Tag Archives: Kraken

The LEGO great ball kraken-traption

The LEGO builds of the Great Ball Contraption universe are far more known for their function rather than their form. Each module is designed to move minifig-scale basketballs and soccer balls from one point to another. But Jeff Strong adds a wonderful aesthetic touch to his GBC module, Kraken Attackin’. An ode to Tacoma, Washington, in the US, balls fly down a channel next to several natural and man-made landmarks of the region. But beware the dangerous kraken under the Narrows Bridge with its wily tentacles! The color palette here is brilliant, as are some of the great building techniques like the trees on the hillside. Even the blue and white conveyor that moves the balls up to the start of the run is striking. It’s a masterful piece of moving artwork!

But a still picture can’t really do this creation justice. See below for some video footage of the GBC module in action. Pay specific attention to the unique movement of the kraken’s tentacle. Jeff employs some genius engineering under the “water” to add a natural flow to the giant red limb.

Beware Captain Kraken! No one is safe from his reach

This LEGO pirate ship build from Julius Kanand brings a whole new level of fear to the phrase “beware the kraken”! Captain Kraken and his roving band of Marauding Mollusks aren’t taking guff from anyone. They roam the seas, hunting for unfortunate ships to prey upon. Even those who think there’s a path to escape lose hope and limb to the terrible tentacles of Kraken’s ship. Some say the ship is a living organism, others that it’s just a lot of mechanisms. The truth can be found aboard the ship, but none have returned to speak of it! The skeleton of the ship is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ship the Silent Mary, but the rest of it is from Julius’s mind.

Pirate Squid

The squid-like shape of the ship is really cool! You’ve got the point of the head with the extension coming off the stern. Then, there’s the bow of the ship where the squid comes to life with big eyes and a bigger maw! Using some technic pieces, the ship’s tentacles reach out and grab the soon-to-be-eaten ships it preys upon. Taking a closer look at the mouth reveals rows and rows of sharp teeth ready to feast! Built in about two months, this ship is mighty impressive. Just, you know, be careful around it or it’ll eat you.

Pirate Squid_Attack

A small raft with a big problem

The latest build by Josh is fiercely triggering my thalassophobia. I can’t help but feel for this lone seafarer, having his world rocked by some elegantly simple kraken tentacles as they rise up from the water below. I can tell from that small, ramshackle raft that he was already on a journey fraught with hardship. And now he’s got to deal with a kraken? No way would I be as calm as that parrot. Stupid parrot, don’t just sit on that hat! Fly away! Go get help! It’s a giant monster from the depths below! Man, I hate the ocean.

Baby Kraken Attack

Cute kraken is cracking me up

Behold the beast as it rises from the depths! Fear his googly-eyed gaze! Smirk at his cuteness! And bow down before Kelvin Low‘s innovative LEGO parts usage. This giant Kraken menacing a medieval town’s waterfront is a great example of what can be done when imagination meets even the most specialised LEGO pieces. The aquatic monstrosity is built from T-Rex parts! The colours of the dinosaur torso and tails work perfectly as Kraken-skin, and the threatened town is a nice little collection of microscale buildings. This is just plain old good fun with the bricks.

LEGO Kraken

Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green

With the Wrath of the Titans contest in full swing over on Flickr, we’re seeing some really great Greco-Roman LEGO models. This Greek temple on a seaside hill by Yacopo looks to have angered an even older power from the deep.

Attack of the Kraken! by Yacopo on Flickr

Notice the stairs leading up to the temple. And the smaller structure in the foreground incorporates a Technic gear as its base.

Faintest sunlights flee / About his shadowy sides...

Behold, the Kraken awakes! Iain Heath (Ochre Jelly) debuted his “KR-KN Destroyer Destroyer” at SEALUG’s LEGO display at Emerald City Comicon last month, and I’ve been waiting impatiently for him to get it online. The official LEGO Star Wars 10221 Super Star Destroyericon set is, frankly, a bit dull, so Iain has jazzed it up with a space monster of epic proportions.

Release the KR-KN!

Read Iain’s backstory on The Living Brick, and go see it in person at Tableau Software, home of Seattle’s next batch of IPO millionaires.

SeaLUG display at Emerald City Comic Con

What do Hogwarts, the Batcave, the Shire, a four-foot Borg cube, and an eight-foot Space Needle have in common? They were all at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle this last weekend!

Emerald City Comicon Logo

I spent three days immersed in nerd-culture and am only now beginning to recover. What an awesome time! This was the second year that SeaLUG has put on a display at ECCC and it was definitely a success.

There were many highlights throughout the weekend but a big personal highlight was getting my Patrick Stewart, Christoper Lloyd and Batman mosaics signed.

Patrick Stewart Signed Mosaic Christopher LLoyd Signed Mosaic! Batman Mosaic Signed!

The display itself was like a “Who’s Who” of impressive builds. Alice Finch brought her incredible Hogwart’s. Wayne Hussey and Carlyle Livingston brought The Batcave, Shawn Steele brought his Space Needle, Dan Parker brought an enormous Borg Cube, there was a collaborative build of The Shire, a Miniland-scale BrickCon, DisneyLand, Mosaics, Space Ships (with Space Kraken) and much, much more.

DSC04333

The entire weekend was full of good times, good food, catching up with old friends (Hi Will!) and making new ones. Celebrity sightings were a common occurence. I’m told Felicia Day came by and checked out the LEGO display. I attended the panel she co-hosted with Wil Wheaton but missed her apperance at the Sealug tables. Panels, sessions and workshops are a huge part of comic book conventions. I attended several, including Patrick Stewart’s (yes, he is awesome). Mariann Asanuma got LEGO on the agenda running a panel on “Building with Lego – for a Living!”

KR-KN Destroyer Destroyer

The convention attendees seemed to be impressed with the display of LEGO creativity. There was a constant flow of traffic at the tables on Friday (the only day that wasn’t sold out), but Saturday and Sunday were packed. People were lining up around the corner to check out our LEGO creations. I heard cries of delight all the way down the display and quite a few people wanted to know how to get involved with the hobby. We passed out SeaLUG business cards and BrickCon bookmarks like they were candy and people wanted even more information.

Our Admiring Public!

For many it was the first time they had seen what adults could do with the amazing little bricks we play with and it was a whole new world to them. So, to sum up, SeaLUG had a great time at Emerald City Comic Con. If there is a similar event in a city near your LUG, I highly recommend getting involved. It’s a great way to spread the word about your LUG, show off your creations and to meet new people!

The Brothers Brick Van

It came from the Deep!

This scene from Groovybones (Sam Malmberg) appeals to me on a number of levels, but mainly due to the fact that it really looks like a kraken has arisen from the deep.  The water effect, tentacles and minifig positioning achieve this illusion brilliantly.

Part 13

Release the Lego Kraken!

Lego.Skrytsson‘s depiction of the Kraken does it great justice. The teeth is just wow.

Must be the Kraken

Marcin (aka Hippotam) portrays the Last Journey of a doomed voyage.

There’s tons of details to examine in this action-packed scene. Above all, there’s tentacles from the depths! I could write a whole poem about it, but until later…

The Kraken Awakes!

I have been meaning to blog this for a while and finally got myself in gear!

Paul Brassington has created a true masterpiece! Not only are his building skills something to die for, but he has taken great shots of the entire scene. Also, check out the nifty video of the flailing tentacles!

See his website here!