One of the most exciting attractions at LEGO conventions over the past two years is the massive Cyberpunk collaboration of New Hashima. An array of builders contribute cubes or toppers to the modular megacity that keeps growing and evolving. Ben Brickson is one such collaborator and he recently shared a wonderfully detailed gallery of his residential Hex Home Block. Capsule homes slot into a honeycomb grid of girders like a high-rise hive. Seen from the back hte honeycomb girders are mirrored by zig-zagging catwalks (unlike Ninjago City Markets, this cyberpunk neighborhood isn’t especially wheelchair friendly). Ben captures that dichotomy in cyberpunk of a world where advanced technology is omnipresent, but you stil have to kick it to make it work. The lower level includes Ben’s favorite detail, the cyber-sakura tree made up of “cherry voxels.” I love the brown tubing used for branches and the effect of trans pink flowers on...

Although I like both cats and dogs, I’m definitely more of a cat guy. And of all the cats, my favourite has to be the tiger. Now admittedly, keeping a tiger in my one-bedroom apartment is a recipe for disaster, but I’d settle for this stunning LEGO big cat built by DeRa. With its menacing demeanour and the nimble joints that DeRa worked into the build for posability, it looks ready to knock my LEGO collection off the shelves, just like a real feline. At first glance, the technique used for the stripes is not dissimilar in places to LEGO’s own incredible tiger set. But DeRa has really cranked up the detail and realism with some savagely clever parts and techniques. I spy a spider, croissants, Islander crests, and even whole roast turkeys in that furry face. It may look like an apex predator, but I still want to pet it....

LEGO’s buildable figures make great toys but, for many adult fans, they lack the detail and nostalgic appeal of models built from System bricks. Star Wars builder Shin Ichirau set about building a better Vader, keeping just the shins, shoulders, and head of the official buildable version and recreating the rest with System elements. The builder focused on capturing Vader’s power with a torso that is more ripped than the on-screen version, but gains aside, Shin’s version is a remarkable likeness. I appreciate the inner robes, often left out from toy depictions of the Sith Lord in favor of just the cape. Shin pairs his poseable Vader with a perfect stand that could be cut straight from the bridge of the Executor. This isn’t the first Star Wars buildable glow-up we’ve featured on TBB. Pierthviv’s Boba Fett rebuild takes a similar approach with results worth their weight in beskar. The post...

Whether the mission calls for flushing fugitives out of hiding or reducing enemy bases to rubble, the imposing TIE-110 bomber will have the rebels on the run. Over the past two years, Jordan Fridal has been mashing up Star Wars vehicles with WWII aircraft in LEGO to brilliant effect. For his latest build, Jordan fuses the TIE Bomber with a Messerschmitt BF-110. The model captures the best of both sources, supplemented with custom stickering for the windshield and insignia. While I would hate to be on the receiving end of the TIE-110’s payload, I do wonder how that asymmetry would fly for in-atmosphere bombing runs. The TIE-110 joins a growing roster of Imperial sky-fi craft: the TIE-109, TIE-190, and TIE-262. It’s quite a fearsome fleet! Thankfully Jordan made sure the Rebel Allies have equally awesome fighters. If you’re interested in rebuilding the galaxy with a WWII twist (sorry, no Darth Jar...

Not since the Mandalorian mounted a blurrg have we seen a lone gunslinger ride such an unusual steed across the plains. Terra Ender has been creating a different, amusing scene each day in October, and today’s build raises a few questions. Who is the cowboy peering down at the distant landscape below from his lofty perch? Does he have a fear of heights? And of course, where on earth (or beyond) did he get that awesome pink bifurcated-tailed lizard thing? The post Hi-ho, pinkie! appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Ryan Kunz

Monty Python may be the first thing you think of when someone says ‘British comedy’, but for sheer pop-culture points, I reckon Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy is not far behind. What makes me say that? Why, Trevor Pearson‘s LEGO Shaun of the Dead bust! This is, of course, the titular Shaun, the everyman appliance salesman turned zombie fighter played by Simon Pegg. Rather than realism, Trevor has gone for more of a caricature here, and it really works well. The hair is great, both the spiky rock-piece top and pointy beard, really emphasising the shape of Shaun’s head. All that’s missing is a bloody cricket bat… Or a red Strawberry Cornetto. Trevor seems to have ghouls and giggles on his mind this Halloween season, as we also loved his Crypt Keeper tribute. The post “You’ve got red on you.” appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

Competition is cooking in a new Iron Builder duel between returning champ and prolific builder Duncan Lindbo and a fresh face on the scene, Ari “loafbuilds” Hytti. Per tradition,  a challenger takes on one of four reigning Iron Builders to build models based around a surprise “seed part.” This time the seed part is the unikitty tail piece in bright light orange. “Allez Brick!” Ari is a builder whose public LEGO creations have mostly focused on Bionicle and character builds, like his compelling entries in the 2024 Bio-Cup. You wouldn’t guess that from Ari’s first salvo, a brilliantly life-like pair of corn cobs that use 82 tails to create the truthy kernels, wrapped in complimentary sand green husks. It’s an ingenious use of the part that should serve Ari well in the competition. It’s an iron builder tradition to respond to your competitor’s build with one that rhymes. Duncan ripostes with a...

We’ve all had weird neighbors, but chances are the people next door to you aren’t literal corpses with glowing red eyes. That’s the dilemma facing our nameless heroine in the pink puffy coat in this devilishly funny build by Ryan Wolf. It’s a simple build where most of the appeal comes from the inherent dark comedy of the subject matter, but that skull-baby’s stroller is adorable. I might almost say it’s. . . to die for. The post The neighborhood is looking a little dead these days appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Ryan Kunz

The latest gift with purchase, based on a fan design that won a LEGO Ideas fan contest, is here: LEGO 40698 Books Are My Passion contains 285 pieces and 1 minifigure and will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO retail stores starting October 28th and until November 11th as long as supplies last, with a purchase of US $130 | CAN $TBD | UK £130. This was the winning entry to the “My, Myself, and I” contest, submitted by fan designer Anna (Fr-An). Is it worth inking the LEGO purchases to qualify for it, or should you turn the page? Let’s take a look! Unboxing the parts, instructions, and sticker sheet The “Me, myself, and I” contest challenged builders to represent what they might do to treat themselves for World Singles Day. The entry from fan designer Anna portrayed a very well-stocked, cozy reading nook, complete with enough books to require...

LEGO fans have been begging for a large botanical garden for quite some time. The LEGO Friends 41757 Botanical Garden is immensely popular, and many fans have been buying multiple to create a larger version. It comes as no surprise that fan designer, Valentina Bima, easily achieved the LEGO Ideas support threshold with her lovely submission – and that it was chosen to be a set. LEGO Ideas 21353 The Botanical Garden appears to be a beautiful ode to tradition Victorian glasshouses. But what’s on the inside, and how’s the build experience? Join us as we take a tour! This 3792-piece set contain 12 minifigures and 9 animals, and LEGO’s in-house set designer, Chris McVeigh, even revealed to us that it includes at least 35 species of plants! It will be available for LEGO Insiders starting November 1st, and everyone else November 4th, retailing for US $329.99 | CAN $429.99 |...