#Swag

Long time readers know how much we love swag around here. From the very early days of BrickNerd there’s always been plenty of custom printed badge and Nerdly bricks on hand to give away. And through the years we’ve had t-shirts, glasses, lanyards and all manner of silliness printed specifically to give away. Some say it’s promotion (and for tax purposes it is) but I’ve personally always thought of them as “thank-you’s”. Thanks for reading, thanks for saying hi, thanks for watching our videos, thanks for sharing your stuff, thanks for putting up with me. And it all goes back to a single fateful day when I happened on an ad for a fairly new sticker company called Sticker Mule. They were offering custom die-cut stickers and that sounded pretty nifty to me so I ordered some. I was blown away by the quality, the speed, the order experience and the customer service. I quickly ran out at BrickCon that year and didn’t hesitate to order more. Since then they’ve expanded their services and we have jumped on board with just about everything they offer. We have multiple buttons, magnets, coasters, poly bags and even packing tape, all with our mascot on them and all of it makes this supposedly grown man far too giddy. Since I started my other endeavor Nerds&Makers I’ve been adding to the pile of fun swag in the studio. In fact I just got new circle stickers yesterday and I’m expecting a new offering from them any day now, charms! So if you’re in the market for some cool custom stickers or any one of their other offerings head over to their website. And I look forward to saying “thank you” to you all soon.

Colonial Viper, MK II

Mark Kelso’s back with a modified version of his Viper built for the VirtuaLUG Battlestar Galactica display at Brickworld 2018. He’s got all sorts of nifty custom decals, including some convincing score marks, and of course his call sign; Pookie Muffin. He also admits to modifying several parts- egad! But that’s artistic license, and it’s paid off nicely! So Say We All!

Editor’s Note: As Mark was unable to attend Brickworld that year, my son was lucky enough to reassemble it for the display, where it was positioned front and center, the sharp point of the Colonial Fleet. We also got to swoosh it around!

Riddle Me This...

Ryan Howerter has come up with a way to keep us entertained (and occasionally frustrated) during the world-wide pandemic lockdown. Every day he presents us with a new conundrum for us to replicate on his Instagram page. My son and I have been working on them independently, and it’s been interesting to see him use parts I didn’t even know we had, and vice versa. Good luck, and don’t forget to wash your hands!

Welcome To Port Royale, Mr. Smith

Nearly twenty years since the release of the movie, this instantly recognisable scene of the very first introduction to Captain Jack Sparrow is brilliant. I love how the shallow depth of field achieved during the photography. Exquisitely captured in ABS by Mountain Hobbit, Captain Jack’s arrival on a sinking ship has been perfectly recreated. Using a brick-built background and water the builder has captured the essence of the original scene that kicked off a whole franchise.

Jam Session

Lego 7 seems to be a man of few words, and this build certainly needs no explanation. But since most of you, I would surmise, have plenty of time on your hands, there’s lots to learn in this build. Enjoy!

It's Easy As A B C

Well, maybe not so easy…. My old pal Dave Kaleta has finally finished his A-Z starship project. For those of you who weren’t paying attention in school, that’s 26 ships! Check out the individual posts for all the details and playability features. I especially like how the Y ship can transform from a consonant to a vowel. When the fleet is on patrol, I always stays ahead of E, except when C is in the air. And believe it or not, with all of those powerful engines, more than half of the ships can run silent. Excellent work, Dave!

And check out his new contest on Flickr and Instagram. Just click the picture.

Etch A Sketch

So you’re drawing a camel, and you’re about half done when a commercial comes on for the Kenner Star Wars Death Star playset so naturally you look up and watch. Now it’s time to continue, but which way to turn the knob? You know this one does the up and down, but which way? Oh, c’mon, you were just doing it, it’s supposed to be natural by now! Ok, let’s go clockwise…GAH!

Welcome to my childhood, thanks for a dose of nostalgia derjoe.

Just A Robot Dog Pulling Adam Savage In A Rickshaw...You Know, Like Usual

Yeah, it’s just that again, a Boston Dynamics Spot pulling Mythbuster Adam Savage in his custom made rickshaw. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen this, I could afford a scratcher. Builder and mechanical genius JK Brickworks is back with a wondrous creation inspired by a recent video from Tested.com. Check the video out and confirm for yourself this is a wonderful time to be alive.

Somebody Stop Me!

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen The Mask, but after seeing this awesome build by Pistash I have to admit I’m thinking of screening it again. This was the role that Jim Carrey was born to play, and I can’t imagine the part with any other actor. Yes, he chews up the scenery, but that was sort of the point wasn’t it? And the over-the-top Tex Avery style cartoony visual effects by ILM were a treat.

