Start Saving Your Pennies Kids!

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After much anticipation, after much debate, after endless arguing among the fans, it can finally be revealed that the rumors are true...there's a new UCS Millennium Falcon on the way, and it's glorious. Not only is it way more accurate and detailed than the original, it's got two configuration, as it appeared in Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens (and The Last Jedi). There's also some limited interior details you can access through removable panels.

At 7541 pieces it's also the largest LEGO set ever produced. So large in fact they've developed special packaging to allow you to actually wheel it out of the LEGO Store like carryon luggage. But you'll have to wait just a bit for it, it's not out until October 1st. And I was serious about the saving the pennies part, it costs a whopping $799US. But hey, the biggest set ever should have the biggest price tag ever right?

Here's some features...

• Includes 4 classic crew minifigures: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia and C-3PO.
• Also includes 3 Episode VII/VIII crew minifigures: Older Han Solo, Rey and Finn.
• Figures include a BB-8 droid, 2 buildable Porgs and a buildable Mynock.
• Exterior features include intricately detailed and removable hull panels, a lowering boarding ramp, concealed blaster cannon, 4-minifigure cockpit with detachable canopy, interchangeable round/rectangular sensor dishes, upper and lower quad laser cannons, and 7 landing legs.
• Main hold features a seating area, Dejarik holographic game, combat remote training helmet, engineering station with turning minifigure seat and a doorway build with passageway decoration.
• Rear compartment features the engine room with hyperdrive and console, 2 doorways, hidden floor compartment, 2 escape pod hatches, engineering console and an access ladder to the gunnery station.
• Gunnery station features a minifigure gunner’s seat and detachable hull panel with fully rotating quad laser cannon. An additional quad laser cannon is also mounted on the underside.
• Also includes an informational fact plaque.
• Features a new cockpit canopy element.
• Classic crew weapons include Han’s blaster pistol and Chewbacca’s stud-firing bowcaster.
• Episode VII/VIII crew weapons include Han’s blaster, Rey’s small silver blaster and Finn’s medium blaster rifle.
• Change out the features and crew characters to switch between classic and Episode VII/VIII versions of the Millennium Falcon!
• Open individual hull panels to access the detailed interior while retaining the overall exterior appearance.
• Slide the panel to reveal the concealed blaster cannon.
• Turn classic Leia’s and Han’s head to reveal their breathing mask decoration.
• Makes the perfect intergalactic toy or flagship display model.
• Measures over 8” (21cm) high, 33” (84cm) long and 22” (56cm) wide.

Spacesuit, Spacesuit, SPACESUIT!

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I've seen a lot of Minifigure costumes through the years. While they all make me happy, most of the time the proportions or construction is just not quite right. Not the case with this latest cosplay from Henrik Pilerud. It's clear from the beginning of the project that Henrik was determined to get it right, and with outstanding skill and talent, he did.

I'm guessing if you saw any of these images as thumbnails, you'd never suspect there's actually someone inside it. The proportions, attention to detail and material selection is perfect, making this absolutely one of the best Minifigure costumes ever constructed. The construction is primarily high density foam, with a fabric cover. But it's exceedingly clever, even incorporating venting through the top of the head and out of the face, which is mesh.

I had the opportunity to chat with Henrick about this amazing costume.

BN: How long did it take to make this?
HP: 200 hours from research, some 3D modelling, pattern making, cutting, gluing, sewing to finished.

BN: What's been the reaction?
HP:Lots, and lots of smiles! I have only had it at one event so far, but winning the cosplay contest and qualifying for both the Swedish Cosplay Championships and the European contest EuroCosplay Championships together with all the joy the costume spread among the convention goers, I would say was a great success.

BN: What lessons did you learn?
HP: I used a lot of lessons I've learned from previous costumes, both in choices of raw materials, mainly foam, and making it comfortable (as much as possible) to wear the costume. I also learned that I can walk (but not very fast or easily) with short legs with no knees or feet joints.

BN: Do you have any plans for other figures?
HP: Probably no more figures any time soon, but perhaps some more LEGO props and stage dressing for my performances in the coming contests. Having a space ship to scale, would be awesome, but not very realistic. The scale is 46:1 compared to an actual minifig. However, me sharing my work, might inspire others so make costumes of the same, or even higher, quality around the world.

You can learn more about Henrik and how he created this and many more stunning costumes at his Facebook page Pilerud's Cosplay.

