VAB

Have very few regrets in life, but one of them is not getting to see a shuttle launch with my dad. Not that it was an easy thing to do, I live about as far away from Cape Kennedy as you can in the continental US, and my dad lived in Kansas. Any given mission could be scrubbed at the last minute, that’s a long way to travel on a bet. I did eventually get to stand in the shadow of this building, and it’s every bit as impressive as you’d expect. It’s on a scale that’s hard to imagine until you’re actually there. This version by Rphilo004, is a little less intimidating, but still very impressive at micro scale. As we approach the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, I’m sure we’ll see more builds like this, and I’m personally really looking forward to it.

Super Shiny Batpod

I have to admit once I got over the temporary paralysis upon first seeing this beauty by ianying616 I thought to myself “Batman would never ride a chrome Batpod”, but upon further thought I’m not so sure. The thing about chrome (and what makes it hard to illustrate, and render for that matter) is it’s not really its own color, but characterized by its environment. It reflects what’s around it, and in Batman’s case, wouldn’t that be the darkened streets of Gotham? Might not be so bad after all.

Android

I continue to be fascinated with builder Moko’s ability to not only make sleek and shapely figures, but to make them so posable. This one doesn’t seem to be based on any particular character, not that I would have any idea who it is anyway, but at least I don’t have to try and learn a bunch of stuff to share with you that I will immediately forget.

It's A Good Bet The Empire Knows We're Here

So there you are, on a barren, frozen world, having spend months carving out ice caves and trying to survive. You finally get everything just about how you need it and one of these things (brilliantly recreated by Lino M) shows up and blows everything. Probe droids, this is why we can’t have nice things (or secret bases).

Lazy Leslie

Leslie is a simple man. He likes to read his Sunday paper in his favorite armchair after a filling meal. I mean, what's not to like about that? I’m sure we can all agree that Leslie’s plan, as well as this MOC by justin_m_winn, are fabulous in every way, shape, and form. I think we should all be more like Leslie and embrace the laziness we all deserve.

Overflowing With Art

Art is what you make it, so it’s different for every person. I like this piece by builder jarekwally because of it’s dynamic nature, capturing motion beautifully and it’s simple coloration, stark and contrasty. But I also like that it doesn't come with a lot of explanation, no message of symbolism or pompous backstory, just some beautiful sculpting and nice imagery.

Silver Soul

Builder ianying616 is back with a whole lot of shininess. Just yesterday I was listening to a My Brother My Brother and Me podcast and they were talking about trikes. I don’t care who you are, if you show up on this lovely beast you’re going to some raised eyebrows and dropped jaws. If for no other reason than the guts to ride with your butt so close to open wheels like that.

Love, Death & Robots

I’m only a few episodes into Netflix’s new animated anthology series Love, Death & Robots, but the Three Robots short is definitely an early standout for me. Lu Sim made a MOC of one of the titular robots, who comes from a long line of baby monitors. He also created some fun alternate expressions for the lil’ guy. I wanna animate him!

Dragula

I’m curious how many of you instantly heard The Munsters theme in your head as soon as you recognized this classic car from the series. It’s Dragula, Grampa’s sweet ride by builder rabidnovaracer. Car designer George Barris created both this and the Munster Koach for the series, further evidence of just how much love and commitment everyone had for that show. It was weird, it was different, it was wonderful.

The Garbage Will Do

One of the things I love about this ever expanding series by builder dib b is the fact that the Millennium Falcon is slightly different in every one (no really, look at the previous builds). This one is from my favorite scene in The Force Awakens, with Rey and Fin escaping Jakku aboard the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.

A Screamin' Fast Lancia

Those with a sticker aversion should probably keep scrolling, because this baby is stickeriffic. Builder Bricksonwheels spent four months recreating this ‘92 rally car classic, the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo driven by Didier Auriol. It’s 1:11 scale, and detailed top to bottom and front to back. It looks fast, real fast.

Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is perhaps one of the most amazing scientific tools humans have ever built. I maybe strongly biased in that statement as I am a giant space geek, and have had connections to both the HST and ISS. What we’ve learned about our universe form Hubble over the last 29 years (launched on STS-31 on April 24, 1990) is mind blowing. We’ve better defined the Hubble constant (measure of the rate of the universes’ expansion), learned more about black holes, closer to home it watched the comment Shoemaker-Levy 9 crash into Jupiter, and looked father then we have before.  15,000+ peer reviewed scientific published scientific papers have been based on the HST’s over 150 terabytes of data. And this is a very high level pull from NASA.gov and Wikipedia . It was serviced five times by Space Shuttle crews, a very difficult task as Hubble orbits at the upper end of where the Space Shuttle could reach in orbit and it was not originally designed to be serviced! Luis Peña build a beautiful 1:42 scale model for ChileLUG’s upcoming display at the Planetarium of Santiago de Chile. The HST isn’t a very complex as far as scaled models go, couple stacked cylinders, add the solar arrays, antennas and the forward cover, and most people will recognize it. LEGO has included the HST in several sets even. However at this scale you really get to appreciate the size of the telescope and it is large enough to include some of the finer details, like the yellow trunnion supports that held it in to the shuttle’s payload bay, and some of the tubes and cables.  My one tiny nit pic as a space geek is the aft trunnion supports are missing.  Overall a fantastic model, and the use of one of Hubble’s amazing images as a back drop is a superb choice. 

