With the release of 10260 Downtown Diner in January 2018, the design aesthetic of LEGO’s Creator Expert modular buildings series shifted from pre-war architecture to the chrome and neon of the 1950s. This trend continues with the 2019 modular building, 10264 Corner Garage. The set includes 2,569 pieces and retails for $200 in the US ($269.99 in Canada and £159.99 in the UK). Like the recent LEGO Star Wars set 75251 Darth Vader’s Castle, the initial reaction from LEGO fans and collectors has been mixed. But how does the set hold up when we look beyond the box photos and actually start building? The packaging & instructions The Corner Garage comes in a standard Creator Expert box, showcasing the building’s multiple levels on the front and how it fits with the other current modular buildings on the back. The back provides important clues about which modular buildings will continue to be...

Slimefoot the Stowaway is a Magic: the Gathering character that is most definetely not a rat, but his presence on an airship must have been much like a cross between a fungal rot and a rat problem with all the little saprolings he spread aboard the Weatherlight. Not sure what a saproling is? Me neither, and to be honest, nobody really knows anything apart from the fact that they are either of plantal or fungal origin and that there is a lot of them. Eero Okkonen has faithfully created Slimefoot and his pals. With a mastery in human shape, Eero has done a great job of capturing what is basically a deformed humanoid with a mushroom top for a head and overgrowth all over his body. The colours are expressive, and the tentacles, while not present on the original art on the card, add a lot to the character and make...

Welcome to Day 6 of our LEGO Advent Calendar countdown. Each day, we’ll reveal the three mini-builds from the LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Friends, and LEGO City 2018 advent calendars along with commentary from The Brothers Brick team. If you’re opening one (or more) of these advent calendars along with us, we’ve made sure the pictures and commentary on each day’s models will be behind a jump so we don’t accidentally ruin the surprise. What bricks will we get for Day 6? For Day 6, we have a micro-Cloud City from Star Wars, a stocking ornament from Friends, and a snowman from City. Dave: Today, every calendar shines! The mini Cloud City, though not as detailed and the newly released 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City set, is entirely charming and wins for best part usage for the red dual pod cloud car. The Friends stocking ornament is well-shaped and colored, and finally, City gets...

If there’s one scene that stands out from Stranger Things, this has got to be it. In a plot twist where one would have thought that the bicycles would take flight, instead we had a lovely surprise. With this, the Duffer Brothers wrote the 80s Chevy Van right into movie-making history books by making it fly in this epic escape scene. I’ve got to hand it to Andrea Lattanzio in showing that a great scene can be brought to life with the simplest builds, just with LEGO parts on hand. The post The great escape of Eleven and the gang appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Edwinder

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II looks resplendent in blue bricks. Vincent Kiew‘s regal LEGO build captures the charming human side of Britain’s ruling monarch. The model’s masterful observation of the Queen’s iconic dress sense is spot on, with simple choices like the curved black bricks for gloves making her instantly recognisable. However, her pet corgis steal the show for me: effortlessly adorable and anatomically perfect, with subtly offset curved bricks indicating their little wagging tails. “God save the Queen!” The post The queen of bricks appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: David Alexander Smith

Model-builder Spaceruner has been around the online LEGO world for years putting out updated or re-imagined versions of classic sets. His latest model is the Angulus, a unique twist on the old Blacktron II LEGO theme (and is in a lot of ways an evolution of his older Piranha model). Many of the usual Blacktron II staples are here: the contrasting black and white color scheme and octagonal trans-neon-green cockpits foremost. What I appreciate most about this model is how modern it feels without feeling obligated to shove a bunch of newer parts into the build: most old-school LEGO fans of the 80s and 90s could probably duplicate the majority of this creation if they still have their childhood buckets of bricks. We previously featured Spaceruner’s gigantic RX1 Behemoth, a truly massive tribute to the old Spyrius line. The post Blacktron-inspired Angulus Armored Transport is ready for its next mission appeared...

Formula-1 cars of the 1960s are things of beauty. They represent an earlier age where form and function seemed to balance perfectly. André Pinto’s model of a Ferrari 312 F1-67 is a beauty, glistening in its familiar red livery, bedecked with chrome. Despite the vehicle being one of the racing team’s less successful models, primarily remembered for the tragic death of Lorenzo Bandini in Monte Carlo, it still pulls at the racing enthusiast’s heartstrings. André has lavished care throughout his build, from the sculpted bodywork through to the detailed V12 engine; it’s clearly a true labour of love. The post A lovingly built Italian classic appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: David Alexander Smith

Welcome to Day 5 of our LEGO Advent Calendar countdown. Each day, we’ll reveal the three mini-builds from the LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Friends, and LEGO City 2018 advent calendars along with commentary from The Brothers Brick team. If you’re opening one (or more) of these advent calendars along with us, we’ve made sure the pictures and commentary on each day’s models will be behind a jump so we don’t accidentally ruin the surprise. Let’s take a dive into Day 5! For Day 5, we have bounty hunter droid IG-88 from Star Wars, a snowman ornament from Friends, and a sled from City. Dave: IG-88 is at least more interesting than a battle droid. I got him earlier this year in the 75167 Bounty Hunter Battle Pack, and at least he comes with two extra silver arms. Friends actually comes closer than last year making a snowman but it still looks like a weird...

A few months ago, I wrote three articles on how I built the E-1 Tracer aircraft model. I haven’t built much in the intervening months, but recently I have started on a new project: an MH-53M Pave Low helicopter. This is a somewhat different cup of tea. It’s not a fixed-wing aircraft and I am not starting from scratch. Instead, I am starting with an old model that I built ten years ago. This means that there is a lot less planning involved. The proportions of the old model were pretty much spot-on, but there are many parts and techniques that didn’t exist or weren’t possible ten years ago. As a result, the old model looked, well, old. In this and subsequent articles, I’ll go into how I am building this new version and how newer parts and techniques change how I approach the design. Until their retirement in 2008, Pave...

LEGO Technic is a fantastic system for creating functional models with working mechanisms. However, it’s less often that we see Technic parts (particularly panels) integrated brilliantly into a “regular bricks” creation. However, this fabulous model of a Landrover Defender by ianying616 goes to show that the best builders select the best pieces for the job, regardless of which branch of the LEGO parts family they may originally come from. The shaping here is excellent — a good combination of regular System bricks and Technic axles, joints, and panels — perfectly capturing the recognisable lines of the Defender. This thing is a BEAST — bulky and beautiful, with a striking black and red colour scheme. Beyond the overall styling, the details deserve appreciation: a rooftop lamp rack, a detailed interior, working suspension and steering, and opening doors, boot, and bonnet. And lurking beneath that bonnet? A gleaming engine block, ready to propel...