Category Archives: News

Stay current on the latest news and information about LEGO, from sales & deals to new set announcements. We also cover LEGO events and conventions all over the world.

Brickvention 2009

Brickvention

A heads up for all those Australian LEGO fans out there. I plan to attend and hope to have a blast.

Brickvention is Australia’s own LEGO convention and it’s only a few months away!

The 2009 Brickvention will be held over the Australia Day Long Weekend (January 24th to 25th) in Melbourne, Australia and promises to be an exciting event.

Following on from the success of the previous years, there will be competitions, presentations, demonstrations and lots of interesting things to see and do.

Highlights of the weekend include:

  • MOC displays (including town, modular houses, train, moonbase, and space)
  • Building competitions
  • Dirty Brickster
  • Dirty Buildster
  • Build-in-a bag
  • Timed build
  • Brickfilms
  • Brikwars
  • Trade tables

We’re all really excited about the event and can’t wait to meet lots of other AFOLs from all over Australia and around the world.

Want to know more about the event? Check out the website at http://www.brickventures.com

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

You “two” control the action!

Keith Goldman has just announced the second annual “You Control the Action” contest with the theme of sci-fi horror! The rules are simple, build any sized creation in minifigure scale that delivers sci-fi horror action and you will have a chance to win fabulous prizes plus the all-so craved feeling of having controlled the action. You have until the end of this year to take part in this horrendously satisfying experience.

Braindead? Think “4 foot demonic SHIPS, gory vignettes, haunted MB modules, zombie siege dioramas, blood-trains, one eyed monsters, giant posessed super computers, undead steampunk, lycanthropic cyberpunk, punk-ass ghost-robots and serial killer-mecha.” Start controlling the action today!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Free shipping, Republic Fighter Tank, and sales at the LEGO Shop [News]

The latest Star Wars: The Clone Wars set available from the LEGO Shop is 7679 Republic Fighter Tankicon (aka TX-130 Saber-class Fighter Tank).

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All orders over $99.00 ship for free, so I’ll just dangle before you some of the sales going on right now:

And now, a quick reminder about why we do this.

Knowing that there are tens of thousands of you out there reading what we post makes our efforts here on The Brothers Brick truly worth it. Running this site isn’t free, though. We use the revenue from our advertising to pay the bills, and then we give every extra penny back to you — through contest prizes, giveaways, and so on. If you don’t believe us, just ask BrickCon attendees! ;-)

So, whether you buy your LEGO through us or through Brickset, Klocki, Peeron, or another LEGO fan site, the next time you buy LEGO, consider clicking through from one of these sites. You’ll be supporting key resources in the LEGO fan community.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Neiman Marcus has your Lego

Neiman Marcus has recently posted their upscale Christmas catalog for the uber-rich. They now sell LEGO!

They have brokered a deal with LEGO Certified Professional Nathan Sawaya. For a very reasonable amount, you can have a replica of any person you want. How reasonable? If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.

Okay, I’ll tell you. It’s pocket change, just $60,000. The real problem is finding space for it. Keep it in your mini-sub. You never use that anyway….

Thanks to Chris Wunz for the heads up about the Yahoo News post.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

More BrickArms Prototypes: Longsword, Rapier, Paintball Marker and More! [Preview]

Here is our final installment of the incredible prototypes that we drooled over at BrickCon.

Being primarily a Castle fan, I was most excited by the Long Sword and Rapier:

Another historical weapon that should be popular with the Pirate fans is the bayonet, attached via an extremely versatile U-clip:

I also fell in love with the Sawed-Off Shotgun and the miniscule Derringer:

I know Andrew has already shown off the Derringer. But it’s so darn cute, I had to do it again!

Last, but not least, is another weapon that is close to my heart. The long-awaited Paintbal Marker:

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

New BrickArms prototypes: Bazooka, MGL, MG42, Colt, and more [Preview]

Will Chapman from BrickArms took the summer off from work to try focusing exclusively on custom minifig accessories.

Starting with BrickWorld 2008 in June, each LEGO convention has revealed more and more new products and prototypes.

Thanks to the extra time he has now, Will has been churning out more prototypes in his garage than we can count — particularly for those of you eager for World War II accessories.

For your Allied minifigs, the Bazooka M9 (with M6 rocket) will pack a serious punch:

On the Axis side, the German Panzerfaust 30 anti-tank weapon and MG42 machine gun will complement the MP40 SMG and C96 Mauser:

One of the most intriguing new prototypes is the U-clip (“U” for universal). The U-clip can connect any two objects that can fit into a minifig hand.

