Tag Archives: Joey Klusnick

What woes will this willowy wyvern to weep?

Your first thought of dragons, wyrms and wyverns might be scary mythical beasts. But with adept use of his LEGO pieces, Joey Klusnick reminds us that dragons have feelings, too. It’s named the Weeping Wyvern – clearly named after its resemblance to weeping willows. But the poor guy is actually weeping! But why? There is a missing goat poster pinned to its left ankle. Perhaps someone used too big a nail, or the goat is this wyvern’s pet? It’s anyone’s guess, really. The only other plausible explanation is that it’s seen the eye-watering prices of the original goat on the LEGO aftermarket…

Weeping Wyvern

NERF makes slaughtering your enemies fun! Wait, that came out all wrong.

It’s no surprise that on a website dedicated to LEGO, we’re all about fun toys. Take, for example, this new NERF Raider CS-35 built by Joey Klusnik. It checks all the boxes that make it cool; bright colors, thick silhouette and the promise of a raucous good time. It’s not really war if the tactical assault strike in the living room against your little brother and his goofball friends involves spongy, relatively safe projectiles, right? We had so much fun with our NERF guns right up until mom ordered us to shut the hell up for once and take it outside for christsakes. We did, and in the aftermath of the Great Bowling Ball-Trampoline Disaster of 1986, it was decided unanimously that staying indoors and playing with our NERF guns was safer. Sometimes kids just know better.

NERF Raider CS-35

Cubone: the tragic backstory Pokémon

For a franchise that’s squarely aimed at kids, Pokémon can get really quite dark sometimes. Consider Cubone, ably built here by Joey Klusnick. Adorable, right? Well, according to various Pokédex entries, the skull it wears as a helmet is from a deceased parent. Moreover, the ‘dex entries also mention crying a lot. How tragic — this is a kids’ game, remember! Thankfully Joey’s creation is so well-built I think we can focus on how cute this little guy is otherwise. That Bram sphere tummy in particular makes it look very huggable. After reading all the lore on Cubone I (and it, probably) could do with a hug…

Cubone

Like a good bra, this rover lifts and separates

The orange brick separator is so ubiquitous that, as I write this, I’m less than two feet from one now. It keeps staring at me like it knows I’m writing about it. If you bought a LEGO set of at least $50 or any Ideas set of any price, chances are you have at least one Brick Separator too. Joey Klusnick has upscaled the Brick Separator and made it a feature in this clever rover. If you’re on a wicked cool space journey and suddenly have to pry up some LEGO this rover would suit your needs nicely. Others, including Joey, have used the Brick Separator in their builds. Click the little blue link to see what I mean.

Brick Separover

I don’t mean to pry, but are you separated?

It’s fun when a bit of meta humor slips into a LEGO build. For those in the know, though, the Vic Veparator by Joey Klusnick provides more than just “a bit.” The twin orange forks of this Vic Viper style craft are oversized brick-built Brick Separators.  (You can see a LEGO-issued one in use as the tail fin, if you’re not already aware of them.) The orange color is nicely offset by the yellow accents. I like the use of railings and brace elements here – the Technic bushings and macaroni brick echo the single-element shapes really well. But the best part? When Joey gets tired of this build, all the tools needed to disassemble it will be right at hand.

Vic Veparator

This isn’t the first great creation we’ve featured that use brick separators as a key element, and hopefully it won’t be the last. In the meantime, check our archives for more take-apart goodness!

A tractor with the wow factor!

Through a combination of LEGO slopes, curves, and wedge plates, Joey Klusnick provides a stunning piece of farm machinery. In brilliant John Deere green, this tractor is full of tiny details that make it exceptional. The intricate side-view mirrors, the stripe of yellow along its nose, and the mudguard on the back tires are made of jumper plates all are perfect touches bringing this build to life. Now, all it needs is a brick-built field to plow, or a trailer full of LEGO hay to haul around.

John Deere 9 Series Tractor

Crouching motorcycle, hidden dragon

Joey Klusnick doesn’t let old DUPLO pieces take up space in his collection with no purpose. Instead of getting rid of them, he mixes DUPLO stuff with a modern best-selling theme, like Ninjago. The result is hilarious: now, it’s Lloyd’s newest vehicle/weapon. It might have no claws, teeth or wings, but it’s extremely swooshable. Just look at these wheels!

Duplo Motorcycle

Fly into the sun with this LEGO Sunriser

One of the key design elements of the Star Wars universe is its ‘lived-in universe’ feel. A consequence of that is that some of the ships can sometimes look a bit drab in their greys and blacks. Joey Klusnick has seen fit to remedy that with a ship designed to fit in the Star Wars galaxy, but with a colourful twist! The bright yellowish-orange paintwork, alongside the purple canopy, really makes this little spacecraft pop. There are some design cues taken from elsewhere in the galaxy far, far away. The unique, asymmetrical shape reminds me a bit of a B-wing, while the smaller engine ports follow the same Incom design used on the X-wing or U-wing. There is just about enough grey and battle damage (created with stickers) to keep that signature used feel. It even comes with a few play features – the cannons on the end can rotate on their axis, and the Astromech’s port actually opens rather than being an empty 2×4 hole!

DUPLO kayaks get a crafty undersea upgrade.

One of my favorite things is seeing pieces from LEGO’s younger brands, like DUPLO and Fabuland, incorporated into regular LEGO system builds. The latest build by Joey Klusnick seamlessly blends two DUPLO kayaks into this sleek, shark-shaped submarine. The sideways kayaks perfectly match the curve of the two windscreens used to create the driver’s compartment. And the engine details built into the kayak seats help tie in the medium azure triangular girders, which give the submarine an effective research vessel vibe.

Duplo Kayak Sub

And we have to award bonus points for the complicated lift-arm that keeps the minifigure pilot seated between the regular and inverted windscreens.

Duplo Kayak Sub

The future is looking brighter all the time.

The nostalgia brought on by a quality LEGO Back to the Future DeLorean build is always welcome. Joey Klusnick has us looking forward to the future, too, with a version of this iconic vehicle that’s perfectly scaled for minifigure adventures. I’m really digging the use of transparent trapezoid flags and grey spikes to construct the windshield.

hero

This build looks great from every angle, with just the right level of detailing to get key design elements across without falling into a mass of incomprehensible greebling. It’s sleek and smooth, and a stunning example of what you can do with pop culture if you really put your mind to it.

profiles

I think this really shows how LEGO creations can evolve over time. Compare this build with the 2013 LEGO CUUSOO DeLorean – both have their merits, but I know which one I’d rather have on display at my house today.