Tag Archives: DUPLO

We all live in a yellow...well, you know the rest.

This Subnautic™ Research Drone by Alex_Mocs finds new uses for Galidor, DUPLO, and Scala elements in a brilliant underwater vessel. The Galidor upper legs (and sweet looking Technic and System-built lower legs) slot through the portholes of a DUPLO submarine hull. On the underside is a collection pot that made from (I think) a Scala water cooler. Add to that with a seabed full of twisting organic shapes and a wealth of aquatic life, and you have the makings of a very grim and gritty “Finding Nemo” reboot.

Subnautic™ Research Drone

Is everything better under the sea? Is that a joke that we’ve relied on once too often? Check out our submarine tag and start counting the callbacks!

When you have a lot of DUPLO and need to use it

I tend to shy away from integrating DUPLO into my LEGO collection as I perceive it as being cute, clunky, usually covered in toddler puke, and just not for the likes of serious builders like me. But then again in the hands of a talented builder such as Dwalin Forkbeard he can turn something cute and clunky into a masterful work of art. Take this currier vehicle, for instance. It uses a couple of clunky DUPLO parts and mixes “regular Legos” into it for a cohesive feel. The end result is like something out of The Fifth Element or Blade Runner. Check out the other times we’ve been totally smitten by this builder’s work. And if you’re inclined to build with DUPLO yourselves, then you’re in good company.

Courier

Inspiration comes from many places

In the case of this outpost among the crumbling ruins of a much older structure by Khang Huynh that inspiration came from a Duplo baseplate. The choice of colors for the fort walls and the twisting tree trunk are very well matched to the style of the base, and that pillar in front is the perfect spot for a grand statue. Down at the water’s edge, a dilapidated dock looks like it needs repairing, but with so few trees around, that might have to wait until another day.

A whale of a Jeep Rubicon

The ever-popular Iron Builder competition is heating up like Georgia asphalt in July and we’re pretty thrilled. Our friend and recent The Brothers Brick alumni Benjamin Stenlund is climbing the summit with this delightful little Jeep Rubicon. The seed part was used four times here along the fenders. But to me, that isn’t even the most exciting part. Did you wonder how I came up with the title? Well, it turns out Benjamin used two Duplo whales, a big one and a little one, as part of the rock formations. That’s some brilliant parts usage right there! Good parts usage is the reason Benjamin has been featured a lot lately. Rooting for the other guy? He’s no slouch either. Then check out how Grant Davis is measuring up.

Crossing the Rubicon

The rise of the DUPLO bunnies

LEGO DUPLO animals might not seem the most approachable for a model. To start with, there’s the challenge of working around the scale and system differences. Also personally, it’s slightly unnerving to see googly-eyed, toddler-friendly counterparts of some of my favorite brick animals, e.g. the DUPLO goat. But Simon Liu presents a clear solution— just suit them up! Add some expert greebling, equip them with some blasters and now these giant bunnies are capable of doing a whole lot more.

Bunnies Rise up!

Got a soft spot for adorable animals in mech suits? Simon has also created a fluffier variation of the bunny mechs above, the DUPLO bunny plush mech.

LEGO reveals new Chinese New Year, Monkie Kid and DUPLO sets inspired by the Chinese culture [News]

Four new sets were announced today by LEGO at the 3rd China International Import Exhibition. Two of the new sets belong to the Chinese New Year theme, another one is the new Monkie Kid product, while the last one is a DUPLO set. According to the press release, all the new products were inspired by and celebrate classic Chinese culture and legends. Prices, piece count, and availability are yet to be announced.

80107 Spring Lantern Festival

80107 Spring Lantern Festival recreates the magical atmosphere of the festival which marks the end of the lunar new year celebrations. It features a brick-built Chinese garden with moon gates, pavilion, pond and bridge, a special ox lantern illuminated by a LEGO light brick as well as other must-have items during the festival like a rabbit lantern and a Tang Yuan rice ball.

