Tag Archives: Creatures

Creepy crawly or fuzzy & fluffly (yes, that’s possible in LEGO), we love our LEGO animals. Check them out here, and fall in love yourself.

Three little birds, but not the Bob Marley variety

They say good things come in threes. That’s certainly true in the gaming sphere; look closely and you’ll see things pop up in threes all the time, from boss phases to collectible trinkets. And, as Cecilie Fritzvold‘s LEGO birds remind us, the world of Pokémon is no different! There are plenty of legendary or mythical ‘mons that make up a trio. Heck, for a time, the games themselves came in sets of three: Diamond-Pearl-Platinum, Gold-Silver-Crystal, etc. Cecilie is taking us back to the Red-Blue-Yellow era, though, and indeed we’re starting with red!

The three legendary birds didn’t have any bearing on the names of the games they appeared in – it’s purely coincidence that they’re the same colour. (And anyway, pedants will be aware that the original Japanese releases were Red and Green, not Red and Blue.) Moltres, the fire bird, is of course red. It follows that the icy Articuno is therefore mostly blue. Check out that awesome use of a vintage LEGO watch strap for the tail!

I’m sure some of you will be shouting at the screen that the games weren’t originally a trio; Pokemon Yellow only came along two years later. But it completes the set nicely, and means I can keep the tenuous link going with the coolest of the three birds: Zapdos. According to Cecilie, you shouldn’t touch this one. Not because it has the Static hidden ability (as of the 6th Generation of games) – it’s quite fragile apparently. But no less pretty a build for it!

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Building on the wild side with rising MOC star Hodgepodge Builds [Interview]

Every so often, a builder shows up, seemingly out of nowhere, with a creative style so distinctive, complex, and cool that you feel shook – like walking barefoot on a pile of bricks, but in a good way. C, who posts as @hodgepodgebuilds, only started posting LEGO models three months ago, is such a builder. Of course, talent doesn’t come from nowhere. Today we sit down with C to learn more about his LEGO journey and unique style.

TBB: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. Maybe you could talk about your LEGO journey. What was the first set or theme that really excited you?

C: The first theme that really excited me was definitely the 2009 Pirates line, which came out when I was about 5 (and insanely obsessed with pirates). I still think that line is remarkably well-designed. My interest in nautical aesthetics and ships has morphed since then, but is still rooted in my love of it back then. A recent build that speaks to that would be the research vessel ketch sailboat that I built this past winter. It was a full circle moment for me, finally being able to build a ship I was completely satisfied with from a technical and visual standpoint.

TBB: Have you stuck with LEGO continuously or did you go through a dark age before coming back to the hobby? What inspired you to start sharing your models?

C: I’ve never had a true dark age when it comes to LEGO, but it’s always ebbed and flowed for me. It’s always functioned as a sort of calming process in times of stress, especially during the last year as a college English major. It helps me relax and express my creative ideas in a visual sense. Honestly, what inspired me to share my models was the community, I had made the account a few months earlier to follow builders I liked and got very excited by the work I was seeing. I had been building consistently for about 8 months by the time I first posted, so I was also very excited to finally get my work out there (and thank you to my dear friends who encouraged me to post!)

Our interview with rising star HodgepodgeBuilds continues

This gargoyle has gone from grotesque to gorgeous!

By many accounts, gargoyles were installed on the sides of buildings to ward off evil spirits and demons. That makes them heroes, despite their somewhat scary looks. But as Magmafrost13 demonstrates, throw a pink skirt on a monster and suddenly the scariness makes way for cuteness. Kind of. I have to admit, all I’m imagining is an anime in which a bunch of gargoyles have to learn to ward off a series of demons through the power of friendship, love, and togetherness. Magmafrost13, I have an idea for a pitch…

Getting deep into Bionicle lore with the Bio-Cup

The Bio-Cup, as the name suggests, challenges builders to make creative use of parts from LEGO’s beloved Bionicle theme. This theme covered a lot of ground, so it’s easy to draw comparisons between MOCs and sets, but Margit‘s latest reminds me of some of my favourite Bionicle villains. The underwater-dwelling Barraki were very reminiscent of some of the strange aquatic creatures you might see in the ocean deep. Creatures that have a certain ghostly quality. Which makes them perfect for Margit’s chosen sub-theme for this round of the Bio-Cup: Ghost/Wraith! See, it all comes full circle.

Margit’s spectral spectacle won her category in round 1. We can’t wait to see what she comes up for in Round 2!

LEGO Palico and feathered mount are ready to help you hunt monsters

Capcom’s Monster Hunter games have gone from niche to mega popular, so it’s high time we see some of the incredible creature designs get the LEGO treatment. Thankfully Mitch Phillips answers the call, not only nailing ornate feathers and fur from LEGO elements but sharing the process so we can train up to capture our own monsters in bricks. For the feathered mount, Mitch draws on leaves, flippers, chima wings, and so many other clever parts. Kudos to Mitch for spotlighting the technique used on the neck feathers that was learned from character-building legend Jayfa. Even though it’s a simpler build, I’m smitten by the ~~kitten~~ Palico companion.

For a breakdown of how the creatures were built, and tips on building complex and colorful characters that draw on LEGO’s broad range of parts, I can’t recommend Mitch’s video stream enough.

You want the tooth? You can’t handle the tooth!

