In 2001: A Space Odyssey the appearance of a black obelisk turns apes into tool users in a rather violent way. Victor imagines an alternate spark of inspiration – a 2×4 LEGO brick! Confronted by this mysterious object, would the apes be inspired to use their newfound reasoning for creative pursuits instead of aggression? Or is the evolution of the stud-shooter inevitable? Victor’s model is a clever tribute to the classic Kubrick film with an upscaled brick looking suitably imposing against a studless sky. Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a toy swapped into the iconic scene (Hi, Barbie!).
Tag Archives: Victor
Working telescope built from LEGO
LEGO is truly beautiful in the way that it allows people to recreate real-world objects with both form and function. LEGO themselves have made working models of a grand piano and a Nintendo Entertainment System. Builder Victor continues the trend by creating a working telescope in the same style, though slightly smaller than life-size. Needless to say, it is welcome to see such objects completely remade from LEGO bricks, especially ones that function.
This model telescope works the same way as a real life one – peeking through the eyepiece lets one see the stars and planets, though not the real ones. Victor solves this problem with pictures printed on small window pieces backlit by a light brick. This imitates LEGO’s light projection techniques in their official sets like the Stranger Things: Upside Down and the Haunted House. Victor also provides four separate interchangeable prints, one of them being an easter egg reference to LEGO’s own Bionicle theme.
If you’re going to create a portal, make sure you know where you’re going
My favorite LEGO builds are always ones that contain story, humor and lots of color. Builder Victor hits all three of these points perfectly and throws in a little absurdity for good measure. As the story goes, Diogenes Trexler ordered a pizza on his home planet that smelled so delicious it attracted the attention of a giant worm. Plotting his escape, our pizza-loving hero created an ill-advised portal that opened on to the bathroom of one very surprised bather.
The landscaping and colorwork in this piece are gorgeous and there is a minimum of visible studs, giving it a very slick look. The worm really pops with its blue colors and excellent shape. The alien fauna is colorful and appropriately weird and creepy. The portal is nicely rendered with transparent pieces and the change between the two universes is wonderful, going from organic shapes to the clean tiles of a modern bathroom. The surprised bather, caught in mid blow-dry is the perfect punch line with his terrified face and hair blowing toward the ceiling. In my opinion, it’s little touches like these that make the difference between a good model and a great one.
Check out the model from another angle to see all the details
Meet Anna. She’s not your average dinosaur.
Meet Anna the Ankyloceratops, she is not your average dinosaur. A builder who goes by the name of Victor got it into his reptile brain to construct a hybrid between a triceratops and an ankylosaurus. The end result makes her a fierce defender of all the grass and stream she has here. Her armor is comprised of plenty of radar dishes and these pointy bits. Her shaping, coloring, even the well-crafted landscape conveys Mesozoic goodness. Anna just might be the best thing I’ve seen all day and I’ve seen a video featuring a basket full of wiener dog puppies.
Rats and spiders and snakes, oh my!
This terrifying vignette by Victor has a lot of phobias on display: arachnaphobia, ophidiophobia and even musophobia! It is titled “Nightmare” and that is quite an apt description. Waking up in a room of creepy critters is pretty high up there on my list of nightmarish scenarios.
The spiders, rats and snakes dominate this little model but it’s the room with its furniture and details that are really the stars of the show. All the furniture is expertly done and gives the room a modern feel. The black and white cabinet on the left with its doors of varying sizes, the white bedside table and the plant stand are particular stand outs. The lamp in the corner is also nicely crafted. The bed is a terrific little build with some creative parts use to make the rumpled blankets and give the illusion that the minifigs are tucked not-so-safely in their bed.
Then there are the little subtle details. The phone charger is a brilliant touch along with the above-bed light switches and glasses on the brown bedside table. They really make the room feel lived in. The use of Olaf’s buttons tile to make an electrical outlet is particularly inspired. The printed tiles used to make the rug have been used in quite a few Star Wars and Nexo Knight’s sets, and the repetition of it makes the perfect floor covering. The attention to detail even extends to the bedhead on the sitting minifigure.
Good luck trying not to think about this as you’re falling asleep tonight. In the immortal words of Elvira, “Unpleasant dreams!”
The name’s Jack...Union Jack
Back in 1941, World War II inspired ceramic manufacturer Royal Doulton to release a patriotic bulldog figure. Royal Doulton re-released the bulldog in 2012 to coincide with its appearance in the film, Skyfall. Since LEGO Ideas is currently running a James Bond contest, Victor decided to build a nearly 1:1 scale LEGO version of the bulldog. Victor’s model looks adorable, and the smooth curves of the dog and studs-out sculpting of the flag on his back make for an eye-pleasing juxtaposition.
A tiny robot – loved by good, feared by evil
Can’t afford the enormous new 21311 LEGO Voltron set, but still have a universe to defend? Try Victor‘s solution — build a microscale version of your own. The colours and shaping are spot-on, making this little model immediately recognisable. I particularly like the mech’s head and that shield. And whilst this version might not come apart into its constituent lion components, it’s rather more poseable than the stiff-legged official set!
Comes the morning, and the headlights fade away
LEGO bricks are forever. They are all I need to please me…and I am very pleased with Victor’s 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, as driven by James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987). Victor has done an excellent job of sculpting out the body to replicate the look of 007’s famous ride. The use of ratchet minifigure accessories as windshield pillars works really well here, and they are angled in such a way that matches the profile of the Aston Martin. Bond’s bells and whistles are also present, including a side-mounted skis and a giant flame for a speedy getaway through the snow. If you peek inside, you will even notice the interior upholstery is textured! It’s a design that is best shaken, not stirred…