Nerdvember 2017 Is Here!

/
Nerdvember80s.jpg

It's here, Nerdvember 2017! I wanted to make a video to kick this off but I simply didn't have time, between traveling and a tight production schedule on back to back projects I'm stretched a bit thin, so I'll ask you to use your imagination. We hear a driving 80's beat, not unlike Jan Hammer and see multiple Miami Vice like shots of an exotic car driving through a picturesque coastal scene. Then the car stops and I step out of the car, dressed like Don Johnson. I tip down my mirror shades and say simply "welcome to Nerdvember". Now if that doesn't set the scene for a totally awesome 80's contest I don't know what does. That's right, Nerdvember 2017's theme is "80's" and everything that goes with it. Think of all the movies, TV shows, video games, music and pop culture of the 80's, and think how you could spin our mascot Nerdly to that and you get the idea. 

nerdly_80's.jpg

If you're not in the know, this is Nerdly, BrickNerd's mascot, and he's bitchin'. Your task is to incorporate him into an awesome 80's mashup. Imagine him with a proton pack, singing Beat It, Terminating, whatever! If you need a little inspiration check out the entries from 2016 and 2015. And while the theme is 80's, you can also build whatever you want, we don't care as long as it's nerdy! You can download free instructions for Nerdly here.

Just join the official Flickr group, put on your Walkman, crank up the Duran Duran and start building, you have until midnight November 30th to enter as many times as you like. And just like past years we have an amazing group of sponsors with loads of tubular prizes. There's a Brick Loot box, lighting accessories from BrickStuff, a clock and watch from ClicTime, custom parts from Crazy Bricks, a subscription to BrickJournal, stickers from Cooper Works, custom printed bricks from CustomBRICKS and EclipseGRAFX and to top it all off some awesome sets from LEGO. I can't reveal what they are yet, but the theme is 80's you know (hint hint).

Update: No Starch Press has joined the sponsors and will be sending books to winners!

Nerdvember_sponsors2017.jpg

Rules:
Must submit to official Flickr group no later than Nov 30th 11:59pm PST
Enter as many times as you like
Please submit no more than two pictures per MOC
Tag your pictures with "Nerdvember"
Must be physically built, no digital models please
No age limit, but if you’re under 18 please ask your parents
No scale limit, build as big or small as you like
No knockoff brands (Kre-o, Mega, etc.) but third party accessories are OK (Brickforge, Brickarms, Brickstuff, etc.)
Stickers are allowed
    
The theme is 80's, but you don't have to follow it if you don't want to, build whatever you want, just make it nerdy.
    
Download free instructions for Nerdly at bricknerd.com/diy-fanart
    
Prizes:
Winners will be featured on BrickNerd and there will be three prize packages of various levels of awesome, first second and third. No special categories or funny business, just 1 2 3. Prizes will be shipped directly from the sponsors starting in December. Judging will be done by a small, secret committee, their word is final.

SHIPtember 2017 Recap

/

Another SHIPtember has gone by, once again full of incredible sci-fi spaceSHIPs! The 5th annual contest produced some of the best SHIP's Flickr has yet to see. With each design being 100 studs long or more, they all are leaving an impact on SHIP builders for the future. 

Fellow BrickNerd contributor El Barto and myself also contributed our own SHIP's this year, and we had fun doing while doing it!

Until next year's amazing space contest, enjoy these highlights picked out by your favorite BrickNerd members!

/ / Comment
, , , , ,

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Win A Complete Set Of LEGO Batman Movie Collectible Minifigures And Two Free Tickets To See The Film!

/

We're super excited for the LEGO Batman Movie, and we want to get you excited too. The new collectible Minifigures based on the movie are awesome, so we're going to give away a complete set, all 20 figures! Not only that, but we're going to give away two free tickets to see the movie! Just use the form below to enter, and we'll see you at the movies! Contest ends February 5th at midnight PST. 

