BrickCon is returning for its 23rd year, as the longest-running fan-run LEGO convention and a newly-formed nonprofit. So it makes sense that this year’s theme is “Foundations,” reflecting its new charitable goals that revolve around STEM education. But also in keeping with that theme, this year’s show will boast a dedicated exhibit for those old sets that continue to inspire us today. The convention returns to the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA on September 5th through 8th, with public viewing days on the 7th and 8th. And as always, adult builder and fans can count on plenty of presentations, games, activities, roundtables, shopping opportunities, and of course displaying for the 12,000 LEGO fans that take in the hall full of builds. Registration is now open, so be sure to visit brickcon.org to get signed up ASAP. BrickCon has partnered with the same hotels as last year, Courtyard by Marriott and Hotel...

These days, the only place I really seem to see Kung-Fu Panda material is in poorly-cut Instagram reels. Admittedly, that probably says more about more about my social media habits than the film – and to be fair, it is a great film. Thankfully, Jannis Mavrostomos has freshened up my feed with this great LEGO rendition of the main cast! Each one features some great building. An orange leaf looks great for Tigress’ outstretched palm; Crane’s wings look great, as do the rounded features of Monkey’s head and, er, Po’s belly; and I love Viper’s cherry eyestalks. But the best bit is surely the comically small Mantis. What do you mean, where’s Mantis? He’s right there on the right hand side – represented by a single plant stalk! The post These LEGO Kung-Fu Panda characters are fast as lightning! appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

It takes a hearty fellow to live so high up among the clouds with so few safety railings, but this idyllic scene by Roanoke Handybuck and Carter Witz makes me feel just a bit braver than normal. Each structure in this village in the clouds has a unique shape, and some include just a touch of weather-worn details. The slender supports and stacked dwellings give the scene a charming, if not slightly precarious feeling. But the citizens certainly don’t seem to mind. The post A quaint LEGO village in the clouds appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Daniel

LEGO builder xelabricks tells us that this is their first time posting on Flickr, and yet already they’ve dialed in on the formula for success. Anything Star Wars will pretty much become a blip on our radar but it’s great detail like this that will perk our senses. I love the trees and the forested base, but the real star of the show is the highly-detailed AT-ST, or “chicken walker” seen on the forest moon of Endor in films such as Return of the Jedi. But what pushes this creation into the stratosphere is the Power Functions that make this walker appear to…well, walk. Check out the video below to see what I mean. With LEGO creations this good, we’ll surely look forward to whatever else this builder comes up with. The post This Star Wars AT-ST was made for walking. That’s because it’s motorized! appeared first on The Brothers Brick....

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of April 2024. TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS Did you catch our last Brick Report? Once you have, check out this week’s roundup to read the announcement about May the 4th LEGO Star Wars sets, our review of the new 75382 UCS TIE Interceptor, and unwrapped the new Star Wars GWP. [NEWS] LEGO unveils Ultimate Collector Series TIE Interceptor and more alongside May 4th plans — Here’s the major rundown of Star Wars May the 4th brick action![REVIEW] LEGO Star Wars 75382 TIE Interceptor: the Ultimate Collector Series returns to its roots — One of the first UCS sets finally gets a redesign. Theo decides if it was worth the wait.[REVIEW] LEGO Star Wars 40686 Trade Federation...

One of the benefits of being a TBB contributor (besides limited use of the headquarters hot tub) is you learn new things about the world. Take this rather unconventional LEGO creation by Mattia Careddu for example. Is it the newest trend on the catwalk? Or is it some sort of facehugger monster? It turns out, it’s an Andean Quipu, a device, according to the internet, used for recording everything from tax information to land ownership to census records to military organization during the time of the Inka Empire. Highly specialized Quipu readers were even hired to read the complex series of fiber and knots in order to settle court cases. The only thing I can decipher from this particular LEGO creation is that someone can tie a sweet figure-eight knot. However, a skilled reader would surmise that I probably shouldn’t have claimed my dogs as dependants on my taxes. Also, I’ve...

F. S. Leinad is up to his usual LEGO-building antics again. This is a creation that he tells us he’s been antsy to share, inspired by one single part. Who could have anticipated that Garmadon’s helmet would make such a great nose for this bug? Not me! He’s upped the ante on this one. And while I could antagonize you all with some more ant-related puns, they might be getting a bit antiquated already. Let’s just file this build into the NPU anthology and be done with it. The post Upping the ante with some Nice Parts Use appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

There’s something both unsettling and mesmerizing about this otherworldly LEGO jellyfish by Mitsuru Nakaido. It’s undeniably a machine, with its cool palette of light and dark bluish-gray, yet the tangled stalk of wirelike tentacles (woven from various cable, hose, and rope elements) gives it a smooth, organic feel. Is this creation the housing for some unknowable alien intelligence? Is it a relic of some advanced mysterious ancient civilization beneath the sea? Is it something else entirely? That’s up to you to decide. The post Get caught in the grip of this biomechanical jellyfish appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Ryan Kunz

Dump trucks are a staple of the LEGO City and Technic lines, but those versions focus on the highway-friendly variety that you might see around construction sites. The Komatsu 930E, modeled here by TsungNing Lee, is not that sort of truck. It’s an ultra-class behemoth, standing 24 feet (7.37m) tall, capable of hauling over 300 tons. That puts this massive model at about 1/2 minifig scale. TsungNing works almost entirely with LEGO system parts, with only a few Technic elements to handle the steering mechanism and axels, and custom stickers to match the real thing. I’m impressed by the use of curves in this bulky beast, both in the inverted slopes of the bed and the precisely bent tubing for the railing. While the model itself isn’t new TsungNing recently shared a thorough gallery of this and other masterfully detailed trucks from his collection. As a bonus, TsungNing also made a...

What do LEGO dwarves have to be resentful of? Well, elves got their own fondly remembered line, orcs featured prominently as Castle foes for a spell, and dragons appear in multiple themes and get their own zodiac calendar year. Oh, the indignity! We can’t know what animus brings motivates the dwarven king in Illia Zubashev‘s grand diorama, but chance are it involves gold, elves, or grudges. Probably all three.  Illia calls this creation The Hall of Grudges of Karak Izûm, a sacred site for dwarves of the Warhammer ilk. It’s a truly grand scene where a lone minifig king and the holy Book of Grudges are dwarfed by a hulking statue and a towering wall of brick and stone, showing the immense scale of the underground dwarven empire. Illia employs a solid mix of profile bricks, offset tiles, and SNOT work (studs not on top) in the impressive wall and floor. The...