Tag Archives: Marco De Bon

This LEGO Voltron is ready to defend the universe and look slick doing it

If your Saturdays didn’t used to involve at least some sort of giant robot on TV, did you even have a childhood? This LEGO build by Marco De Bon captures one such icon: the mighty Voltron. With hardly a stud in sight, this Voltron all clean lines and smooth surfaces, perhaps even more so than the official set from a few years back. I was always more of a Transformers kid myself, but you don’t need to be steeped in Voltron lore to appreciate the talent on display here.

Lego moc Voltron

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Goliath and Wasp; one is huge, the other a Protestant

This dynamic duo of LEGO mechs is brought to you by Marco De Bon purveyor of, well, some pretty awesome mechs, and other stuff, but mostly mechs. Goliath is looking rugged adorned in desert tan armor while Wasp is mostly white because, well, you know. Marco tells us that both are constructed with the same inner frame but each has a different external vibe. I seem to favor Goliath for its Southwestern flavor. Which is your favorite? This isn’t the first time we’ve been floored by something this builder has done; not by a long shot. Check out our Marco De Bon archives to see what I mean.

Lego Goliath and Wasp

This hardsuit packs a punch in both offense and defense

I’m not sure if I’ll ever get bored of seeing LEGO mecha. There’s so much variation that can be achieved with a simple bipedal frame. Marco de Bon‘s hardsuit, with a touch of Warhammer 40K about it, is the latest to catch my eye. I’m partly drawn in the by the unusual colour scheme: dark green with red highlights looks very smart indeed. That shield is worthy of note too. The slope parts at opposing angles make for a very nice paneling effect, and what’s the best form of defense? Offense! As well as looking cool, putting some spikes on your shield is sure to yield results in this regard.

Lego mini suit 02

A great day for Grendizer

Classic mecha fans rejoice! Marco De Bon has created this stunning version of the anime mech, Grendizer. The build has a clean and smooth look to it, with hardly any studs in sight. This has been achieved through the use of a variety of curved slope pieces which also assist in recreating the humanoid appearance of the mech. At the top of the head small pyramid pieces represent short spikes of the helmet. The model even includes hooked bladed weapons which can be attached together or used individually. With the ability to strike some awesome poses, there’s not much more you could ask for in a LEGO mech model.

Lego Grendizer (Goldrake, Goldorak)

This speedster lifts and separates

The cool thing about designing spaceships is that space travel is more or less in its infancy here on Earth so we can still dream up all sorts of wild and wacky designs. Take this LEGO “Comet” Speedster concept built by Marco De Bon for example. It is chock full of neat build techniques and complex angles. The forward dishes are Ninjago Spinners making the model tricky to balance according to the builder. Speedster implies speed but I imagine the forward mandibles can lift a payload magnetically while the aft section sports four Brick Separators, hence the lifts and separates reference in the title. I definitely wasn’t thinking of a retro bra ad when I thought up the title so don’t get that idea in your heads.

Lego "Comet" speedster

Ninjago’s Lloyd trades his dragon for an awesome looking speeder

Presented in a glorious turquoise colour scheme, this racer primarily uses parts from the Jungle Dragon Ninjago set. Marco De Bon has provided the build with an insect-like appearance which is conveyed by the front wings looking similar to mandibles and the spear guns on the back being comparable to antennae. Pentagonal tiles are used to great effect in forming the splayed-out protrusions at the back and there are also orange flippers underneath representing engine grill details. It appears to be a tight squeeze to get into the cockpit which makes sense as the vehicle is designed to be compact, allowing for nifty maneuvers around a race circuit.

Lego speedster "Raptor"

Light is Green, Trap is clean

LEGO builder Marco De Bon has created a movie-perfect 1:1 scale recreation of the Ghostbusters trap that looks like it truly could contain a focused non-terminal repeating-phantasm aka a class V full roaming vapor. Marco said he modeled his trap on a mélange of several films in the franchise (there is no single canonical version). The tiny details are what make this build work. For instance, look at the handle made of tires to add a nice ergonomic grip before sliding it across the ballroom floor of The Sedgewick Hotel. The interior of the trap also detaches so you can slide it into your custom made storage facility. Do look directly at this trap.

Lego Ghostbusters Trap

Advocating for the devil

Mecha maven Marco De Bon wows us once again with the FA-18 “Lucifer.” This human-operated battle bot stands 230 mm tall (about 9 inches) and boasts an impressive range of movement, thanks in part to multiple Mixel joints in each knee. Although, you’d barely know they were there at first glance. Marco has done a fantastic job of shaping the arms and legs in such a way that the major joints remain hidden from view. And the few joints that are exposed blend pretty seamlessly into the robot’s black and silver color scheme. The result is a robot that strikes some very human poses and puts many similarly sized action figures to shame.

Lego FA-18 "Lucifer"

Be sure to check out our archives for more of Marco’s marvelous mechs.

The Eggblaster 01 is one sunny-side-up mech

Sometimes a LEGO element can inspire a build, and that appears to be the case with the LEGO Eggblaster 01 by Marco De Bon. That oval windscreen led to an egg-shaped cockpit, which in turn led to this cute-and-stompy mech. The dark blue and red colors work well, with just the right pop of yellow from the caution striping. And check out the clever use of horse barding in those gun covers!

Lego Eggblaster 01

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Invincible Steel Man says “Hello!”

One of my favorite things to come out of the 1980s was the vast array of giant Japanese robots. From Voltron to the Shogun Warriors, each mammoth mech seemed to be more impressive than the last. Similarly, Marco De Bon‘s LEGO tributes to these Super Robots also seem to just get better and better. Today we look at their recreation of Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3. I’m not super familiar with this show, but after watching a YouTube clip, I’m sold on the concept. Clocking in at am impressive 340 mm tall, Marco has managed to pack the model with clean lines, vivid details, and even multiple vehicle modes!

Lego Daitarn III

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Microbot squad reports for colorful duty

Only 9 bricks tall but Marco De Bon‘s tiny squad of microbots pack a detailed punch! This colorful trio of bots knows how to make maximum use out of minimal space. Each has a unique assortment of nice LEGO parts usage that exemplifies the saying “good things come in small packages.”

First up is grey microbot mkI using hand armor for its head and a ladder holder for a shield.

Lego "microboT"

Next is the red microbot mkII which has some scuba breathing masks tucked against the chest for some added texture. I guess Marco’s been dipping into their nautical pieces because there are also some frogman’s feet/flippers on either side of the bot’s face and a lifeguard’s rescue float for a codpiece. I love the huge chunky shoulders on this one.

Lego microboT mkII

Lastly, we’ve got blue microbot mkIII, who is a little trickier. The bottom of the head is an upside down Nexo shield which stumped me at first. He also has a really neat use of Hero Factory badge for his chest paneling. It’s also got all sorts of munitions for taking out whatever it is microbots encounter.

Lego microboT mk-III

Giant robots are always a win

Years before the Transformers came on the scene, Japanese cartoons already had a whole host of giant robots to choose from. America had some exposure to them, mainly via Marvel Comic’s Shogun Warriors and the related Mattel toy line. Those brief introductions really don’t do justice to the rich and creative mythology of the original series. But that doesn’t matter. To me, giant robots are always cool. And giant LEGO robots? Well, I bet you can guess my feelings about them.

Taking inspiration from the late 1970’s series, Marco De Bon‘s Grendizer stands an impressive 320mm (12.6″) tall, is fully articulated, and is armed for battle. Man, I wish I could have had this set when I was a kid!

Lego Grendizer / Goldrake / Goldorak

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