Growing up in California, especially on the central coast with frequent trips to Los Angeles, we never saw much public transportation. I'm afraid the car reigns supreme here, and life in Los Angeles is next to impossible without one. This is probably why I'm so enamored with trollies, trains and cool busses, and why I find this tram by Pate-keetongu so irresistible. I also enjoy a good period or vintage build, this one is set at a time three times my age, and that's pretty old.
I'm a big Stranger Things fan, and I'm not alone. Something about that creative story telling infused with some serious 80's feels resonated with a lot of people, and the show was a runaway hit. Builder Casey M is a fan, in fact he's got an ongoing Stranger Things display for Brickworld, and this excellent collection of Brickheadz is just part of it.
I'm going to pretend that this lovely floating treehouse dwelling by Brother Steven is actually an AirBnB that anyone can rent, including me. And I'd like to book it immediately for at least a couple night's stay. I don't know exactly how I'll get there, perhaps I'll rig my new Airstream with dirigible capabilities (hey, if he can have a floating treehouse I can have a floating RV, it's only fair)
There's a new sheriff in town, and he's clearly not taking any crap from anyone. Meet sheriff Takamori, from builder dviddy, the law is on his side so be careful. This is a prefect mix of Bionicle, Technic and System, all coming together for a masterfully rendered character. My favorite detail has to be the opposing white bevel gears for teeth, brilliant.
I live in California, which has missions dotted all the way up the coast (literally, the Spanish Empire built them walking distance from each other), and very strong Spanish aesthetic and cultural influences. So this excellent monastery by soccerkid6 feels familiar and "local". Plus I'm a sucker for Spanish tile roofs, I'm sitting under one right now in my house.
No, that's not lens distortion or some trick of the eye, this castle by Swan Dutchman is actually slightly angled outward. It's a subtle effect that had to make construction exceedingly difficult, which makes me love it even more. The temptation would be to emphasize the effect, since it was so difficult to accomplish, but Koen resisted that urge and the results are absolutely stunning.
It's always amazing to me when a builder simulates soft or unusual textures. The first impression you get when you see this figure by builder Djokson is "feathers", and clearly that was the intention. It's not until you really look close at the elements that make up this figure's costume that you can visually break it down, but even knowing that when you step back it's still feathers.
When I lived in London my commute took me through Chinatown every day, it was just a few blocks south of where I worked in Soho. One night, which just happened to be Chinese New Year, I rounded a corner just as the celebration started. My timing couldn't have been better, it went from normal London hustle bustle noise to sudden cacophony as drums started playing, fire crackers went off and the crowd cheered. And in the middle of it all, was a dragon, not unlike this outstanding depiction by builder Rhymes_Shelter. This was the first time I'd seen a legitimate dragon, and I was transfixed. I stopped dead in my tracks, the pressing need to get back to my tiny flat suddenly erased, and I watched.
I grew up in restaurants. My dad was a restauranteur and we had a few, he liked the process of starting them, but would get bored soon after and sell it to start a new one, some are still going today. When I looked at this brilliant interior vignette by builder MarcelV I was reminded of those mornings when the place was quiet, there was a bit of a mess from the night before and it was time to start the day. After a bit of clean up and kitchen prep, it would be time to open the doors once again, but for now it was quiet. It was a peaceful time, with wonderful smells, good stories and camaraderie.
One of the highlights of San Diego Comic Con for me was the Laika Experience. The stop motion movie studio Laika took over a space a couple blocks from the convention center in the historic Gaslamp District and converted it into a miniature version of their studio in Portland. In addition to tons of excellent displays of props, sets and figures from many of their films, they had a functioning model shop and shooting stage, with artists on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. They even had free themed ice cream when you exited. But I'm here to tell you about something at the beginning of the tour, visitors waiting in the queue got a great view of this fabulous LEGO Ideas hopeful from Laika's very own Holly Webster, Coraline's Pink Palace.
Yes, it is generally the policy of BrickNerd not to feature LEGO Ideas campaigns unless it's very special circumstances. For instance a major stop motion movie studio displaying a set built by one of it's employees at a special venue at the craziest comic con on the planet. Holly's version of the apartments has all the charm of the original, which is easy to verify because the real set was just a few steps away.
