We recently took a look at Blake Foster’s cyberpunk locomotive engine, but why stop there? Blake has posted some of the cars for this futuristic freight train, and each is just as worthy of our praise.
This flatbed car, and the massive cargo-container that it’s hauling, make terrific work of tiles to create a comfy space for hobos of the future to ride. And those angled ingots give a wonderful industrial detail.
We see plenty of ideas of what the future might look like in LEGO bricks. Cities, spaceships, cars, robots… But what will trains look like tens or hundreds of years in the future? Blake Foster has had a crack with this cyberpunk locomotive. It’s recognisable as a train to us mere present-dwellers, but has enough cool features for that sci-fi look. I especially like strap-like detail around the mechanical parts in the middle — it really sells it as something futuristic. Since this is cyberpunk, I have to assume there’s some dystopian reason for that enormous strap. Perhaps it’s to stop people falling into the loco’s fusion reactor? I hope that’s a preventive, rather than reactive, measure…
Back from a small hiatus, Blake Foster brings us this beautiful LEGO spaceship! Color blocking is on point in this ship, with subtle reds and yellows peaking out of the black, white, and light grey. The dark zzure takes this that much further and ties the whole build together.
Two of the bigger challenges that a builder can face when creating a custom LEGO creation are angles and empty space. Blake Foster has done a great job of conquering both with his Procyon Planetary Research Hovercraft. I can only imagine the number of techniques at play in creating the craft’s hexagonal outer wall. Complicating the matter is all that empty space in the center, which gave Blake the opportunity to outfit the sides of the wall with some great greebling. But I think my favorite aspect of the whole build is one of the more subtle choices – the use of the 1×4 spring shooter launchers, added so that the notch of light bluish gray from the scaffolding cuts slightly into the dark bluish gray of the engines. It’s a great touch that helps keep anything on this craft from looking like a plain old square.
You may have heard us throw around the term Vic Viper before. For those not in the know, the name was taken from a ship in the Gradius video game series and it describes a spacecraft that has two forward-sweeping wings that widen toward the rear, a centralized cockpit, and a central fin. The LEGO building trend was pioneered by adult builder Nate Neilson who had tragically passed away in 2010. A full ten years later many prominent builders still honor Nate’s tradition by building Vic Vipers usually in November…or NoVVember. Blake Foster is no stranger to our archives but surprisingly this is his first Vic Viper. It’s called the Photon Chaser High-Performance Tactical Viper…or PCHPTV. OK, I made up the acronym, and admittedly Photon Chaser is far better. While this may be Blake’s first rodeo with a Vic Viper he’s brought his usual A-game and stellar build techniques.
Care to stay awhile? Check out our extensive Vic Viper archives from a slew of some of the world’s most talented builders.
Mysteries abound in this latest creation by Blake Foster. Turning the Tables features a classic UFO scenario turned on its head. Have the cows had enough? Or is this actually a flashback to how the hostilities between the alien and bovine races began? Either way, there’s a lot to unpack in this vignette. On the building front, check out the clever use of on-the-sprue Harry Potter wands in the fence, the cupcake-tipped under-udder-thrusters, and the perfect use of those 1×1 star plates. The Mixel eyes on the cow-pilot just creep me out, though.
We’ve featured a number of Blake’s other Spacy Creations in the past. Could this be the beginning of a new theme of “Cow-Space”? One can only hope.
Bionicle Day, 8/10 (810nicle), is behind us, and we’re catching up by celebrating some builds that incorporate the popular buildable figure elements from LEGO’s past. Blake Foster found inspiration to use Bionicle elements such as Macku‘s helmet and Hero Factory feet (ball and socket configuration) for the side of the hull. The standard blue LEGO Classic Space hue is an obvious homage to the 1986 LEGO Cosmic Fleet Voyager. Just don’t expect to see Benny fit into this space fighter, because it is micro-scale. After some quick research on novae, I get why Blake Foster named it “Nova Class.” It is akin to nova, the astronomical event where new stars form and explode, shining bright and slowly fading, just as Blake described how the build constantly came apart during its construction. For now, bask in its glow.
Are you shopping for a rover that can handle rough terrain? (Aren’t we all?) Then Blake Foster has all the answers you seek with this LEGO All-Terrain Classic Space Tank or AT-CST. It makes excellent use of this bubble windscreen as well as this Bionicle shell. If that is giving you just a touch of deja vu, that is because Blake recently used the same parts with this Grumpy Gnat. Blake seems to specialize in spacecraft that tickle the ol’ LEGO nostalgia bone. Check out our archives to see what I mean.
M:Tron was a classic space line of LEGO sets back in the day, best recognized by the red color scheme on its vehicles. Though the line ended decades ago, builder Blake Foster resurrects this spacecraft in true M:Tron fashion.
This Heavy VTOL, which stands for Vertical Take Off and Landing, is a masterpiece in imagination. Blake Foster ingeniously combined bricks that you usually don’t see together, using large rounded red bricks with harsh green fluorescent wings jutting out. His explanation for this creative decision was that the M:Tron Corporation secretly implemented stolen alien technology into their vehicle.
I can’t get enough of the tiny details, like the power plant work around the gun or the vents on engines. See the magnetic drop pods on the bottom of the VTOL? What a great idea! The vehicle can easily transfer cargo at a moment’s notice. Perhaps it would make a great addition to his M:Tron magnet factory.
Giant spaceships are cool, but I think we’ve seen the strength of the small one-man fighter to slip in and do some real damage. Blake Foster created the Grumpy Gnat Attack Fighter in under 24 hours…a level of speed this thrust-heavy vehicle understands. Built in Classic Space colors, the transparent-yellow windscreen hails from 2011’s 7985 City of Atlantis, and the blue cowling is sourced from a variety of Bionicle parts. I particularly like the Rahkshi Back Cover along the top and sides. The gap designed for the Rahkshi spines makes a perfect place to have the ship’s fins extend through. And the little touches like the red and green navigational lights just make me smile.
This isn’t Blake’s first foray into new Classic Space vehicles. Not by a long shot! Check our archives for more space-y goodness.
In space, no one can hear you laugh! Or scream in terror depending on your relationship to clowns. Builder Blake Foster brings some humor to the outer reaches of the universe with this wonderful LEGO juggling clown mech. I’ve just recently begun a fascination with mechs so I’m always excited to see them come up these days. Most mechs are so very intense so it’s always refreshing when they don’t take themselves too seriously. This one balances that seriousness and humor perfectly with its nicely detailed grey skeleton and additional primary color accouterments. I love the rounded fingertips that mimic oversized clown gloves and the little bow tie is a hilarious addition. The 50’s style bubble helmet is the perfect topper, filled to the brim with the curly green clown wig.
But that’s not all! This is just a smaller part of a much larger model.
LEGO Spacer Blake Foster only just launched an impressive cargo hauler decked out in Classic Space livery, and now the cargo fleet sees a cute expansion with this smaller craft — a jump shuttle packed with oddball character. There’s an impressive depth of functional-looking greebling packed into the light grey sections of the ship, and I particularly like those front legs — obviously useful in helping push this little spaceship free from gravity’s tethers. The angles on the blue hull section are excellent, and the unusual design is all tied in nicely around the trans-yellow bubble cockpit. Blake calls this the Cargo Critter, because of its bug-like appearance — a perfect nickname for a perfectly-formed spacecraft.