Click here to continue reading

A deep dive into NPU

NPU, or “Nice Part Usage” is often a hallmark of the LEGO creations we feature here at the Brothers Brick. The Sludge Diver by djokson is a prime specimen. A specimen of what, exactly, remains up for debate. It seems likely those eyestalks are partially composed of dinosaur tails, but the bulk of the diver remains hidden behind that fascinating bit of protective gear. Combining Duplo tubes, rubber tires, and even the packaging from the 8050 Bionicle Kraata booster pack, this explorer is ready for whatever life throws at them.

The Sludge Diver

The best bit of this build for me is the DOTS bracelet used for the helmet gasket. If you agree, check out other innovative uses of those bracelets in our DOTS archives.

Surfs up with the Duflo!

Here’s the scene; you get a sweet haul of used LEGO from a garage sale at a great price. Their loss, your gain, right? You race home to inventory your new acquisition only to find there’s plenty of LEGO as advertised but also some busted Matchbox cars, a few hairs you’d rather not speculate on their origin, one stinky flip-flop, and a DUPLO van body. Aw, nuts, “baby Legos”! You can let it totally harsh your mellow or you can do what Edward Lawrence did and build a custom surf van out of it. Introducing “The Duflo”, it uses System LEGO parts to construct a kickin’ sound system a knuckle-dragging stance, and a re-colored surfboard from the 10252 VW Beetle set. The exhaust pipes fit just perfectly in that cutout area. It’s like it was meant to be!

The Duflo

DUPLO riot police crosses a thin blue line

DUPLO is an excellent way to engage the minds of 2-5 year olds and to introduce them to “regular” LEGO, which they would likely play with once they get a little older. The larger pieces, simple construction, and cute scenarios are ideal for little hands and developing minds. But leave a youngin’ watching a certain…animal-named news station unsupervised for fifteen minutes, and they may raid the stash of smaller bricks to build adorable DUPLO riot gear to keep the adorable DUPLO zebras from playing with the adorable DUPLO giraffes. A builder who goes by the dubious name of Paddy Bricksplitter shows us the way with this DUPLO riot frame.

Duplo Riot Frame

Plenty of LEGO System, Bionicle, and Duplo parts are mixed (you can do that, you know!) to construct this admittedly coherent mech suit armed with a high powered water cannon, tear gas launcher and a heavy duty shield. When your DUPLO denizens get too rowdy, you can bop them on their adorable DUPLO noggins with the baton. Justice is served, poopy-heads!

LEGO DUPLO celebrates 50th birthday with a look into the past [News]

50 years ago in 1969, LEGO unveiled DUPLO, its larger-sized bricks made for younger children which were twice the length, height and width of traditional LEGO elements but still compatible within the larger LEGO system. To this day, DUPLO has provided an early entry point to younger builders as well as creative detail (and filler brick) for older builders too.

What follows is a treasure trove of history sent to us by LEGO to celebrate DUPLO’s 50th birthday, including a press release and massive gallery of international patents, early DUPLO products, a look behind the scenes of DUPLO’s production and more. So sit back and enjoy the journey through the last 50 years of DUPLO, starting with this new video showing DUPLO’s rigorous quality testing, then read on.

Click to read about the past, present and future of LEGO DUPLO

This bunny packs a powerful punch

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. Take this bunny tank built by Dvd , for example — inspired by the Duplo logo and shown here making friends with its counterpart. The Duplo bricks beneath the treads are a nice touch.

Duplo Logo Tank

The red bunny wasn’t just the inspiration for the tank, it also fits snugly inside as its driver. Check out all the wonderful greebly details on the rear too…

Hey! What're you watching?

Not so soft now, am I?

Simon Liu has not only created an awesome mech that reminds me of ED-209 from Robocop in the best way, but it’s piloted by the cutest creature that has ever been strapped to a robot. The Commander Carrots Exosuit is operated by a DUPLO Rabbit plushie. This adorable ball of trouble even comes kitted out with matching red armor.

Commander Carrots' Exosuit

Looking past the hilarity of it all, this is an extremely solid build with a lot of great detailing. The liberal use of the Technic gear rack gives a lot of nice texture to the legs, and the little cage/cockpit area is simple but effective. Make sure you also check out this shot of the back of the build, which is full of even more detail. This build is a lot bigger than it seems, with plenty of greebles packed in. Oh – the rabbit has a jetpack too!

Commander Carrots' Exosuit