Today’s guest article comes from Casey McCoy, an AFOL from Chicago. You can find him online on Flickr and Instagram. Introduction In what was conceived to be a singular, lengthy, and robust reflection on the life and LEGO career of the preeminent AFOL Simon Liu, this article has morphed into a trilogy. This is the last part - seriously. In parts one and two, we covered Simon’s early childhood and education, his defining moment at Brickworld 2012, all the crazy things he’s done and built since, and more. If you haven’t yet, catch up by reading them here and here. Now let’s bring it home by analyzing his building influences, style, and legacy. Who Influences the Influencer? As we reflected in part one, the person who initiated Simon into the hobby and got him “up to speed” was Iain (~Ara~). But who did he look up to when he first got...

A new month is upon us which means more competitive building! Are you ready? Here’s the latest bunch of LEGO contests and challenges from all around the AFOL community for September 2024 to help you find some inspiration and motivation to build! There’s nothing quite like a theme or a prompt to take you out of your comfort zone and give you something new to try. Besides, contests are the perfect place to interact with other contestants and judges and get to know your fellow builders. And if you’re like me, a deadline helps make sure you actually finish! We’ve listed them in order of deadline so you can plan your building time to the best advantage. Make sure to check the LEGO activity calendar for local challenges and events near you. Here at BrickNerd, some of our fondest memories, greatest building achievements, coolest trophies, and best friendships came from LEGO...

A story about shopping blind bags at conventions and finding LEGO you never even heard of, years later, in your own collection. When my dark ages ended in 2012 and I discovered BrickLink, there was an almost endless world of weird LEGO to be discovered. There were so many obscure elements and themes released during my dark ages, but also before I was even born, waiting for me to explore. I spent countless hours just going through entries of Scala, Bionicle, Modulex, Sports, Duplo, Belville and so on, and mostly tried to incorporate the parts I find into my MOCs. This made me fascinated in obscure LEGO elements, an interest that still thrills me to this day.  Social Interaction and LUG Engagement Another thing that happened when I became an AFOL was that I joined a LUG and started hanging out with other AFOLs. I had never expected the community and...

Admittedly, I’ve never seen a Yigg before now, and can’t confirm that they exist outside of the LEGO hobby. But I do know an excellent Bionicle creation when I see one, and I trust Jarek Książczyk (jerac) when it comes to questions of cryptozoology. With an array of bright colors and a trisected mandible, the Yigg looks to be a mighty beast of the land… or sea… or maybe skies? The post The great Bionicle creature feature appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller (TBB Managing Editor)

In the world of Pokémon, there are few stories as sad as that of Cubone. And LEGO builder Redverse has poured all that lonely energy into a beautiful build of this pocket monster. Sporting a helm of bone, and a club of the same, Cubone is ready to unleash its infamous Bone Club attack. The Magnemite of Route 10 had better watch out! The post Pokédex entry #104: Cubone – the lonely Pokémon appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller (TBB Managing Editor)