SHIPtember 2020!

Alright, gang, we’re still alive and kickin’ here at Bricknerd Industries, LLC. Well, alive at least. Anyway, it’s SHIPtember if you haven’t noticed, and today is the 15th. So if you haven’t started, you better get your arse in gear! I just finished mine today, got some pics, and edited them. I even came up with an interesting name form my SHIP, the General George J. Stannard. Never heard of him? Well, that’s the idea, just like the ships of the US Space Force Fleet. Laugh all you want, whatever’s up there must be doing some awesome stuff. At least I’d like to think so.

“Posting your own build??!?!? Totally lame!!” Hey, that guy on the other LEGO blog, I forget what it’s called… Anyway, he’s ALWAYS posting his own stuff. So, talk to the manager if you’ve got a problem.

Colonial Viper, MK II

Mark Kelso’s back with a modified version of his Viper built for the VirtuaLUG Battlestar Galactica display at Brickworld 2018. He’s got all sorts of nifty custom decals, including some convincing score marks, and of course his call sign; Pookie Muffin. He also admits to modifying several parts- egad! But that’s artistic license, and it’s paid off nicely! So Say We All!

Editor’s Note: As Mark was unable to attend Brickworld that year, my son was lucky enough to reassemble it for the display, where it was positioned front and center, the sharp point of the Colonial Fleet. We also got to swoosh it around!

Riddle Me This...

Ryan Howerter has come up with a way to keep us entertained (and occasionally frustrated) during the world-wide pandemic lockdown. Every day he presents us with a new conundrum for us to replicate on his Instagram page. My son and I have been working on them independently, and it’s been interesting to see him use parts I didn’t even know we had, and vice versa. Good luck, and don’t forget to wash your hands!

Jam Session

Lego 7 seems to be a man of few words, and this build certainly needs no explanation. But since most of you, I would surmise, have plenty of time on your hands, there’s lots to learn in this build. Enjoy!

It's Easy As A B C

Well, maybe not so easy…. My old pal Dave Kaleta has finally finished his A-Z starship project. For those of you who weren’t paying attention in school, that’s 26 ships! Check out the individual posts for all the details and playability features. I especially like how the Y ship can transform from a consonant to a vowel. When the fleet is on patrol, I always stays ahead of E, except when C is in the air. And believe it or not, with all of those powerful engines, more than half of the ships can run silent. Excellent work, Dave!

And check out his new contest on Flickr and Instagram. Just click the picture.

Just A Robot Dog Pulling Adam Savage In A Rickshaw...You Know, Like Usual

Yeah, it’s just that again, a Boston Dynamics Spot pulling Mythbuster Adam Savage in his custom made rickshaw. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen this, I could afford a scratcher. Builder and mechanical genius JK Brickworks is back with a wondrous creation inspired by a recent video from Tested.com. Check the video out and confirm for yourself this is a wonderful time to be alive.

Somebody Stop Me!

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen The Mask, but after seeing this awesome build by Pistash I have to admit I’m thinking of screening it again. This was the role that Jim Carrey was born to play, and I can’t imagine the part with any other actor. Yes, he chews up the scenery, but that was sort of the point wasn’t it? And the over-the-top Tex Avery style cartoony visual effects by ILM were a treat.

Mass Effect Disciple Shotgun

You’ll no doubt be shocked to learn that I haven’t played Mass Effect (I say that about every game, maybe I should game more) but that doesn’t keep me from appreciating a sweet bit of sci-fi weaponry. This state of the art pew pew by Sheo looks like it leapt right off the screen, and is ready to mow down some baddies.

In Memory

Jens Nygaard Knudsen passed away. You may not recognize his name, but if you’re reading this blog you know his work. Jens was initially a designer at LEGO and quickly became Chief Designer from 1968 until 2000.  He designed early town sets and was Mr. Space having his hand in the Space lines from the Classic era up to M-Tron and what started as Sea-Tron which later became Aquanauts. Also he is credited with inventing the Minifigure! Mark Stafford posted his article (Brick Journal #6 2009) we he talks to Jens and Designer Niels Milan Pedersen on his flickr stream in memory (page 1, page 2, & page 3). The article has many pictures of concept models that Jens and Niels created. Mark will be forwarding comments on the flickr pages to Jens family and has started #NygaardMemorialFleet for anyone who wants to build a memorial spaceship.

