Tag Archives: zakar.ion

Talking mechs, music, and LEGO fashion with Mexican creator Tenkyuu.mocs

LEGO fandom is global and here at The Brothers Brick, we strive to feature creators from every corner of the world. Access to bricks and local support isn’t evenly distributed, though, as the recent changes to Bricklink’s service reminded us all. For Mexican builder Zazil Yakín Xipé, who shares LEGO creations as @tenkyuu.mocs, not amassing a huge collection of bricks hasn’t stopped her from creating a string of impressive and innovative mechs. Today we’re excited to share an interview between Tenkyuu and Zakar.ion that covers LEGO-inspired fashions, Exo-Force, and that one time a worker at a Mexican LEGO factory went rogue and made black market Vaders with the official molds!

Our interview with Tenkyuu.mocs begins here

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Minifigs go big in this jumbo-sized Minifig Monday

Minifig Monday is back after a few weeks away, and since it’s been a few weeks, we thought we’d bring you a jumbo-sized lineup of “large” characters. All of the featured figures incorporate minifig elements but are assembled from dozens of elements to create ornate designs and dynamic poses.

Bricksnbeasts leads the pack with Anubis, Keeper of Forgotten Souls in black and gold. The Egyptian god’s weapons are especially epic, like the sword that uses dual axe blades for the hilt. A gold sprue works perfectly for a scarab detail on the chest.

brickbot_studio diverges from his signature bot style to pay tribute to one of the great 90s sci-fi films: The Fifth Element. This all-gold Mondoshawan is instantly recognizable. The ray gun element seems like it was made for that alien face.

Our jumbo-sized tribute to not-so-mini figs continue after the break

A year of Mech-ing around with RigWalkerMocs [Interview]

Here at The Brothers Brick, we feature hundreds of builders each year. Many of those builders are familiar faces whose MOCs have been impressing audiences for years, but it can be especially exciting when a new account pops up with a fresh style and an eagerness to experiment and grow. RigWalker Mocs and Mechs is such a builder. Since joining the AFOL community one year ago, “Rig” has shared dozens of mechs, joined his local LUG, participated in collabs and challenges, and displayed at events. Rig’s bold mech designs have earned him many fans, including our guest-interviewer Zakar.ion who sits down with Rig to reflect on his first year of building with the community.

Our interview between these two mech MOC makers follows

#Cyberpink2025 puts cancer in the crosshairs as LEGO fans build for breast cancer awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when concerned humans raise awareness, promote earlier diagnosis, and support people affected by a disease that affects over 10% of women globally. The campaign is signified by wearing a pink ribbon, but many advocates find other ways to show support, like a group of LEGO fans who are using their bricks and voice to spread awareness under the #Cyberpink2025 hashtag. What started as a six-builder collab has been growing as all are invited to participate with the hashtag. The participants promise to return bigger and more organized next year.

Leading the charge for a cause is zakar.ion with this rabbit-themed Jū Gaito mech. The mech’s eyes come from this year’s Lucky Cat set while the stickered pink elements are sourced from the 2 Fast 2 Furious Honda. My favorite element is the matching minifig.

part_parakeet fights back with this Killer Cupcake, a sweet ally in the fight against cancer.

More pink mecha and cyberpunk heroes follow

Minifigs of spooky season – Return of the living bricks [Minifig Monday]

We’re back for a second roundup of Halloween minifigs, ranging from slightly spooky to downright terrifying. Warning – some of these get pretty dark!

Our cover image goes to 2brickmonsters who breaks out the trans neon green for an oozy splatterfest. There’s so much creative parts usage on display, but I think the green crowns as popping pustules takes the creepy cake. Excellent use of the Blacktron mutant CMF legs.

Zakar.ion gets into the Halloween spirit with The Grove’s Curse. Apparently the pumpkin patch got tired of getting carved up and decided to uproot and do some carving of its own!

_motherofcatdragons_ gets medieval with a perfect plague doctor. The Kubaz mask is a little bit creepy no matter what galaxy you’re from.

It’s a nightmare on minifig street after the jump!

A symphony of Silksong tributes in LEGO

Hollow Knight: Silksong is the rare game that delivers on the hype, blending beautiful worldbuilding with brutal difficulty. Protagonist Hornet and the bug-like denizens of Pharloom have inspired an outpouring of fan models from the LEGO community. Here are some of our favorites!

Fresh off his incredible series of Hollow Knight builds, Joss Ivanwood begins climbing Pharloom with a series of encounters. First, Hornet encounters Shakra, the mapmaker. She’s a lot tougher than Cornifer!

My favorite of Joss’ new builds is Sherma, just a little guy on a big pilgrimage! The party hat in golld makes a perfect miniature chime.

Our tour of Pharloom’s bugs continues after the break

Get ready to showdown with these LEGO samurai, ninja, and cyber-ronin [Minifig Monday]

When LEGO moved the Castle theme from Europe to Japan in 1998 with sets like Flying Ninja Fortress (one of my top 5 all time favorite sets!), the theme brought with it a slew of new minifig elements, like katanas, golden antlers, and samurai armor. In the years since, Ninjago has tapped Asian history and pop culture for even more accessories from Edo era and beyond. This week we bring you a roundup of custom samurai-inspired figs showcasing parts old and new.

Michał Dziadosz gets us started with Master Hirotaka…

Once a general feared on the battlefield, Hirotaka now walks the path of the lone swordsman, bound not by loyalty to lords, but to his own code. His golden katana, earned through a lifetime of victory, gleams like the setting sun before a storm. Behind him follows the whisper of silk a reminder of the life he left behind, and the woman who still watches from the shadows

Michał’s fig was a collaboration with Expansion Bricks, who presents the kensei, literally “sword saint,” an honorary title for master swordsmen and followers of bushido. Note the fig’s wide stance, a technique borrowed from 2p_figs for giving a minifig a more imposing presence.