Void where prohibited.

Winner will receive by mail one (1) complete set of 20 LEGO Batman Movie Collectible Minifigures and an electronic voucher for movie tickets via Fandango. If Fandango is not available in your area alternate arrangements will be made. This is a world-wide contest, but entries from USPS forbidden destinations are not eligible and will be disqualified, sorry.

LEGO Batman Movie Minifigures have been provided by The LEGO Group for review purposes. Providing them as a prize is solely the responsibility of BrickNerd Enterprises. LEGO Does not endorse this contest.

BrickNerd is not associated with The LEGO Group. Opinions shared on this site are our own and not the opinions of LEGO or The LEGO Group. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.

The LEGO Batman Movie ©2017 WBEI and DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Minifigure are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. ©2017 The LEGO Group. BATMAN characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics. ©2017 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.

If you are under 18 get your parent's permission.

And The Winners Are...

/

It's the moment you've all been waiting for, the winners of Nerdvember 2016. I've said it before and I'll say it again, BrickNerd readers are the most talented, imaginative and awesome builders in the world. I heard it over and over from the judges this year,  "so many good ones". It made it a joy to watch, and difficult to judge, but eventually three winners emerged, here they are in reverse order...

3rd Place
"Take me to your Nerdly..." - ted @ndes

Those lovable aliens from Disney Pixar's Toy Story. It's hard to believe this movie was considered "risky" when it was made. Turns out good story telling is good story telling, who knew?

"Take me to your Nerdly..."

2nd Place
Nerdly Genie - Palixa And The Bricks

You've never had a friend like him! It's the lovable Genie from Aladdin, voiced by the late, great Robin Williams in the role he was born to play.

Nerdly Genie

1st Place
Hatbox Ghost Nerdly - rabidnovaracer

It's a Disneyland legend that recently became a reality, the Hatbox Ghost was an illusion that didn't quite work when the ride opened, and was allegedly removed shortly after (there is much debate about this). This is the first time my personal favorite was the judges' fave too.

Hatbox Ghost Nerdly!

Congratulations to our winners, and thanks again to all that entered. I'd also like to thank the sponsors of this event, you're all awesome. See you next Nerdvember!

And before you ask...
My three favorites were Hatbox Ghost, Steamboat Nerdly and Mickey Mouse Nerdly
I didn't vote
I use a ranking system for voting, judges are asked to give their favorite three in order, a score of 3 is assigned to first, 2 to second and 1 to third. 
Judges will remain anonymous ( you know who you are, and you're awesome)

Only One Week Left!

/

That timer at the top doesn't lie, you only have one week left to get nerdy with it. The creativity and skill of BrickNerd readers never ceases to amaze me, and I find great joy in checking out the official Flickr group every day. Tomorrow I will be at Disneyland to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, the place where this all started, and you can bet I'll be checking in on my phone to see what you've all been up to. There's still plenty of time left, and no shortage of inspiration from the wonderful world of Disney, get building, enter, and maybe win some totally awesome prizes from BrickNerd and our splendid sponsors. Things like:

  • A complete set of Disney Minifigures from LEGO
  • A lighting kit from Brickstuff
  • Custom printed bricks and accessories by EclipseGRAFX and CustomBRICKS
  • Stickers from Cooperworks
  • A year subscription to BrickJournal magazine
  • Books from No Starch Press
  • Surprise LEGO sets from FBTB
  • Brick Loot boxes
  • And of course a big pile of worthless BrickNerd swag, including the new custom printed Duplo Nerdly and BrickNerd Studios magnets!

So what are you waiting for? Build on and nerd out!

Nerdvember is halfway over!

/

2016 has been a rough year, but it's almost over. and so far Nerdvember has whooshed by. It's hard to believe it's already half over, but the countdown timer at the top of the page doesn't lie, you're running out of time! There's been a lot of very cool Nerdlys so far, but there's time for more, and if you haven't built one yet now's the time! We have some amazing prizes donated by the most awesome sponsors on the planet. Three winners will be chosen, you could be one of them, get building!

