Robot And Robot

I don't know if there's an underlying metaphor for this image by builder jigsawjo. It's the kind of image that an uppity artist might say "represents the struggle of one generation blah blah blah", or some other pretentious nonsense. To me it's just a striking visual, and some damn fine building. The large arm is a work in progress, work that I'll be watching with interest.

The Fastest Hunk Of Junk In The Galaxy

Instead of waiting for the heavily rumored return of the UCS Millennium Falcon, builder K Yousef took matters into his own hands and crafted his own. And while it might be a bit smaller than the UCS, this one has a pretty decked out interior. Click through for more pictures of everyone's favorite piece of junk.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Steam

It's always fun when a builder steps out of their comfort zone and takes on a new theme. It's especially fun when they bring in a little of another genre, or go full on mashup. Builder Dwalin Forkbeard dealves into space with a steampunky rocket ship in which victorians would have been proud to break the atmosphere.

Jack And The Beanstalk

What a whimsical and wonderful image by builder Grant Davis. A fairytale classic, Jack ascending the beanstalk to find the giant's castle. If not for that familiar texture in the background you'd hardly know it was LEGO. I knew when the seed part of this round of Iron Builder was revealed we'd see some interesting stuff, but the creativity on this round has been off the scale. 

E.T. Goes Home

Like so many films of the 80's, E.T. helped shape me as a filmmaker and artist. It's a remarkable story told by an army of exceptionally talented artists. This wonderful diorama by builders ~The Steads~ depicts the uplifting but heartbreaking end of the movie, when E.T. says goodbye to Eliot and his family and climbs aboard his ride home. Admit it, you cried.

A Man And His Horse

Aido K has built a really striking scene of a cloaked man leading his horse through some chilly terrain. So many details in this I love: the brick-built horse, the traveler's feet creating a path in the snow bank, the flowing cape, and the little pieces of snow ontop the plants. But what makes it for me is the dynamic posing of the characters. It really brings the scene to life.

"If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It."

The Predator was not only a really fun, badass, creative and original story, it had one of the best creature designs ever. I mean for a "dude in a suit", it was absolutely awesome. Builder Takamichi Irie has combined high skill, creative parts use and a clear love of the character to build this guy at a scale I wouldn't have thought possible, at least with this amount of detail.

'63 Vette

For a brief time of my childhood, me and my brother were pretty captivated by Corvettes. I think it was because we went to see Corvette Summer, and the only reason we really went to see that was because Luke Skywalker was in it. The movie pretty much bored us, but the car made a real impression. Looking back it was pretty cheesy, but this 1963 Stingray by builder brickdater is pure class, and an American classic.

Soundwave, At Your Disposal

 The classic design of the Decepticon Soundwave has always led to this character being one of my favorites of the robots in disguise. Alex Jones, who has been doing several amazing LEGO Transformers projects lately, has recreated the robot design I am so fond of. The head and chest portions are key to the design, and Alex executed these perfectly. He was even able to make a transformation mode! Simply fantastic. The awesomeness of this build is not in disguise...

Doctor, We Need You Now

Maybe the patient stepped on a LEGO. . .

Kirill Simerzin made this wonder, complete, and immersible LEGO scene of an emergency room. There are so many details and devices showcasing in this single photograph, it's hard to take everything in at once. The clever window and shaping of the hospital blankets over the patient are just a couple aspects of the nicely detailed scene. Take a closer look for yourself!

Hei Hei

Widely regarded as the stupidest Disney animated character ever, Hei Hei the chicken from Moana was not only comic relief, but a subtle hero. Sure he's as dumb as the rocks he tends to eat, but as Moana herself pointed out his "strengths lie beneath the surface...deep beneath" and he was there at a critical moment to save the day. Builder LEGO 7 captures his vacant essence perfectly.

There Are Three Rules...

1. No bright light. Bright light hurts him, sunlight will kill him.
2. Don't get him wet. Don't give him any water to drink, don't give him a bath.
3. No matter how much he begs, don't feed him after midnight.

A wonderful tribute to an awesome 80's classic, Gremlins. Nicely done John_Toulouse.

Sepia Solaris

That 4x4x13 Curved Panel seems like a natural fit for space, looking at it now. Grant Davis' new entry to Iron Builder puts the part to great use in a sleek-yet-feral spaceship - a departure from the themes in which he normally builds. I wonder how often he gets the chance to use those dark orange Bionicle blades?

Warmate²

I'm not sure why I find this MOC by Gamabomb so unsettling. If it's the proportions, the build style, the fact that it's wearing pants, I don't know. But I also find it compelling, and I can tell you this; the battlefields of the future are going to be simultaneously horrific, disturbing, fascinating and badass.

I'm Hooked On a Feeling, Star-Lord

Jammin' while building a device to jam with. Vaionaut designed Star-Lord's tape player, and item from Peter's past that he can not part with. I love the headset portion, using some flexible tubing and clever curves used to construct the speaker areas. The main body of the player is also very clean and is cleverly incorporating the dark blue and light gray. I have only seen one other LEGO version of this player, but this is a bit better in my opinion. Nicely done!

Getting A Handle On Things

This one fooled me, I mean really fooled me. I looked at this thumbnail and thought "well, that's an unusual color for a door handle". Then stared at it for a second more and thought "I guess that's why they took a picture of it". Yes, I was so confused by the nature of the picture of a door handle that I failed to notice it was brick-built. Well played Grant, well played.

Orbiting, Rotating Kinetic Magic

This thing is mesmerizing, totally mesmerizing. This is the Gräjjs 5.1, a kinetic sculpture from builder gonkius, and it's a sight to behold. I can't imagine how much trial and error it took to get all these nested mechanisms to coexist in such a tight but elegant space. Check out the video to see it in motion.

SBA Soundboard

Attention audiophiles, you gotta check this out. The new SBA 1.2 Soundboard is out and it's a beauty. Just look at all those dials, buttons, slider and doohickies, it must be awesome. And if you order now for the bargain price of $9999.99 they throw in a complimentary technic pic, what are you waiting for? Nice one soccersnyderi.

Happy 40th Birthday Star Wars!

I can't believe Star Wars turns 40 this year, man I'm old. I can think of no greater single influence in my life, one that turned me into what I am. Star Wars ignited a creative flame in me that has burned fiercely ever since. Model fabricating, filmmaking, visual effects, camera gear and all my other skill sets and nerdy passions can be traced back to this pivotal cinematic moment. Happy birthday Star Wars!

Firehouse

Instead of hosting, Isaac S. is now competing in the ABS Builder Challenge! This round's unique element to incorporate in all builds is a red minifigure bucket! That is surely the most interesting piece used by the hosts so far, at least to me. When you have a red bucket, I am definitely not surprised that one of the builders thought of a firetruck AND firehouse! The building is very nicely done, and is especially good considering Isaac is primarily a castle builder. Make sure to check out addition shots of this station, and the vehicles he created for it!