Rock The Casbah

I went to high school in the 80’s. So things like the rise of MTV, Micheal Jackson, Madonna and Duran Duran are irretrievably interwoven with those most formative years, and I consider myself lucky. I was never much into pop music, but bands like Madness, Kraftwerk, Beastie Boys and Devo were on constant rotation in my Walkman. Another band was The Clash, brilliantly created here with their breakout hit Rock The Casbah by builder redfern1950s2. Their counterculture and social commentary lyrics resonated with my generation, and I still listen to them today.

Gingerbread Village

Just yesterday the smell of gingerbread was strong in my house as we prepared three dozen gingerbread men for our son’s concert last night. It’s an aroma and taste that is absolutely intertwined with the holidays and one I look forward to every year. This inviting and delectable village by builder Deborah Higdon looks as delicious as it does seasonal, and evokes memories of scents, songs and the holiday spirit.

Little Kylo Cracks Me Up

We’ve been seeing Young Kylo comics since The Force Awakens premiered, and the ones by famed Disney illustrator Brian Kesinger are by far my favorite. There’s a very intentional Bill Watterson Calvin & Hobbes vibe to them, and they’re adorable. Builder NS Brick Designs is clearly also a fan, and was inspired by the comic below to build this snow man in carbonite ornament, brilliant.

Truc9

I see sci-fi vehicles pretty much every day (and mechs, so many mechs) so it takes something special to stand out. The color combination and unusual shape of this otherworldly vehicle by builder VolumeX caught my eye. And unless this thing is exploring an especially yellow planet, it’s going to stand out wherever it goes.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

It’s only the beginning of December, but for those of us in the Midwest and Northeast, it’s felt like winter for a month now. My old pal Dave Kaleta has captured that moment of inertia, where you know you need to go and do something outside, but you really feel like staying inside, warm and cozy. I don’t know much about what it would be like if the weather were the same 75 degrees and sunny all the time, (Tommy) but I can certainly relate to this! Okay, Dave, time to get off your butt and go for a run!

We Have Our Winners

The secret panel of judges have weighed in, the votes have been tallied and we have the winners of Nerdvember 2018. While they’re all amazing creations, and all winners in my book, there can be only three. So here they are, in order…

FIRST PLACE - Nerdliocart by Clever Lego Reference

A brilliant reference to Nintendo classic Mariocart. This eye catching and colorful MOC depicts Nerdly behind the wheel and racing his heart out. No idea what place he came in in the race, but for Nerdvember, he came in first.

SECOND PLACE - Competition Nerd Joystick (VIC-20) by voxel123

This is one for the retro gaming and computing fans. The Commodore VIC-20 was the first computer for many families in the early 80’s, and one of the best things about it was playing games. And what better way to abuse your thumbs than to use an old school joystick? Luckily this one can play itself, sparing your thumbs.

THIRD PLACE - Piranherd Plant by cmaddison

Another Nintendo classic, from the original Super Mario and many other games, the plant that made you think twice about any green tube sticking out of the ground. While they’re all dangerous, this one might be slightly less so, since he needs glasses.

I’d like to thank all those who entered, there were some fantastic creations and narrowing it down to just three wasn’t easy. I’d like to thank the secret panel of judges for taking the time for this daunting task. And lastly I’d like to thank our sponsors for donating such amazing prizes, you’re all awesome!

Their Royal Highnesses

During my time in England I was disappointed that I wasn’t invited to visit Buckingham Palace. Tea with the Queen seemed like it would be a lovely time, but also I’d maybe get to meet the royal corgis, all of who have been wonderfully realized in bricks here by builder vincentkiew.

Don't Mess With Eleven

In season one of Stranger Things you are continually guessing at the nature of El’s gifts, and the power of them. You might have been wondering why the bad guys were so afraid of her, then this scene happened and you were pretty much as shocked and stunned as the kids she was escaping with, and I’m guessing totally hooked for the rest of the season. An iconic moment brilliantly recreated by Norton74.

Slimefoot

I’ve never played Magic the Gathering, but it was real popular at my house for a couple weeks a few years ago. I can’t say I recognize this character either, but that doesn’t diminish my appreciation for him (her? it?). Builder Pate-keetongu has crafted a strange but wonderful character here, with the skill and creativity we’ve come to expect.