The Bushido code requires that you continue appreciating these amazing minifig samurai

Beyond the spider-verse – these creepy fantasy minifigs and creature builds will catch you in their web [Minifig Monday]

LEGO will soon be venturing into the Marvel Spider-verse for the next line of Collectible Minifigs, but you don’t need to wait until August to find weird and wonderful fig creations of the arachnid (and arachnid adjacent) variety. Today on Minifig Monday we’re catching a bevy of bug and spider flavored figs and mini builds in our web!

Kicking off this week’s lineup is The Seamstress by Brennan (brickbot_studio). Animation fans might recognize this wicked weaver from the film the post-apoc “stitch-punk” film 9. Brennan has made some incredible mini character builds but this might be my favorite thing he’s ever shared. Excellent use of the Samukai minifig head from Ninjago.

Keeping to the spinstress theme, we have the Song Weaver by Aris (bricks.for_bricks). This arachnid character brings an aristocratic air to the spider theme, with One Ring bangles and an impressive headress mixing cloth, plastic feathers, and rubber bands.

Eight limbs? Ha! This Friendly centipede from Dicken Liu has arms to spare! Who would have guessed that minidoll toros make such grotesquely perfect bug segments? I haven’t been able to unsee this amazing creation since Dicken shared it a few months back, and if it’s new to you, you’re welcome.

the creepy creations continue after the fold

Now this is Pod Racing! The most wizard LEGO Pod Racers in the galaxy [Feature]

Whatever your feelings about Star Wars Episode I’s convoluted plot, clunky dialogue, and over-reliance on slapstick, when the Boonta Eve Classic kicks off, the movie soars. Podracers – typically a small cockpit yoked to massive engines – are an homage to chariot racing, Formula 1, and muscle cars. The simple formula has proven a perfect platform for creativity among LEGO builders over the years. Today we’re rounding up some recent builds featuring incredible podracers from some of our favorite builders (including a trio of LEGO set designers!)

Earlier this summer, brickbot_studio hosted a podracing contest and the resulting builds are truily inspiring. rebel.p.u.n.k‘s entry is a favorite for the clean engine designs and little details like the cloud of dust as the stabilizer fin grazes the gound.

Zakar.ion‘s entry doubles down on greebling. Surfboards and skis look great on the engines. I’m not sure if I trust that pilot, though. Somebody call the Space Police!

Check out the rest of the podracers after the fold

Swapping MOCs for a double dose of creative styles

When it comes to LEGO mechs and brick-built characters, Zakar.ion is one of the most prolific and distinctive builders in the scene. They’re also one of the most collaborative and generous builders around, joining and starting collabs every week. One of my favorite traditions is the “swap collab” where zakar and another builder each pick a model from the other’s catalog of creations, then remake it in their own style. For zakar’s latest swap, the builder teams with neo_mocs. Here we see zakar’s take on neo’s Luna and Misty characters.

Below, you can see the inspiration and the remake side by side. Some of the elements, like the cat face elements from 11034 Creative Pets, carry across builds, while the body construction is a total re-engineering. Constraction pieces out, macaroni tubes in!

the other half of the collab follows

Dark Lords and Durasteel – Sith happens [Minifig Monday]

The LEGO minifig scene on Instagram is a welcoming place with creative collaborations, friendly crossovers, and a supportive community… all virtues sneered upon by the subject of this week’s Minifig Monday. Today we’re spotlighting Dark Lords of the Sith dreamed up by some of our favorite builders. The prompt for these builds came from the #swminifigtournament started by burbricks. Which wicked fig is your favorite?

Our first Sith comes courtesy of Expansion Bricks. Per the builder, “Darth Taz is an ancient Utapauan sith from the Old Republic era, long before the rule of two. Taz fought in the Sith Civil Wars as a revered warrior and tactician.” The robotic arm and collection of trophies are incredible, but my favorite detail is definitely the use of the minifig ladybug wings as a collar around Taz’ head.

From kappa_o407, we have Darth Enophis, a highly unusual Mon Calamari Sith. Per Kappa, “He was best known for his ability to create Force Storms, an ability that allowed him to tear the fabric of space and create hyperspace tunnels, a power that allowed him not only to travel, but also gave him the ability to destroy entire planets due to the instability of the tears.” His storm powers were also ideal for laying traps.

The Sith revenge tour continues after the fold

Dieselpunk Mechs and Military Hard Suits – [Minifig Monday]

Mechs and minifigs have been near and dear to the Brothers Brick for as long as we’ve been covering LEGO fandom. It’s always a thrill when builders bring a specific and fresh aesthetic to a favorite genre, and that’s definitely been the case with Brickbot Studios, Red Impala, and Zakar.ion – three builders who are absolutely crushing it with military mechs at an intimate perspective. The trio collaborated last week on trench warfare dieselpunk mechs inspired by the 1920 setting of mr_werewolf, with each builder bringing a personal spin to the theme. This week on Minifig Monday, we’re spotlighting this collab, but also some mortar blasts from the dieselpunk past from some top builders of yesteryear playing in a similar sandbox.

Leading this week’s charge is the PZM-7 Śmiały from Red Impala. Swift, merciless, and armed with an anti-mech rifle, this unit looks ready to leap over trenches like a Winged Hussar. (The lore that these builders share alongside their brilliant builds is half the fun!).

Brickbot Studios responds with theStahlschreiter 44 “Trench Reaper.” My favorite flourish is the moustache on the mech. The builder brings a touch of Warhammer sensibilities to this Death Korp diesel demon.

The minifigs and mecha continue after the break!

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