I Scream For NEOPOLITIM

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I’ve been into LEGO all my life, and running this blog for over 6 years now. I’m kinda old and kinda jaded, and not much makes me squee like a little girl. But today, I’m happy to announce I squee’d, I squee’d hard. Today this little guy arrived in the mail from writer, artist and all around renaissance man Craig Kyle. Craig contacted me earlier this week about Tim here and while the hundreds made sold out in a stunning 93 minutes, he still had one to generously send me. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and today he arrived, and he’s as good as eating all the chocolate in the Neapolitan (yeah, I would totally do that).

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While I’m not an avid minifigure collector I do have quite a few. That is unless you’re counting the ones used for stop motion animation, then I have hundreds. I mean the ones that stay together and get displayed, and those amount to just a select few. Well you can be absolutely sure this little guy will be proudly on display at BrickNerd HQ. The problem is how to display him, because he comes packed in hands down the most clever and cute packaging i’ve seen for a minifigure, maybe for any collectable I’ve ever possessed.

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I mean check it out, he comes in a little custom printed ice cream tub! And he’s not just rolling around inside, there’s a printed die cut paper “ice cream” layer for him! And you don’t just get the figure, he’s holding a cone topped with miniature him in one hand and a scoop in the other. Also included is a custom printed base.

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Everywhere you look at this figure, and the packaging, it’s custom. Craig partnered with those mad geniuses at Citizen Brick to do the pad printing on the 100% genuine LEGO elements. And he’s printed all over, from his waffle pattern pants to his “eat me” hat. Even the micro figure is printed front and back. The attention to detail, whimsy and humor in this little guy has me smiling ear to ear (and strangely enough craving ice cream, hmm). Thank you very much Craig, I’ll cherish him.

While NEOPOLITIM is sold out, Craig has other things in the works. Follow him on Instagram and check out his website Lemon Scented Ninja to keep up on the progress.

Munchkin Bricks 2 Is Now On Kickstarter!

Those purveyors of the preposterous Crazy Bricks are back with another Munchkin themed Kickstarter, and it starts TODAY! Fans of of the game Munchkin might recognize some of the wacky artifacts in the image below, but to be specific the new lineup includes: the Helm of Super Speed, Spyke's Hammer, a Hammer Handle, a Foam Rubber Hand, Gear Beer, Shakespeare's Pike, Dragon Flagon, Hello Chibithulhu and E.L.T.H. the Excessively Large Top Hat. Not only do you get these custom injection molded parts in a selection of colors, you also some free gifts and there’s loads of stretch goals to unlock. Head over and support this campaign and get your hands on this spiffy stuff!

Scout Trooper

Scout troopers, and their mode of transportation, have always been a favorite of mine, and this custom Technic figure from builder Fifth line caught my attention immediately. The comically oversized headgear of minifigures isn't nearly as apparent until you see them on a Technic figure looking pretty much in proportion huh?

Vitali Car

I've never heard of Vitali, but then again I've never been to Taiwan. But I certainly appreciate a bit of clever marketing, and the company has or at least had a whole fleet of these charming drinkmobiles cruising the streets. This version by DOGOD Brick Design has custom stickers and clever design, making it just as appealing as the real deal. How does the drink taste? I have no idea.

BrickNerd LiveBuild - Nike Air Jordan

Attention LEGO nerds, sports buffs, Michael Jordan fans and shoe hounds, we've got a special event just for you.

Join me and Mrs BrickNerd as we build a custom Nike Air Jordan shoe LEGO model from bricksnkicks.com live!

Legoland Theater

I love movies, always have, and I love going to the movies. There's something so special about the shared experience in a darkened space that you just don't get at home. Of course you also don't usually have to walk on a floor covered with "cinemuck" and have to listen to some jerk on his phone when you watch at home (if you do, you have my sympathy). So this excellent theater by RVA LUG resonates with me. And with the custom lighting, cool posters by none other than Paul Lee and clean, retro look, it's an absolutely awesome creation. Check out the video to see the lighting in action.