The internet’s best Bionicle-based building bonanza, the Bio-Cup, got up and running last week with its preliminary rounds. Margit has busted out her LEGO constraction pieces and is getting in on the action, too, with a tooth fairy! I’m sure we can expect some bright colours, clever contouring with some armour elements, and… Oh. Well, I guess it’s true that no-one’s ever seen the tooth fairy, so who’s to say this isn’t what it looks like? I do like the Visorak leg skirt, and the tooth-filled wings are clever too, using inverted clear dishes to keep the illusion of transparent membranes. I still wouldn’t want it coming anywhere near my pillow though.

A demon amplifier? Now that’s metal

Remember in Spinal Tap when they turn up their amplifiers to 11? You might think it’s just a funny gag, but rumour has it if you do that too many times you’ll turn your amplifier into a mischievous demon. Bionicle builder Mischief has seen it, and rendered its likeness in LEGO bricks And what LEGO bricks: the gaping maw hiding the speaker is a goal net, and the design of the quarter-inch jacks using tyres is fantastic. What tricks will this amped-up poltergeist get up to? Creating an annoying feedback hum? De-tuning guitars? If Spinal Tap are to be believed, it has a propensity for blowing up drummers…

Bones-to-Brick collaboration celebrates prehistoric life in LEGO

From Johnny Thunder to Jurassic World, LEGO has a long history of sets featuring dinosaurs and other prehistoric life, but as much fun as it can be to pose a mighty molded Spinosaurus, we’re partial to brick-built dinos, like a Creator 3-in-1 T.Rex or the recent Mosasaurus Boat Mission. Of course, our favorite creatures of all are original creations from the LEGO building community, like those that were just unearthed as part of the Bones to Brick collaboration. Seven talented builders contributed an ancient creature in their own style, and we’re excited to share the full collaboration. These builders are also all veterans of the BioCup, the annual competition that also kicks off this month, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing more from this crew very soon!

J6Crash presents Ankylosaurus magniventris, an armored dinosaur of the late Cretaceous. Sand blue and black bricks make a pleasing combo, and the technique of laying claw elements flat to create ridges along the back is brilliant.

Benjamin Anderson is next up with Dimetrodon limbatus, a creature of the Cisuralian period, some 40 million years before dinosaurs showed up. There’s a lot to love about Benjamin’s creation, but I’m smitten by the spine sail with a colorful gradient created from alternating teeth.

The paleontology tour continues after the break

The finest Rabbit-Cat-Creature-Spirit-Thingy ever created in LEGO

We see a lot of LEGO rabbits and LEGO cats, and more LEGO creatures than you can shake a stick at, but one thing we don’t often come across are rabbit-cat-creature-spirit-thingies. Thankfully, builder Steve Edwards corrects this oversight with a delightful and oh-so colorful take on this beloved beast. Steve pulls in so many playful elements, from CMF Harpy wings on the tufts of the ears to the car wash scrubbers in the tail to a knit cap nose. The thingy poses atop an upscaled boom box. With ears that evoke speakers, the whole model has a very EDM vibe. This fella’s definitely going on my playlist!

Making Primo builds from the most unlikely components [Building Techniques]

From Galidor to Clikits, LEGO has released products over the years that defy use in standard models due to a lack of connection points, unconventional materials, or bespoke colors. While most builders ignore these misfit toys, some, like Nathan Don (Woomy World) take it as a challenge to make even the most oddball LEGO piece shine. Case in point, this Hard-shelled Hen, which is an unusually large creation for using only 96 parts. That head? It comes from LEGO’s Primo line for the littlest “builders.” The beast’s shell is an upscaled hard hat, another pre-school toy never intended for actual construction. The neck and legs are DUPLO tubes, which we’ve definitely seen in some sophisticated MOCs lately. Only two studs are visible in this most unLEGOlike creation on the red arch around the neck. So how does this beast come together? As Nathan shares on his blog, there’s a skeleton of ball joints, Technic axles, flex tubes, and Vidyo straps, with rubber tires for fiction. When life give’s you LEGO hen’s teeth, make a hen monstrosity!

Charizard, I choose you (as my backup option)

I’m always going to be a fan of the Squirtle-Wartortle-Blastoise line from the Pokémon games. But even then, I can’t deny that the coolest of the final 3 evolutions has to be Charizard. Daniel BrickSon has recreated the fire-type ‘mon in LEGO form, performing its signature Flamethrower move. The fire looks excellent, the yellow and red a great approximation of the 2D anime styling. And Charizard itself is fab, too, making use of many arch pieces in orange and teal to craft its 3D form. It makes me want to pick up my Game Boy to play Pokémon Red all over again… Oh hey, Daniel built one of those, too! (I’m still picking Squirtle, though.)

A Hero (Factory) is only as good as its villains

From 2010 to 2014, LEGO replaced the Bionicle line with Hero Factory, a world of robot agents protecting the galaxy from villains bots like Thornraxx. Builder Magmafrost13 gives this B-tier adversary an S-Tier makeover that’s buzzing with clever techniques. The bug-bot’s curved gaster is made from interlocking feet elements. I especially like the shaping on the face, which uses paint rollers to connect the antennae and hides Hero Factory masks under the bulbous eyes. This version of Thornraxx might not shoot balls out of its mandibles, but with all those wicked blades around the carapace, the foe seems decidedly more lethal. Better call on Benjamin Anderson’s upgraded Stormer to swat this fearsome pest.