Tag Archives: Angus MacLane

The bricks must flow...

I first read Dune in the deserts of Egypt, on the night train from Cairo to Luxor, and since then I’ve loved every rendition of the Dune saga I’ve ever consumed, starting with the full book series by Frank Herbert, of course, but also every adaptation, from David Lynch’s weird 1984 film and the 2000s Syfy TV series to the recent Denis Villeneuve masterpiece, but even the concept designs by Chris Ross for the aborted Alejandro Jodorowsky version in the 1970s. It’s almost like there’s a Dune multiverse in which every incarnation is awesome. Angus MacLane seems to share my passion, with this Classic Space homage featuring a Spicing Guild navigator floating in his tank accompanied by his entourage.

Classic Space Guild Navigator

Using black Classic Space minifigures and a giant classic smiley head inside the tank is so freakin’ weird that it fits perfectly into that hypothetical Dune multiverse. Especially for minifigs wearing uniforms, many LEGO builders choose to vary their minifigs’ faces. But it’s the very uniformity of these minifigs that makes the whole scene weirder, magnified by the massive head in the tank.

Finally, a baby-safe missile launcher!

As kids growing up in the 70s and 80s can attest, when it comes to lawn darts and easy bake ovens it only takes one dumb kid to ruin a good thing for the rest of us. Maybe it was all the lead paint we ingested? Whatever the reason, we just can’t have nice things anymore! Thankfully, famed LEGO aficionado Angus MacLane has found a solution to our problem. It’s an amazing Classic Space rocket launcher that transforms into a giant baby mech. What part of that don’t you understand? Since the baby is a rocket launcher, I’m pretty sure that should pass the muster of even the most litigious parents. Probably. It definitely passes muster for what we consider to be totally amazeballs.

Classic Space Baby Mobile Rocket Transport Mech

Angus provided a graphic illustrating how the rocket launcher transforms into the adorable little tike. Once you’ve looked that over, be sure to check out our Classic Space archives to see what us kids of the 70s and 80s were into when we weren’t eating lead paint.

Classic Space Baby Mobile Rocket Transport Mech

This Optimus is a Prime example of cuteness overload!

I need only two “words” to accurately describe this LEGO Optimus Prime variant by Angus MacLane: toats adorbz! The odd proportions here somehow work quite well together: tiny hands and feet, a boxy little head, and a big barrel chest sporting the truck’s grill and headlights. The overall look reminds me of some of the Playskool versions of the bot intended for toddlers. This is exactly the kind of masterful character creation you would expect from a much-revered builder like MacLane. Heck, I’m still flabbergasted by the shaping of that Optimus noggin in this scale! There’s so much crammed into that small 2x2x2 cube allowing for proper eyes and forehead visor, as well attachments for the side hardware.

Sub-Optimus Prime

Of course if it’s a Transformer, then it had better be able to transform. Angus’s Optimus folds up into a semi, with equally-adorable dimensions. The opaque medium blue windows are an elegant solution to the difficult task of conveying a windscreen without revealing the bot within. For all the unique stylistic choices here, I think I may even like this second version of Prime better than his first.

Sub-Optimus Prime

Getting baked with the Ovenger

This new LEGO creation by famed film director Angus MacLane may appear, at first glance, to be just an ordinary oven.

The Ovenger

But mistaking it for common cookery may be your undoing as it is more than it seems. Behold the Ovenger! It opens to reveal itself to be a suped-up spaceship featuring Pvt. Extra Crispy, the baked-to-golden-perfection pilot of this uncanny ship. And like much of what Angus MacLane has been building lately, it has a missile bay. Because of course it does!

The Ovenger (open)

A missile bay for every appendage

When Angus MacLane isn’t basking in the glory of being the director of the Lightyear movie he’s a LEGO builder, just like the rest of us. But unlike the rest of us, he basks in the glory of being the director of Lightyear and an all-around big-wig for Pixar. That’s how fame works! Now that that’s all perfectly clear, he took the Robot Warrior from the Series 24 Collectable Minifigures and gave it the mech treatment. He enhanced the arms and legs and gave it some cool wings because, in case you’re still following along, that’s how the mech treatment works. I love the dark green and dark pink color scheme which makes it seem like something that is both somehow healthy to eat and sickeningly sweet. It doesn’t hurt that this mech has, what we’ve all admittedly wanted for ourselves, a missile bay for every appendage. Totally badass!

Series 24 Mech Mk. II

BrickCon 2022 registration now open with Pixar director Angus MacLane as keynote [News]

The longest-running LEGO fan convention is gearing up for another epic year, with BrickCon returning this fall with a blackjack theme for its 21st year. Held in Seattle, BrickCon hosts a 4-day convention Thur-Sun, Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, for adult builders and fans with games, presentations, display opportunities, prizes, and more. BrickCon is continuing the successful hybrid model it pioneered last year to allow virtual attendees for those who cannot make it to Seattle in person, with special activities for online participants. Registration for the 4-day adult builder convention are $85 in-person, and $25 to attend online, available now on BrickCon.org.

This year BrickCon’s keynote speaker is Angus MacLane, an avid LEGO fan and builder who is best known as the director of movies like Finding Dory and Lightyear. Angus joked recently on twitter that the yellow canopy on Buzz Lightyear’s spaceship was because he wanted more LEGO trans-yellow windscreens, so we can’t wait to hear from him.

Pixar Director Angus MacLane is photographed on March 7, 2022 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)

The Brothers Brick is proud to be a sponsor of BrickCon. Read the full press release from BrickCon below.

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