Tag Archives: Toys

I spy a builder making blocks from LEGO bricks

Nostalgia bomb, incoming. This delightful build from Jonah Schultz is three things in one: a tribute to timeless preschool toys, an homage to the ubiquitous I Spy puzzle books from the ’90s and a showcase of an Iron Builder‘s ingenuity with LEGO bricks. There are so many details to love, from the perfectly proportioned BRIO trains in primary colors to the wonderful debossed lettering on the alphabet blocks, to the judicious use of specialized elements like the Bellville teddy bear, Duplo balls, and Race Car Guy accessory to complement the studs-free build. The most impressive feat of all is how the seed part – baseball bat in silver – is incorporated into the build as train axles, domino pips, and a camera button. And it’s a hidden object puzzle! Can you spy all of the secrets hidden in the picture?

Interstate 10 is really backed up today.

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NERF makes slaughtering your enemies fun! Wait, that came out all wrong.

It’s no surprise that on a website dedicated to LEGO, we’re all about fun toys. Take, for example, this new NERF Raider CS-35 built by Joey Klusnik. It checks all the boxes that make it cool; bright colors, thick silhouette and the promise of a raucous good time. It’s not really war if the tactical assault strike in the living room against your little brother and his goofball friends involves spongy, relatively safe projectiles, right? We had so much fun with our NERF guns right up until mom ordered us to shut the hell up for once and take it outside for christsakes. We did, and in the aftermath of the Great Bowling Ball-Trampoline Disaster of 1986, it was decided unanimously that staying indoors and playing with our NERF guns was safer. Sometimes kids just know better.

NERF Raider CS-35

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Look, up in the sky, it’s a LEGO hero!

What I love about this LEGO build is its toy look and feel! The alien invader Circuitron and the hero Brickman, by Nikita Nikolsky, feel like they’re stepping out of Pixar’s Toy Story. Part of this is the color choices and the other part is the shaping of the alien invader, both of which are exquisite. I really like the use of the Trolls hair piece for the plasma weapon. The superhero is pretty cool too, with a LEGO brick for a head, but the alien invader is the star of the scene. The parts usage and shaping of Circuitron are fantastic, and there’s a cool play feature in there too. If you turn the bit on Circuitron’s left-side Brickman will deliver the final blow in their epic duel! You can check out the feature in action here.

BRICKMAN vs CIRCUITRON

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Jazz up your Porsche

The treasure trove of parts in the 10295 Porsche 911 set have made their way into the capable hands of yet another builder. This Transformer by Adrian Drake resurrects a generation one star of the series, Jazz. Originally a Martini Porsche 935 Turbo, this version still shares some of the same body designs as many of the iconic original toys sought after by collectors today. The Porsche’s front end makes up most of his torso while the doors swing out from the back like wings or down with the rest of the body to form the legs and feet. Making a functioning Transformer with LEGO is no easy feat but Adrian sure did well here.

Jazz 00

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Artifacts from a vintage family room

The ’50s are calling! Don’t tell my father – he was born in 1955 and would be highly offended if he heard me using the term “vintage” to describe these items. I’d love to know what inspired LEGO builder Jaap Bijl to choose this era, but I’m so glad he did. The collection inspires images of a very different point in history. A tube radio, rotary telephone, and even a WW2 medal define the time. And the old-school toys and treats mixed throughout tell the story of a young family. Jaap used a bunch of the white 4×4 flower elements to achieve the look, but a couple of my most favorite examples are the ones that aren’t as easy to see, like the racecar wheels and radio tuning sliders.

A family's life

There are many more fantastic examples of Jaap’s work in our archives!

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Where does he get those wonderful toys?

It turns out most people don’t stop collecting toys as adults. For us adult LEGO enthusiasts, we have literal toys but for other grown-ups their toys are a bit harder to define. Take Daniel Church’s “Grownup’s Toy Box” for example. It depicts a nicely built LEGO garage. A motorcycle and a snowblower sit front and center while a hefty toolbox and an array of other tools adorns the background. The brackets holding up the ladder, roof trusses and even the lawnmower handles are constructed from wrenches. The panoramic shot serves this composition nicely. This build even has a soundtrack. These are all neat grown-up toys indeed but is it weird that I still want to play Hungry Hungry Hippos?

