Creating Character: An Interview with Baron Julius von Brunk

Creating Character: An Interview with Baron Julius von Brunk

Take a journey into the mind of LEGO builder Baron Julius von Brunk in this showcase of creativity, wonder and character. You just might find yourself losing your head in Wonderland!

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Bumblebee

Just about an hour ago as I was leaving Starbucks I spotted a bright yellow Camero in the parking lot with the license place "BUZZZZ" and chuckled to myself. Then I refresh my Flickr feed and discover this stunning offering from builder Cesbrick. Say what you will about Michael Bay (and I've said plenty, I've worked with the dude) but this character resonates with a whole lot of people.

Bumblebee

"Long Haul"

So you look at the first picture and you think "cool, a dump truck". It reminds me of my big Tonka when I was a kid, and seems like it would be right at home with other LEGO City sets. Then you get to the second picture and get your mind blown, this baby transforms! Builder Cpt. Brick not only nailed the City look, he nailed the Transformers look. As awesome as it is though, I think my favorite thing about these shots is the minifigs casually enjoying coffee in the shadow of the robot.

Lego City Dump Truck (Long Haul)
Lego City Dump Truck (Long Haul) - Robot mode

Reflector

I deal with camera issues all the time as a photographer and videographer. But I've never had to deal with a camera that transforms into three separate characters. This is Reflector, from the Transformers cartoon, built by MortalSwordsman. It transforms into Spyglass, Viewfinder and Spectro seen below. My big question is how are they with hot pixels and flickering with sequential images?

The Tiniest Robots in Disguise You Will Ever See

There are mixed reviews and opinions about the latest Transformers movie, but there certainly can be no mixed reviews of this tiny Optimus Prime and Bumblebee! Consistent of so few pieces, these little guys will make any old Transformers fan squeal. There isn't much I can say, simply because the image you see before you speaks to all Transformers fans in volumes. One thing that I do have to point out, which is possibly one of the best uses for brick separators I have ever seen. . .  Wonderful job, Grantmasters!

Sentient Beings
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

Transformable Midi-scale Bots

Transformers are certainly not in disguise in the LEGO community lately. The excitement builds for the release of the next Transformers film, and fans like PsychoBrick46 are building and transforming some LEGO MOC's for the occassion. Though these bots are designed using simple parts, what I really appreciate about them is how well they transform. Both bots are fully transformable, without having to "rebuild" them by taking them completely apart and then building them differently. They function much like the actual Transformers toys, where you turn parts around, pop off parts and put them on at a different angle, etc. For a better understanding of how well they transform, check over on the builder's YouTube channel, where he has posted some breakdowns!

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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

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...

SOUNDWAVE
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

BrickHeadz in Disguise

BrickHeadz have limited opportunities for many details. However, a crossover between LEGO's new series and Transformers proves that you can pack small details into these little character designs. Curtydc designed a Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, including details like the wheels, headlights, and grills of their robotic designs. These are possibly my favorite BrickHeadz figures created by AFOL's. I hope we see more of these BrickHeadz in disguise soon!

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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

Matrix of Leadership

I remember watching the classic show The Transformers (Generation 1) when I was a little kid, and later to watch the more recent adaptations like Transformers Animated. Though I may not be the biggest fan of Michael Bay's movie versions, I'll still always be a Transformers fan. This post is a bit nostalgic for me. Alex Jones has been working on many LEGO Transformers projects, including this recreation of the Matrix of Leadership. The device itself may be very accurate, but that complete LEGO background is what really drew me to this creation. I instantly recognized the theme from the classic show. Wonderful work, Alex!

MatrixofLeadership
Comment

Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here

Sideswipe

Like being a Lamborghini isn't cool enough, this guy can also turn into a robot?!? Yes, I'm a kid of the 80's so the Countach is pretty much the coolest car ever. I should also be into Transformers too, but they came along just moments too late for me (but I got to enjoy GiJOE in his proper dimensions, 12"). This Sideswipe by MortalSwordsman can transform without removing pieces, which in itself is an accomplishment, but to also make it this accurate and awesome? Total win.

Nemesis Prime

Not being a huge Transformers fan I needed to do a quick Google search before I posted this and learned that Nemesis Prime, here depicted with supreme skill by builder MortalSwordsman, is an evil clone of Optimus Prime, having most of his abilities but lacking his moral compass. I also learned that he hates Christmas. So not only can he disguise himself as a truck, transform and wreak havoc, but he's also got something against Santa, what a jerk.