Nerdvember 2016 Is Here!

/

Yes it's here again, Nerdvember! What's Nerdvember you ask? It's that time of year we want you to reimagine our mascot Nerdly. This year the theme is Disney, and we're totally excited for it. You can find instructions for Nerdly under the Build tab, or just follow this link. If you need a little inspiration check out the MOCs from 2014 and 2015, then get building, you have until the end of the month. Three winners will be chosen, you could be one!

We have some excellent prizes from our awesome sponsors including books from No Starch Press, a subscription to BrickJournal, custom printed bricks from EclipseGRAFX and customBRICKS, stickers from Cooper Works, lighting products from Brickstuff and surprises from our pals at FBTB and Brick Loot. Oh, and some BrickNerd swag will be included as well. 

We're also super excited to share that all three winners will receive a complete set of all 18 Disney Pixar Collectible Minifigures courtesy of LEGO!

You have until 11:59 pm PST on November 30th to enter. Just build, shoot, upload to Flickr, add your photo to the official group and you're in! So what are you waiting for? Build on and nerd out!

Rules:
Must submit to Flickr group no later than Nov 30th 11:59pm PST
Enter as many times as you like
Please submit no more than two pictures per MOC
Tag your pictures with "Nerdvember"
Must be physically built, no digital models please
No age limit, but if you’re under 18 please ask your parents
No scale limit, build as big or small as you like
No knockoff brands (Kre-o, Mega, etc.) but third party accessories are OK (Brickforge, Brickarms, Brickstuff, etc.)
Stickers are allowed
    
The theme is Disney, but you don't have to follow it if you don't want to, build whatever you want, just make it nerdy.
    
Download instructions for Nerdly at bricknerd.com/diy-fanart or this link
    
Prizes:
Winners will be featured on BrickNerd and there will be three prize packages of various levels of awesome, first second and third. No special categories or funny business, just 1 2 3. Some prizes will be shipped directly from the sponsors. Judging will be done by a small secret committee, their word is final.

Fallout Shelter Contest

/

Hey! A game tie-in I'm familiar with! I don't play of course, but my son does, and I recognized this immediately. The fine folks at eclipseGRAFX, Brickarms and Brickstuff are all sponsoring a pretty cool collaborative build for Brickfair VA. They're inviting you to build a module for what should be a pretty epic Fallout shelter when it's assembled. The contest ends 12:00 am EST on August 1st, so you have about a month. Check out the rules and standards here and get building!

Fallout Shleter Collab/Contest

Bricks & Boilers

/

Attention steampunk and LEGO enthusiasts, it's time to compete. Announcing the Bricks & Boilers Exposition, brought to you by the dapper gentleman and lovers of chuff Ted Andes and Guy Himber. There are three categories to enter:

Strut Your Stuff - "Build a Walker for the Grand Parade" - minifig piloted, no size (or leg) limits.
"Hall of Wonders" - "Make a Display Model for the Royal Museum". Free-build category. The device/invention must fit into a 16x16 stud area, but it can unfold into anything larger (build to any scale)
Amusement Gardens - "Create a Moving Carnival Ride/Attraction" - limited to 32x32 stud base area (overhang permitted above the base); “You Control the Action!”

BrickNerd is a proud sponsor of this event so get building, you have until the end of April!

The “Bricks & Boilers” Exposition – Steampunk Competition 2016

Marchitecture Begins!

/

A new month within the AFOL community usually brings new challenges and contests, and I am personally rather excited for this new offering sponsored by SLUG from Saskatchewan! Marchitecture challenges us to build a microscale version of a real world building, in the style of the official TLG Architecture sets. Full contest rules can be found in the Flickr group.

First prize is a copy of 20128-1 New York City, so get building!