Grownup's Toy Box

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TBB cover photo for April 2020: Everyone’s First Lab

This months cover photo is a cozy looking bedroom by lokiloki29 is a very comfortable and fun place to hang out for a growing young adult. The detailing in (and outside) the room is not only made up of LEGO accessories but also micro-builds that fit the theme and scale so perfectly.

The space shuttle on the shelf and the plane immediately jump out of this diorama, but some favorite aspects are Timmy’s Mario bedspread and that microscope utilizing 2x connector pegs with knob to create the eyepiece of the microscope, simple yet elegant. You’ll also not the variety of trophies above his bed, Timmy must be a great scholar. Can’t wait to see Timmy’s grown-up lab once he’s learned the secret of LEGO plants.

Timmy's lab

Want to see your own LEGO creation featured across TBB social media for a month? Then read the submission guidelines and submit your photo today. Until next time, stay well and be safe, and practice social distancing whenever possible as we need it now more than ever!

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The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

I have the Powerrrrrr!!!!

I still remember He-Man and the Masters of the Universe during the days when there were no on-demand streaming services and we actually had to plan and time ourselves to catch the next episode. Then there was the daily bombardment of commercials to mesmerise us with fantasy scenes that we would recreate if we could only get our hands on these tempting toys. Johan Alexanderson has masterfully recreated the Castle of Grayskull play-set together with tiny characters to represent the plastic figures — like a time machine to tease our nostalgic memories.

Masters of the Universe - Castle Grayskull and He-Man figures

The model built features the same concept as the original design from Mattel back in the 80s. It has the capability to swing the castle open and closed to reveal play features at the rear.

Masters of the Universe - Castle Grayskull, the Inside

Making their appearance as part of the now converted play-theme into LEGO bricks are the unforgettable Orko, Man-At-Arms, Skeletor, and many more in a tiny minimalistic build format. They may not be in their exact shapes with the limits of the bricks, but their colour schemes give them away immediately. Are you able to spot your favourites amongst them?

Masters of the Universe - 24 figures

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Transforming LEGO in disguise

The Transformers was a US animated television series which originally aired in the 1980s, but has been transforming throughout the years into different generations of TV series and film franchises. The original US series was based on Hasbro’s Transformers toy line and involved giant mecha that can transform into vehicles (although Hasbro’s own toy line was based upon other toys made by Japanese manufacturer Takara) with the opposing teams of Autobots and Decepticons at war with each other. Alex Jones has built a fantastic collection of LEGO Autobots including Optimus Prime at the centre next to Jetfire the jet,  Bumblebee in his yellow VW Beetle state on the left and Windcharger the red sports car on the right. How many of these Transformers can you name and remember playing with as a child?

Autobots roll out!

Alex has just co-authored a book with another builder whose work we have featured on TBB,  Joachim Klang. Tips for Kids: Transformers: Cool Projects for your Lego Bricks  is due out at the end of July 2017 and will help budding builders transform their bricks into Autobots and Decepticons. We also recently highlighted Alex and Joachim’s incredible LEGO diorama of Optimus Prime in position in a tranquil street which gives a taste of the book’s theme.

 

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LEGO Technic pieces make great pin art

Remember those 3D art toys from the 80’s with tiny moveable pins you could use to make impressions of your hands? Well, Josephine Monterosso has built one out of LEGO using Technic parts. The builder says she plans to rebuild with longer Technic pins so that the 3D images will have more depth. (Enough for a face!)

Lego Pin Art Handprint

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Go to your room!

Portuguese builder César Soares has recreated his childhood bedroom, and along with it a kind of organized chaos that I’m sure all of us remember well (or as parents, are still dealing with on a daily basis). But far from being just a random collection of objects, there’s much attention to detail in the background of this scene too, from the furniture to the walls and even the floor.

The use of Modulex to represent LEGO bricks is a particularly clever touch. See if you can find anything in this scene that dates César’s childhood in the many wonderful closeup images.

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