This modern city by Oliver Barrell demonstrates what is possible when you build a city in harmony with nature. Wind turbines and solar power the city, while green spaces and clear, clean water provide an essential connection to the site. The choice of only a few colors for the buildings, and the use of clever parts like the flexible wristband wrapped around the tower in the middle help this building  stand out. Not to mention the light rail line passing directly into the mountain on the left. I would certainly love to live in a place like this. The post A sleek, sustainable, and modern LEGO city of the future appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Daniel

How do you follow up the anarchic mischief of the Muppet Show? For Jim Henson’s team, the answer was the wholesome hippy magic of Fraggle Rock. The Main Five Fraggless – Gobo, Wembey, Mokey, Boober, and Red – were precursors of the Inside Out emotions, neuroses made felt. My favorite was aways Boober, the curmudgeonly chef, laundry washer, and homebody. Prolific Bionicle builder Abby Lilliebridge is also a fan, as she brought the loveable grump to life in LEGO. Abby gives her usual Bionicle bits a break, working instead with System parts. Light aqua works well for Boober’s distinctive pale fur. A delicious-looking radish makes the perfect accessory.  You can learn more about the prolific Bionicle creator in this interview with Abby from 2022. The post Dance your cares away with this LEGO Boober from Fraggle Rock appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

When a LEGO sculpture can capture emotion, dynamism, and organic shapes without exposing how the pieces hold together, it’s nothing short of magic. Sakiya Watanabe (N.A.B.E_mocs) is truly a sorcerer of bricks, as demonstrated by his latest sculpture of the storm god Fujin. There are so many inspired parts in the head alone – raptor jaws for ears,  bigfig fists for cheeks, Balin’s hairpiece for the chin. I can’t even begin to figure out how that hair holds together. Sakiya based his design on the famous Fujin and Raijin painted screen by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, a national treasure from the Edo period, displayed in Kyoto. The magnificent and monstrous Fujin follows another character model that Sakiya constructed just in time for Japan Brickfest last month. “Aria, the Spirit of Melody” is an original creation that pairs the fairy with a wooden branch in the shape of a musical horn. Once again, the...

The Black Pearl? Didn’t she last sail off LEGO shelves back in 2012? Well, ye best start believing in ghost stories, as the Black Pearl is back, bigger and bolder, as LEGO Icons 10365 Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship. In addition to an awkward name change, the new Black Pearl (let’s agree that she’s still called that) is assembled from 2,862 pieces, up from 804 in her maiden voyage, adding detail, a larger scale, and a display stand.  At 25 inches in both length and height, the Black Pearl is comparable in scale to 71042 Silent Mary, the last big Pirates of the Caribbean set (and one of my “grail” sets that I kick myself for not getting back in the day). Priced at $379.99, Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate ship continues a trend of bigger sets and bigger price tags, joining Batman, Harry Potter, Willy Wonka, and Wicked in a crowded...

The anime film Suzume, written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, premiered in 2022, in the midst of the pandemic, and was a wonderful escape that won critical acclaim. So it is certainly not surprising that it has inspired LEGO builders around the world, like Jean-Philippe Leroux, who has recreated the image from the promotional poster in stunning detail. The weathered white door set in a broken brick wall serves as the central focus, while the round building with rib-like frames curving upward in the background perfectly captures the source material. The post What mysteries lie behind the door – LEGO homage to Suzume appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Daniel