Tag Archives: Chris Perron

This striking LEGO Blacktron Striker strikes a chord

We here at TBB are no stranger to the space-tastic LEGO creations of Chris Perron. And his latest, featuring the canopy from Buzz Lightyear’s XL-15 is a spectacular representation of Blacktron building! The trans-red “wings” jutting out to the sides are wonderful, reminding me of an energy field kind of like that generated by NCC-1701’s warp nacelles. All of the sharp, cutting angles feel right at home with LEGO Space of the late 80’s, though the parts utilized include some more-recent offerings. For instance, there’s the 4-wide brick separator included in mosaic sets. I’ll give you a minute to spot where it’s hiding.

Blacktron Striker

Why pilot alone when you can do it with your best friend?

As for his latest rover, Chris Perron insists that the two androids piloting the vehicle are best friends. And you know what? I think I believe them. Because there’s nobody else I would take with me on an adventure to a planet covered in LEGO roof slopes. Driving in terrain like this looks like lots of fun, especially in a rover with some robust chassis — just like Chris’ build.

ASYMM 4-2

Yellowfin: does what it says on the tin

LEGO spaceships sometimes get named after animals. Perhaps a creature insired the ship in question, or maybe it’s just a name like mantis that just sounds cool. Chris Perron has taken the name of a yellowfin tuna and used it in quite a literal sense with this colourful craft. It certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to a fish. The colour gradient on the fins stands out, but I love how the colour blocking goes even further to get the fish appearance across. If you squint, the trans-red cockpit looks like the gaping mouth of a fish, with the white its lower jaw. Of course the big dishes on the side look like eyes. I might be reading too much into this – perhaps Chris just wanted to make ship with yellow fins. It can’t be a coincidence though can it?

Yellowfin_Front1_2400_100

Bröther, may I have some L-00-P5

Sometimes you see a few interesting LEGO pieces want want to build something from them. We do it all the time. So do official LEGO designers like Chris Perron. While the old big basketball hoops may be the standout pieces on this mech titled L-00-P5, Chris based his build around the triangular vehicle tipper end.

L-00-P5

The tipper end parts are at the top of the mech, and those allow the front and rear paneling to be attached at an angle. This gives this brightly coloured mech an aggressive feel that its armaments – a big gun and a small knife – enhance. But it is really the legs that drew me in. The orange and white colour scheme become scarce as the dark grey mechanical bits are exposed. Chris assembled the feet with subtle greebling which allow full articulation.

Check out more of Chris Perron’s! builds here.

Ice Penguin Mechs are go!

LEGO builder Chris Perron has delivered precisely what the world needs now. That being four Ice Planet mechs piloted by penguins that take inspiration by Dungeons and Dragons roles. Do I need to repeat that? Four Ice Planet mechs. Piloted by penguins. Inspired by D&D. What part of that don’t you understand? Our first offering totally rocks out on an icy guitar.

Ice Penguin Mechs - Support

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The plan to pilfer the potion proceeds perfectly.

Spinning us a magical tale, Chris Perron has built a 12×12 vignette depicting two thieves stealing a magical potion from the storeroom of a busy wizard. Chris was inspired by Harry Potter and Hero Quest, and the influences really shine through. There’s a lot to love in this whimsical build. Chris makes great use of color throughout, and there are plenty of wonderful details like the slightly askew boards on the trap door. The stack of scrolls on the top floor, made by attaching 1×1 cones together with a trio of One Rings is a great touch. One has to wonder what these thieves plan to do with the magical elixir. Restore a fallen comrade? Win the heart of a fair maiden? Or maybe they just think it’s booze…

Potion Heist

Ice Planet just got cooler with this life-size handheld computer

LEGO designer Chris Perron recently sat down to build a life-size replica of a LEGO element, and settled on one of his favorite themes, Ice Planet 2002 (a love I share with him). Instead of building a simple upscaled version of the theme’s iconic 1×2 tile, though, Chris reimagined it as a handheld tablet for exploring the frozen world. It’s bulky and rugged so that intrepid ice adventurers can handle it through gloves, and Chris converted all the knobs, lights, and screens to three-dimensional elements. And I couldn’t be more in love with the result. Forget about flower bouquets, this is the life-size stuff I want from LEGO.

