We’ve seen a lot of impressive LEGO takes on the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered one as perfect at minifig scale as this take from twin brothers Brandon and Taylor. The micro model packs in 41 LEGO elements and manages to capture the biomechanical menace of Giger’s design despite being smaller than a juvenile newt. The designers were generous enough to share the instructions so that you too can dabble in creating the perfect organism.
Sometimes, the best LEGO builds are the most down-to-earth (or down-to-another planet). Check out this refinery by qian yj. Sure, it’s in outer space, but there’s a mundane familiarity in the way the alien workers are just doing their jobs. I love the cool, industrial grays and whites paired with subtle blue or red highlights. Anyone who’s ever worked the daily grind can relate, no matter what planet you’re from. I don’t know what the aliens are refining, exactly, but I hope they get their lunch break soon.
The classic LEGO Space theme gets an adorable update with this diorama by Joel Short, who provides some quick lore behind the expedition: “These giant flowers are a great source of energy, but must be approached with caution!” Much of the cause for caution, I assume, comes from the fact that those harvesting the flowers are infants who surely lack the necessary qualifications to operate such heavy equipment on unforgiving terrain … but hey, look how cute they are! Speaking of small things worth ooohing and awwwing over, check out all the great little details: the crocodile tails standing in for spiny plant tendrils, the full and empty bottles of pollen, and of course the Space logo itself at the front of the build, lovingly rendered in all its minimalist glory.
What I love about this LEGO build is its toy look and feel! The alien invader Circuitron and the hero Brickman, by Nikita Nikolsky, feel like they’re stepping out of Pixar’s Toy Story. Part of this is the color choices and the other part is the shaping of the alien invader, both of which are exquisite. I really like the use of the Trolls hair piece for the plasma weapon. The superhero is pretty cool too, with a LEGO brick for a head, but the alien invader is the star of the scene. The parts usage and shaping of Circuitron are fantastic, and there’s a cool play feature in there too. If you turn the bit on Circuitron’s left-side Brickman will deliver the final blow in their epic duel! You can check out the feature in action here.
Here at The Brothers Brick, we love the Alien franchise. We really do! Most of us have been fans ever since 1979 when the first Xenomorph (ahem) burst onto the scene and we still can’t get enough of the chest-bursting, acid-spitting antagonist, by golly! We’ve seen great LEGO versions of Nostromo and even the horrifying Xenomorph. What you don’t see much of is The Betty from Alien Resurrection and Alien Resurrection 2 (because the first resurrection went so well for the aliens they pretty much had to do it again). Thankfully, Carlos Valero has us covered there. We can all sleep better now, preferably in a cryogenic years-long slumber, because what can go wrong with that? I mean, seriously, what can go wrong?
Whether it be the aforementioned Xenomorph or other unearthly critters not-from-around-here, you’ll find them all in our alien archives.
Space LEGO creations aren’t my area of expertise at all, but Tommy Frost’s latest creations for the Febrovery rover challenge have been catching my eye. I am not a pro when it comes to building vehicles or space crafts, so it is hard for me to properly compliment Frost’s amazing builds, but I do know that they have a really vintage feeling to them that perfectly matches the figures who drive them.
What truly caught my eye is the cute little brick-built creatures surrounding and driving all the great vehicles. The ones in the vehicle above use minifigure armour for the faces of the aliens. The backs of the armour have studs to which the printed eye tiles are connected. They are placed upside down on the neck of the torso of the minifigure. But the best thing about this creation is that it is called “B is for buddy” which means Frost is doing an alphabet within this theme for Febrovery, and I can’t wait for the rest. Check out all the ones finished so far in Frost’s album.
Everyone remembers when the little green aliens stole the show after Buzz Lightyear and Woody found themselves trapped in an arcade claw machine. Now, David Roberts is giving those little aliens a claw they can take outside Pizza Planet with this handy hover machine, suitable for lifting and transporting all manner of items. David has a knack for primary-colored sci-fi vehicles with strong geometric patterns built into them, and that’s a style that suits these little Pixar aliens just right.