There's even a full set of custom minifigures made with the assistance of the talented Jared Burks, featuring Coraline, Other Mother, Other Father, Bobinsky, Wybie, Coraline Doll, and the cat. The back of the house splits open to reveal a detailed interior of rooms any fan of the film will recognize instantly.
The LEGO Ideas campaign is going now, and thankfully is still early enough that it has a strong chance of making it, especially with the exposure from this past week. Head on over to LEGO Ideas to cast your vote and make this wonderful set a reality. I'd like to give a huge shout out to Holly for granting us access to not only her set, but the fascinating and awesome Laika Experience, it was unforgettable.
I don't know what this robot's job is, based on his proportions I'm guessing picking up and moving large, heavy stuff. I mean, just look at the size of those hands, they're huge. It turns out that's where this MOC by m_o_n_k_e_y started, with his hands, and the rest took shape over time.
Why oh why can't we live in a world with beauties like this gracefully moving through the sky? This is the Bellonatus by builder Mark of Falworth, and it's gorgeous. But don't let it's lovely appearance fool you, it's also armed to the teeth with no fewer than 14 cannons and a fearsome bow ram. Beauty and beast in the same vessel.
Attendees of San Diego Comic-Con (including yours truly) will get a chance to meet the 13th Doctor, at least in brick form, thanks to the building skills of my dear friend Brandon Griffith. Want to see just how one of these stunning sculptures takes shape? Check out the time lapse video.
I don't know the full extent of the plans for this whimsical city by builder Pate-keetongu, we featured another section three months ago. But if he keeps building, we'll keep blogging because it's absolutely jaw-dropping. It's like a combination of past and future design aesthetics, with a little Terry Gilliam mixed in. I want to watch the stories that unfold here.
I don't know what inspired it, I don't know the story behind it, and some quick google searches didn't help, so I'll just present it. Meet Buddha Robot by Moko, a surprisingly posable humanoid robot. Just based on the construction I wouldn't have guessed the range of motion of this mech (yeah, he's a mech, there's actually a figure inside!), but check out Moko's website for even more pics, this is only a glimpse.
The battle of Yavin, the climactic ending of Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope. It made my heart race as a child, it makes my heart go pitter patter as an adult (well, man child). So this MOC by Grantmasters was automatically gonna catch my eye, but throw in some kinetic action inspired by JK Brickworks and it's the total package, and I'm totally smitten.
As if being on a strange world lightyears from home wasn't disconcerting enough, now your team has come across this structure in the middle of the jungle. I'd give that about a 8/10 on the pucker scale. It might be easy to glance right over this MOC by Blufiji. From the thumbnail it is deceptively simple, but really look at that structure, it's futuristic and ancient at the same time. Look at the trees, familiar and totally alien all at once. There's a lot of subtlety going on here.
Every once in a while the inspiration for a build just slightly exceeds the bricks on hand. Most of the time this leads to delays and inevitable Bricklink orders. But that drive to get it done can also lead to creative workarounds. In the case of the walls of this lovely loft by Heksu, dark red was in short supply, but with a little out of the box thinking (and the use of jumpers, slopes and everything else that works) it got done. The results are impressive, and it's totally a place I'd like to hang out.
Generally we don't feature digital builds here on BrickNerd, but when they're as phenomenal as this one by Nicola Stocchi we'll make an exception. Behold the War Rig, driven by Furiosa in Fury Road and expertly recreated at minifig scale. This beast looks ready to conquer the wasteland, and thanks to exceptional lighting and rendering by Gabriele Zannotti, it's as beautiful as it is badass.
According to builder Corvus Auriac MOCs this is "a small MOC with a great metaphorical symbolism. While a life vanishes, a rose blooms." It's a reminder that when we're gone, we become the fuel for other life, and the cycle continues. It also points out a serious issue, who's burying the coffins at this cemetery and why are they doing such a terrible job at it? Seriously, fire that guy.
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