Tag Archives: 1980s

LEGO Icons 11370 The Creel House and 40891 WSQK “The Squawk” Radio Station: We’re going back to Hawkins [Review]

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 6 years since the last minifig-scale Stranger Things set, but patiently waiting has become a core part of participating in this fandom. To celebrate the long-awaited release of the final season, LEGO Icons 11370 The Creel House will be hitting shelves in Hawkins and elsewhere on January 1st, 2026 – exactly one day after the release of the series finale. Releasing as a Gift With Purchase alongside the set is LEGO Icons 40891 WSQK “The Squawk” Radio Station, ensuring that the majority of the main cast is represented here to mark the special occasion. We braved the Upside Down, shadow governments, D&D monsters, and angsty teen drama to get our hands on these sets and tell you all about them!

LEGO Icons 11370 Stranger Things: The Creel House| 2,593 Pieces | Available January 1, 2026 | US $299.99 | CAN $399.99 | UK £249.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Venture into the Upside Down and read our review of this strange house

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Gremlins’ beloved mogwai is back in bricks! LEGO Ideas 21361 Gizmo revealed for October 1 – [News]

LEGO has been on something of a Gen X nostalgia kick lately. We’ve had sets from Transformers, Jaws, and now, we have a throwback to a comedy-horror classic from the ’80s. It’s thanks to the Ideas line this time – specifically, the ‘If We Could Turn Back Time’ building challenge. Fan designer Terauma took the grand prize with their model of Gizmo from the iconic ’80s flick Gremlins. As a reward, it got turned into an official set! 21361 Gizmo contains 1,125 pieces, and when it launches on October 1, it will retail for US $109.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99.

There are more pictures and info after the jump – although there’s no word on when you should feed it…

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Neverending childhood trauma recreated in LEGO

There’s something special about ’80s kids’ films: their practical effects, a spirit of adventure, and a willingness to scar audiences for life with nightmare fodder. Perhaps no scene broke so many young hearts as Atreyu losing his horse Artax in the Swamps of Sadness. Jack McKeen recreates this iconic scene from The Neverending Story with a LEGO tribute that has me both awed by the technique and fighting back tears. I’m impressed by the brown tiles transitioning to slopes around the sinking horse; you can almost feel the horse being sucked into the swamp. The base, built from writhing vines and dinosaur tails, is eye-catching. And Jack’s minifig Atreyu couldn’t be more perfect.

The Neverending Story is one of my favorite films, but the book it’s based on is even better. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a treat at any age. And you can relive Artax’s tragic end, only in the original version he talks as he drowns!

Through the power of protoculture, LEGO and Robotech combine

While most adult fans might prefer to keep their LEGO collection separate from other toys, for plenty of kids, LEGO elements are part of a shared toybox where GI Joe and fashion dolls can play with brick-built accessories. SPARKART! keeps that spirit alive with a sleek LEGO Flash Clapper hover cycle at action figure scale. SPARKART! perfectly captures the vehicle’s on-screen look, which is like a cross between a Harley-Davidson and a vacuum cleaner. The studs-free design helps the action figure rider feel right at home.

For those curious, the action figure in question is either Dana Sterling from the second season of Robotech or Jeanne Françaix from Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, depending on how you came upon the series. Robotech cobbled together 3 disparate series into one continuity, like if The Croods, How To Train Your Dragon, and Boss Baby were reframed as one multigenerational story. It was the 80s. It was awesome.

Time to bring back New Wave and parachute pants? We think so!

If you have the sudden urge to don a yellow vinyl jumpsuit and some eyeliner and listen to Devo, Gary Numan, or A Flock of Seagulls it may have something to do with this new LEGO creation by Duncan Lindbo. It’s called Synthwave Sunset and with its bold lines, bright colors, and computer grid graphics it most certainly has an 80s synth-wave feel. It nearly resembles the Suncoast Video logo or something from the Outrun video game. Whatever the inspiration, Duncan really captures the 80s vibe nicely. By the way, the three aforementioned New Wave bands are still producing work in the modern age so maybe it’s time to bring back parachute pants. While you’re mulling that over, check out what else Duncan Lindbo has been up to lately.