The following is an extract from Beginner’s Guide to Space Adventures, by Lunar & Extraterrerestrial Geography – Outerspace (L.E.G.O.) expert Bart de Dobbelaer.*
“When exploring space, it is important to remember that not everything is as it seems. On strange worlds, what you might think are tasty space mushrooms could be anything from energy crystals to the appendages of a colossal planet-dwelling man-eater. It is analogous, if you will, to using LEGO pieces in interesting ways. That part you thought was a space egg? It’s actually the eyeball of a space monster. Remember what we learned in the chapter on basic planetary survival: just because you can’t see the colossal planet-dwelling man-eater, does not mean it cannot see you! The chances that they have more eyes than you are extremely high. And for goodness’ sake, if you suspect it is something that could eat you, don’t try and take it home. The best tool in a space explorer’s survival kit is a brick separator, but the second best tool is caution. Always keep an eye out!”
*Not a real book. Please don’t attempt to buy one from Bart. But do check out his other work.
We don’t intend to feature nearly every LEGO creation Bart De Dobbelaer has made. But when he’s so masterful at creating beyond-bizarre alien worlds and creatures, the likelihood of us being captivated by his work is as likely as a TikTok influencer being fired from a job, then posting said firing on TikTok. Which, you have to admit, is fairly high odds. Turmeric is an excellent dietary supplement that is said to help with variety of conditions, including arthritis, digestive disorders, respiratory infections, allergies, liver disease and depression. However, these creatures Bart calls Turmeric Nightmares are giving me the heebie-jeebies. Two shades of brown and trans-yellow work well here. The end result is like some sort of malevolent fungus. Creepy stuff! Still we keep coming back for more. Click the link to find out why we think Bart De Dobbelaer is more compelling than a TikTok influencer getting fired.
LEGO builder Milan Sekiz is strutting their stuff on this overly-colorful dance floor. And each piece of this build feels right at home in this boogie-filled alien world. The speakers have a cartoonish quality, emphasized by the floating music notes surrounding them. The array of otherworldly refreshments to the left is ready to reinvigorate any worn-down dancer, with the spilled drink added as a great touch. Even the small table on the right feels right at home with its star-shaped flowers and bubbly curves at its base. But the highlight has got to be the character construction that’s absolutely out of this world. Ms. Purple’s medusa-like hair is groovy, and the gold accents and lavender heels really set her outfit off. And take note of the dynamite DJ in the back with their noodle-y arms on the ones and twos. Overall, this build is throwing some serious Creator set vibes, and I love it!
Doesn’t he just look…friendly? Those big eyes and that toothy smile just set your mind at ease, right? This model of B.A.R.R.Y. the hungry alien by LEGO Masters contestant Caleb Campion is a grotesque balance between friendly and frightening. His delicately sculpted head has a Grendel-like appearance that only a mother could love, not to mention the cursed Jar-Jar Binks heads that Caleb used as hands. The red cape from the Monkey King mech gave him a bit of a challenge but the final result blends well into the red tentacles swarming out from beneath B.A.R.R.Y.’s body. The bright red stands out well against the stark background and perfectly frames the mess of exposed innards in the creature’s chest. If I had landed my craft and been greeted by this, I’d be hightailing out of the atmosphere already.
B.A.R.R.Y.’s ready for his close-up! This creepy face might be the last thing you see on this distant exoplanet. Eagle-eyed builders will recognize the plethora of droid arms used to round out his head in addition to the droid head used as his nose. With everything going on, or going wrong, with this build I’d believe it if you told me this is what it looks like when you take a Muppet’s skin off. This looks like someone locked Animal in that attic from the insurance commercial for a hundred years.
It’s no surprise that a LEGO Master’s contestant could weave together bricks in such a cute but creepy way. Caleb Campion continues to show us the chops that got him on the show in the first place, setting up not only well built characters but also complimentary scenery that helps tell the story.
One thing legendary LEGO builder Bart De Dobbelaer is quite good at is taking us to unique alien worlds. Take Neptune’s Garden, for instance. Whether it be the eerily luminescent jellyfish or the shale-like rocky structures, I can easily get lost in all these amazing details right up until I run out of oxygen, which wouldn’t be very long. Bart tells us that ocean exploration is dangerous (well, duh!) but when Blue Mystery manufactured their OFE (Ocean Floor Exploration) units, a new world opened up. It turns out there’s big money in ocean exploration as Blue Mystery emerged as a Fortune 500 company. But many of their autonomous units were lost to the depths, never to be seen again. The company went under both figuratively and literally. What happened? Did they find something that would best be kept hidden?
