Collapsible Building

Name of Model: Collapsible Building

Created by: Duane Hess (Legozilla)

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/legozilla/sets/72157629083690682/

Details: Ever feel like it takes up too much space to store and transport your large town buildings? There's now a solution for that - collapsible buildings. This model looks great on it's own, but it's also a nice proof-of-concept for bigger and more complicated things. Now that hinge bricks (in white) are a common Pick-A-Brick part, it's pretty affordable to handle modularity this way. There's nothing stopping us from dropping floors into a design like this - and those floors could be taken out at shows without dismantling the whole building. For the first time, I think we have a real challenger to the Cafe Corner standard for town creations - and there's nothing stopping anyone from making a building like this also conform to the CC standard.

Minifig Scale AT-AT

Name of Model: AT-AT

Created by: 2x4

Found at: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/309804

Details: Many LEGO AT-ATs have been made, including an official LEGO set, but this takes the cake. As I understand, this is an incredibly detailed minifig-scale model. Although I'm not a Star Wars fan (and actually have yet to see the movies) I can still appreciate the skill needed to pull off such a large and accurate model. By adding a snowy base and the Luke minifig, 2x4 adds some extra realism and scale to the presentation.

Toy Fair 2012

Name of Model: Toy Fair 2012

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fbtbnet/

Details: There's really only one thing to talk about today in LEGO news: Toy Fair 2012. This is the first time we've gotten a clear look at many upcoming sets. Brickset has a round up of press coverage (as if picking up the slack for us...) FBTB's coverage is still fairly raw at this point (it's not yet organized to the point of me being able to link to all of it at once, and it looks to me like they may still be uploading photos as I write this). You can watch their flickr photostream for photos as they come in. They also have some video clips from the event. Creatacor's flickr photos Paul Nomad's flickr photos: Super Heroes Lord of the Rings Star Wars jmenomeno's flickr photos

Canadian Parliamentary Buildings

Name of Model: LEGO parliament buildings

Created by: Sara DeFehr

Found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7ztgSC56c4

Details: Sara DeFehr is one of the many great builders who is sorely under-represented online because she passed away before the Adult Fan Of LEGO (AFOL) community really took off. For a number of reasons, it was a very different time - LEGO wasn't marketed towards adults as much as it is today, and the selection of available parts and colors was much smaller. Specializing in scale models of Canadian Parliamentary buildings, she earned some notoriety and was filmed for the clip above. The models featured in the clip are the Manitoba Legislature Building, New Brunswick Legislature Building, Winnipeg Old City Hall, and a version of Gruenfeld, Ukraine. Info on her work is scarce, but what's survived of her creations has found its way to the Toy and Plastic Brick Museum, where several 0f her models have been (or are in the process of being) dusted off, repaired, and put on display.

Virulence VV

Name of Model: Virulence VV

Created by: Legohaulic

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/legohaulic/6422265995/in/photostream

Details: Legohaulic has once again built an amazing and unique ship. The rare color sand purple is only available in a few parts, but they are used fantastically here. The interesting, curved shape is also neat.

Suitcase

Name of Model: Lego Luggage to Lug around your Lego

Created by: monsterbrick (Matt Armstrong)

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/monsterbrick/tags/suitcase/

Details: Every once in a while, you hear someone dismiss a LEGO creation as a variation on a box. I believe that this is the only counterargument necessary - it's indisputably a box, and yet it's still a distinctive and fantastic creation. The dark tan corners are an excellent use of the 3x3 wedge plate (I will never understand why a wedge plate is one of the few pieces LEGO makes widely available in that color). The use of a rope bridge as the handle is inspired - it also doubles nicely as a working latch. The parts made to look like latches are a rare great use of Vehicle, Base 4 x 5, with some nice pearl gold on the top. I don't know where the LEGO logo towel is from (I want one!), but the boat rigging holding it in (this piece, I think) pushes this over the top.

128 Pictures from LEGOLAND California at Halloween

Photos by: marcorbito

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcorbito/tags/legoland/

Details: If you liked last week's look at LEGOLAND California at Halloween, I have a real treat for you - another large photo gallery of highlights from LEGOLAND California in October in 2010. There are plenty more exciting scenes here, including many that weren't in the photoset featured last week. There are (of course) more trick or treaters (note the clever use of the large spider's web in the window), as well as a haunted house (seen above), an homage to Michael Jackson's Thriller, and a giant pumpkin sculpture. I had mentioned the funeral procession last week, but the view shown this week gives us an interesting look at hearse, people and musical instruments. I'm thrilled any time we get a good look at useful techniques at the LEGOLAND parks, but it only gets better when we see the extra seasonal goodies added in. Have a Happy Halloween, everybody!

LEGO-Theme based MOCs

Name of Model: Rise to the Wicked

Created by: Nuju Metru

Found at: http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=351

Details: Nuju Metru has taken his building in an interesting direction here in that he built these MOCs as a LEGO theme. Instead of a detailed sculpture or gigantic, expensive creation that would never be marketable, he has created a line of playsets. Each and every model has several play features, mostly rubber band launchers (none of that cheap flick-fire stuff) and collapsing structures. The models - or should I call them sets? - cover a variety of price points. Tying it all together is a fantasy storyline. Pictured is the Siege of the Portal. Be sure to check out the different creative sets on BZPower and FlickR.

Cubans: the New CubeDudes

Name of Model: Cubans!

Created by: Owen S.

Found at: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/284460

Details: The CubeDude craze has come and gone - well, not really gone, per se, but calmed down a bit - and we are left with a LEGO community lacking a cubic fad to match our cubic medium. But no more! Owen S. of MOCpages has made a slew of cubic characters with one unsymetrical eye and only the most basic features. Are they totally original? No. Are they even minorly complex? no. But are they cute and addictive? Yes! And, I think, a lot of the appeal is in capturing a character with a few cute, well-chosen details. Be sure to check out Owen S.'s collection and the MOCpages group.

Warscape: Vol 1

Name of Model: WarScape: Vol 1

Created by: Siercon and Coral

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/legocy/6262374104/in/photostream/

Details: To the non-Lego hobbyist, this may seem like merely eight individually epic modular builds that combine into an even bigger and better landscape. Although it is that, I found the real treat to be going in and gawking at all of the brilliant microscale NPU ("New" or "Nice" Parts Usage)! Interesting connections and builds abound, made only more impressive by the impossibly tiny scale. Note, for instance, the mermaid and catapults. In some instances parts of elements are hidden to allow the appropiate details to show, like the giesha-fan stairs, which, having tried and failed at before, I find particularly impressive. And, as a Bionicle fan, I have to commend the comprably huge kiina spikes in one of the towers. And those are just a few examples! You really should look through the photostream yourself - it's well worth your while. Via The Brothers Brick.