Tokyo-3, an alternate history version of the metropolis, is defended from attacking monstrosities called Angels by giant mechs with a single pilot. Marco De Bon enjoys building LEGO scenes including these mechs with sections of the fortified city. We previously featured two other Neon Genesis Evangelion blocks showcasing unit-00 and unit-01. But now unit-02 joins the line-up! The mech is skillfully built to hide any obvious LEGO joints. He straddles a highway that uses transparent blue window panes for force fields. Gold stud-shooters make the perfect rooftop machinery in the foreground.
Tag Archives: Marco De Bon
It takes a lot of NERV to build LEGO mechs from Neon Genesis Evangelion
Nearly 30 years after its debut, Gainax’s groundbreaking anime Neon Genesis Evangelion continues to captivate an international audience with its radical take on the mech genre. Whereas most mecha convey the bulk of heavy army, the Evangelion units are sinewy bio-machines suggesting a fusion of man and demon. LEGO builder Marco de Bon is no stranger to mechs (as you can see in our archive), and last year he created perfect poseable models of EVA Units 00, 01, and 02. For his latest diorama series, Marco shows a talent for microscale cityscapes to match his mech building prowess. Prototype Unit-00 towers over a district dominated by sandy hues and disc shooter windows. The elevated brick-built highway is particularly effective.
Shinji’a iconic Unit-01 straddles a gorgeous mix of mini high-rises. Landing gear axles make for perfect rooftop satellite arrays, while shooters above the highway capture the sci-fi aesthetic of Tokyo-3.
If Marco’s diorama’s have you humming Cruel Angel Thesis and craving more EVAs and Angels, synchronize with our Evangelion archives.
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.
Venture into uncharted regions of the universe and see more!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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