Nathan Proudlove created this Space Trophy for this year’s BrickCon. If you haven’t gone, this is a great event to see LEGO creations of all shapes and sizes. Each theme has a trophy awarded for the best in that category. There are panel discussions, contests and of course lots of LEGO to buy. BrickCon runs from October 1-4 this year.
You can check out the BrickCon commercial here.
It looks like I won’t be able to make it this year. 
So all of you attending, have extra fun for me. 
Here is another of my earlier models. I made my Miniland scale Comic Book Shop over six years ago. This model was part of a set of models I designed for my portfolio to get my job in the Model Shop as a Model Gluer (one step below Model Builder, the position is now called Model Associate).
Before this, I had never built in Miniland scale and didn’t really appreciate how versatile it is. I have to admit, once I really mastered it I haven’t gone back to Minifig scale very often. I know everyone loves Minifigs and their cute expressions, but you can only do so much with a Minifig. Their legs only bend at the hips, their arms can only be positioned so many ways, etc. Even with some of the more unorthodox methods that are out there (such as disconnecting said arms and legs), you are still limited with what you can do in Minifig scale.
I loved Miniland from the moment I first saw it over ten years ago. The main reason I got into LEGO in the first place was because I loved miniature houses. However, even as a small child, I realized that normal miniature houses you build and decorate and then they just sit there. With LEGO, you could build, decorate and play with your house then take it apart and build something else. All I built when I was a child was houses, castles and Forestmen hideouts.
During my time working at the LEGOLAND Model Shop Miniland continued to be one of my most favorite areas of the park. In fact one of my nicknames at LEGOLAND was the Miniland Mom because I took care of Miniland throughout my tenure at the park.
There are a lot of details in this model, something vital in Miniland scale building. I also made as many different types of Miniland people as I could so that I could show that I understood the scale. If you will notice, all of my people have yellow skin. The main reason for this is that I didn’t have all that much Tan in my LEGO collection back then. And here’s a fun fact, the original Miniland people built in Denmark at the first LEGOLAND park were all yellow. That was because at the time LEGO only came in a few colors and Tan was not one of them.
There are Micro scale models of an X-wing, AT-AT, Tie Fighter and a UFO, racks and racks of comics, a bin of Lightsabers, “Life-size” Jedi and Spiderman displays, and a clown to attract buyers to the huge sale at the front. You can’t tell it from these pictures, but he guy buying a Star Wars comic at the register is dressed as Luke Skywalker. 
I don’t have this model any more, mainly because my cat knocked it off the table a little while after I made it.
It was a fun model to build, and it helped me land my job, so it holds a special place in my hear. 
Photo Credit: just JENN
D23, a all Disney all the time convention up right across from Disneyland at the Anaheim Convention Center is going on this weekend. I don’t know much about it to be honest, but I do know that over at the LEGO booth they unveiled the new LEGO Toy Story Sets. I also know they have some kind of building event going on (the Model Builder doing it told me).
When I first heard about LEGO creating Toy Story sets, I was wondering exactly what the sets would look like. I mean, would they be based off the movie scenes, but then I was having visions of overlarge bed posts, etc. to have it on a toy’s perspective.
I’m glad that they went a different route, making it more like the actual toys set and scenes such as Woody’s Round-up (the return of Western, sort of) set and Buzz’s Spaceship. Toys made as toys, what a concept.
I also like the brick built Buzz and Zurg. The nice thing about Zurg is all the fun purple pieces that he comes with. So far, purple has been an under-used color in my opinion. Although I have to say that I can’t see much use for Buzz’s head other than in the set. I’m sure some one will prove me wrong, using it it some interesting way in the future.
I really like the little Army Men and their Jeep. It find it funny that LEGO neglected to give them green guns. I know that they don’t want to encourage violence (and nether do I), but at the same time, that is what the Army Men have — guns. They are Army Men after all!
Seeing the sets makes me want to get them even more than when I saw just the figures. Makes me wonder if some of these will be available for the Christmas season. We’ll just have to wait and see.
You can join the forum on Eurobricks and see what others think of the sets.
