Tag Archives: Brick Flag

Before skateboarding and punk rock there was Krass and Bernie

LEGO builder Chris Vesque tells us that in a very specific time of his life, before skateboarding, before hip hop, before punk rock, before geeks and fandom…just a bit past Star Wars and Classic Space, there was Krass & Bernie. He goes on to say how CARtoons Magazine and the art of George Trosley captured his imagination and his funny bone. Krass and Bernie is a comic penned by Trosley about two car customizing enthusiasts who are short on good sense but long in creativity and ingenuity. Their misadventures often culminate in something as ridiculous and over-the-top as this dragster-beetle. The beefy tires, the blown V-8 and the Beetle that seems to defy gravity are the stuff that can only exist in CARtoon dreams. I’m smitten! Whether it be the screaming hand Santa Cruz skateboarding logo or the Beastie Boys License to Ill album cover we’ve been smitten with Chris’ counterculture LEGO stuff before.

Krass & Bernie

From the origins of shred

During the 1950s, the now-prolific Jim Phillips designed the Screaming Hand image, which later in 1985 became the instantly recognisable logo for the well-known Santa Cruz Skateboards company. With impeccable attention to scale and detail, LEGO builder Brick Flag brings this true icon of skateboarding culture to the Brick. As a builder with a history of skateboarding, I too have attempted to build this gnarly skate totem, though with much less success than this great representation. The colour scheme for such a depiction is pretty unavoidable, though the dark azure is utterly prefect for such a build. The part selection has been superbly chosen considering the limited piece pallet available.

Screaming Hand

The Screaming Hand has represented hardcore skaters practically the world over for around 35 years, and this LEGO creation has done it justice in many ways. Before we go into its details, take a moment to observe the similarities when held against the original. The shaping has been achieved beautifully, considering the form and function of the human hand. Yet the I can still hear a ripple through the readers/builder at home, lamenting the colour selection for the ball joint and socket modified plates, which are sadly only produced in greys.

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