Last Halloween, we shared instructions for two small builds: a witch on her broomstick, and a grave with a crow. In that article, I wrote that the grave was actually a one-bedroom zombie apartment. And for this year's Halloween edition of our Quick Builds, I feel that I have to reveal the apartment’s owner. He's a cool guy and goes by the name of Mr. Braaaainss. When I asked, he said only “Braaaainss” but he does look like a Mister to me. Instructions to Build a Halloween Zombie I really wanted to build a LEGO zombie with a dislocated jaw and the hinge parts (hinge base + hinge top) were perfect for the task. This is where the build started. Then I had to figure out the eyes, and I came up with the minifig hands inserted into headlight bricks. And because this was the coolest part of the zombie, I...

Best of BrickNerd - Article originally published March 14, 2021. If you have ever watched one of those “ghost hunting” television shows, you may have noticed that they never seem to actually detect any ghosts, let alone capture any credible evidence of them. Many LEGO “MOC hunting” blogs seem to have those same issues with detecting ghost MOCs, as this build of Slimer by Taiwanese builder ZiO Chao has gone largely unnoticed... until now! We recently featured ZiO Chao’s bonsai tree, and while we were going through the depths of their photostream on Flickr we got slimed. Slimer (also known as Onionhead, Little Spud or The Green Ghost) was the first ghost successfully captured by the Ghostbusters in the original Ghostbusters movie (1984). Made up of pure Ectoplasm, he leaves behind a trail of slime whenever he passes through solid objects, and is also known for his ravenous appetite. Scientifically speaking,...

Best of BrickNerd - Article originally published November 4, 2021. We’ve been featuring some mecha/robot building here at BrickNerd for Mechtober, but given the immense popularity of the theme in the AFOL community, we’ve barely scratched the surface of this particular topic. This is why we are always happy to chat with mech builders and discover more about mechs and building them. Today we chat with Lu Sim, better known as Messymaru. Lu’s builds have been featured in various LEGO media throughout the years and slots for his classes at the Japan Brick Festival always get filled up so quickly. Since BrickNerd has featured several of his models in the past (see his Aras, Aztech Deity, and Titoy’s Magical Chair) we figured it’s about time we sat down with him for a closer look at the builder behind the builds. Inez: Hi Lu! Thanks for talking with us! Can you tell...

A few months back, I was cursed by the AFOL community because of everything I did to poor old Benny. With Halloween just around the corner, one of the old skeletons hiding in my closet, er, desk inspired me again. Spooky Scary Skeletons will be harmed… Introduced back in 1995, the Skeleton quickly became a staple in many a LEGO theme, ranging from Castle, Adventurers, Pirates, and everything in between. The introduction of the skeleton was actually quite the controversial moment for LEGO, because outside of play, it represented the idea that a minifigure could die! Arms seem a little floppy floppy, huh? about that… Unlike standard poseable minifigure arms, LEGO skeleton arms used to end in a small ball socket that connected loosely to the torso. (Modern versions have a standard bar and clip connection like Battl eDroids). But the wiggly arms of the old skeleton have an awfully floppy...

Halloween is a holiday that I love as much as LEGO! I can’t get enough of everything fall, from pumpkin-carving and scary movies to haunted houses and Halloween costumes. However, not everyone gets excited about the spookiest day of the year. Some people even get stressed out at the thought of having to come up with a costume. The good news is the world of LEGO can provide a little inspiration. If you think about it, LEGO minifigures have been dressing up for years. Actors from movies and TV shows from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, Disney and more have all appeared as minifigs. These characters can be great sources of costume inspiration, but there’s a good chance you won’t be the only Disney Princess or Avenger at the party. For a costume that’s a little more unique, you could consider dressing up as one of the real-life famous people who...