Nathan Sawaya Throws The First Pitch...In Bricks

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In celebration of Tampa's grand opening of The Art Of The Brick last week, world renowned brick artist (and guy I'm proud to call friend) Nathan Sawaya threw the first pitch at the Tampa Rays vs Cincinnati Reds game. And of course the baseball was brick-built. If you're in the area check out his exhibit.

"The Art of the Brick" Exhibit: Tampa, FL
Free admission, brought to the Tampa community from the Vinik Family Foundation
Open: June 23-September 4
Location: 802 East Whiting Street
Details: Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 AM-6 PM, Free Parking

Pizza & Pugs

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Well, this is a surefire hit. I mean, who doesn't love pizza, and who doesn't love pugs? Add them to LEGO and you've got something that appeals to pretty much everyone. There's also a peanut dude, and my personal favorite Mr. Toast. Crazy Bricks is back with another Kickstarter campaign, and needs your help. Upstanding human (and man who knows how to work a top hat) Guy Himber has a loads of cool stretch goals too, so get over there and show your support!

Only One Week Left!

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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!

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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!

No Starch Humble Bundle

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Those fine folks at Humble Bundle and No Starch Press are having "pay what you want" sale and you can score some amazing deals on ebook versions of a load of LEGO inspired titles. Check out this lineup!

Pay any amount to receive ebooks of:
Beautiful LEGO
The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 1
Medieval LEGO
The LEGO Build-It Book, Vol. 1

Pay more than $8 to receive all of the above, plus:
The Cult of LEGO
Incredible LEGO Technic
The LEGO Build-It Book, Vol. 2
Forbidden LEGO
LEGO Space
The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Fantastic Contraptions

Pay more than $15 to receive all of the above, plus:
The LEGO Architect
The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book
The LEGO Neighborhood Book
The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Discovery Book
The LEGO Power Functions Idea Book, Vol. 1
Steampunk LEGO

It's $323 in books that you can have for as little as $15, and it supports charity! What are you waiting for? The sale ends Nov 23rd so get going! 

If We Join Together, No Forces Can Stop Us.

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Last night Mrs. BrickNerd and I had the distinct honor and privilege to attend the wedding of one of my best pals in the AFOL community, Brandon Griffith. These brilliant little clapboards served as our place cards and told us where we were seated (yes, I squee'd). The ceremony and reception were truly a joyous occasion and a great time was had by all. I can think of no two people more perfect together and I'm so happy you found each other. Congratulations Brandon and Daphne, live long and prosper.

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Mascot Bricks!

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AFOL and all around swell Guy (see what I did there?) Guy Himber and Crazy Bricks are back on Kickstarter with another fantastic round of custom LEGO minifigure accessories. This time it's mascots, and as you can see from the picture they're pretty awesome. The campaign kicked off yesterday so there's still plenty of time to get in on the ground floor of this and score some extremely nifty accessories.

Beyond The Brick Kickstarter

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It was great to see our pals at Beyond the Brick at BrickCon. They even took time out of their busy schedule covering the event to serve as judges for the Bricks of Character display. Nobody covers an event in such detail as these guys, and now they want to reach beyond our borders for coverage in the UK and you can help. Check out their Kickstarter campaign and help them get to Brick Birmingham. They've got some very cool rewards, including some brick sketches by Chris McVeigh and a custom MOC by Tyler Clites. 

BrickCon Was Awesome

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It's Monday morning after BrickCon, I'm still in denial that it's over. There's always a little sadness that follows the closing ceremonies, as we all breakdown the MOCs and strip the tablecloths off. It takes over two days to set it up, and it's gone is just a few minutes. The reality sets in that it's over, at least for another year. The time spent with old friends and making new ones is really what it's all about for me. I mean the MOCs are great of course, but it's the people that bring them, the ones you chat with, dine with, party with, that are really what makes a con what it is. So many laughs, so many hand shakes, so many hugs, it's been great to be back.

The Bricks of Characters display was outstanding as usual, with a diverse array of everything you could imagine. From humorous to scary, from big to small and from clean to downright filthy (I'm looking at you Angus). With a "head count" of approximately 232 characters, it was pretty epic. I'd like to thank everyone for contributing to our little corner of insanity, you all rock.

