Gayle Spiller to the Dark Tower came, erecting a brilliant monument in LEGO to Stephen King’s masterpiece
Stephen King has authored so many unforgettable works about relatable good folk reckoning with true evil, from horror classics like It and The Shining to more grounded works like The Green Mile and Mr. Mercedes. But for many fans (myself included!) King’s masterwork is the Dark Tower cycle, a sprawling fantasy/horror/western epic written over 30 years. I first discovered the book as a teenager, drawn in by the incredible and evocative Michael Whelan illustrations. It was a world I longed to see more of… but sadly, the first movie adaptation was a huge miss. When I saw that Gayle Spiller, the amazing LEGO house masterpiece alum with a maximalist building style, had tackled the Dark Tower in bricks, I knew we were in for a treat, but I wasn’t prepared for such a detailed tribute to King’s universe.
Gayle captures the eldritch horror of the tower itself surrounded by the beautiful Can’-Ka No Rey filed of roses. She captures the beams that support the tower, each connected to its spirit animal. There’s an Unfound Door to take you between worlds. And even a sly reference to the lobstrosities that cost Roland some fingers. Of course the Ka-Tet is all here, a group bound by fate.
Gayle finds perfect minifig parts to recreate the heroes. Poor, wonderful Oy the Billy-Bumbler is represented by a red Panda. I like the technique used for Susannah’s legs in her wheelchair – I’ve not seen that before but it works great!
And here we have that little chap Mordred, all grown up. Patrick Danville, rewriter of reality, holds a portrait of the Crimson King and doesn’t look scary at all.
Seeing Gayle’s tower has rekindled my love for the Dark Tower and has me hopeful this won’t be the last incredible adaptation of the work. Mike Flannagan is currently adapting the books as a series for Amazon. Let’s hope he brings the same attention to detail to the show as Gayle has to this LEGO tribute.
To learn more about the builder building process, you can read our interview with Gayle Spiller from earlier this year.
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