Mass Effect Disciple Shotgun

You’ll no doubt be shocked to learn that I haven’t played Mass Effect (I say that about every game, maybe I should game more) but that doesn’t keep me from appreciating a sweet bit of sci-fi weaponry. This state of the art pew pew by Sheo looks like it leapt right off the screen, and is ready to mow down some baddies.

In Memory

Jens Nygaard Knudsen passed away. You may not recognize his name, but if you’re reading this blog you know his work. Jens was initially a designer at LEGO and quickly became Chief Designer from 1968 until 2000.  He designed early town sets and was Mr. Space having his hand in the Space lines from the Classic era up to M-Tron and what started as Sea-Tron which later became Aquanauts. Also he is credited with inventing the Minifigure! Mark Stafford posted his article (Brick Journal #6 2009) we he talks to Jens and Designer Niels Milan Pedersen on his flickr stream in memory (page 1, page 2, & page 3). The article has many pictures of concept models that Jens and Niels created. Mark will be forwarding comments on the flickr pages to Jens family and has started #NygaardMemorialFleet for anyone who wants to build a memorial spaceship.

Image from Mark Stafford’s flickr stream, original published Brick Journal #6

The Mouse Guard Returns

The wildly popular Mouse Guard from Crazybricks is making a return thanks to a successfully funded Kickstarter. The good news is there’s plenty of time left to get your own awesome Mouse Guard figs, and several stretch goals have already been unlocked. Head on over to this link and get in on this!

Nerds Need Love, Too!

Alright, Gang- It’s not too late to get out there to your local Kwik-E-Mart and grab the last batch of flowers. Or better yet, get out your flower/plant LEGO bin and do what Emmet did. Lucy looks thrilled!

Nicely done, Leot! (Hope you fare better tonight)

Happy Valentines Day, everybody!

Shedding Light And Casting Shadows

From the moment I learned about the products from Brickstuff I was intrigued. From the moment I used the products they graciously sent I was a fan. And from the moment I met the founder Rob, I had a friend. Brickstuff lighting products have been our go-to here at the animation studio and have played a critical role in our scale lighting needs. I’ve reviewed several of their kits and have never been less than totally impressed. Just watch either of these videos and you’ll see the care, quality and creativity that went into them.

Today I learned that LEGO was partnering with Light My Bricks, the company that outright pirated Brickstuff’s designs, for their exploration of LEGO branded lighting products. You can read more about it in this article by Brickstuff. I don’t want to don the hat of social justice warrior, but I feel this is just way out of line, and while my reach is admittedly limited, I want this to be known. Please take some time to read the article, and if you are so inclined, let LEGO know this is just not cool.

The Magic Bus In The Wild

What do you do when you’ve trekked hundreds of miles and you stumble upon an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness? Well you move into it of course. This is the way over simplified version of the fascinating tale of Chris McCandless, and his ill fated quest to reject society and live off the land. Builder Norton74 has crafted this awesome recreation of the “Magic Bus” as Chris dubbed it.

Because These Balls Aren't Going To Move Themselves

I’ve always been fascinated by great ball contraptions, or GBCs. They’re wonderfully complex design to do a wonderfully useless action tickles my Rube Goldberg fancy. Builder and mechanical evil genius (ok, not so evil) JK Brickworks has crafted his very first GBC, and of course it’s a wonder to behold. Watch the video to see it in action.

Cigarettes and Coffee, Man, That's a Combination

Even if you don’t know who these two guys are, you can appreciate timofey_tkachev’s level of skill required to reproduce such a scene in LEGO. But if you do recognize these cultural icons, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, then you realize what an extraordinary piece this is.

Were You Ready For Some Football?

Football season officially ended Sunday with the super-est of bowls, and while I’m not really into sports, I can appreciate how much my friends are. Take for instance my buddy Brandon Griffith, who crafted this beautiful replica of the Vince Lombardy trophy. Brandon’s team the Titans didn’t make it this year (so close) but I’m sure he was still watching the game with enthusiasm.

Outhouse

There have been countless technological advances in the past century, but few are as taken for granted as the modern bathroom/toilet. Within as few as three or four generations, less depending on just how rural you are, an outhouse, like this one by SuckMyBrick, was simply the place to do your business. And it just takes a short visit to a outdoor event or construction site to relive just how terrible it was as you are forced to use a “modern” porta-potty.

Sorcerer's Apprentice

We’re big into Disney at our house, and while we’re not the biggest fans of Fantasia, the iconic image of Mickey as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice has always been a favorite. This sculpture by builder alanboar captures not only the look of Mickey in this classic role, but also the whimsy and attitude.