Of course none of it would be possible without the biggest character of all, Iain Heath. He and I enjoyed taking our interpretation of the event's theme "Madness" to the next level, even going full ska for our outfits on Saturday. Since I couldn't be here last year, at least not in all three dimensions, it had been two years since we'd seen each other in person, it's been awesome to be reunited with my good friend.

I'm also happy to report that my MOC of the band took the award "One Step Beyond" (how appropriate) at the awards ceremony (big thanks to the Beyond the Brick guys for agreeing to be our judges). So now it's time to recover, and thankfully I'm staying in the area a few more days to see what other mischief me and Iain can get into. But first, time to rest. Thanks to everyone I encountered over the last four days for making BrickCon super special, you're what makes it great.

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BrickCon Is Nigh - It's Madness!

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I'm scrambling to make all the last minute preparations before heading off to Seattle for BrickCon 2016. Me and my PIC Iain Heath are ready for some serious Bricks of Character action this year, and very happy to be celebrating the awesome theme, Madness!

Madness has always been a favorite band of ours, so we're going "skall-out" to celebrate. I finally finished my MOC yesterday and can't wait to see it on the BOC table with all the rest of the awesome MOCs you all bring.

Madness: One Step Beyond

And here's the trophies we're going to be handing out, minus their engraved brick, those will be added at the last minute. 

BrickCon 2016 Madness Trophies

I can't wait to see all my friends and make some new ones. If you're going to be at the con or visiting during the public days track me down to say "hi" and get some BrickNerd swag. See you all there!

New LEGO Storage and Display Products

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A company called Brick Innovations in cooperation with Phillip Miller Furniture has just launched a Kickstarter Campaign featuring several LEGO storage and display products. Every LEGO builder struggles with how to organize their collection, and the more options we all have the better as far as I'm concerned. Among the items they're promoting is a rather clever selection of tables, cabinets and building furniture, as well as some cool drawer pulls and a shelf to display Minifigures. They were kind enough to send a prototype Minifigure Shelf for me to check out. 

The shelf they sent holds more or less 8 figures, but it's smaller than the 18" version they have as a reward level on their campaign (which by the way its already funded just two days in, congrats guys!) and is made of a somewhat lightweight wood, I'm assuming pine. Embedded in the top is a strip of 1x genuine LEGO plate to attach your figs to.

Now I would be remiss if I didn't point out the obvious similarities to the Chroble shelves that have hung in my studio for quite some time now. The Chroble shelves are solid walnut, larger, heavier and have a strip of full sized 1x bricks on top. They are top quality in every respect, but that quality comes at a price, making them quite a bit more expensive than the Brick Innovations shelves. I don't know that I can fully comment on the quality of the Brick Innovations shelves either, since this is a prototype I have to assume the production ones will be better. But the one I have could have used more sanding, clean up and another coat of paint. 

So if you're interested in more storage and display options for your collection check out their campaign and throw some support their way.

A Life-Size "Realistic" LEGO Head Is Just As Disturbing As You'd Think

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Those mad geniuses at Tested have conjured a thing of nightmares. Makeup and monster maker Frank Ippolito designed and built this LEGO inspired costume in record time for San Diego Comic-Con, and it turned out fantastic (and absolutely unsettling). Not only did he make the head, but he fabricated a pair of hands that are just as disturbing. Pair those with his simple red shirt and blue pants and you have something that is simultaneously endearing and frightening. I wish I was able to see this in person on my one day there.

Introducing MOC Nation

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There's a new option on the web for custom LEGO creations and fans of LEGO of all ages, builders and designers alike, MOC Nation. For builders it's a chance to get your hands on sets designed by the greatest designers on the planet. For designers it's a chance to share your creations with the world and make a little money too. Today is the official launch date and while the catalog is small, it's going to be growing very soon. Head on over and check them out!

MOC Nation was created by Matt Gutierrez, Jason Gutierrez, and Andrew Capener — three AFOLs with backgrounds in e­commerce, entrepreneurship, design and a passion for all things creative. 

Skateboard Table

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This would looks pretty amazing in the Nerd Lounge here at BrickNerd Studios, I mean it's not every day you see Minifig gear scaled up to human size. Well, it might be if you're LEGO enthusiast and craftsman Steve Guinness, the builder of this fine piece of furniture. It's 35 times bigger than the real thing, and if you look carefully you can see an actual one in there for scale reference. Steve will soon be offering up hand made LEGO inspired home decor items on his website Bricks at Home.