Jammin’ with an 80’s icon

There are very few things that are more “Classic 80’s” than the WALKMAN. When it came out, it was the birth of compact tech that allowed you to easily bring your music with you anywhere. We take it for granted today, but it was fairly novel at the time. Along with it came a new era of music. Digital recording allowed for electronic effects, which has shaped the majority of popular music today. LEGO builder Jarek Książczyk (Jerac) pays homage to one of the icons that started it all, with this excellent scale model of the Sony WALKMAN.

What makes this retro build most awesome is the fact that the player opens up to hold a “cassette.” Additionally, he snuck in some electronics to make it seem like it actually is functional.

While you’re here, check out some of Jerac’s other great builds, including Mando’s Razor Crest!

Brickin’ out some tunes

Everyone loves a good throwback to the ’80s or ’90s, and these days people are opting for analog musical devices over digital. What better build encapsulates these trends than Jonas Kramm’s boom box LEGO model?

All of the details on this build are done exactly right – from the dials to the tape deck. The speakers, as well as the switches, are composed mostly of yellow 9V track switches with black minifigure hands for extra detailing. The majority of the model comprises teal bricks and tiling; some yellow 1×2 slopes also form a stylish border around the box’s perimeter. Kramm even includes a couple of brick-built mix-tapes ready to be played. Overall this build really brings me back to the days before iPhones, iPods, and wireless internet, back when all we had was FM-AM radio and maybe some tapes to play around with.

In your eyes I am complete

Our readers over the age of thirty may already know the secret to winning over the hearts of that special someone. For the rest, this is what to do. Be sure to don a khaki trench coat with the sleeves pushed up to the elbow. Hop into your late 70’s model Chevy Malibu and head over to their place. Once there, hold a boombox similar to this one built by Chungpo Cheng high over your head and with the volume turned up all the way, stand outside their bedroom window and play some Peter Gabriel, but preferably not this one.

The end result should either have the person you most desire running longingly into your waiting arms or it may land you one hell of a restraining order. There really is no “in between” scenario with this stunt. But either way it would be totally worth it.

This Jem concert is truly, truly, truly outrageous!

You can feel the Synergy emanating from this bright and cheerful Jem set by Samuel Hatmaker. You may remember him as the creator of the popular Golden Girls project on LEGO Ideas (It reached 10,000 supporters but failed to pass the review). This time, he has built a complete playset that includes four separate pieces capturing all the glamour, glitter, fashion and fame of the 80’s hit cartoon, Jem & the Holograms.

The greatest brick hits from the ’80s

There was nothing quite like living in the 1980s. Back then, having a single cassette tape on-hand meant being forced to listen to a full album of music and nothing else. It was just one of many technological shortcomings we had to deal with. These two nostalgic builds by Ralf Langer certainly bring back some of those memories. At first glance, the headphones look so realistic. Ralf used LEGO rubber tires to form the ear cushions, and I’m still puzzled by how he incorporated them into the build.

The compact cassette tape is also shaped perfectly, right down to the placement of the capstan and pinch roller openings. My favorite parts are the chain links used for the magnetic tape supply reels. While writing this article, I was inspired to play music from the ’80s over my 21st Century Bluetooth headset; talk about instant gratification!

Be the coolest kid on the street, 30 years ago

Cassette players scream eighties so loudly that it seems kind of redundant to mark tapes as “80s mix”, but Jarekwally still decided to bring out the nostalgia even more. The builder was inspired by his father’s stories of how they used to pirate music nearly forty years ago with a radio and a tape deck. Cassette players are so iconic, you don’t even need to have 80s nostalgia to be inspired by them.

Jarekwally’s build is not the first time we’ve seen cassette players in LEGO, which kind of makes sense, as tapes are just blocky technical items with a limited variation of texture — which translates into bricks very well. What I love about this particular version is the use of chrome silver around the cassette slot and the underside of a plate as the speaker mesh. Simple indeed, but inspired.

Check out these other LEGO retro audio instruments:

The empire strikes back to the 1980s

The Empire Strikes Back was released back in 1980 and is still one of the most popular Star Wars films to date. Josephine Monterosso has captured the likeness of two of the main characters from the movie, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, as BrickHeadz. Each character has some great little details to enjoy that are a step beyond the official Brickheadz style, but there are no rules when it comes to building your own characters. Luke’s flak vest with its tubing is a lovely touch and, along with the helmet and visor, really makes this character recognisable.

Han Solo’s fur-lined hood works well with simply some studs on show to give texture. I love the use of a palisade brick to give the clinched-in appearance to his parka waist — it really adds some flair.

See more 1980s movie characters built in this style