Original linkOriginal author: LEGO

Lately, every social feed has been clogged with AI slop pillaging the surface-level aesthetics of Studio Ghibli films. Here’s a palate cleanser from Joe Lam – a microscale LEGO Catbus and Totoro. Celebrating Totoro, it’s instantly recognizable from just 9 or 10 elements, and the Catbus is packed with personality. The eyes are especially inspired, using Batman logos for the wild pupils. Joe designed the Catbus back in 2023, but what better time to celebrate the joy that comes from human creativity? And maybe have a look at other Totoro builds that have inspired us over the years. The post Microscale Miyazaki (Or how to be inspired by Studio Ghibli without letting generative AI do all the work) appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Jake Forbes

Original linkOriginal author: LEGO

Disney’s cinematic renaissance might have kicked off in 1989 with The Little Mermaid, but the Disney parks were entering a new era two years earlier with the debut of Star Tours. The immersive ride combined motion simulation with state-of-the-art special effect filmmaking to transport riders into the Star Wars universe, joining a trench run to take out the Death Star. Okay Yaramanoglu recreates the StarSpeeder 3000 in LEGO with a model with the greebles and pinstripes that will take you right back to 1987. What made the ride so convincing was the commitment to the bit of the StarSpeeder 3000 starship. Visitors could watch C3PO and R2D2 bicker about your upcoming journey as they stood next to one of the impressive transport vessels. By the time you reached the doors of the ride version, you were ready to believe that it was a lightspeed-ready craft that really could take you to Endor....

Star Wars canon is packed with bizarre aliens and over-the-top villains, but sometimes the franchise plays it a little too safe. For today’s Minifig Monday we’re highlighting original Star Wars characters that take risks, push boundaries, or even get a bit silly. Which in a universe with characters like Elan Sleazebagano and Therm Scissorpunch is saying something! Our first set of characters comes from Tylar, whose Islamic astronomy tower wowed us last year. Tylar re-imagines the Geonosians from Attack of the Clones as masters of pre-historic Earth, armed with bronze age weaponry and even taming dinosaur mounts. Killmonger‘s mask from Black Panther fits perfectly with the aesthetic of this remixed faction. Minifigs aside, Tylar poses his characters on some truly epic brick-built sand dunes. Sticking to the prequel era, here we see Padme and General Grievous in fine fantasy form courtesy of Expansion Bricks. I’m getting strong Ray Harryhausen vibes here with...