If you haven't already heard, HARDnuary is once again underway. What's that you ask? Well, quite simply it's a building challenge for hardware and everyday items, sort of the mastery of the mundane. There are no prizes, but you wouldn't know that by the enthusiasm of builder KOS brick, who has committed to a MOC every day in January, and so far it's been impressive.
There are few in the castle genre that haven't heard of David Hensel, AKA Legonardo Davidy, and there are a great many outside the theme (and AFOL community) that have marveled at his creations. His unorthodox, fluid and organic style is eye catching and splendid, and he is a pioneer of building techniques.
His work continually leaves me in awe, and his down-to-earth attitude and humble personality make his MOCs even more appealing. I'm very happy to let you all get to know him a little better.
Read MoreI spent my formative years squarely in the 70's, and they weren't pretty. Bellbottom jeans, disco, The Gong Show and avocado appliances are just a taste of some of what that age of excess had to offer. It wasn't all bad though. The 70's also gave us Star Wars, micronaughts and Atari. There were some pretty groovy interiors back then too, as expertly demonstrated by builder eyescream54. I'm pretty sure one of those records is Meco Star Wars too (ok, just wishful thinking).
As predicted, this Iron Builder is epic, with all builders competing in fine form. We've already seen several entries and I'm positive that it's just going to get more and more insane as the month goes on. Here's some of my favorites so far.
It's not very often you see 6 or 7 story buildings in the castle theme, so this MOC by Fraslund is a real eye grabber. This is the Floating Abode, inspired from the novel To Whatever End, and she's a real beauty. The split level design, wraparound deck and tudor styling is very appealing. I want to visit this place.
LEGO 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 MoreThis shot should be instantly recognizable to anyone who enjoys stop motion animation, British humor or cheese. It's Wallace and Gromit on their Grand Day Out. A short little trip to the moon is just the thing when you run out of cheese.
I would totally dig a series of classic Star Trek sets from LEGO. And so would builder DustyBricks, so much so he made his own Galileo shuttle play set. Alhough I would have to insist on at least one red shirt in the away team. You know, to die.
The battle raged on as Skippy and Burt made their way to the top of the wall, bows in hand. Their only task, defend the drain under the wall. Before them was an imposing sight, thousands of bloodthirsty orcs, hellbent on their destruction. As they settled into position, Skippy spotted a particular orc in the throng.
SKIPPY
Hey, what's that really big orc doing?
BURT
He's running toward us with a huge sparkler! Bit late to be celebrating New Year! What a buffoon!
SKIPPY
Where is he going? Doesn't he know we're all done with that holiday? I'm already writing the wrong date on my checks.
BURT
Yup, day late and a dollar short eh mate? Looks like he's heading into the drain down there.
Kaboom.
Once again my ignorance of anime is brought to my attention. And as usual my quick little research to familiarize myself with the subject matter has left me with more questions than answers. I really like this cute little MOC by MikeVD, but I have no idea who it is. To quote One Piece Wiki: "Tony Tony Chopper is the doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates. Chopper is a reindeer that ate a Devil Fruit called the Hito Hito no Mi". So, yeah.
What better way to usher in the new year than with a little noise, and some Iron Builder action! Siercon and Coral are going up against Legohaulic and Nannan Z, and it should be an epic battle. These are some of my favorite builders, and watching them battle it out is always a pleasure. This awesome little batch of fireworks is just the beginning, I can't wait
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, for as much promise it seemed to have, was an epic disappointment. I had a tangential connection with it, helping solve some of the compositing challenges, and I had high hopes for it. But alas, I was let down. But there are a few shining gems in there, and one of them is this, Nemo's car, the Nautilus. The version by Mad physicist is as jaw dropping as the real one. Just look at that lovely detailing on the front, scrumptious.
It's no secret that there's a Batman Vs Superman sequel in the works, but I haven't revealed much more than that. There's been a few rumors, but I will neither confirm nor deny most of them. Well, Kathy Zuelch of Rooster Teeth fame appeared on AfterBuzz TV's The Voice Of last night and revealed that she is indeed going to be the voice of Wonder Woman in the sequel! Yes, the voice of Tex on Red Vs Blue is going to in the next BrickNerd Studios production, and I couldn't be happier.
Is it weird that the first thing I thought when I looked at this MOC by LL was "movie set"? I guess I've just been in that mode lately (then again, I've been in movie mode since I was twelve) with lots of animation going on. Since it's just a section of castle wall it sort of looks like a classic facade. And really, look at it, can't you just see a little drama or comedy playing out in this wonderful little scene?
Movies in the 80's were pretty rad. Yes, you have some epic spectacles these days, but back then they were REALLY hard to make, and far less movies had a "2" or "3" or "4" after the title. One particularly hard to make and original film was Short Circuit. Yes, it's a little cheesy, but Johnny Five was a mechanical achievement that still boggles my mind. This bust by Shannon Ocean does him justice, and I really hope this build gets bigger and better with time.
Having grown up just 20 miles from a genuine Danish village (ok, it's Solvang, a tourist trap version of a genuine Danish village, but it was originally founded by Danes) windmills have been in the background all my life. So naturally I feel connected to this outstanding MOC by Legonardo Davidy. It also reminds me of cookies, delicious Danish butter cookies (what can I say, there's a windmill on the tin).
Human anatomy fun facts:
25% of a human’s bones are in the hands and feet.
An individual blood cell takes about 60 seconds to make a complete circuit of the body.
Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream.
When built from LEGO a human body is 73%-77% cooler than an actual human body.
Thanks for the head's up Bill!
You know what makes really cool camera moves happen in stop motion animation? Motion control, that's what. I've launched a gofundme campaign to get one of these little beauties at BrickNerd Studios. Click through to help.
I've never played go, but I've seen it played, and this brick-built version by joeseidon not only looks perfect, but it's totally playable. And unlike the cheap pressboard versions I see from time to time, this really makes me want to play! I dig the totally clean construction and the use of the X-pod containers is perfect. I can see this occupying a small gaming table for years to come.
Shrek’s fairy-tale cast has arrived in LEGO minifigure form, but does everyone get a happily ever after? We take a close look at the movie references, a few puzzling design choices, and some useful parts for Castle builders.
What are the best ways to score cheap LEGO? If you’re willing to go to some effort, hidden LEGO pops up all over the place. In today’s guest article, Molly Patton shares her stories and tips at finding low-priced LEGO.
Are you one of those people that has a perpetually messy building table? If so, you are not alone. Ted Andes comes out in defense of creative clutter and pleads the case for there being a method-to-the-madness of a messy building table. Read on to find out why a little bit of disorganization can be a good thing.
What happens when you turn a LEGO pirate ship into a Great Ball Contraption? Brian Hickey and his family find out, building a working module and learning a few hard lessons when it joins the GBC loop at BrickCon.
The Spindlejack messengers have a new predator on their tail! Dan Ko shares his T-R3X Speeder Bike, a dinosaur-inspired ride for the light-fingered Swindlejerks, with free instructions to build your own bike and display stand.
Creating LEGO cityscapes is an AFOL passion, but how do you build sidewalks and curbs that curve like in real life? We share some step-by-step instructions using some helpful new elements to make sure your city has curb appeal.
Monet painted his garden many times, exploring changes in color and time of day. Meredith Najewicz follows his lead, rebuilding the LEGO Art Water Lilies set with a darker palette and some creative part substitutions to cast the lilies in a different light.
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Galidor. A retired theme with a cult following, nearly universally hated by all. Just look at it. What part of this makes you think “LEGO?” Today we’ll take a look at the horrors of Galidor.