Odin

To the vikings he was the god of war, to nerds he's Thor's dad, and to LEGO fans he's fantastic relief sculpture by 2nd Life Bricks. It's Odin, and no matter who is is to you, you have to agree this is a fine bit of building.

Ivysaur

Congratulations, you've just evolved your Bulbasaur into Ivysaur, what are you going to do now? Well, you're not done if you want to get to Venusaur, so time to get training! Make your way to the nearest gym and prepare for battle if you want to be the best there ever was. You can be sure builder lisqr will be there.

Steampunk Samurai Iron Man

My old pal Kevin Ryhal, aka M<O><O>DSWIM, has come up with a truly unique mash-up!  He's been creating all sorts of cool combos over the years, from Steampunk Gundams, to Darth Skeletor.   But I just looked through his photostream to make sure.  This is the first time he's gone for three genres in one.  "Jarvis-san, bring the boilers to full power!"

Roll A D20 To See If You Spring The Trap...

I didn't play much D&D when I was a teen, our preference was Aftermath and Traveller, but I played enough for this MOC by Galaktek to get me right in the nostalgia feels. Join the adventure of a party of four as they descend deeper and deeper on the search for treasure. Click through for a full room by room quest, it's pretty epic.

Orca

Here's some fun facts about Killer Whales:

1. They're not whales at all, they're actually the largest dolphin.
2. They'll stay with their mother their entire life.
3. They use echolocation, a form of undersea "radar" to navigate and find food.
4. They are an apex predator, top of the food chain baby!
5. They look awesome when built in bricks, like this one by timofey_tkachev.

Spacesuit, Spacesuit, SPACESUIT!

I've seen a lot of Minifigure costumes through the years. While they all make me happy, most of the time the proportions or construction is just not quite right. Not the case with this latest cosplay from Henrik Pilerud. It's clear from the beginning of the project that Henrik was determined to get it right, and with outstanding skill and talent, he did.

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I'm guessing if you saw any of these images as thumbnails, you'd never suspect there's actually someone inside it. The proportions, attention to detail and material selection is perfect, making this absolutely one of the best Minifigure costumes ever constructed. The construction is primarily high density foam, with a fabric cover. But it's exceedingly clever, even incorporating venting through the top of the head and out of the face, which is mesh.

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I had the opportunity to chat with Henrick about this amazing costume.

BN: How long did it take to make this?
HP: 200 hours from research, some 3D modelling, pattern making, cutting, gluing, sewing to finished.

BN: What's been the reaction?
HP:Lots, and lots of smiles! I have only had it at one event so far, but winning the cosplay contest and qualifying for both the Swedish Cosplay Championships and the European contest EuroCosplay Championships together with all the joy the costume spread among the convention goers, I would say was a great success.

BN: What lessons did you learn?
HP: I used a lot of lessons I've learned from previous costumes, both in choices of raw materials, mainly foam, and making it comfortable (as much as possible) to wear the costume. I also learned that I can walk (but not very fast or easily) with short legs with no knees or feet joints.

BN: Do you have any plans for other figures?
HP: Probably no more figures any time soon, but perhaps some more LEGO props and stage dressing for my performances in the coming contests. Having a space ship to scale, would be awesome, but not very realistic. The scale is 46:1 compared to an actual minifig. However, me sharing my work, might inspire others so make costumes of the same, or even higher, quality around the world.

You can learn more about Henrik and how he created this and many more stunning costumes at his Facebook page Pilerud's Cosplay.

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Sea Haven

The lengths that people have to go to feel safe has not changed much through the years. These days we have perimeter walls, armed guards and high tech security systems, back in the day we  built castles and keeps, sometimes in crazy places. This outstanding diorama by builder Blufiji depicts such a place, the small keep of Lord Askvoll and his family. I can't imagine the kids did much running around in that yard, that or they started with more kids.

Brick Bank Is On The Money!

As a huge fan of the wild west as a setting and LEGO theme I was delighted to find the "Brick Bank" by builder Paul Trach. It looks as though Paul has decided to upgrade the Creator set 10251 and repurpose it for the Wild West Theme. Paul explains he has built this for a competition over at his LUG Rogue Bricks. I've seen some other really strong entries already and the Lug seems full of great builders, but this is so far the standout for me!

The builder has gone to great lengths to ensure a level of quality that runs all the way through the MOC from top to bottom. The roof has a super water barrel and that funky little winch (was it used to install a small safe in the managers office upstairs?) and the brick built signs show a dedication to doing things right - no easy way out with a sticker here! Did I mention the use of the flat silver ice cream tops for the railings -  tekkers!

Let's also take a moment to admire the 45 degree angle of the build itself. There is some serious SNOT work going on here and I love it. The façade of the building has some fine decorative adornments and a delicate clock (don't be late to deposit your money).

Possibly my favourite detail on the build is the way in which the lattice work on the windows has been crafted using whips, these are highlighted by contrast to the trans green stained glass window panes constructed behind it.

As if those details aren't enough Paul has thrown in some authentic looking swing doors,  a beautiful pair of flowering cacti, fantastic use of the light grey ingots on the snot work base of the building and a delightful selection of dapper looking minifigs.

Paul's stream is full of great builds in a variety of themes - head over and take a look!

Vietnam Rocky Highland

I've never been to Vietnam, but I hope if I ever get to visit it's as vibrant and charming as this little MOC by builder Know Your Pieces. There's an interesting mix of traditional and modern aesthetics, with the waterwheel giving a timeless touch, but the power poles letting us know this is contemporary.