Marchitecture begins!

Blurred Vision

/

I feel the need, the need for speed!. One of things I love to see is great Lego photography.  granada_tunier blurs the background to give the impression of high speed movement, almost like being in a wind tunnel and the rover looks like its been driven straight off of the next "Rescue Matt Damon" Space Adventure! Built as part of the Febrovery 2016 build challenge, this will take some beating.

Febrovery 2016

NERDvember update

/

NERDvember is going strong as we end the third week and I continue to be absolutely floored by the quality of the submissions. Who knew the Star Wars universe would inspire so much creativity. You still have over a week to build so break out those bricks!

I'd like to send a huge shout out to some more sponsors. First there's Cooper Works, makers of fine decals and stickers. They are providing a sticker pack that will be divided between the winners. Next is EclipseGRAFX and customBRICKS, brick printers and customizers extraordinaire. Both are sending assortments of custom printed parts that will blow your mind.

eclipsegrafx.png

And lastly is Brick Loot, monthly subscription box for brick lovers. They are providing custom LEGO models including the one designed by yours truly, Nerdasaurus Rex!

Thanks to these and all the sponsors of NERDvember, you all rock! Now if you haven't started building you better get on it, time is running out!

NERDvember update

/

NERDvember is well on it's way, and the competition is heating up. The group is almost 50 members strong and there's been some brilliant submissions so far.

I thought I'd take some time to highlight some of the sponsors and tell you about some of the amazing prizes that are being offered this year. First off is The LEGO Group, who generously donated a First Order Snowspeeder, Rey's Speeder and Darth Vader! In addition to those FBTB is donating some polybags as well, so there's going to be plenty of LEGO in the prize packages.

No Starch Press is donating three books to lucky winners, one for each prize pack. They are Beautiful LEGO Wild, LEGO Scale Modeling and Medieval LEGO.

This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, stay tuned as we reveal more prizes in the coming days, and if you haven't already started building, you better break out the bricks!

Pimp Rey's Speeder!

/

Those outstanding humans at The Brothers Brick have a new contest going challenging you to pimp Rey's speeder, and they're giving away some really cool stuff. What better way to celebrate the awakening of the force? Head over to the official Flickr group for all the rules and details and get building!

Oh, and I couldn't help myself, Nerdly needed to get in on that action. And it serves double duty as a completely disqualified entry to NERDvember!

Nerdly Speeder

NERDvember is here!

/

That's right you Nerdly building maniacs, NERDvember is here! Sure Halloween is fun, and everyone loves the Holidays, but November is quickly becoming our favorite month of the year. That's the month you crazy talented builders all over the world create some amazing MOCs inspired by BrickNerd's mascot Nerdly. Three winners will win prize packages including loads of stuff from our awesome sponsors. This year we're giving out some super sweet prizes. 

With Star Wars The Force Awakens so close, and us being such nerds, we thought we'd put an emphasis on MOCs from the Star Wars universe this year.  Of course, if you have any ideas on how you'd elaborate on Nerdly, go right ahead, it doesn't have to be Star Wars related. If you need some inspiration, here's last year's incredible creations.

Head over to the official Flickr group, read the rules, join up, download Nerdly instructions if you need them and get building. We can't wait to see what you create!

Huge thanks to all the awesome sponsors for this year!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

/

Fellow denizens of space, SHIPtember is finally upon us! Test your resolve and mettle in a 30 day, no-holds barred battle of the builders! Boys will become men! Men will become champions! Champions will rise! The chaff will be unceremoniously culled from the wheat! Feast your eyes upon this year's trophy!

Seriously Huge Trophy

For the uninitiated - SHIPtember is a yearly challenge for any builder to try his hand at a SHIP within 30 days. A rather daunting task, as SHIP building is fraught with peril, frustration, and crumbling battlecruisers. Visit The Shipyard for official rules. Go ahead. Try it. You know you want to.