So on YouTube there is this guy.  This guy has this face.  This face is in every thumbnail.  It's always the same.  He has an alias, and when you put it into Google Translate it comes out "Hero of the Stones."  Stones?  I get the feeling it's one of those transliteration vs. translation situations, and what's really intended is "Hero of the Bricks," for aside from specializing in miniatur-gesichtsbilder, he does a whole lot of LEGO stuff. At least, that is, he did a lot of LEGO stuff.  Apparently this brick/stone guy is going to start doing just a bit less after the LEGO legal team sent him a love letter (warning: strange language, use closed captions & auto-translate) that was much too early for Valentine's Day.  (Then again, the Winter Village sets always release in what, early September?)  Apparently the real-world Danish Agents of Shield analogue known as Dem Murstenbeskyttere is concerned that good...

My short-form LEGO video channel finally earned its custom URL between seasons and is now accessible via http://youtube.com/c/QUiCKBRiCKS. I've just uploaded my first 2019 quick review and will be adding more over the coming months.  This channel is intended for folks who don't have time for or aren't interested in my standard long narrative reviews, and it has also been expanded out to cover previews of large groups of upcoming products plus some additional succinct content types yet to be demoed.On a barely related note, I also picked up a shortcut for my build channel, so you can get to it on a computer at http://youtube.com/c/JangBuilds.Original linkOriginal author: theJANG

The above poll results from the Community tab on my YouTube channel seem pretty dang conclusive to me.  So how come whenever I dislike absolutely anything in a review, I receive a strongly negative viewer reaction, accusing me of being shamefully ungrateful and completely lacking the brainpower and life experience to understand the material and the decisions made by product designers?  Why is my opinion so often seen as an effrontery if it isn't 100% positive?Original linkOriginal author: theJANG

Over the years I've done a bunch of Throwback Thursday & Flashback Friday uploads covering vintage sets or LEGO catalogs, but this week I turned the retro focus on my speed builds, re-rendering a couple of roughly 6-year-old blur-lapses to the JANG Builds It! channel.  I have about 60 such back-catalog videos of varying speeds that I have always planned to bring over to the new channel.  The original plan from a year or more ago was to do the full transfer before launching such a (then hypothetical) build-only sub-brand, but when Studio B came together this season, just before the big release drop, there was no time.  A slow catch-up it will be, then.  No problem!I also have over 40 hyperspeed clips from my 2015 "built in 60 seconds" experiment that I'm not sure what to do with.  I can slow them down a bit, some farther than others if...

It's extremely difficult for me to fathom the concept that months have passed since my most recent post here, but the date stamps do not lie!  Truth be told, this site hasn't provided the value to readers it should have for quite a long time.  Most of my posts have been simple links to new videos I've published.  Sadly this can be a more reliable way to get notified of new content than subscribing directly to my YouTube channel and even "clicking the bell," since YouTube's algorithms these days are positively torturous and often seem simultaneously anti-viewer and anti-creator (unless you make or like exploitative compilations of other peoples' content or over-the-top insane conspiracy theories).  That's a rant for another place & time, though.It's a new year and I'm finally ready to pull Jangbricks.com out of its slumber by giving it a new life closer to its original intended purpose.  I'm...

It has always been my goal to maintain a safe, positive environment in the comments sections of my videos for kids & adults alike.  In this interest, all viewer comments on all videos of all of my channels are first reviewed by moderators (including, but not limited to myself) before ever becoming visible to the public.  Bad behavior is rejected, abusive users are reported & blocked/shadow-banned.  The rule of thumb is, be a basically decent, civil human being, or be elsewhere.Allowed:Civil disagreement & dissenting opinionsConstructive criticism that is actually constructiveGeneral sillinessLiking something many people don'tDisliking something many people likeCriticizing a manufacturer or vendorDefending a (legal, legitimate) manufacturer or vendorReferences to family-friendly memesVideo-relevant farcical debate, e.g. "realism" of fantasy objects, canonical appropriateness of character depictions, etc.Not allowed:Foul language, even if obfuscated or abbreviatedInsults, disrespect, personal attacksHate based on race, age, gender/identity, eye color, etc.Harassment, threats, cyber-bullyingMaking fun of the suffering of othersCreepy,...

Back in March I dedicated the Mellemby District section of New Jang City to the viewers and asked for your suggestions for an overall theme or direction. Over 1,700 comments poured in and though the responses were quite varied, easily the most common request was for a cyberpunk scene (Blade Runner, Akira, lower Coruscant, Altered Carbon, etc.).  Just last month, I thought of finally putting my idle Death Star to use by converting it to work in this space, and viewers approved.  Thusly I build!Videos:Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Probably one or two more updates should bring this project to a close "for now" and then I'll switch over to something else.Original linkOriginal author: theJANG

The second most complex LEGO set ever.  The longest build process for me, ever.  My longest time without sleeping, ever. My longest review video, ever.  This was a big deal.Videos:LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle 2018 full review! 71043 (40 mins)Mistakes:It's Lupin's DADA classroom, not Transfiguration (gramophone & Classroom 1B style layout threw me off)Not a Susan Bones nanofig; wrong houseA round tan cylinder fell off the side of the Stone Bridge Tower in transit and I didn't realize it until most of the review was filmed. Completely insignificant & inconsequential to the appearance of the structure & the review.QUICK look: LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle in-person walkthrough! (6 mins)LEGO Hogwarts Castle Viaduct geometry problem follow-upOriginal linkOriginal author: theJANG

It's been an extraordinarily busy season for me, with many.  Living on the West coast of the US, being in specifically in a region with stores that are increasingly respectful of contractually-mandated sales embargo dates, and accepting no sponsored products for reviews, I was at a tremendous disadvantage to most of the LEGO YouTuber world with respect to acquiring & reviewing products on a timely basis.  I did the best I could, though, and tried to at least maintain my normal standards of quality in spite of the time crunch.Videos:LEGO Star Wars Cloud Rider Swoop Bikes full review! 75215LEGO Star Wars Imperial AT-Hauler review! 75219Alternative - QUICK look: LEGO Star Wars Imperial Conveyex Transport 75217LEGO Star Wars Imperial Conveyex Transport review! 75217Alternative - QUICK look: LEGO Imperial AT-Hauler 75219LEGO Star Wars Han Solo Mudtrooper & Kessel Mine Worker polybags reviewed!LEGO Star Wars Sandcrawler 2018 set review! 75220Alternative - QUICK look: LEGO Star...

After the big run of Marvel merchandise not long ago, the DC world got limited LEGO representation this season, but one of the sets is nearly perfect.  Another is a remote-controlled batmobile.Videos:LEGO Batman: Attack of the Talons review! 76110LEGO App-Controlled (RC) Batmobile review! 76112LEGO Batman: Brother Eye Takedown review! 76111Original linkOriginal author: theJANG