Mech Elephant

Elephants have been beasts of burden for ages, something I find a bit disturbing sometimes, at least if the relationship isn't mutually beneficial. But if we had mech elephants, like this one from builder ToyForce 120, I wouldn't have a problem with it. I might be persuaded to attend a circus too, because how badass would that be?

Zoetrope

Being a fan of animation, as well as an animator myself, I've always had a soft spot for the zoetrope. It's amazing that a simple spinning drum with slits is all you need for the illusion of life. I saw a zoetrope similar to this one by Fogtod a couple years ago at BrickCon, but it used minifigures for the animation. I have to admit I sorta prefer the low fidelity, chunky charm of this version.

ARMT-M01A Aras

So what do you do when you need to approach an enemy swiftly, over uneven and obstructed terrain, maintain dexterity while delivering a punishing array of armament? Well you pilot a mech of course, not unlike this reFrame by builder Messymaru. Just look at the sleek lines, the elegant but deadly proportions and the pose-ability of this beauty.

Drawing Perfect Circles...

...and stabbing you in the hand every time you reach into your art box. It's the classic compass, the old school way of drawing arcs and circles, and measuring distances on a map. It's always fascinated me that two such completely different activities can be accomplished with the same device. It's like your toaster also having the ability to print photos. Builder bricks.life.idea shows us how it's done in LEGO, so not only does it do those tasks, it can be reconfigured into a effectively endless array of other things too, mind blowing.

The Black Pearl

I have a soft spot for this cursed ship. Not only because I'm a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, both the ride and the movies, but also because I worked on the fourth movie. Of course in that film the Pearl was only briefly seen, and in a bottle no less, but it's still there. This version by builder W. Navarre captures the essence of the infamous Pearl. You can practically hear the music huh?

All Hail The Pumpkin King

I'm proud to say I saw The Nightmare Before Christmas in the theater. We had little idea what we were in for, Disney didn't have much confidence in the project (so much so they released it under the Touchstone banner) and wasn't throwing it's usual advertising blitz at the world. We were blown away to say the least. It was some time before Disney really picked up on what a truly unique and absolute classic it was, and it's popularity has only grown since, as evidenced by this inspired build by builder HCK_1974. Not bad for a little movie that was "too scary for kids, too silly for adults".

Lovely Witch

Halloween is just about a week away, and things are getting spooky on Flickr. There I was, minding my own business when this charming witch and black cat by alanboar showed up. I'd say I was spooked or scared, but she's too lovely to be scary. And she might have some mischief in mind, but that doesn't bother me, just don't change me into a newt or anything.

My Neighbor Totoro

Studio Ghibli's masterpiece My Neighbor Totoro is one of the most charming animated films ever made, in large part due to the titular character. Vincent made a great MOC of Totoro that captures his likeness perfectly. I also really dig the little details he included, like the raindrops on his umbrella. I wonder if his cat is secretly a catbus?

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The Bride

The film Kill Bill isn't for everyone, but it just might surprise you. Yes, it's hyper violent, corny at times, downright silly others, but it's also oozing with style, rife with amazing performances and absolutely unique in traditional Tarantino style. It also inspired this stunning rendition of Uma Thurman's character the Bride by builder Brandon Griffith. Does it get any sexier than this?

The Lecturer On Recent Runes

Builder Pate-keetongu is back with another whimsical and wonderful character from the perennially odd but fascinating Discworld. This is the Lecturer on Recent Runes, who of course I have no familiarity with since I haven't delved into the books yet, but I do think he's pretty amazing. 

Nick Wilde

I still haven't seen Zootopia. I've sat down a couple times to do it, but something has come up and well, you know, life and stuff. But I've seen enough of it to recognize this character by builder Sheo. It's Nick Wilde, Zootopia's lovable, if not notorious, con artist. 

Ghost White Fighters

There's a certain museum quality to these fighters by builder ChristiansCreations. The stark white models, something this builder specializes in, seem more 'sculpted' than 'built', probably because they evoke images of items cast in plaster, or chiseled from marble. Regardless I think they would look fantastic on any collector's shelf, and makes me wonder if something like this offered from LEGO would sell, hmmm.

Bender

Everybody has a little bit of Bender in them, they just have varying levels of capacity to override the urge to tell people what they really think (except on Facebook, where that urge is strangely diminished). But you have to sorta admire the guy (robot, being...whatever) for just looking out for number one. You also have to really admire Lego Junkie for this excellent rendition of Bender, it's pretty much perfect.

X-Wing Cross-Section

I love a MOC that stops me in my tracks and makes me go...well, how do I spell it? Hhwoooooooww? It's sort of a intake of air, while dropping the jaw, raising the eyebrows, widening the eyes and making an "O" shape with the lips, it's pretty primal. Go ahead, try it! To make it easier check out this radical cross-section Incom T-65 X-Wing Fighter by builder Inthert. It should happen pretty naturally.

Toltobury Wharf

Welcome to Toltobury Wharf, the results of years of work by builder Toltomeja. This place is stunning, with rich details and story happening everywhere you look. It's clear it's the product of incredible care, patience and skill, from the curved waterfront to the top of the tallest tower, and everywhere between.

McLaren's Pub

I don't watch How I Met Your Mother (nothing against it, I don't watch any sitcoms), but I do really dig this recreation of the set by builder speedyhead79. The attention to detail here is superb, I really wish I had this in the "brick backlot" to use as a set for animated films. You can bet we'd use it over and over.

Gaunt

Builder m_o_n_k_e_y is back with another stellar robotic MOC. This one started innocently enough from an attempt to build a shoulder structure strong enough to hold heavy arms, and just sort of happened from there. It's always fascinating to me to learn the genesis of a MOC, it's sometimes completely unexpected, and I find that endlessly delightful.

Death By MMO

I share builder vitreolum's befuddlement at this phenomenon. Yes, people actually die while playing MMO games. They get way too into it and play for days without eating, drinking or sleeping and *whump*. I can understand "getting in the zone", I'm guilty of going deep during a creative endeavor and getting to the end of the day before realizing I hadn't eaten all day, but how one goes multiple days, and playing a game no less, is beyond me. I don't know what game this poor chap was playing, but it must have been immersive...perhaps too immersive.

Starkiller Base

When are the bad guys from Star Wars ever going to figure out that the giant "doomsday weapon" approach never works? While it might not be so good for sustained intimidation, they do make for pretty awesome play sets, as demonstrated by this excellent MOC by Forgotten Days. There's multiple levels and chambers to recreate the action from The Force Awakens, including a giant Snoke hologram. Everything you need for hours of play, that is until the good guys blow it up...again.