Gotta Build Them All!

Once upon a time Pokemon was huge at my house. Both of my boys went through phases where all that was talked about was how to be a good trainer and how to catch them all. Now builder Takamichi Irie has started a series of fantastic MOCs bringing these pocket monsters to life. The addition of the collector card for each Pokemon is a brilliant touch. Maybe he'll eventually get to my personal favorite, Cubone. Photos by willgalb.

---

---

American Graffiti

You may not know this Star Wars fans, but you owe a debt of gratitude to this yellow hotrod. Prior to Star Wars getting greenlit the executives at Universal were scratching their heads at a little film from a young filmmaker named George Lucas. They didn't get it, and in fact almost shelved it, but when they finally released the film it was a smash hit. It had humor, it had poignancy, it had music and it had cars...We loved it. Based on it's success George was able to finally convince 20th Century Fox to give Star Wars a shot. The rest, as they say, is history. This updated version of John Milner's hotrod by Tiler makes me smell gas and hear Wolfman Jack.

Lifting Microscale to New Heights

As a predominantly microscale builder, I love the challenge of making something instantly recognizable with as few pieces as possible. Builder Kosmas Santosa will tell you himself that he doesn't build much in this scale - but after seeing this Gondola I'm certain he should continue to try his hand at it. I see a total of 11 pieces here, not counting the string and background. Masterful work.

Dogmatix

European readers are more likely to recognize this canine character,  It's Obelix's trusty terrier Dogmatix (AKA Idefix) from the Asterix and Obelix comics. I've never read the comics, but I'm familiar with some of the characters, and instantly recognized this little guy. Builder grubaluk perfectly captures his character in this highly pose-able MOC. 

Apogee: Space Cargo

As part of a challenge among the builders on Brick Pirate, Xavier Clement has created a unique and asymmetric cargo craft.  His intention was to build a ship with the same spirit as the Millennium Falcon, ready to take on that Kessel Run at a moment's notice.  Now, with Xavier having thrown down the gauntlet, the other forum members are supposed to remix this design/color scheme, and build their own version.  Should be interesting... Punch it, Chewie!

Colossal Northwest Crane

I don't know much about large construction vehicles, but I can certainly appreciate when I pass one on the road. Colossal machines that in turn build colossal things just sort of blow my mind. And LEGO versions of these vehicles, especially built on the scale of this crane by builder LiftingBricks, are just as mind blowing. This thing is technically a work in progress, but so cool I just had to share. Click through for more details and tons more pics.

Archimedes

Disney's The Sword in the Stone has a bit of a checkered past. Though officially considered a moderate success by the company, it has never caught much traction. This is a shame because while it's a bit uneven, it's actually a good film. Archimedes, here brilliantly recreated by Legohaulic, is a stand-out character. If you have the opportunity, give this film a chance.

The Elder Scrolls-Orsinium

My friend and fellow VLUGer Thorsten Bonsch has created another marvel of LEGO design.  There are so many aspects of this build to enjoy, but in particular, the seamless path really jumps off the screen, looking like it was printed.  I also appreciate the building-in-progress scaffolding mixed with the textured stone work.  Very convincing. 

Visit The Riviera

This MOC by Snaillad reminds me of a postcard or possibly a scene in a Bond movie, either way it makes me want to take a trip. I really like the mix of colors, the suggestion of old and new and the rich textures throughout this MOC. All it needs is a little accordion music, the sounds of seagulls and lapping water and the chatter and bustle of a European street and the scene is set.

Cannonball Run

I will confess to a guilty pleasure, I have a weakness for Hal Needham pictures. The likes of Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper (probably my single biggest guilty pleasure) and of course the Cannonball Run. Hal's mix of incredible stunts, improvised dialog and mad-cap action has always appealed to me. It seems to have resonated with Mad Physicist too, because this is the second MOC from one of his movies. And if you're going to do a cross-country illegal road race, why not do it in an emergency vehicle right?

Echo Base

Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back is widely regarded as the best of all the Star Wars films. My personal favorite is A New Hope, (gotta love the original) but I love Empire too. This diorama from markus19840420 looks like a movie set, in fact it's got my juices going for some Hoth stop-motion action. Too bad I'm away from the studio this month. Click through for more pictures of this fantastic diorama.

Inside Everyone Could Be A Xenomorph Dying To Get Out

The internets are full of tantilizing clues about not one, but two Alien movies in the works. One from the original director Ridley Scott himself, and one from Neill Blomkamp. This MOC from Grantmasters was inspired by the teaser poster of the later, and makes my chest hurt just looking at it.

Where the Rubber Meets the (Brick) Road

I'll admit that LEGO cars aren't exactly my area of interest -- I'm more of a spaceship, spaceship, spaceship! kinda AFOL. But builders like Andrea Lattanzio, a.k.a. Norton74 on Flickr, make me embarrassed to completely overlook this theme. I mean, look at this scene, titled "'32 Ford 'Tow Rod' at the Garage" from the propped-up roadster to the superb mechanic's tool chest to the checkered tile wall pattern to the boombox on the shelf to the drill press to the "wood" pallet, the attention to detail and the craftsmanship here is simply exquisite. The only thing missing is grease stains on that lovely, 6x6 light gray tiled floor. And I'd bet Andrea will find a way to make those, too!  Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines... 

This is (Rubber) Ducky Calling!

Space Truckers is one of my favourite films (bear with me). Its cheap and cheerful, but still manages to be a whole lot of fun (square pigs!) This MOC by Luigi Priori captures the look and feel of Intergalactic Space Truckin! He admits he was influenced by the (easily forgotten) Container Heist set from the Space Police 3 theme, but this has so much "In your face, Trucker Mother" badassness (is that a word?) I will allow it! This post was sponsored by the North Atlantic Bracket Users (East and West) Association (NABU(E&W)A)

Brother In Arms

Seeing this wonderful creation from Rod Gilles somehow brought back memories of Dire Straits. Whilst not the coolest band in the World, they could play the guitar on telly whilst getting small chickens for nothing, or something?. Loving the simple but effective lines of the axe and its amp. Its just like the artist is just offstage, waiting for the call to play. As part of an Iron Builder round, the seed part is the paint roller, this just rocks! Oh and Rod is a fellow blogger, over at The Brothers Brick. See what I did there!

Il Sogno "The Dream"

Automatons are endlessly fascinating to me. Perhaps it's my mechanical background, or maybe I was captivated even before that, resulting in a career in animatronics. I honestly don't know the origins of my affection for this items, but I'm smitten every time I see one. This latest from builder KMbricklab is charming and surprising. The clown playing the piano is enough to grab your attention, then you see the opposite side of the piano and your mind is blown. Check out the video for all the kinetic fun.

Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson

Master character builder Pate-keetongu is back with another marvelous character from Discworld. And of course I still haven't read the books so I really can't say very much about that aspect. What I can say is this is a fantastic character build. The combination of the silver armor and dark red cape and tunic is very regal. Read more about him on Eero's website.

Löwenzahn - Peters Bauwagen

This new MOC by Jonas is apparently dedicated to Peter Lustig, a German TV moderator who passed away last week. I know nothing about German television, but it's a great creation on its own terms; very idyllic and peaceful-looking (and has great interior details, too).