Okay, I’d like you to think that I’ve always been the consummate Master Builder that I am today, but of course, everyone has a learning period. Since I’ve finally got a scanner that works, I can now post some of my earlier models and show people where I came from (building-wise). So, I’ll be occasionally posting my pre-LEGOLAND days models here to give you a glimpse into my younger, less refined building self.
This was my very first LEGO animal sculpture. I made it go along with my Aquanaut models that I was building at the time (95′-96′). I’ve always liked the ocean and underwater, both real and fictional (did I mention I like mermaids ). So when the Aquanauts sets came out, I loved them. Of course I couldn’t just be satisfied with the sets as is — I never have been — so I created my own underwater scenes and bases. If I can find some of the pictures I’ll scan them in.
Like most LEGO hobbiest I built mostly Minifig related scenes and models. I do the complete opposite now, I rarely build in Minifig scale mainly because it is so small. Sometimes its hard to go back to just play with the bricks like I did before I got a job at the Model Shop. I have to admit, I don’t look at building the same way anymore.
But when I was still just doing this for fun, I rarely ventured in to sculpture at all. To be honest, I didn’t really know how to go about it. So I stuck to what I knew, building Minifig scenes and buildings.
However, when I got the Aquanauts I thought they need an enemy besides the Aquasharks. So I decided to build an octopus. And, because I had a lot of red bricks that decided on what color I would make him. For those younger readers out there, you have to understand that this was before Pick-a-Brick and Bricklink. I couldn’t make him whatever color I wanted and at that time I couldn’t have really afforded to do that either. I had to build with what I had and only what I had. Those were simpler times.
Even now I really like how the legs all have the feeling of movement. Looking back, I would probably do several things differently. But considering that I didn’t use reference photos and this was one of the reasons I got my job in the Model Shop, I’m pretty proud of it even now.
SlyOwl has pushed the envelope of building once again! His latest creation with its angled slopes, incredible landscaping and plant techniques not to mention the jaw-dropping interior of the mountain side puts his model leaps and bounds above others.
There’s so much going on here I don’t even know what to pick as the highlights.
Great job SlyOwl and keep the models coming!
This originally premiered on August 28th on Cartoon Network. There is also a tie-in online game at LEGO.com
The movie is cute, even if it is for Clone Wars instead of the original trilogy. (Sorry to all the Clone War fans out there, I’m more old school. )
BrickCon 09 is almost here. Online registration ends September 15th. Watching this video made me want to go even more. I even saw my LEGO Batman Mosaic in there. If you haven’t registered, be sure to do it soon so you can get all the cool “swag” that’s included.
Sometimes with all the running around and picture taking he does, we forget that Joe Meno (creator of BrickJournal magazine also builds too. I present to you his latest creation –The BrickJournal (MOC) Store. (Pun intended)
Joe says:
This is the second MOC I built for Brickfair – it is simply a massive ego stroke for me:-). Actually it’s a shop for a town layout, with printed bricks and tiles by Tommy Armstrong.
He even has a section of the store to view his website.
I’m surprised he doesn’t have a long line of customers waiting to purchase their very own copies of BrickJournal.
Great job Joe! I’m glad to see that you are building again.
The 2009 Town Christmas Advent Calendar is indeed available at LEGOLAND California. At $30 USD its a little too pricey for my tastes.
To me rehashing the Town theme every single year gets a bit old. Last year’s Castle theme was much more interesting to me and I’m crossing my fingers that we (in the States) will get the chance to purchase this year’s Pirate Advent Calendar like we got the chance to get the Castle one last year.
There are also some other Christmas-y LEGO related stuff that they are selling — stockings, gift tags, gift cards and gift bags.
None of its really new, in fact I think they had the same stuff last year. But still its fun.
d-higdon has just posted her “ancient Egyptian nobleman’s villa.”
There are lots of fun little details and it looks stunning. I think its really cool that she used all those tiles to make the entire villa smooth looking. I also like the decorative finishing touches on the door frames. I’ve always wanted to do some sort of ancient Egyptian model every since the original Adventurers series came out. This just might be the inspiration I need. Great job!
