Brickworld 2016

Another Brickworld is in the bag, and boy was it a brick-tastic few days! We saw a phenomenal amount of new and creative MOCs, and are continually impressed with how the community pushes the medium forward.
If you've never attended a convention before and live in the U.S. Midwest (or anywhere in the world really) I highly recommend that you visit this convention at least once in your lifetime. Brickworld is traditionally held over a long Father's day weekend in June. The convention offers multiple ways to attend including public viewing days however, we do suggest going as a registered attendee for the full experience.

-Bart, Mel, and Philip

Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet

"How awesome is this?!?"  That's what I heard every time I walked by my pal Tyler Halliwell's display at Brickworld this weekend.  Among his impressive collection of busts was this new pair of builds from the Marvel Universe.  Seeing old Thanos in person was a real treat, too, once you got over the shock of how lifelike it is.  Amazing creation, Dude! 

Red Menace

Builder Lino M brought a unique perspective to this month's LUGnuts challenge "The Science of it all". Instead of interpereting it more literally, and orbiting ideas like self driving cara or state of the art technology, Lino gravitated toward this vehicle's name, the Mercury Comet Cyclone, which is very "sciency". Science aside, this beast looks road ready, and gorgeous.

Trucking. In. SPAAAACE!

I'm not exactly sure where that meme comes from, but I'll use it nonetheless because it's funny. Anyway, sci-fi master Tardisblue is back with this awesome transport vehicle. Even though it's quite different from his usual spaceship builds, this truck is still fantastic. It seems fairly simple at first, but once you look closely, you can tell that there is some next-level brickery going on here. Just look at that diagonal caution stripe across the trailer! Awesome.

3D Treasure Map

This is an interesting MOC by builder p e d. We're all familiar with treasure maps, but this one is more like my imagination sees them. In stunning relief the details leap off the page and become a vivid underwater scene featuring a ship wreck, seabed teeming with life and a treasure hunter. I don't know what riches remain to be found in this ship, but I think this MOC is a treasure in itself.

Utini!

The Jundland Wastes are no place to travelled lightly, especially with this thing roaming around. It seems the Jawas have a new tool (weapon?) to aid them in their efforts to find, buy and sell droids, the Mobile Suit Sandcrawler by M<0><0>DSWIM. I'd like to see Stormtroopers try and slaughter jawas now.

Let's-a-go!

Even though they were some of the more difficult levels, I always enjoyed the airship levels when playing Mario. They're just so different from the rest of the levels, even though that auto-scroll gets obnoxious. This awesome version of Bowser's airship by Nick Brick has all the necessary features: the cannons, the goofy propellers, and Bowser Jr.'s little flying machine. I really like how clean and polished this build is, it makes it feel very cartoony (and therefore accurate to the source material). It's very cool to see a 3-dimensional version of this ship.

Mmmmmm, Burger

Most of the people that have visited BrickNerd Studios here in Lompoc have discovered something about me, I come from strong burger DNA. It's a tradition when someone visits to take them to Tom's, a local burger joint started by my dad Tom Sr about 35 years ago. I can assure you if builder Powerpig ever visits, I'll be taking him there, he clearly appreciates a good burger.

Grease Fires

Okay guys, let's be serious for a minute.  Grease fires are no joke.  Never ever throw water onto a grease fire because water and oil don't mix and it'll just splash burning hot oil everywhere and spread the fire.  The only time I've seen a real grease fire was at a fire department demonstration during elementary school and I'm still not sure if the firemen's multiple failed attempts to extinguish the flames and the projected sense of urgency was genuine or not.

When it comes to LEGO grease fires, they are fantastically fun.  As you can see from jarekwally's vignette, the kitchen is packed with action and detail.  Stone island counters, wooden walls, plenty of places to hang things and shelf space, a huge fridge, and a chef with personality!

