Now that we’re closing in on December, it’s time to release the Christmas builds! I’ve been anxiously anticipating another seasonal kinetic sculpture by Jason Allemann, and he hasn’t disappointed. These elves at their workbench are cute enough alone, but of course, there’s more! Jason’s latest creation uses a nifty mechanism to give it an assembly line feel. Routinely, Jason’s little mechanical marvels make me kick myself for not quite having thought of it on my own. He’s done several seasonal models, including an egg-pooping Easter Bunny! And if you’re unfamiliar, he is the creator of the 21305 LEGO Ideas Maze, as well as co-creator of the new 21315 LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book. Also check out our recent interview with Jason and co-creator Grant Davis.   The post Busy in Santa’s workshop... [Video] appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Bre Burns

During the late 70s and early 80s The Specials made some of the most innovative and iconic singles to ever grace the British music charts. Not only did they mix ska, punk and rocksteady beats to raucous effect, they married it with a two tone fashion sense that set them apart from their peers. Red 2 has caught the band at the height of their powers, as they appeared in the music video for their 1979 hit A Message to You Rudy. The LEGO version of the group perfectly capturing their tonic suits, and my favourite part of the build, pork pie hats made form small dishes and domes. It’s no small feat to build all nine members, but it pays off with each posed in mid-swagger, capturing the very essence of their musical style. The post Building in the two tone style appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal...

By now, LEGO bricks’ place among other art media should be obvious, but it still seems to be more of an exception than the rule for builders to express their emotions through bricks. But some times, builders do feel the need to express themselves, as in the case of Malin Kylinger in her latest build. Malin states that the dual theme of the creation represents a range of emotions she went through in the recent times. What at first glance looks like a simple struggle between good and evil hides countless possible interpretation. Is this a chaotic whirlwind of changing emotion or is it a fine balance? Or maybe there is no struggle, just coexistence of light and dark? Whatever the interpretation, there is no getting around the fact this is a great build. The face is technically a somewhat flat build, but from the photos, it looks very realistic. The...

The LEGO Shop’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and deals are happening this week, with UK sales already underway and US & Canadian sales starting at midnight Eastern Time on Friday, November 23rd (that’s Thanksgiving night at 9 PM for our readers on the west coast). Various LEGO sets are 20-30% off or more, and the holiday promotion this year is a Buildable Holiday Present set with purchases over $99/£85. LEGO sent us an early copy of the promotional set, and it’s a lovely little set with 301 pieces that opens up, reminding us of both 75952 Newt’s Case and 21315 Pop-up Book. We’ll update this article with specific deals we find, but in the meantime, you can click through to the US sales and deals page from the images above. Each day this week, the UK LEGO Shop is heavily discounting one large set: Thursday 22 Nov: 76112 App-Controlled...

There’s a new product in the increasingly crowded third-party custom brick world. Mbriks are a way to bring new life to your LEGO (and compatible brands) building bricks by adding additional dimension and display options. These custom magnetic bricks have shown a lot of promise in the professionally produced videos and other promotional material during the month-long Kickstarter campaign ending this week, but we wanted to weigh in ourselves. [Note: We received a pre-production version of Mbriks, and we now understand that some of the issues highlighted in this review may have been resolved in the final production version that will be shipped to Kickstarter backers.] A brief history of LEGO and magnets LEGO has a long and evolving history with magnetic bricks. As new and stricter consumer protection laws have arisen to address the dangers of ever-stronger magnets, LEGO has introduced a range of different magnet products. The changes along...

There are a wealth of details worth checking out in Andreas Lenander‘s latest LEGO creation — a busy marketplace in a Middle-East-inspired fantasy city — not least its unusual inhabitants. The city walls feature some nice little touches to break up the expanse of tan, and the detailing around the arch is spot-on. The towers provide a nice backdrop to the action, and the white one has some lovely texturing which delivers the impression of mosaics or elaborate carved screens. Below, the market itself is brimming with people and animals, creating a sense of activity and movement. You can’t look at this without finding yourself waiting on a big fight breaking out! There are a huge variety of minifigures amidst the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. The mixing of figures from different LEGO themes can sometimes jar, but here it simply adds to the sense of a wider fantasy world...

If you haven’t had your daily dose of vitamins yet, this creation by alego alego might satisfy your needs — provided you can digest ABS plastic, of course. There is anything you could wish for in this fruit and vegetable stand, from peppers to onions, eggplants and lettuce. What is a street stand without a street? The background scene is detailed and realistic, with ingot tiles as bricks on the house and a kitty looking out the window. The hydrant and candelabra help the sidewalk avoid being plain or empty. Obviously the vegetable stand is the best part, with all sorts of unique parts uses, like joker’s hair as lettuce and frogs as peppers. Minifig arms are used all around as various fruits and vegetables in different colours – eggplants, chili peppers, bananas… The post Home grown, healthy and fresh appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Luka

And I quote, “Stink. Stank. Stunk!” Dr. Seuss’s vile villain who stole Christmas, and his trusty dog, Max, come to us in LEGO form! This awful (lovely) model of Mr. Grinch by Miro Dudas is simply terrible (awesome)! In seriousness, this is one of my most favorite builds in recent history. Miro’s wonderfully expressive recreation is remarkably close to the latest version of the character in the new 2018 movie, The Grinch. The post The three words that best describe you are as follows... appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Bre Burns

If your LEGO pirate ship crashes on the rocks, what do you do? Easy, rebuild! Travis Brickle has embraced this idea, skilfully repurposing the recognisable aspects of his vessel into a makeshift cottage on its own remote island. It’s a ramshackle affair with the hull doubling as roof replete with dormers; I love the turtle shell fix to one of these. The mast stands tall as a look out post, I assume to scour the horizon for rescue. A ship’s wheel hangs above the door, a reminder of past maritime glory. Yet, even when a pirate’s shipwrecked, you can’t take the buccaneer out of the man: there are sailors still to walk the plank, treasure to plunder, and rum aplenty to be swilled. The post Voyaging begins when one burns one’s boats, adventures begin with a shipwreck appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: David Alexander Smith

LEGO has revealed five new sets based on Marvel’s webslinging superhero, Spider-Man. The five sets range from battling mechs to Junior’s racers. The sets will be available for purchase from LEGO this weekend, starting November 24th. The largest set featuring an imposing mechanized Venom was revealed earlier this summer, but this is the first we’ve seen official photos of the rest of the wave, including lots of new minifigures. 76115 Spider Mech vs. Venom604 pieces | $49.99 Join Spider-Man and Ghost Spider on a mission to release Aunt May from Venom’s clutches in a thrilling LEGO® Marvel Spider-Man 76115 Spider Mech vs. Venom battle. Match the posable Spider Mech, featuring an opening minifigure cockpit, tech spider/web shooter and gripping claw, against the huge posable Venom Mech, with minifigure-grabbing claws. This superhero toy building kit includes 4 LEGO minifigures, Ghost Spider’s hover board with 2 stud shooters, plus 9 assorted web elements...