Tag Archives: Mark Erickson

Johnny Thunder’s biggest tomb raid ever

Adventurers was such an amazing theme for any kid (or grown-up) who ever dreamed of seeing far-off lands and solving the mysteries of the ancient past. LEGO Masters champion Mark Erickson is certainly a fan of the theme and picked it for one of his latest 24-hour build challenges. Mark had a blast incorporating as many original parts from the theme as possible, like the printed hieroglyphs, sarcophagus, and of course, the army of minifigures, while also incorporating newer elements and build techniques. The dark orange and dark azure combo definitely wouldn’t have been possible back in 1998, but it’s the perfect color combo for a pharaoh’s haunted tomb and matches the old printings.

The diorama is packed with action from a tomb raid gone horribly wrong as Johnny Thunder and friends unleash a mummy’s curse. All the familiar characters are there, but Mark supplements the crew with minifig companions who look right at home.

If Mark said this was a labor of love built over months, it would still be impressive, but somehow the Master Builder erected this epic wonder in just 24 hours. It must be ancient magic.

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Check out this massive Dune sandworm built by a LEGO Masters winner

With months of work now complete, LEGO Masters US Season 2 winner Mark Erickson has debuted an absolute monster of a build. This massive construction is taken right from the film series Dune, featuring a massive sandworm (or Shai-Hulud) staring down members of the Fremen and protagonist Paul Atreides huddled around the rocks. A studs-not-on-top technique brings the sand sea of Arrakis to life, and the massive worm is kept upright thanks to an inner skeleton made of Technic.

Explore more of this great creation below!

Take a dive into this vibrant underwater world

LEGO Masters winners, Steven Erickson and Mark Erickson, have created this fascinating aquatic display. We have had a look at the golden speeders before, which fit in perfectly with this diorama. Bursting with colour, the build features a variety of characters and sea life, surrounding a grand-looking throne room. The use of flexible green tubes as seagrass is one clever technique and makes a great addition to the collection of sea vegetation. Minifigure legs represent the curl at the end of the seahorse’s tail and one of the jellyfish even uses hero blast pieces as its tentacles.

Atlantean jetbikes and umbrellean jellyfish

Whenever Steven Erickson and Mark Erickson get together you know it is going to be LEGO magic—underwater magic, in this case. But maybe that’s my undying urge to live my life as the mermaid I know that I am—or at least was in a past life. Or maybe it’s the amazing underwater creatures that these builders created.

Using the jellyfish mask for a jellyfish isn’t groundbreaking, but it is nice to see these odd parts pop up in creations. The true brilliance is the use of the trans pink umbrella to create an even bigger jellyfish. The leaf parts work great representing the tentacles. The Bionicle Olmak mask works great as an underwater vehicle. The only thing I am not sure about is the faucet used as a steering wheel.

The beast from the depths

Brothers and LEGO Masters contestants Mark and Steven Erickson are continuing their big building skills with this beautiful leviathan. The scale here is deceptive, as the stand spans several feet, made of transparent bricks with lights embedded. Look closely right in the middle and you’ll spot a tiny Thor battling the mighty Jörmungandr. The sea serpent also has lights in its eyes, as well as a fog machine for real smoke, and the result is astounding.

This massive LEGO castle is full of little details to keep you coming back

LEGO Builder Mark Erickson (Mark of Falworth) is no stranger to The Brothers Brick and shows no signs of stopping. His latest castle creation is titled “Storst Castle”, and there’s a lot to unpack. It’s one thing to craft a large-scale LEGO castle, but it’s an entirely different thing to incorporate it into a lush setting including an idyllic pasture, water, and an active underground hill. I love builds like this that have a grand scale, yet also have little stories playing out. It will pay to take your time to really dig into all the little details on this huge diorama.

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The city of Cyrene falls to the Pierian Empire

Despite the inclusion of Classical or Greco-Roman characters in several waves of Collectible Minifigures, the ancient world just isn’t as popular with LEGO Castle builders as the big gray castles of the medieval era. As a result, it’s always refreshing to see great LEGO models from that earlier era. Talented TBB alum Mark Erickson has created a fictional battle between rivals the Pierian Empire and the great city of Tylis. Mark’s diorama is full of fantastic architectural detail — I particularly love the contrast between the tan city walls and the shining white temple with its gold details and green roof.

See more of Mark’s fantastic Greco-Roman city

A month of Mark – LEGO Castle models by Mark of Falworth

I’m not sure how he does it (short of a Time-turner), but Mark of Falworth is one of the most prolific LEGO Castle builders on Flickr. Doing so is pretty normal during major contests, like the Colossal Castle Contest, for which Mark won the Master Builder title this year. But the end of the contest didn’t stop Mark from building, and he sometimes posts substantial scenes and dioramas day after day. Mark seems to have been particular busy this April.

Here’s Mark’s latest, a tall tower on a seaside cliff titled “The Battle of Drearcliff Pass.” Notice the different layers in the dirt and rock: