The story of Ole Kirk and the LEGO company origins has been told many times. In fact, here at BrickNerd we told the story with animation for the LEGO Brickumentary just last year. But I don't know that it's ever been told with such charm and accessibility as this new book by duopress, Awesome Minds: The Inventors of LEGO Toys.
Read MoreI get a kick out of all LEGO inspired books. It's a product and company I love. I also find just about anything Star Wars endearing (except maybe those stupid coffee creamers, what the heck?) So when you combine the two, you have my attention. Now add in the fact that this is the product of the imagination and creativity of an AFOL and fan, well this is a perfect storm of LEGO, Star Wars, imagination, creativity, photography and fandom, I'm smitten.
Read MorePublishing powerhouse DK is no stranger to LEGO fans. Every year we can expect numerous publications from them, and this year is no exception. Especially with the holidays upon us it seems everywhere I go I'm spotting DK LEGO books on the shelves (yesterday at Michael's for instance). As the years have passed one thing has changed the way I look at these books, the talented writers and artists that provide the content in them have become familiar, even friends.
Read MoreArtist, author, designer and builder Mike Doyle is back with another Beautiful LEGO book. Nature and animals are the focus in this third book of the excellent series. Mike has built some splendid creations, and curated MOCs from all around the world and from builders from all walks of life. All put together in a lovely presentation by No Starch Press. It's LEGO eye candy of the highest order, in a quality book that would look great on any coffee table.
Read MoreMegs and Brickbot are back for more building adventures in The LEGO Adventure Book volume 3, the latest of this quirky and fun series from No Starch Press. I'm so happy for my friend and author Megan Rothrock for getting to do what she loves, and when you read one of these books you can sense that love. She brings together a unique combination of top notch builders from around the globe, building instructions for awesome models and fun story telling that appeals to all ages. All presented in a comic-book like narrative featuring caricatures of the builders and a host of other characters.
Read MoreIt's a rare Saturday that I am at home. Usually I share my Saturdays at work with Joe Public, so you can imagine my excitement to have a Saturday off. Yesterday however, my Saturday off coincided with a BrickNerd workday (lets face it, every day is a BrickNerd workday, but I digress) so, what to do? Raid the BrickNerd archive shelves, that's what!
Read MoreWith some big, expensive releases in recent months -- Ferris Wheels, Helicarriers and Tumblers, oh my! -- I've found some comfort and, well, joy in the "smaller" sets, and in particular the licensed ones.
Read MoreAs far as carnival rides go, the LEGO Creator Expert Ferris Wheel is a really great one. Especially for minifigs!
Read MoreLEGO Architecture has earned a loyal following over the past few years, and with the growing interest in the theme it's no surprise that it has spilled over into other areas as well. Now there is a pretty spectacular coffee table book available from DK, and like the sets it's big on style.
Read MoreSteampunk is one of those things that's easy to appreciate but difficult to describe. You can look at a costume, a prop or MOC and say "oh, that's steampunk", but you may struggle to explain why. Sure you can throw some brown and brass together, and add a gear or two and call it steampunk, but you may find others do not agree. At it's core, steampunk is a reimagining of technology and lifestyles from the mid to late 19th century. Juxtaposing modern advances with a Victorian aesthetic. When it's done right it's magical, and you find yourself transported back in time. Guy Himber, the author of this book, does it right.
Read MoreThere's a monthly subscription for just about every area of interest now, from beef jerky to quilting. But until recently, there was nothing for the LEGO fans out there. Well, now there's Brick Loot, a new company promising monthly boxes of LEGO goodness. They were kind enough to send me a sample box and I'll share the contents with you.
Read MoreMy love of movies is well known, and you're reading this on a LEGO fan site so my love of the bricks is also pretty obvious. So when something comes along that combines the two you've got my attention.
Enter Brick Films, a book by Warren Elsemore. It promises 60 iconic movie scenes and posters to make from LEGO. Barron's was kind enough to send me a review copy, and I'm happy to share my thoughts about it.
