Curiosity project hit 10,000 supporters this weekend. In fact, the project gained its final 5,000 supporters in less than 24 hours.
(I wanted to use a picture of the model we haven’t already used several times here on the blog. Stephen’s proposed model for the project doesn’t include the skycrane, but how awesome would that be?!)
I used Stephen’s instructions to build the rover myself yesterday, and it’s a really excellent model. The build itself was very enjoyable, and I even learned a few SNOT techniques I hadn’t seen before. The final model includes so much detail and functionality it’s really fun to play with, in addition to being just shy of fully functional (with working “rocker bogie” suspension, stowable mast & arm, and little details like forward and rear haz-cams).
However, Stephen’s rover does include a handful of unusual parts, and parts in quantities or colors that I don’t have (especially the Technic parts for a mainly SYSTEM builder like me). Even with my substantial, relatively well-sorted collection, it took me the better part of an afternoon to dig around and gather all the parts, and I still had to place a couple small Bricklink orders to replace parts I don’t have at all in the right colors.
All of this is to say that an official set will be a great way to easily get all of the necessary building materials for a reasonable price — as I’m sure LEGO won’t be charging $2 for the white bracket (of which the model requires two), for example.
Congratulations to Stephen, and I can’t wait to see how LEGO handles this particular project. Specifically, I’d love to see LEGO accelerate the approval of this project, given LEGO’s existing partnership with NASA, the clear educational value of the model, and the current “space fever” gripping the world.
Finally, in case you missed it last week, be sure to check out our interview with Stephen Pakbaz (who worked at JPL as an engineer on the Curiosity project) right here on TBB.
Up to 30% off LEGO Star Wars sets from Amazon.com
LEGO Star Wars sets are usually excluded from sales at brick-and-mortar stores, so sales at Amazon.com
All of the following sets are 30% off:
- Save $36 on 7964 Republic Frigate
- Save $21 on 7961 Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator
- Save $18 on 7931 T-6 Jedi Shuttle
- Save $15 on 7930 Bounty Hunter Assault Gunship
7962 Anakin’s & Sebulba’s Podracers
These deals tend to be pretty dynamic, so if you’ve been waiting for these sets to go on sale, now’s the time to act.
As always, The Brothers Brick receives a percentage of the sales when you click through from here, and we use that money to pay for server costs (not insubstantial with a global audience), buy prizes to give away during BrickCon and other events, and generally give back to the community.