Tag Archives: Djokson

Building with character: a conversation with NPU wizard Djokson [Interview]

LEGO elements are a fascinating creative medium where the palette of possibility is constantly evolving, but the pieces of yesteryear never go away. Duplo bricks from 45 years ago can still connect with forgotten Znaps or the latest Dreamzzz. Serbian builder Djokson is an undisputed master of bridging obscure LEGO B-Sides with new shapes and colors. Over 10 years, he has created and shared nearly 400 LEGO models, each remarkable in form, personality, and originality. Djokson has been on a hot streak this year with multiple new models a week that showcases his growth as an artist. This seems like the perfect time to sit down with Djokson and learn a bit more about the mind behind this incredible run of LEGO marvels.

Mount

Read on for the rest of our interview with Djokson and a retrospective of his amazing builds! !

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Imagine a bowling ball, but angrier

“Carcinisation”; a very fancy word that means “some animals tend to look more like crabs over time”. This build by Djokson demonstrates what might happen if even our tanks turn into crabs! Djokson has tone a fantastic job of creating a round rolling shape for the tank using unusual parts. The Crab-Tank’s forehead is made from a handful of rubber handles from the short-lived Vidiyo line, the yellow disks on either side of the body come from the old X-Pod line (oh the nostalgia!), and the little warrior in the cockpit is sporting a old technic helmet for protection. I don’t know about you, but I’d feel crabby if I had to square up against that thing!

Roller

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An awkward LEGO robot with soccer roots

Here at The Brothers Brick, we talk a lot about exceptional LEGO part usage. But this usually exists at a fairly small scale, about a specific detail in a larger build. On the rare occasion, though, a builder will take the most awkward piece and manage to fit it expertly into their creation. And Djokson has done just that with several large turf pieces from the soccer subtheme of LEGO Town that existed back in the early aughts. They make up the torso and arms of this mono-green mech, even leveraging the sliding mechanism built into the goalie’s 8×16 chunk of pitch for a front-facing weapon. This robot isn’t all over the field, so much as the field is all over it!

Pillbox

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A robot that’s a few bricks short of a load

The word “LEGO” tends to inspire thoughts of the traditional bricks that have been a staple of playtime for generations. But this spindly bubble-bot by Djokson is here to remind us of just how far the LEGO system has come. With nary a traditional brick to be found, this collection of gears and tubes is assembled into a robot that’s teaming with personality while being short on traditional studs.

Bubbleboy

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A Bionicle builder at the beak of his powers

Djokson is at it again. After a short break from posting LEGO creations, he’s coming in hot. As hot as fire! And Firebludd is this creature’s name. It’s typical of Djokson’s high standard, using Bionicle, Hero Factory, and other constraction elements in ways you’d never think possible. But in this one, it’s the system pieces that draw my eye. The belt, for instance, uses a load of mechanical claw elements that’s probably quite fiddly but looks superb. And the mouth uses two minifigure mask elements to create something almost beak-like. It makes me think this is what World of Warcraft creatures would look like if HR Giger had designed them.

Firebludd

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There’s still Life On Mars

Sand purple; there’s a color that doesn’t see a lot of use in LEGO creations these days. But Djokson refuses to be limited by convention – or that fact that the purple elements used in Grappler SuGork haven’t been seen since 2001’s Life on Mars theme. And don’t let that friendly face fool you, either. That’s a Bionicle Krana mask from 2002. And those odd shoulder bits? Hovercraft skirts last seen in a 2006 Batboat. I don’t know what SuGork is up to, but it’s clear he’s been working on that armor for a very long time.

Grappler SuGork

Sadly there aren’t a ton of other Martian throwbacks in our Life on Mars tag. Why not dust off some old pieces and try making a tribute yourself?

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I’m sensing a theme here. Like...eight of them.

