Tag Archives: Dan Ko

An unexpected parts use

I love it when the Iron Builder contest rolls into town – every year we see creations that push the creative boundaries of the LEGO brick. That said, I must confess that it creeps up on me every time, much like Gandalf rocking up to Hobbiton ahead of an unexpected journey. This very event is the subject of Dan Ko‘s latest entry into his Iron Builder round, using a green minifigure hand as the seed part. They are used here at a tiny scale to convey the rolling hills and bushes of the Shire from JRR Tolkien’s Hobbit books. This is a clever enough use, but an opposing pair is also used upturned for the Baggins’ hobbit-hole. The miniature Gandalf is the cherry on the cake – the Grey Wizard is made from just three pieces! Another six (including an ingenious use of a slingshot) make up his horse and cart. The whole scene is a masterclass in microscale building!

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We’re shell-shocked by this handy build

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles famously waged battle against the evil Foot Clan. Well, Dan Ko is here to remind us that the best weapon against the foot is a hand. The Iron Builder competition is back underway, with the seed part being the bright light green big fig hands in both left and right. Dan has ingeniously used at least seven of them to build Raphael, and there’s another bunch of them making up the ooze leaking from the sewer. The result is some impressive NPU (Ninja Parts Usage).

Tiny tall tales

Working with a limited number of LEGO pieces can be a real challenge, but builder Dan Ko rises to meet it with this tiny but awesome build! Building with as few pieces as possible really pushes you to get creative on how to represent your subject, and Dan shows us the way with all the clever parts usage. For example, minifigure skater helmets make up Alice’s shoulders while mugs make up her hair. Orange leaves stand in for the Mad Hatter’s hair sticking out from under his hat. I love the use of shuttle bay doors for the book’s pages! Minifigure hands make up Rapunzel’s flowing hair, which acts as a bookmark of sorts for the open book. And there’s particularly crafty usage of the transparent handle as the heel of the glass slipper. Go ahead, take a closer look and see what wonders you’ll find among these tales!

We’ll pause for a Hollow hold here

Whenever I’m building small, I often refer to Dan Ko‘s builds for incredible detail using the smallest Lego pieces. Here, Dan has built a small vignette inspired by the game Hollow Knight featuring the Knight and Hornet. Using the new cape piece from the recent Doctor Strange sets as one of the bodies really injects a splash of colour to the build! We see a lot of nice part usage on the heads, with the expression of Hornet speaking volumes through the position of the half-circle tiles, whilst the staff is topped with a subtle collar detail. And did I mention those white croissants for horns? Inspired!

Big Viking charm in a pint-sized package

Boy, do I like a good bit of clever figure-building, and in my opinion, if you want an interesting Viking facial hair, you just can’t go wrong when you go with Minifig hair, and a fancy rumpled collar. But Dan Ko didn’t stop there. A DOTS bracelet adorns his mighty shoulders, while his helmet is topped with a pair of Minifig arms.

Check out the rest of this tiny trio

The mean, green roving machine

You can tell that LEGO builder Dan Ko had a great time when designing this intriguing rover. February, or shall we say Febrovery, has been a great month for rovers and we’re not even done yet. This one features a pilot that is a bright green ducky that can only be had in 2019’s Series 19 Collectible Minifigure Shower Guy. Shower Guy, huh? Clearly he’s doing it right as none of my showers have ever been as fun as he seems to make it. I believe it is because my shampoo is not tear-free, in fact it promotes tears. Anyway, let’s wipe away our tears and see why Dan Ko is having the best life ever!

Hide your valuables from this sneaky character!

It is a shame that the VIDIYO theme didn’t pan out, however, as Dan Ko demonstrates in this build, there are still plenty of ways to utilise the pieces from the sets. For example, the strap from the VIDIYO BeatBox builds, forms part of the face and torso of this unique looking creature. The character is intended to be a robber or bandit hence the equipment on the character’s back which could be a type of laser for slicing into safes. Another fun feature is at the feet, where minifigure belts have been applied.

Release the TIE fighters!

Well, those are a different kind of TIE fighters… Dan Ko built the most striking microscale spaceship for a Space Jam contest. I’m in love with it, and that may or may not be because of the teal – my favourite colour. The colour scheme with the purple highlights somehow feels like it belongs in an established universe. Whether it be LEGO Classic Space, or any sci-fi franchise, this carrier appears to swoosh straight out of it. The part usage is also worth noting – teal coloured brick separators and the little bow ties that represent the tiny starfighters.

Want to see more builds with teal? I sure do! We have a whole collection of them here!

The spineless worm got what he deserved

Most of the time, when a lone warrior faces off against a dragon—well, it doesn’t end so well for the warrior. Not so with this strong and stalwart fellow by Dan Ko, who looks like he got the better of this fell beast without breaking a sweat. This small-scale build has some mighty sweet part usage, from the brow of the dragon’s head made from the front part of a mech torso to the long and twisted spine made from robot arms and teeth. But I think my favorite part has got to be the large beard made from the hair of a Minifig.

A face as pretty as a song

At first glance this build by Dan Ko is interesting enough. The LEGO Space Police Logo draws you in, and maybe if you’re a child of the 80’s you’ll recognize that red beast as a Mantisaur from the He-Man universe. Or maybe you’ll just dig the Mantiasur’s cool part usage like hotdogs for eye ridges, feet, and claws. Or the 1×1 round plate “teeth” that remind me of another creepy build from Dan. But then you look closer at the rider and you can’t help but think….”Hold on. That dude has a guitar for a head.”

How do you feel about this character? Do you want to be his friend or do you want to pull a Hendrix and remove this being from our reality entirely? I admit to being slightly torn, myself. Anyway. If you want to return to the noble past (future?) of the Space Police, I suggest you view some of our previously featured builds!

The most interesting prom date you’re going to find.

Leave it to Dan Ko to create a creature that takes interesting part usage to a whole new galaxy. Titled “The CandyDate“, this depiction of alien student Dor Zinoir incorporates underused parts like a crab for a hand, Dimensions game pieces for foot-pods, and what appear to be minifigure fishing rods for the spindly legs. There are also minifigure arms, disembodied hands, and Unikitty tails in the mix. That nose is throwing me, though. It looks like a minifigure head/helmet, but I can’t place it.

Take a closer look after the break

This Alien Queen is Thicc

If you’re a fan of the LEGO Art theme, odds are you’ve acquired at least one “Thicc Separator”, the wide, black version of the classic brick separator tool. I know they seem to be multiplying rapidly in our household. Dan Ko may have figured out why. Using a Thicc Separator as a base, they’ve revealed the tool’s true form – that of an Alien Queen. And if you look close, you might even spot some black hot dogs. I’m not sure that’s related, but it sure is creepy.

Want more alien goodness? Check out our Xenomorph tag!

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