Making alternate models from released LEGO sets is a challenging hobby, but Rogel Dela Fuente (RJ BrickBuilds)  takes things to an impressive extreme with their transformation of a 42100 Liebherr R 9800 Excavator into Johnny 5 of Short Circuit fame. This is more than just a static creation – RJ has made a Johnny 5 that is truly ALIVE. Engineered to make both arms swivel up and down while the neck turns from side to side while it’s pre-programmed to make spins and turns on the tracks. It’s remote-controlled via the LEGO Powered-Up App via a mobile device. RJ showcases this amazing, fully-motorized creation in a three-minute video. The post This alternate model is ALIVE – Johnny 5 made from a 42100 Liebherr R 9800 Excavator appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Chris Doyle

True story; one of the best days of my life involved flying fish. I was in the Navy and got reassigned to gyro school while we were deployed out in the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of waiting until we pulled into port, they hired a small craft to meet our ship. I was (carefully) hoisted over the side, and onto the craft. Usually, the captain gets a series of bells to announce his or her arrival and departure. Little enlisted schlubs like me didn’t get the same treatment except during our final departure from the ship. So they rang me off with bells and headed for shore. Here’s where the flying fish came in, jumping over the craft in droves as we sped through the water. I felt like freakin’ James Bond on a special mission! Once on shore at Panama City, Florida, I was reverted back to common schlub transportation...

One of the coolest things about LEGO building is how it can cross over with other art forms. This stunning mosaic by Deep Shen was inspired by a cross-stitch pattern. Translated into LEGO, it uses about 6,700 pieces to cover 160×104 studs (that’s about 50 inches x 32 inches) and took two weeks to build. The end result was definitely worth the investment in time and parts, as it really captures the majesty of the peacock. If you do the math, 160×104 studs would normally require 16,640 1×1 plates, not 6,700. Deep Shen built this image pixel by pixel in Stud.io first, then used the software to optimize things by combining the 1×1 plates into longer ones where possible.  It’s cool to see different techniques for designing mosaic images being applied, and a good reminder that not every mosaic needs to look like a LEGO Art Set. Believe it or not,...

LEGO Master Builder Tyler Clites dips his toe into FebRovery waters with his Space School Bus. Tyler’s image description gives us some nice context for the theming – “I think having a kid has me thinking less about weaponry and more about the more mundane details of life in space.” Mars is far enough away for socially distanced learning, right? There are a lot of great details to enjoy here, but my favorites are the smooth curves in the rear cabin and and the dark red structural beams. And those frying pan details in the center of the layered wheels are just *chef’s kiss*  levels of quality. If space school busses aren’t your jam, then maybe you’ll like this awesome chopped rusto-mod version from our archives! The post When remote learning is really, really, remote. appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Chris Doyle

This month’s Gift With Purchase kicks off with the 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute set. The Harry Potter and Collesseum promotions are still available from the past couple of months. Here’s a list of GWP eligibility based on item, price and region (the US|CAN|UK) based on today’s availability, 6 March 2021. GWP promotions run out frequently and fast. All information is accurate based on the time at which this article is published. US, Canada and UK LEGO Store LEGO 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute | 203 Pieces | TBB ReviewValued at: US $19.99 | CAN $26.99 | UK £17.99Criteria: Spend over US $100, CAN $130, UK £100.99Eligibility Period: March 06-14, or while stocks last UK LEGO Store DOTS 30556 Mini Frame | 85 PiecesValued at: US $4.99 | CAN $4.99 | UK £3.49Criteria: Spend over UK £30Eligibility Period: March 02-15, or while stocks last   US and Canada LEGO Store Harry Potter 30628 The...

In the writings of A. A. Milne, the Hundred Acre Wood is home to many beloved characters. LEGO  invites us all to visit these childhood friends in LEGO Ideas 21326 Winnie the Pooh. Based on an idea submitted by fan Ben Alder in March of 2019, this set will be available to LEGO VIP members starting March 18, with general availability following on April 1st. For US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99 you’ll get Pooh’s home and five exclusive minifigures. Read along as we look for honey-dipped surprises, keeping a watchful eye out for any stray Heffalumps. (Spoiler alert: There are no Heffalumps in this set.) The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews. The box and contents The packaging for this set follows the “Adult Collector” theme. That means a minimalist black...

Ever wanted to see your kid on that famous LEGO ad from 1981? Now you can, says the company, thanks to a new ad campaign. This coming Monday, March 8, is International Women’s Day, and to mark the occasion The LEGO Company is launching a new ad campaign focusing on young female builders. Based on LEGO’s iconic “What it is is beautiful” advertisement from 1981 featuring a young girl proudly holding her creation, the new campaign will let fans see themselves in a similar advertisement. While the campaign website isn’t live at the time of writing, LEGO says it will allow parents to submit images of their children holding their designs, along with a few keywords, and the website will then generate a unique poster based on the image that will be emailed back. Here are a few example posters that LEGO is showing, along with the original 1981 poster. Here’s...

Sometimes you don’t have to understand exactly what you’re looking at to appreciate how awesome it is, and how well-built it is. This LEGO creation by Bart De Dobbelaer is called the Glarburg Horror, and I think it fits into that category. Bart’s written a short story on this Lovecraftian monstrosity, but I’m afraid I’m still no closer to figuring it out. Nevertheless, I like the repetitious use of elements on the “creature” to create an unnerving texture. Meanwhile, the broken stone columns have an almost technological feeling, while the whole scene is subtly overgrown with sickly black shoots made mostly of connected droid arms. The post The unknown horror appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Chris (TBB Managing Editor)

One of the things I love about writing for The Brothers Brick is that I learn something new with every article. For instance, I never knew the ghosts from the arcade game Pac-Man had names. Apparently, they do. In this creation by Mikael Montelius Inky and Blinky are featured. Inky is the blue one, Blinky the red one. Somehow LEGO is a great medium to make 2D Arcade Games come to life. One of the things that always amazes me is how perfectly the 2×2 curved slopes fit together to make a (half) circle. These pieces are used to create not only Inky and Blinky, but also our beloved hero Pac-Man. I’m also a fan of the use of dark blue and black tiles to create the maze on the floor of this creation. The post Keep out Inky and Blinky appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Bart...

Today LEGO has revealed the latest set from its Ideas crowd-sourcing platform. 21326 Winnie the Pooh will feature the popular characters from A. A. Milne’s book series along with Pooh’s home under the tree in the Hundred Acre Wood, as interpreted by Disney. The set will include five characters: Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore. The 1,265-piece set is slated to be available for LEGO VIP members starting March 18 with general availability on April 1. It will retail for US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99. Be sure to check back for our full, hands-on review of this set, which will be coming very soon. The Winnie the Pooh project was created by fan Ben Alder in March of 2019, and hit the requisite 10,000 votes in July of that year. It was approved by LEGO in February of last year, joining the Medieval Blacksmith as the two projects from...