Ice Planet Console

And Chris didn’t take the easy route and just make the back a flat, featureless expanse of white. It’s got a rugged pattern that seems exactly like what you’d see on a device made to withstand being dropped onto the ice. The 2002 in the middle is just the icing on the nostalgia cake.

Ice Planet Console

Vibrantly colored Elven Passage

With his latest creation Chris Perron proves a castle build doesn’t have to consist of mainly grey bricks. It can be vibrantly colored and still look stunning. Chris’s build is sand blue and dark blue with elements of gold. My guess is this windscreen with bubble cutout was the main inspiration for this LEGO creation. Such a smart way to use this part which was designed to be used as a cockpit for a vehicle. The single hinge finger has been cleverly hidden in the base of the model. The model is finished with some lovely trees in funky colors and a diagonal roof pattern I’ve so far only seen used as flooring in other creations. So that’s a nice little bonus right there.

Elven Passage

This tiny spaceship has your back(pack)

The use of minifigure accessories in spaceship builds is nothing new, but LEGO designer Chris Perron takes it to a new meta level by building a snazzy micro-fighter that uses retro Blacktron 2 jetpacks as key elements. The nice part usage doesn’t stop there, though. Check out the droid leg as a tail fin, and the white ingot and classic solar panel in the nose.

Nebula Navigator

If you like this little guy, be sure to check out Chris’ other spotlighted builds. My personal favorite is the giant Aquanauts Shark. What’s yours?

Going for the gold

Sometimes you see a LEGO model that uses an odd piece, and you can immediately tell–no matter how well it is integrated–that the model was designed specifically to showcase that piece. And at first, I thought that was the case with this striking gold and trans-blue Vic Viper from LEGO set designer Chris Perron. I glanced at it and thought, of course, it’s built around the use of those giant trans-blue Aquazone doors from 1995! But then I saw the Insectoid wings on the front and had to reconsider. Or wait, it’s absolutely covered in gold Nexo Knight tiles. Maybe those? I don’t know, I give up. What I do know, though, is that as zany as this ship is, somehow it works. The fact that there’s really only two colors visible ties it all together in a truly remarkable way.

PHENEX VV-335

Oh, and Chris says it was the gold tiles that kicked the whole thing off.

An entirely different kind of X-Wing

When it comes to starfighters, there’s no limit to the shapes and colors used by LEGO builders, and inspiration comes from many sources. Take this x-shaped starfighter by Chris Perron, who built this spicy fighter as part of a unique challenge using another builder’s starfighter as a starting point.

Solar Siren

I can’t decide what I like more about this fighter, the amazing angled cockpit formed by 4 converging panels, or the 4 wings detailed with magenta and blue. Here is the fighter alongside the ship from another builder.

Solar Siren

Chill out on this spaceship!

Theme crossovers are always a delight to see, especially when there’s an absurd amount of Friends animals involved. Case in point, The Deep Freeze Befriender, a stunning SHIP built by Chris Perron’s. This spaceship pays homage to the LEGO Ice Planet 2002 theme, referencing its iconic color scheme and Deep Freeze Defender set. But there’s more to this ship’s unique shape and rad angular windshields. The absolute best feature is on its inside — a decked-out intergalactic penguin resort, complete with a full lounge and bar serving ice slushies with a pool and water slide. Measuring at 144 studs long and 73 studs wide long, this ship’s interior provides ample waddling space for a couple of dozen penguins.

The Deep Freeze Befriender

There’s something about seeing these guys playing Go Fish under the neon-lights of the VIP room that has made me let go of all the grudges I’ve held against Friends critters. The penguin lifestyle is nothing short of luxury, especially when there’s unlimited BBQ fish kebabs and ice cream cocktails to consume, all while cruising through space in the chillest of all spaceships.

The Deep Freeze Befriender

And remember — you can’t spell friendship without SHIP. Click here to see another penguin Ice Planet 2002 build by Chris from our archives!