Last Of The Wilds

Feast your eyes on this gorgeous beast. Builder bricksonwheels brings us another jaw dropping HOG that is a total showstopper. Purists might take issue with the over the top use of metallic plating, painted parts and a few non-LEGO elements but I for one do not care in the least, it's so beautiful the ends justify the means.

Custom Harley Bagger

Custom parts (modified, chromed, printed, painted) tend to divide a lot of builders. Purists consider them "cheating" or somehow offensive. I'm actually pretty OK with them (at least the chromed and printed ones) mostly because I use them in animation a lot. It's hard to deny the results of a nicely assembled bit of quality chromed parts. You can't tell me the impact of this outrageous custom Harley by builder brickthebrick would be just the same with gray parts and limited official chrome, just look at that engine!

Factory Frenzy

I knew we could expect some cool custom maze surfaces for the new LEGO Ideas Maze set, but the thought of making a timed game of skill, especially something as cool as this futuristic factory theme from BrickNerd's own Steebles never occurred to me. Watch the video, this thing is pretty awesome. Next step, lights, sounds and triggered actions, somebody get on that.

"Cheap Sunglasses"

This gorgeous custom by timhenderson73 looks right out of a ZZ Top music video (as it's nickname suggests), or better yet a super hero movie. It's what happens when automotive design and whimsical but stylish fabrication meet, and it's absolutely beautiful. I'm not the type to dream about one day owning a supercar, or even a luxury car for that matter, but I can see myself cruising in this baby.

Quite Possibly The Coolest Birthday Present Ever

For his friend's 50th birthday, builder (and dear old friend of mine) Peter Abrahamson put together what might just be the most awesome birthday present ever. This is a recreation of a custom one-off Bladerunner Spinner that LEGO built for production designer and legendary artist Syd Mead. Not only that, it's with a custom framed license plate from the movie! 

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The Spinner that LEGO built was unique because of some non production color parts used. It was actually featured in a detailed account by Joe Meno for BrickJournal issue #28 and featured right here on BrickNerd way back in 2014. Joe provided Pete the digital model he reverse engineered, which Pete gratefully acknowledges he couldn't have done it without. Some of the flex tubing used was never in production in blue, as well as the part on the inside of the front wheels. Pete got around this problem on the front wheels by using parts that were spray painted (I can hear you purists gasp, it's gonna be ok) by a friend. And for the flex tubing Pete substituted gray tubing instead, which looks just fine.

Pete also custom printed water lift decals for the model which were painstakingly cut and applied. This was a real labor of love. Even the back of this thing is beyond awesome. To support the model on the frame, Pete custom built a frame back with a connecting beam at the bottom. Check out that custom waterjet cut Bladerunner detail in the middle!

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So, an actual prop from the movie and a faithfully recreated custom LEGO model all in a totally cool custom frame. You have to agree, this is about the best present ever. I'm sure Pete's friend will be proudly displaying this unique work of art and love for years to come.

By the way, I turn 50 in a couple years Pete, I'm a big Star Wars fan...just sayin'

LEGO Gaming Computer

Mad scientist and customizer extraordinaire Mike Schropp is back with another mind-blowing custom computer, this time it's for gaming. This isn't just a matter of wrapping an existing system with a LEGO shell, this is a ground-up, highly customized monster. He even modified the power supply and uses a custom machined heat sink! I won't go into the specs and details here, because there's too much to share. Luckily Mike has an excellent website that breaks down the entire process.

Dark Omen

Behold LinoM's spectacular submission for LUGnuts' 8th birthday challenge. With a lowered stance, sideways hood, chopped roof and slotted fenders it's got an aggressive hotrod look. But that color scheme and inclusion of the guitar definitely gives this thing a more dark overtone. This looks like a ride The Master from Manos Hands of Fate would roll in (you'll probably have to look that one up, you're welcome).

Harley "Bagger" Rat Bike

Have you ever heard of a custom style known as rat bikes? It's where you customize your bike, but go for a practical or unfinished look. Usually it's primer, sometimes there's rust, but they're all meant to ride and they all have personality. These aren't show bikes, they're cobbled together from spare parts, made functional (and presumed legal), gassed up and on the road. They're the product of love, and so is this 1/10th scale rat bike from bricksonwheels, gritty magnificence.