BrickFair Virginia 2017 Recap

It's that time of year again. BrickFair Virginia 2017 wrapped up this past Sunday after five days of friends, games, shopping, and mostly LEGO. BrickFair is my favorite week of the year because of how friendly the LEGO community is. I saw lots of old friends and new friends this year, and in just the same way I saw lots of old and new MOC's. My fellow contributor Nathaniel was there this year as well, and we'd like to share some of our favorite MOC's of the weekend with you, below. You can find more information about BrickFair here. Nathaniel has written a few words about his experience at the convention below as well.

Hi guys! Nathaniel here. I can't believe that BrickFair has already ended. As the highlight of my summer, it always goes by too quickly. As Kodi said above, both he and I were there proudly representing BrickNerd to fellow exhibitors and the public. It was great to see old friends again, and make some new ones for future conventions. How can I summarize BrickFair Virginia, without spending hours describing it? It's simply pure joy. I would highly recommend it to any fellow LEGO builder. If you're really interested in seeing more of the convention, I would highly recommend that you head on over to Beyond the Brick's YouTube channel and await their guided video tour of the convention.

Already looking forward to next year! Until then, we will take our memories (and loot) and look to the future.

So long, BrickFair!

Kodi & Nathaniel

Sky Pirates Dragon Attack

This is one of those MOCs that's just hard to take in as a photo, or series of photos for that matter. There's so much going on and so many complex angles that pictures just don't do it justice. But one thing is clear from this single picture, that builder LEGO 7 put some serious time and effort into it. Do yourself a favor and click through for more pics.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Web-Head

I've never been too much into comics, they just weren't available in the little town I grew up in. But I did manage to get my grubby little paws on some occasionally, and my two favorites were Iron-Man and this guy, brilliantly built by umamen. I remember having several action figures of Spidey as a kid too, and none of them had the poseability of this brick-built one, making it even more impressive.

BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!

Builder Alex Jones aka Orion Pax is back and seemingly on a one man crusade to recreate the toys of my (and many other fella's of a certain age) childhood in LEGO form. His latest build is what looks like an almost 1:1 scale recreation of HE-MAN and his best pal and trusty steed BATTLE-CAT stars of the "HE-MAN and the Masters of the Universe" cartoon.  Alex has faithfully recreated the furry pant wearing hero of the 80's - The recent release of the Batman - Clayface playset making the tanned complexion of HE-MAN possible. The detail on Battle Cats armoured mask in particular makes it almost indistinguishable from the rigid plastic version many of us owned way back then. Although I'm personally not a fan of sculpting, he's done a fantastic job of recreating HE-MAN's face using a Buzz Lightyear head as a base.

As a kid I loved Tuesday afternoons at 4 o'clock for my taste of Eternian action with a dose of morality at the end for good measure. I hope Alex gets round to giving Skeletor and Panthor the same treatment soon!

Motorized BB-8

BB-8 is pretty much universally adored, and since the release of The Force Awakens we've seen thousands of iterations of this little guy. He's on everything from sports bottles to hats. Being nothing but round makes him naturally difficult to build in bricks, but our love for him means that builders keep doing it. Check out this version by Takamichi Irie, not only does it look great, the motorized functions really bring him to life.

Technique Tuesday - Panels And Cheese Make A Delicious And Interesting Wall

Getting large flat surfaces (AKA walls) to be interesting usually takes a lot of parts and a lot of work, but even then they lack sufficient detail. Builder Simon NH shows us a technique that uses panels and a wide assortment of small parts to really break up the surface in not only color and size, but also subtle texture. I can't vouch for how sturdy it is, but it certainly looks fantastic.

M8A1

Weapon builder extraordinaire Nick Brick is back with another stunning rifle. This is the M8A1 from the game Call of Duty Black Ops II, and it's pretty badass. It features a moving trigger, removable magazine, sliding ambidextrous charging handle with centering tab, and detachable working reflex sight. I can't help but think that somewhere in Nick's house there's a room that's starting to look like Big Daddy's in Kick Ass.

Chicken Run

If you haven't seen Chicken Run you need to give it a chance. For one, it's by Aardman, the Wallace and Grommet people, so you know it's funny. And it's heavily inspired by Stalag 17, and The Great Escape, so it's a good story. And of course it's stop-motion animated, a subject close to my heart. Builders SuckMyBrick liked it so much they were inspired to build. And this is the result, pure enchantment and fun, just like the movie,

Lumiére

Humans have always been captivated by fire, from our very early days it has been a central feature of our lives. It cooks our food, it keeps us warm and it wards off danger. Of course we think we've mastered this element, but that is only by the good grace of Lumiére, the goddess of fire, depicted here by builder Pate-keetongu. So next time you turn that dial of the stove top or click that lighter, remind yourself to be thankful.

Lightsabers

“This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon... for a more civilized age.”

— Obi-Wan Kenobi

These of course need no introduction, everyone knows what a lightsaber is, which is really interesting when you think about it. Prior to 1977, they weren't a thing. They were a notion in George Lucas' imagination, and a collection of parts somewhere in England. A graflex flash handle, plumbing parts, pieces of calculator. Now they are part of our lives, as ubiquitous as an automobile or television. And now they are beautifully crafted brick-built showpieces by Swan Dutchman. There have been countless lightsabers built in LEGO, but these are perhaps the cleanest I've ever seen, gorgeous.

Tower Bridge At Tower Bridge

A builder with an awesome outlook on life and a pretty awesome name, Tommy Williams (it's so hard not not add the "on" on the end of that) has done something I've been dying to do. The Tower Bridge is an icon of London, and the LEGO set is a fitting tribute to it. So why not build it in the shadow of the real thing? Tommy has done just that, and produced this exceptional video documenting the event. It's all part of his Year of Projects and the philosophy to never lose your inner child. As a self professed man-child, I totally support this notion.