LEGO fan builder Sakiya Watanabe takes inspiration from anime and Studio Ghibli films when crafting his stunning creations. A perfect example is this model of the dragon Haku, the spirit of the Kohaku river, from the 2001 animated film Spirited Away. The use of fern elements all along the spine is just one of the many clever parts used in this model. Lavender jumper plates are used to create rows of underbelly scales, and long, flexible tubes make the perfect whiskers.
While many LEGO sets that include city street scenes are often simplified, real city blocks are packed with interesting details if you take the time to look closely, like this charming and dense city block by Olle Moquist. From cans, bottles, small weeds growing through the sidewalk, a brown cat, and a construction cone. And that is just on one side of the block. The main shop is either a LEGO store featuring the classic wooden duck as a sign, or they are serving duck. Either way, I’d love to spend an afternoon hanging out, people watching in this little corner of the world.
Hi there! I’m Aidan, you may know me as @stuntmanbrick on Instagram, and I’m fortunate enough to be TBB’s guest writer today. A little about myself – I’m a screenwriter based in Los Angeles and I just graduated from USC with a master’s degree in writing. I write mostly family/adventure/sci-fi-type features, and I say all this because film is one of my two passions – the other, of course, being LEGO.
A lifelong fan of the plastic, I’ve been running my LEGO Instagram page for about six and a half years now, accruing over twenty-thousand followers in that time. My work mostly focuses on recreating pre-existing characters from movies and television, whether it’s 1902’s A Trip to the Moon, this year’s Sinners, or anything in between. With that, let’s talk LEGO customs.
Over sixty heroes showed up for Delving Day with many sharing their adventures with amazing LEGO builds and juicy lore. Thanks to all who participated. This week we have a new challenge: “Monster Meyhem!” but first let’s check in on Olly, Liri, and Kitara, our three heroes created by guest collaborators Jacob Manahan, beyondb0nes, and Red Impala. And a special thanks to ASortaOkayBuilder for the critters in this week’s challenge.
Ready to delve into Dungeon Crossing? Let’s go!
As much time as I spend following the LEGO hobby, there are always amazing builds and stories that I would have missed without ABrickDreamer’s weekly This Week in Bricks videos. Like this video tour of Ben Cossy’s incredibly LEGO collection that is sure to fill any AFOL with awe and envy. Or Harry Jo’s final epic build before joining LEGO next month as a set designer. Lots of amazing builds this week!
There’s something hopelessly romantic about travelling through Mediterranean towns where medieval walls and ancient ruins mingle with modern life. Y.R. Bricks captures that contrast and charm with a slice of seaside life LEGO. The builder’s stonework is flawless, with a mix of profile bricks, SNOT and subtle offsets for a texture that looks like it’s endured for centuries without crumbling into rubble. The use of color is phenomenal, such as carrying the pink accent from the cherry blossom tree over to the flowers in pots and climbing vines.
As an extra challenge, the builder also fit in a cafe interior, which looks so specific and detailed, I feel like I’ve been there! Tips for any visiting American minifigs – coffee = espresso, asking for “half and half” will only get you confused looks, and why would you ask for your drink to go when you can grab a spot and savor it by the sea?
If you’re a fan of the post-Bionicle LEGO character scene, you might have noticed a spike in monochrome silver creations that look like liquid metal exiles from a Cyberspace graveyard vibing to Nine Inch Nails as they hack the planet.
They’re rad. I poked the building beast who started the trend, Djokson, to find out more about this collab called “Silverpuke.”
Originally, this started with a few of my builds: Psychopomp Alloy, Sinew and Silver Fog. In an attempt to revisit the aesthetic of metallic Y2K renders (metalheart stuff in particular) I used the often maligned palette of silver pieces from Bionicle to achieve that feeling.
The term silverpuke itself used to be a derogatory phrase thrown around on certain fan forums to refer to builds utilizing an overabundance of such parts. The aim with the collab title was to reclaim it. For the longest time, Bionicle builders bemoaned the excessive usage of silver blade pieces in sets, and many called them unusable outside of weapons. So it also serves as a fun challenge when building.
From there, some of my friends were inspired to make their own, and it sorta snowballed into a recurring collab. The builds tend to come together very quickly when inspiration strikes.
A selection of models from of the growing collab follows:
The Silverpuke MOCS go Halcyon and on and on
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim debuted in the era of the Xbox 360 but has remained an essential game across three console generations. With all those remasters and mods, of course Skyrim would inspire LEGO tributes as well. What I love about this version from Gabriel Midgley is how the builder distills everything about this epic open world into a compact LEGO scene. Not a small build, mind you – it’s quite epic, but also dense with details that fans of the game will appreciate.
From the dragon soaring above the peak to the Dwemer ruins that wind through the mountain’s roots, the scene yells “adventure” with the intensity of a Dragonborn’s shout. Even though the game is single-player, Gabriel packs in references to many player races and classes, like the Argonian lizard man chilling at the camp. This LEGO take is such a fun way to experience Skyrim again, it just might tide me over until Elder Scrolls VI finally arrives… in 2042, if we’re lucky.
It’s a travesty that Monsters, Inc. hasn’t appeared in an official LEGO set yet (outside of a sly little reference in the recent Luxo Jr. lamp). Thankfully we have fan builders like Ben Wick (Brickswick) to remind us how great these Pixar character designs are. I love Ben’s flat characters and the custom decals on Sulley and the door, which evoke the fun 2D art featured in the film’s credits. Boo’s mop head disguise is perfect. Does Mike Wazowski look a bit like a green Patapon? Yes, and I fully support this. It’s an excellent tribute that shows how you don’t need a huge collection of parts to make MOCs that can bring screams smiles to all.
After a modest five sets in July, August is shaping up to be one of the busiest months of the year for new LEGO releases. Today LEGO adds to the already impressive Clone Wars era Star Wars sets, while also rolling out new Mario Kart racers, Botanical plants, and the latest animal-themed Creator kit. All this on top off previously revealed One Piece, Spider-Man, Architecture, Technic and more. Which sets are you most excited for?
Details follow for this next batch of upcoming August releases
Back in my delving days, adventurers only ate the food they brought with them into a dungeon. Lately, a growing number of would-be heroes are following in the footsteps of tall-man Laios Touden and creating meals based on locally-sourced monster meat. LEGO builder Syrdarian joins the movement with this mouth-watering meal of sea serpent steak, complete with all the trimmings. Syrdarian spares no expense on the brick-built meal, pairing the delicious dish with a frothy mug of brick beer (love the shells and other bits for foam) and setting the mood with candles. The builder offers a fine LEGO fork, but no knife is necessary as the entree is quite flaky and easy to eat, considering it appears to be a cleverly arranged mosaic of elements that aren’t technically connected. With a meal this tasty, maybe I should consider eating monster meat after all.
Teacher and Adult Fan of LEGO Andrew Redfern has spent the last four years recreating 1,200 years of British history in LEGO. What started as a modest MOC project depicting the Kings and Queens of England blossomed into Minifigure Monarchs – 332 pages of LEGO builds and custom minifigures depicting both the royals and the people of Great Britain. Great Brits in little bricks indeed! As the Kickstarter goes live, we chat with Andy about his passion project, which you can back now.
Hear ye, hear ye, our Interview with Andy about Minifigure Monarchs begins after the fold