Mechs are a common focus for builders, but Djokson takes things a step further with CORE.seeker. Loaded with unusual parts from all over the LEGO universe, this one really satisfies. There are yellow box straps from Vidiyo, a black DOTS bracelet, a wheel from the Chima theme, a teal ball from the classic Technic 8269 Cyber Stinger set, and chest armor from a BigFig Tie Fighter pilot. Plus great sticker usage and some great macaroni fingers. There’s nice part usage…and then there’s CORE.seeker, my candidate for RNPU (Really nice part usage.)

CORE.seeker

Does this inspire you to create your own unusually-outfitted mech? Need more ideas? Check our archives for more fantastic builds.

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Time to move over, McQueen!

I don’t know how he does it, but builder Djokson has managed to breathe life into yet another extinct LEGO Racer with his tribute to 4573 Lightor. We’ve seen prior successes from this builder in the past, but I’m particularly drawn to this one. Maybe it’s that color scheme, all ROY and no GBIV. Maybe it’s the outstanding parts usage, what with these windscreens in orange nested within a dump truck bed for the air intakes on the sides. I mean, those are some awesome side panels! No, I’d say it’s probably the driver. The engineering the make a figure with such character and yet such a skinny cross-section is like catching lightning in a bottle.

Rolling Thunder Lightor

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Best to avoid this sentinel of the void

The Lehvak-Kal, the latest LEGO build by Djokson, absolutely sucks, and I mean that entirely as a compliment! This swarm sentinel of the vacuum looks ready to consume all in it’s path with it’s nozzle-like claws. They’re on the ends of those excellently used pneumatic tubes, a part that’s notoriously difficult to build with. I also love the crafting of its smaller pair of arms and its mandibles. When I look at the Lehvak-Kal, I can almost hear it’s chittering. Although that doesn’t make much sense, when sound can’t propagate in a vacuum.

Lehvak-Kal

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One man’s mission to redeem a much-maligned LEGO theme

The early noughties were a weird time for LEGO. The now ever-present Star Wars line had only just got going, the company had started making action figures with varying degrees of success, and the cheese slope hadn’t been invented yet. The Xalax sub-theme of the Racers line was just another oddity to come out of Denmark during this period, and has been pretty universally derided ever since. Enter Djokson, who has been using his mastery of inventive parts use to redeem the theme over the last year or so. This time, he’s turned his attention to 4569 Warrior.

High Performance Warrior

The use of a Duplo arch brick as a huge air intake makes it look suitably aggressive while the stickers add a futuristic flair. The colour scheme is perfectly executed, and faithful to the original set as well. Red and purple? How retro is that! (All the more impressive when you realize how few parts are available in that now-retired hue simply called “purple”.)

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These two aliens are quite the pair

Based on artwork from Burzok’s Mercenary Handbook, Djokson has built two strange looking models. The use of unusual parts from the Ben 10 figures, specifically the chest and thighs, contributes to the odd portrayal of the more humanoid of the two. The ears of the critter on the shoulder are represented by small angled pieces and are held on clips. Piercing pink mono eyes of both aliens appear to be icon parts from the Clikits line. Hopefully, the duo is friendly, although they may like to stare at you for a while…

Dras of Many Eyes

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Good...doggie...beast

Looking like an extra from a reboot of AAAHH!!! Real Monsters, the Skulkhound isn’t something you’d want to find rummaging through your rubbish. Builder Djokson is quite a practiced character artist with a great eye for design and parts usage. This creepy little doggo is a perfect example of both. The sharp, spindly legs provide just enough support for the arching, unnaturally thin spine of this Chupacabra-esque cutie. Clever color-blocking with DOTs bracelets of different thickness give the beast a cartoonish coat that almost distracts from its jagged smile.

The Skulkhound

It may have a face only its creator could love but look at it a little longer. You know it’s cute, just in a “good boy, don’t eat my soul, here’s your graveyard kibble” kind of way. If creepy isn’t your thing, I wouldn’t recommend checking out too many of Djokson’s other creatures. Some are much less cuddly than others but they’re all full of life.

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