Read MoreWhen LEGO introduced the Cafe Corner back in 2007 I had a feeling they were on to something big. Of course the set was amazing, but because of the modular construction of not only the levels of the building, but also the standard for adjoining buildings, the set offered promise. Promise of not only future sets, but also the promise of the building community bringing their own neighborhoods to life.
Read MoreLet's face it, there's a lot of LEGO books available right now. Most of them are genre themed, or specific to a particular subset of the hobby. A great any of them aren't particularly helpful. Well Jordan Schwartz is here to change that, at least from a design point of view.
Jordan is a former LEGO designer, one of the youngest in the company's history, and an active member of the AFOL community. He shares his, along with several notable LEGO builders, experience with design and building philosophy in this rather unique book from No Starch Press.
Read MoreWhen construction began in Rome in 1732, Trevi fountain's architects and builders could not have remotely fathomed that nearly three hundred years later we would be celebrating it's grandeur with tiny plastic bricks. But celebrating we are, and this new LEGO Architecture set is a fitting tribute.
Read MoreGoing into the movie theater on Saturday afternoon I honestly didn't know what to expect from The LEGO Movie. I suppose part of me expected the movie to cater to the target LEGO audience 6 to 13-year-olds, but I hoped deep down for something more. I wanted the LEGO Movie to transcend the product, to show the rest of the world what those of us in the LEGO community already know - that the LEGO system of play is thoughtful, complex and beautiful.
A motley crew of heros: Unikitty, Benny, Emmet, Batman, Vitruvius, and Wildstyle.
Not much was known about the LEGO Movie plot going into the release weekend. What we did know was that the movie featured average-Joe Emmet Brickowoski somehow joining forces with the fearless Wildstyle in hopes of saving the LEGO world from Lord Business' evil plans. What they delivered was one amazing, and sometimes bizarre, adventure that criss-crossed many of the classic LEGO themes including city, old west, castle, and pirate. While watching the movie I kept thinking that the plot felt like it was taken from the imagination of my 9-year-old self playing with bricks down my basement.
The animation is top-notch with every element of the landscape and characters rendered in great detail. Each minifigure was brought to life with tiny, lifelike movements of their hair, hands, and limbs. Explosions, lasers, and even water were made from digitally rendered LEGO bricks. The animators used LEGO bricks to painstakingly create all of the structures, vehicles, and environments seen in the movie. I kept wishing I could pause the movie and look at just how everything was built. That being said things on screen got a little overwhelming at times, which made it hard to tell what was going on, but maybe these eyes of mine are just getting old.
So, was LEGO able to break away from historically terrible toy-themed movies? I fully believe so. From the prospective of an adult fan of LEGO the movie succeeded in reminding me of why and how I fell in love with LEGO bricks in the first place. I appreciated the throwback LEGO themes, unexpected cameos and humor that only adults would get. But this is also a family movie and the directors gently remind us that as a community of adult LEGO builders we should help inspire our children, the next generation of LEGO enthusiasts, to think beyond the instruction sheet.
I give The LEGO Movie 5 out of 5 Nerdlies.
The LEGO exclusive limited edition sets this year were very nice, but for some reason this set has proven to be far more popular than the truck. I'm assuming it's because this set really screams out Christmas, where the truck just looks like a truck.
Read MoreI've waited a long time for this book. Pete Reid confided in me quite some time back that he and Tim were working on a book, and working hard on it. I knew it was about space, I knew it would be awesome and I knew it would be out around now. But that's all I knew. I wanted it to be a surprise, I didn't ask for any more info and he didn't offer. Well, it's finally in my hands and let me tell you, it's gorgeous.
Read MoreThe term "more of the same" is far too often used in a negative context. When I'm talking about The LEGO Build-It Book Volume 2 More Amazing Vehicles it should be thought of as being in the the same spirit as "more chocolate cake", or "more heart containers" or "more foot massages". Sometimes more of the same thing is totally awesome!
Read MoreThis book is utterly gorgeous, from cover to cover. It goes far beyond a typical compilation of pictures, Mike has put a ton of work into this. From the thoughtful order and arrangement, to the meticulous coloration of some backgrounds he has gathered the art of others and his own and created new art, greater than the sum of it's parts.
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