The potential applications seem infinite, such as attaching a bayonet (also a new BrickArms prototype) to your Lee-Enfield SMLE, a Combat Knife (again, new) to your M4 Carbine, or simulating an M203 grenade launcher with a black LEGO lightsaber handle:

Between our earlier coverage and the Zombie Apocafest, readers should already be familiar with the Lewis gun and Combat Shotgun:

The current Lewis gun prototype solves a minor issue with the earlier version (the drum tended to pop off fairly easily) by attaching the drum to the gun with a clip-like stud. This does make the drum more secure, but it resembles T-21 blaster from Star Wars a bit less with the drum removed.

A couple of the more unique new weapons include a game-inspired gunblade and a Derringer:

The MGL (multiple grenade launcher) will enable your minifigs to take on Decepticons and Predators alike with ease:

Finally, fans of Western movies get two iconic pistols — the Colt Navy 1861 revolver and the M1917 revolver (which looks a lot like the Colt Single Action Army “Peacemaker”):

For those of you wondering when we’ll see all this great stuff in production, here’s the final word from Will:

The next mold (in black and/or bley) will include the Combat Knife and Combat Shotgun for sure, and most likely the MGL, Lewis Gun, and Paintball Gun, but the lineup is still being decided. Look for that mold in early 2009, perhaps even by BrickFest 2009 in Portland!

The swords and Colt Navy will most likely be added to a silver mold, sometime soon as well. I’m still coordinating the layout for it. The other items may be limited-edition “garage releases”, as time permits. All will eventually see production.

Did he just say swords and paintball guns? Yes indeed. Look for a preview of those in the next few days from Josh. ;-)

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Custom-printed LEGO bricks from Brick Engraver [Preview]

Tommy Armstrong from Brick Engraver has been cooking up something rather cool — custom-printing on LEGO bricks:

Tommy can print just about any design on white LEGO, including standard bricks, plates, and even minifig torsos, as modeled above by GO MINIMAN GO and BrickCon minifigs. Note the high level of detail on the four issues of BrickJournal.

Tommy was kind enough to send along a rather sizable number of samples to BrickCon 2008. If you were there on the last day, I hope you got some of the GO MINIMAN GO minifigs and 2×2 tiles we handed out. Thanks Tommy!

We’ll be sure to post the news when Brick Engraver announces that they’re taking orders for what is sure to be one of the coolest additions to the LEGO customization world.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Ed Diment finishes HMS Hood — in 20-foot-long minifig scale!

Personally, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time!

Ed Diment has completed his minfig-scale HMS Hood. Packed with incredible details, this is my favorite of the big ship builds, which have included the USS Harry S. Truman and the Titanic, among others.

The working derrick on the main mast is powered by a 9-volt system:

Here’s a close-up with a minifig, which gives you some sense of the massive scale of this ship:

The highly detailed superstructure is worth a closer look:

Ed built a full complement of boats to go along with Hood:

Even photographing a LEGO creation of this size is a challenge of its own:

Ed was also gracious enough to answer a few of our questions:

The Brothers Brick: How long did it take you to build it?
Ed Diment: 7 months.

TBB: Does the curve stress the bricks?
Ed: No brick stress needed, it is all stepped plate and tile on its side.

TBB: How many bricks did you use?
Ed: Just under 100,000.

TBB: How much did it cost?
Ed: Difficult to say, some of the LEGO goes back 30 years, but if you were to buy all the brick new about $15,000.

TBB: Where do you keep it?
Ed: In sections in my LEGO room. Nowhere in the house is big enough to display it.

TBB: Are you going to keep it together?
Ed: I’ll be keeping it together for at least a couple of years. A couple of museums have expressed an interest, so perhaps longer.

TBB: How much is motorized?
Ed: All four turrets are motorized with power functions for rotation and elevation. I’ll try and get some pictures on YouTube.

Thanks, Ed!

Check out Ed’s HMS Hood photoset on Flickr for 184 pictures — including work-in-progress shots that show how this amazing creation is constructed.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Next BrickFest to be held in Portland, Oregon March 26-29, 2009 [News]

As I mentioned briefly at the end of Nannan’s post about BrickCon Day 3, the original LEGO fan convention, BrickFest, will be back in March 2009.

Here’s the full story from event organizer Steve Barile (no relation to Steve Witt, having delicious fries at right):

Where: Portland, OR at the Oregon Convention Center, Hall A
When: March 26-29, 2009 (setup: Th, convention: Fr-Sn)
Hotel: Red Lion Hotel (mention BRICKFEST for room block rate)
Who: All AFOLs!

YES, it’s that time again! Join us for the 3rd Portland BrickFest back at the OCC Hall A and the RED LION, and all the Burgerville you can stand to eat! From all the AFOL feedback we have received asking when the next BrickFest is, we are expecting a great turnout from all the familiar faces, as well as all the new AFOLs that have joined our community in the last couple years! Wow, I can’t believe it been two years!