Still Life

Now I’m no painter, but I know that in art there exists the concept of still life which is all about an arrangement of inanimate objects and colors. These flowers by Birgitte Jonsgard are a perfect embodiment of this artistic concept to achieve something truly beautiful and tranquil. Life, as well as Lego, can become very chaotic and confusing, so sometimes you just need to calm yourself and stop to smell the roses.

Go Bananas

Generally speaking we don’t promote kits or professional endeavors here on BrickNerd, but it’s my blog and I can break any rule I want (try and do something about it, come at me bro, you want some of this? and other dismissive counterattacks). The fabulous Bruce Lowell is one of my first AFOL buddies, going way back to my first con in 2009, and this is his first set. While I haven’t watched any Arrested Development I’m a devout frozen banana fan, and you can be either or both with this excellent Frozen Banana Stand featuring custom printed elements and die cut stickers. For more details visit www.brucelowell.com

Matteo, The Immortal Flame

I always find it interesting when a builder updates an older model. It’s a creative-type quirk to never be satisfied, or at least to only be temporarily satisfied with our work. And while we may be our own worst critics at times, some of us see that as inspiration to take that creative vision further. Take for example Matteo here by builder Mana Ramp Matoran, this is the fifth iteration of this character, and he gets better every time.

Paddington Bear

Spend any time in London and you’re bound to run into this little guy, Paddington Bear. I ran into him at Hamleys, the oldest and largest toy store in London, and I brought him home to America. Builder vincentkiew is clearly a fan too, and has crafted this charming version in bricks.

Dodge Tomahawk

So. Much. Shiny. The Dodge Tomahawk may have never gotten past the concept phase, but you have to admit, she was a beauty. It was a radical design, that some would argue wasn’t really a motorcycle because it actually had four wheels, but I think it was through and through. This version by ianying616 has all the attitude of the real thing, and a heck of a lot of super shiny parts (my spirit animal is clearly a raccoon).

The Seahorse

Seven Facts About Seahorses:

1. They have no teeth or stomach

2. The male is the one that gives birth.

3. They are masters of disguise.

4. A baby seahorse is called a “fry” (isn't that cute?)

5. They’re actually poor swimmers.

6. A group of seahorses is called a “herd”

7. When built in LEGO, like this one by Brother Steven, they are especially adorable.

Imperial Star Destroyer

I just had a nerdgasm in my kitchen, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’m just sitting here drinking my tea and sacrificing a good half of my biscuits to my dumb corgis when I scrolled past this gorgeous Star Destroyer by one case. I wish I had video of my reaction, but it went sort of like this: Scroll scroll scroll, nothing nothing nothing, “hmm, how am I going to post if there’s nothing…” (sharp intake of breath). I stare a moment, “ is this real? Is this a render? (click for a closer look, click again for an even closer look). My eyebrows slowly raise as my mouth opens, I put down the biscuit I’m no longer eating. “Holy crap”. It’s kind of a scaled down reaction of 9 year old me at the movies, a sort of a tingly all over feeling of joy. It made my morning, hope it makes yours too.

The EERV

I’ll set the scene for you: The wind is still howling, the worst of the storm as passed but it’s not quite over. The station is in ruins, all around you is destruction. Seven months of work, all gone. You and a handful of Alpha Centauri engineers are huddled in the “panic pod”, the E26 Crew Emergency Shelter. While there’s enough M5 ration packs to last a week, your future is uncertain, and this is on everyone’s mind as you all stoically look at each other. The lights flicker in the pod, and everyone instinctively looks at the fuel cell monitor, the LCD is cracked, but it still functions, it flashes a grim message…”Vapor barrier compromised, safety protocol initiated”. You all know what that means, less than 12 hours of heat and light, this pod just became a coffin. As you all wrap your head around this heartbreaking reality you hear a muffled, rhythmic pounding. As you cautiously peer out of the single view of the world around you, a small round window with scratched 4 inch sapphire glass, the sound becomes louder. In the distance, obscured by flying dust and debris, a shape emerges from the haze. A large, bipedal figure looms ominously, but instead of fear or dread, you can barely contain your joy. “It’s Lenny!” you exclaim as the other crew members shout out in excitement, you are saved.