Image from Mark Stafford’s flickr stream, original published Brick Journal #6

Nerds Need Love, Too!

Alright, Gang- It’s not too late to get out there to your local Kwik-E-Mart and grab the last batch of flowers. Or better yet, get out your flower/plant LEGO bin and do what Emmet did. Lucy looks thrilled!

Nicely done, Leot! (Hope you fare better tonight)

Happy Valentines Day, everybody!

The Magic Bus In The Wild

What do you do when you’ve trekked hundreds of miles and you stumble upon an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness? Well you move into it of course. This is the way over simplified version of the fascinating tale of Chris McCandless, and his ill fated quest to reject society and live off the land. Builder Norton74 has crafted this awesome recreation of the “Magic Bus” as Chris dubbed it.

Because These Balls Aren't Going To Move Themselves

I’ve always been fascinated by great ball contraptions, or GBCs. They’re wonderfully complex design to do a wonderfully useless action tickles my Rube Goldberg fancy. Builder and mechanical evil genius (ok, not so evil) JK Brickworks has crafted his very first GBC, and of course it’s a wonder to behold. Watch the video to see it in action.

Cigarettes and Coffee, Man, That's a Combination

Even if you don’t know who these two guys are, you can appreciate timofey_tkachev’s level of skill required to reproduce such a scene in LEGO. But if you do recognize these cultural icons, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, then you realize what an extraordinary piece this is.

Outhouse

There have been countless technological advances in the past century, but few are as taken for granted as the modern bathroom/toilet. Within as few as three or four generations, less depending on just how rural you are, an outhouse, like this one by SuckMyBrick, was simply the place to do your business. And it just takes a short visit to a outdoor event or construction site to relive just how terrible it was as you are forced to use a “modern” porta-potty.

Sorcerer's Apprentice

We’re big into Disney at our house, and while we’re not the biggest fans of Fantasia, the iconic image of Mickey as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice has always been a favorite. This sculpture by builder alanboar captures not only the look of Mickey in this classic role, but also the whimsy and attitude.

Assault-Teddy

It’s a well established fact that kids sleep better with a teddybear. What’s less known is the fact that the reason they can sleep well is the diligence and perseverance of the humble teddy. When the lights go off and the eyes close, teddy’s watch begins, and thanks to builder Moko we can get a glimpse into the secret world of kid defense.

Dwelf Tales

I love the imagination and whimsy of this CCC entry by builder LittleJohn. It features a working trap designed to separate travelers on a forest road from their treasure in a wonderful little scene cleverly sandwiched between two books.

Bob's Kabobs

This looks right out of 5th element or maybe Blade Runner, so naturally I’m instantly smitten. Welcome to Bob’s Kabobs, a hover equipped food truck by builder lokiloki29. This solves one of the main problems I’ve seen with food trucks (besides them never being where you are when you’re hungry) is sorting out where to park.

Tiny Loco

I do enjoy when I see a small collection of parts ingeniously combined into something nifty. When you first glance at this little locomotive by builder Cole Blaq it just looks like a train. But when you look closer you’ll start to see things, like the boiler is a chest, and the catcher is minifig hands. It’s all as clever as it is small.

Showdown On Arvala

Like a great many Star Wars fans, I ravenously devoured The Mandalorian, and it’s been so refreshing to have the feels of Star Wars back. There’s a certain intangibility to what makes something feel like Star Wars, but no small part of it is the roots on which it’s built, the inspiration that fueled it. It’s clear in the first minute of episode one that The Mandalorian is heavily inspired by the classic westerns, which were in turn heavily inspired by the classic samurai movies, and A New Hope drew much of inspiration from those as well. By the end of the first scene I was hooked, and so was everyone else. Builder Marcus19840432 is clearly a fan, having skillfully crafted one of the key early moments in season one, the showdown in the outpost on Arvala. For spoilers sake I will say no more and if you haven’t seen the series yet, what the heck are you waiting for?