It’s easy to get to the OCC & Red Lion: ~$2 for a MAX light rail ride form the airport; so no rental car needed. Once downtown MAX is free, so enjoy the many fine restaurants and microbrew pubs that make Portland a fine place to visit!

SEE YOU THERE!

Steve Barile

Q&A

Q: Has BrickFest changed formats?
A: Nope! We believe that the current BrickFest format works great and we are keeping it the same. Of course we strive to make the event the best possible and make tweaks as needed.

Q: Is there a public expo this time?
A: Yes, there will be a public expo on Sunday afternoon only, same as last time. BrickFest is for the AFOLs; there is no rush to set up the displays, so have fun attending sessions, arranging and rearranging MOCs, and goofing off!

Q: Will there be workshops and sessions?
A: Of course! There are so many topics to discuss and share and MOCs to see, we’ll be expecting many of you to volunteer to give talks and host round tables etc. — one of BrickFest’s assets is the sharing of the tribal knowledge.

Q: When can I register?
A: Registration will begin January 1st 2009 (for book-keeping purposes), but mark your calendars, I already rented the OCC!

Q: Is Christina Hitchcock involved?
A: Christina is completely behind BrickFest ’09 and will be taking an advisory position.

BrickFest 2007 was only my second LEGO convention, and I had a fantastic time hanging out with the friends I’d made at BrickCon 2006:

BrickFest 2007 had one of the most amazing LEGO Castle displays I’ve ever seen:

Erik Varszegi unveiled 10179 UCS Millenium Falcon at BrickFest 2007:

I’m not sure I’m ready to begin planning another Zombie Apocafest (which might have to wait until BrickCon 2009 next October), but I’m really looking forward to attending BrickFest as an out-of-towner.

Check out the action from BrickFests past in the BrickFest pool on Flickr.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LAML announces LAMLtv [News]

James Wadsworth of LAML (LEGO and More LEGO), known for hosting the most popular LEGO audio podcast, is now expanding LAML’s domain to introduce LAMLtv. Checkout the teaser below and listen to the audio introduction here (you can right click to download).

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

BrickCon 2008: Andrew’s wrap-up

How do I put this? BrickCon 2008 was amazing, but just a little bit more stressful than years past, as I demonstrate in this photo by Adam Hally:

Nevertheless, it was the best LEGO convention I’ve ever been to! Highlights for me included:

Various bloggers have posted their observations about the con:

  • Read more about the Zombie Apocafest on Valve’s Left 4 Dead Blog.
  • Listen to Wayne Hussey and Daniel Brown on LAML Radio, and hear from Bill Ward about recording for LAML Radio.
  • Read Hillel’s thoughts on admitting he’s a “LEGO geek” (hurray!) and see tons of great pictures on the Jackson Fish Market blog.
  • Read about the “Minifig Beauty Pageant” on Model Building Secrets.

I love seeing the looks of wonder and amazement on people’s faces as they find something cool that they never thought could be made from the little plastic bricks they have lying around their house. But I tend to find the public hours a bit overwhelming:

Of course, as attendees get home, they’ve started uploading pictures they took at BrickCon. Abusing the HTML list tag even further, here are a few that I’ve found so far:

And with that, I’m taking a week off. :D But fear not, dear readers! There are plenty of other LEGO blogs to sate your LEGO appetite.

I can’t wait for next year. Until then, build on!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

BrickCon 2008: Saturday, October 4th

Pictures of the third day of BrickCon are now appearing. During the public hours, over 3,200 visitors attended the show, as you can see from the chaotic picture below.

Click the picture to see more from my photostream or see more pictures from the Flickr BrickCon pool.

Updates from Andrew:

During the awards ceremony, Josh and I gave out prizes for the “Best Zombified Building” — which also won “Best in Show” — and “Best Zombified Vehicle” to participants in the zombie layout. We’ll have photos of the whole layout tomorrow (including the prize-winners), but here’s a preview of Zombie Apocafest 2008:

That’s LEGO designer Simon Kent checking out the bombed-out end of Zombietown. The LEGO Group sent four members from product design teams to BrickCon, including Matthew Ashton, Simon, and Nik Groves. Matt designed 7979 Castle Advent Calendar, so he kindly signed one for me. Very cool.

Our schedules have been incredibly full these past three days, so our apologies if our coverage hasn’t quite lived up to your expectations. Those of you who wanted product updates should be overjoyed with 10193 Medieval Market Village, and we’ll have detailed coverage of future BrickArms products in the coming days.

In the meantime, more sources of BrickCon photo and blog goodness include:

Oh, and did we mention that there will be a BrickFest in 2009? Stay tuned for details on that as well.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.