The Truth Is Out There

While I wasn't a religious watcher, I've always been a fan of X-Files. Something about Mulder's continual optimism/paranoia and Scully's continual skepticism kept the show alive with a great dynamic (although, you'd think after so long, Scully would maybe be slightly less skeptical every week). This interior by markus19840420 captures the clutter and feel of Mulder's office perfectly, right down the the pencils lodged in the ceiling tiles.

Phasers Out

I always love it when someone builds a good life-size movie prop, and this original Star Trek phaser by buriedbybricks is a great example. Although I wasn't around when the original Star Trek TV show and movies were showing, I still quite like it at times. Sure, the effects are a little old and the cardboard sets are wobbly, but it was a huge step in science fiction entertainment and was sometimes quite impressive. Similarly, this model is old (the builder says he built it in 2010) but excellent. The shaping is splendid and there's lots of great detail.

Simply Maleficent!

The first things to really strike me about Johnnie Tee's representation of this scene from Maleficent, were the stained glass and floor tiling. They are so precise and authentic. Johnnie Tee explains that he was looking to create "gothic chic luxury befitting a young princess" and I think he's got this spot on! The details on the bed such as the feet and whips, along with the golden furnishings, create a sense of elegance. Aurora can be seen smiling and holding Maleficent's hand in this LEGO moc of the the 'True Love's Kiss' scene.

Bioshock Skyhook

This MOC by builder Imagine™ is pretty insane. I haven't played Bioshock, so I have no frame of reference here, but this is a really wild and wacky weapon. And as if just the styling and build wasn't impressive enough, this thing is motorized! Check out the video clip to see it in action, it's pretty mind-blowing (and just a little terrifying).

Spinning Vinyl

Well, plastic at least. I can remember studying one of these at around age 4 and working out how it functioned, prompting me to disassemble a couple music boxes of my mom's to see if they worked the same way (similar, but using a drum). I also remember getting into a bit of trouble for not putting them back together. What can I say, they were far more interesting with their inner workings exposed. Builder jtheels nails another retro build (and brings back all the childhood feels) perfectly.

This Icarus Can Fly...

...Unlike the mythological one, which crashed and burned. This sweet mecha by Devid VII definitely isn't susceptible to the problems Icarus Mk.1 had. It looks awesome, with the dark red color scheme and all those menacing angles. I particularly like the design of the missile pods on the shoulders, as well as the turbine above the head.

Don't Turn Me Into a Frog, Sir, Please

Out of all the places seen in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Bag End is one of my absolute favorites. I've built it multiple times, but never been quite happy with it. This version by Sergeant Chipmunk, though, is fantastic. He has a lot of really nice SNOT work, particularly around the windows, which provides some great detail. The foliage looks very realistic as well. With the nicely rounded base and tidy edges, this build is a very clean and natural chunk out of a much larger scene.

D.Va's Proverbial Pretty Pink Pistol

Builder Nick Brick is back with another game inspired weapon. This time it's from the game Overwatch, and the character D.Va. It's her goto weapon when she's outside her mech. Yes, it's pink. Yes, it has a bunny dangle. Yes, she's a girl. Yes, she'll stomp you into the ground you small-minded chauvinistic simpleton.

Park 0937

I love theme parks. I have a lifetime pass to LEGOLAND, am a member of DVC and have a passport to Disneyland. If I could visit this wonderfully imaginative park by Alexis Dos Santos I would. It's got everything, a flume ride, a circling train, a ferris wheel, a fantasy castle and more. All with a whimsical style that is so inviting. There's only one photo at this time, so you'll have to click through and scroll around to truly appreciate this.

New Creator Beetle Coming

I normally leave stuff like this to the sites that concentrate on news, but this makes me so giddy I had to share. The family car when I was young was a beetle, my first car was a beetle and my car  now is a beetle. I've always had a deep affection for these round little wonders, and now LEGO is hooking us up with a fantastic new model. I love the retro styling and studless design, it's beautiful. The 1,167 piece set will retail for $99.99 (US). VIP members can get their grubby little mits on it July 14 and the general public can on August 1.