Ergo Proxy

I’m not at all familiar with the anime Ergo Proxy, but I know a good build when I see one, and this is a VERY good build. Sheo has captured the likenesses of the characters perfectly, and uses slope pieces to great effect.

Space Truck

When you need things hauled you call a trucker, when you need things hauled in space, you call a space trucker. I love the flowing lines and retro-futuristic feel of this intergalactic big rig by builder Robiwan_Kenobi, it would be right at home in a Jetson’s cartoon or the Fifth Element (with a considerable amount of grudge applied of course).

Hedwig

Owls were fascinating to me before I became a Potter fan, so you can imagine how much they are now. I would love to have a pet owl, especially one that could find my friends and deliver mail, how cool would that be? But I’ll have to be content to dream, and admire them in photos, an occasional terrifying flyover in the dark (it’s pretty unsettling), and this excellent brick version by builder Simon NH.

Bobby The Dog

It’s not very often a LEGO creation will make me laugh out loud (or make any audible noise for that matter) so when one does I know I’ll be blogging it. I could tell when I saw this cute dog MOC by tkel86 that it was mechanical, there were some clues: the lever on the side of course, but also the pins on the shoulders and feet, and possibly the jaw. But when I played the video I was delighted at the full effect. Check out the video below, it’s so worth it.

Deltarune

Toby Fox’s surprise new game Deltarune dropped last month. If you enjoyed his previous game Undertale, it’s an absolute must-play. One of the new characters introduced is Ralsei, the adorable Prince from the Dark, which Anthony Wilson has recreated perfectly in bricks.

One Day Left!!!

There’s only one day left of Nerdvember, I can’t believe it. We must be in a time warp, because it seems like we just started, but it’s already the end of the month and if you haven’t already posted your entry, you better get moving. We’ve seen a ton of really cool entries, from the nostalgic 8-bit days to the cutting edge of modern gaming, and everything in between. You have until midnight tomorrow night, get building!

The Ninjago Burbs

Can you believe I still haven’t seen the Ninjago Movie yet? It’s not that I’m actively avoiding it, it’s just that almost universally Ninjago does nothing for me, so I haven’t sought it out. I will say that the Ninjago City set that came out last year caught my eye, even if I never purchased it, and this imaginative and impressive extension of that set by builder rsmbricks captures the essence and aesthetic of that set perfectly.

Farewell Steve

Spongebob Squarepants’ arrival on Nickelodeon could not have been better timed at our house. Our oldest boy was three years old, the perfect age to be entertained (and warped for life) by the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. And more to the point it was a show we could watch with him because of it’s incredibly good writing. We had merchandise, video games, LEGO sets, clothing and everything. My son even won class president with a sign that totally ripped off the title for Spongebob. So news of the passing of Spongebob’s creator yesterday made me very sad, a sentiment shared the world over. Builder Ochre Jelly summed up his feelings with this touching tribute to Steve Hillenburg. Rest in peace Steve, you made the world a better place.

Santa Wolf?

Here’s what happens when Christmas traditions and classic fables collide. Santa Wolf isn’t worried about huffing and puffing, and I don’t think he intends to blow anything down, but heading down that chimney with a surprise for mr. pig seems to be on his mind. A whimsical holiday mashup by builder DOGOD Brick Design.

Finally A Reason To Go To The Beach

Yes, I’m a California native. No, I don’t like the beach. I know this is absolutely baffling to those that don’t live here, and especially baffling to those that do, but I don’t care for the beach. I mean, I like to look at it, and camping near it is nice, and driving along it is wonderful, but I don’t go to the beach. BUT, if I had this surfer van mech by builder Dvd, I think you would have difficulty getting me off the beach (plus I’m a sucker for old VWs).

Spinner

Ah the Spinner, one of my favorite movie vehicles of all time. Blade Runner might have been a box office disappointment, but I chalk that up to studio meddling and very poor marketing. Since then the world has realized what a marvelous piece of filmmaking it is and it’s been influencing artists for decades. Like builder Davdup, who crafted this excellent Spinner, and will be offering instructions on how to build your own soon.