Tag Archives: Ochre Jelly

Bricks of questionable character: We chat with internet phenom, Iain Heath [Interview]

We sat with LEGO meme factory, Iain Heath, who immediately revokes my Gen-X card, schools us on the not-so-subtle art of going viral, and tells us what it’s like to hobnob with celebrities. Hilarity ensued! Grab yourself a good beverage and a bag of popcorn and join us as we lift the hood and try to figure out what makes him tick. Hint: I’m pretty sure it’s London Dry Gin and Jägermeister.

TBB (Lino) Thanks for being with us, Iain. I’ve known you for many years as an artist who engages in several mediums including video making, painting, and LEGO. No matter the medium, you have been consistently irreverent and funny as all get-out. Our readers likely know you by the formidable name of Ochre Jelly (I had to google what that was). How did you choose this name and is the Ochre persona different from Iain, or are they one and the same?

IH: The name comes from a monster in D&D. Lino, as a fellow Gen X-er, I can’t believe you did not already know this, but also not have its stats memorized. For shame… I think the only fitting punishment here is to confiscate your vinyl copy of Sports by Huey Lewis and the News. Bro, do you even D20?!

IH: The name is less of a persona and more a mask to hide behind, as I think many of us online prefer to do. Some people are comfortable putting their own identity and persona front and center of their art, especially creators who make a living from it, or posting daily, or want to use their personality as part of their brand (I’m looking at YOU Lego Masters contestants!). But in my experience you are more likely to just run into people’s prejudices that way (which in my case usually means age-ism, as I am older than Cthulhu). I’d prefer to be seen as a Lego Banksy, using my art to anonymously poke fun at the world, rather than “some old dude with too much free time on his hands”. Not to say that I don’t sometimes step in front of the camera for the sake of The Bit.

Click here for more not-to-be-missed hijinks from Iain!

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Kim Kardashian gets LEGO-ified as Iain tries to break the internet...again!

Leave it to The Brothers Brick alumni Iain Heath to have his finger on the pulse of what’s hot at a very particular moment. And leave it to us to chronicle it days after the rest of the internet has already moved on to the next latest and greatest thing. Take, for instance, this LEGO creation of Kim Kardashian soaking up the spotlight at the 2021 Met Gala in what Iain thinks might be a bunraku-inspired outfit. My guess is bunraku isn’t even in her vocabulary but then again, since I misplaced my invite to the Met Gala, I didn’t ask her. But still, this is the kind of attention-seeking antics one can expect from a woman whose mother promoted her own daughter’s sex tape for profit and fame. As to why Iain is so hungry for attention, I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. What am I, Dr. Phil?

For reference, here is a couple of photos of Kim in her unsettling outfit.

This wouldn’t be the first time Iain and Kim Kardashian had crossed paths. He’s LEGO-fied her before but it seems we didn’t publish it, probably for reasons. But, BUT, BUTT you can Google it your damned self and it definitely won’t be disappointing.

This may smell bad, kid...but it’ll keep you warm...

The tenacious smuggler turned burgeoning rebel general, Han Solo, really saved the galaxy by cutting open that poor Tauntaun. Thankfully, his quick thinking made good use of the dead creature’s lingering heat. Before you start wondering if that residual heat would really keep Luke alive through a night on Hoth, just remember that Han says he’s putting up a shelter. The real tragedy is that Han knew he’d be sacrificing that, er, magnificent creature when he left Echo base. He was warned! Still, I’m sure Luke was grateful, both for being saved and for being unconscious during his nap in a Tauntaun carcass. Mostly. Anyway, this playful Miniland-scale Star Wars model by Ochre Jelly hits me right in the nostalgia.

The Miniland building style allows for playful details in brick-built figures. Ochre Jelly is fond of this style and has built some iconic scenes and memes in the past. Here he’s done a wonderful job with the Hoth versions of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker from the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. Their respective outfits translate well to bricks and plates with proper color blocking. Han’s fuzzy hood achieved with exposed studs is pretty neat and his stance captures his mood perfectly.

The scale of the figures definitely allowed for more detail and curves in the Tauntaun. Big, thick legs and distinctive claws, along with a saddle and amazing horns, match well with the source material. Those Minifigure arms used as guts are a real clincher, though. A mess of blue clips and plates seem like blood pooling under the multi-colored assortment of Minifigure body parts with hotdogs thrown in for good measure. Delusional Luke probably appreciates that warm goo a little bit, right?

I’m just glad that the LEGO Group hasn’t made scented bricks because we do not need to know the actual difference between the outside and inside smells of a Tauntaun.

Avatars, Assemble!

The charismatic twitch star, CodeMiko, is presented in Lego form through these fantastic builds by TBB alumn Iain Heath. CodeMiko is famous for her highly detailed avatars which she portrays through motion capture. In this set of builds, we can see some of the unusual avatars she uses. For me, the fish costume really stands out, with its bulbous eyes and bright blue colour scheme. Miko is even shown in her motion-capture gear, known as the Technician (the one with orange dots). Hinge pieces represent noses throughout the models and the lower parts of the faces appear to have been built upside down. The playful style of the builds captures the energetic personality of CodeMiko and her characters. Let’s hope it all brings a smile to your face.

Woman Yelling at a Cat, but in LEGO

Is it really even a meme until TBB alumn Iain Heath has immortalized in LEGO form? I think there’s a strong case to be made that it’s not. And so, another meme enters the hallowed company as the poor cat being yelled at by Taylor Armstrong and Kyle Richards from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills gets the brick makeover. Now you can express your feelings of helpless confusion as a cat being yelled at for absolutely no reason whatsoever, but in LEGO!

SO MUCH WINNING!!!!!!!

Here in the US, we are quite used to being the best at everything. Our job numbers look tremendous and our COVID numbers are tops in the world, way higher than Canada’s. With this much winning sometimes a fella just wants to shout it from the mountain tops (or another carefully chosen location). This is why we were moved to tears when Brothers Brick alumni Iain Heath created a LEGO version of one of our proudest moments. (No, seriously, I checked in with the other staff here at The Brothers Brick and we’re all pretty much in tears at the state of our winning.) It depicts our beloved presidential attorney and star of Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm bringing his -we’ll never give up, can-do attitude- to the Four Seasons in Philadelphia. Not the posh downtown hotel but rather The Four Seasons Total Landscaping establishment conveniently located between a crematorium and a sex shop. You know the place.

To be clear, this is not a real LEGO set. However, I’m certain we can use our power and influence to phone up LEGO or Rupert Murdoch or somebody to create a reality more in line with our own wants and needs. Iain is a true American patriot! But somehow he has a funny accent, like the kind you hear on one of those stuffier news stations. Maybe he was born while on vacation or something? Anyway, whether before, after, or during his tenure here at Brothers Brick, Iain is no stranger to our archives. He’s also quite used to getting his LEGO art out there and becoming a viral sensation. If it hasn’t happened already, I’m sure this newest piece will be covered on…wait for it…ALL THE NETWORKS! We’re thrilled with the amount of winning we’re doing around here. How about you?