Don't Mess With Eleven

In season one of Stranger Things you are continually guessing at the nature of El’s gifts, and the power of them. You might have been wondering why the bad guys were so afraid of her, then this scene happened and you were pretty much as shocked and stunned as the kids she was escaping with, and I’m guessing totally hooked for the rest of the season. An iconic moment brilliantly recreated by Norton74.

Slimefoot

I’ve never played Magic the Gathering, but it was real popular at my house for a couple weeks a few years ago. I can’t say I recognize this character either, but that doesn’t diminish my appreciation for him (her? it?). Builder Pate-keetongu has crafted a strange but wonderful character here, with the skill and creativity we’ve come to expect.

Hedwig

Owls were fascinating to me before I became a Potter fan, so you can imagine how much they are now. I would love to have a pet owl, especially one that could find my friends and deliver mail, how cool would that be? But I’ll have to be content to dream, and admire them in photos, an occasional terrifying flyover in the dark (it’s pretty unsettling), and this excellent brick version by builder Simon NH.

Bobby The Dog

It’s not very often a LEGO creation will make me laugh out loud (or make any audible noise for that matter) so when one does I know I’ll be blogging it. I could tell when I saw this cute dog MOC by tkel86 that it was mechanical, there were some clues: the lever on the side of course, but also the pins on the shoulders and feet, and possibly the jaw. But when I played the video I was delighted at the full effect. Check out the video below, it’s so worth it.

One Day Left!!!

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There’s only one day left of Nerdvember, I can’t believe it. We must be in a time warp, because it seems like we just started, but it’s already the end of the month and if you haven’t already posted your entry, you better get moving. We’ve seen a ton of really cool entries, from the nostalgic 8-bit days to the cutting edge of modern gaming, and everything in between. You have until midnight tomorrow night, get building!

The Ninjago Burbs

Can you believe I still haven’t seen the Ninjago Movie yet? It’s not that I’m actively avoiding it, it’s just that almost universally Ninjago does nothing for me, so I haven’t sought it out. I will say that the Ninjago City set that came out last year caught my eye, even if I never purchased it, and this imaginative and impressive extension of that set by builder rsmbricks captures the essence and aesthetic of that set perfectly.

Farewell Steve

Spongebob Squarepants’ arrival on Nickelodeon could not have been better timed at our house. Our oldest boy was three years old, the perfect age to be entertained (and warped for life) by the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. And more to the point it was a show we could watch with him because of it’s incredibly good writing. We had merchandise, video games, LEGO sets, clothing and everything. My son even won class president with a sign that totally ripped off the title for Spongebob. So news of the passing of Spongebob’s creator yesterday made me very sad, a sentiment shared the world over. Builder Ochre Jelly summed up his feelings with this touching tribute to Steve Hillenburg. Rest in peace Steve, you made the world a better place.

Finally A Reason To Go To The Beach

Yes, I’m a California native. No, I don’t like the beach. I know this is absolutely baffling to those that don’t live here, and especially baffling to those that do, but I don’t care for the beach. I mean, I like to look at it, and camping near it is nice, and driving along it is wonderful, but I don’t go to the beach. BUT, if I had this surfer van mech by builder Dvd, I think you would have difficulty getting me off the beach (plus I’m a sucker for old VWs).

Spinner

Ah the Spinner, one of my favorite movie vehicles of all time. Blade Runner might have been a box office disappointment, but I chalk that up to studio meddling and very poor marketing. Since then the world has realized what a marvelous piece of filmmaking it is and it’s been influencing artists for decades. Like builder Davdup, who crafted this excellent Spinner, and will be offering instructions on how to build your own soon.

Santa's Rigorous Quality Control

I’m guessing most kids out there who find some winter sporting goods under the tree Christmas morning don’t realize that it’s already seen some action. You see Santa takes quality control very seriously, and tests every piece of equipment personally, as seen in this awesome MOC by LEGO 7. Now there’s some at the workshop who think it’s just a lame excuse to go play in the snow, and they are on the naughty list for even thinking it.

Defender

While there’s a lot of vehicles out there that say they’re for off-road use, surprisingly few are up to the challenge. And let’s face it, probably half have never even been put into 4WD (if their suburban dwelling owners even know how to put it in 4WD). But this Land Rover by builder Breado’s Bricks looks so ready for the mud and ruts that I don’t think it’s owners have any choice in the matter, they’re taking the scenic route.

Catch A Ride On Santa

Builder bricks.life.idea has turned the concept of a kiddie ride a bit on it’s head (or it’s bowl-full-of-jelly belly?) Here we see a reindeer enjoying a ride on Santa, while the elves try to keep it all under control. What you don’t see here is the other eight reindeer (assuming Rudolph is going to get in on this action) waiting in line for their turn.

What's On Your Mind?

According to Blue Builder this is what’s been on her mind the last couple years, and I think we can all relate to some level. Inside my head is a constant battle and noise of wanting to create, needing to provide, compulsion to make those around me happy and entertained and the need to shut the world out. We all have our demons, our light side and dark side, and finding the balance makes us human. And learning to understand and express those feeling, for instance building something this thought provoking and beautiful, is a wonderful way of exploring them.

Resistance is Futile

Where Star Trek shines is in how Gene Roddenberry reflected humanity back through the other races: Vulcans and pure logic, the conflict driven Klingons, the military industrial complex of the Romulans, the greed of the Ferengi, the techno hive zombies that are the Borg.  So many good philosophical questions are explored with each race, but I especially enjoy the Borg. Some Borg themes I see are the meaning of individuality, the good of the many vs the few, the cost of war, and the need for hope. Martin Latta captures a Borg vs the Enterprise D encounter in a small vignette. The shape of Federation vessels is challenging to capture at any scale, but he nails the NCC-1701-D and the repetitive use of grille plates, jumpers, and single studs captures the super greebled Borg cube exterior without overdoing it at this scale. Well done, Mr. Latta, set course for Wolf 359 warp 9. Engage.