It's Easy As A B C

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Well, maybe not so easy…. My old pal Dave Kaleta has finally finished his A-Z starship project. For those of you who weren’t paying attention in school, that’s 26 ships! Check out the individual posts for all the details and playability features. I especially like how the Y ship can transform from a consonant to a vowel. When the fleet is on patrol, I always stays ahead of E, except when C is in the air. And believe it or not, with all of those powerful engines, more than half of the ships can run silent. Excellent work, Dave!

And check out his new contest on Flickr and Instagram. Just click the picture.

Etch A Sketch

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So you’re drawing a camel, and you’re about half done when a commercial comes on for the Kenner Star Wars Death Star playset so naturally you look up and watch. Now it’s time to continue, but which way to turn the knob? You know this one does the up and down, but which way? Oh, c’mon, you were just doing it, it’s supposed to be natural by now! Ok, let’s go clockwise…GAH!

Welcome to my childhood, thanks for a dose of nostalgia derjoe.

Just A Robot Dog Pulling Adam Savage In A Rickshaw...You Know, Like Usual

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Yeah, it’s just that again, a Boston Dynamics Spot pulling Mythbuster Adam Savage in his custom made rickshaw. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen this, I could afford a scratcher. Builder and mechanical genius JK Brickworks is back with a wondrous creation inspired by a recent video from Tested.com. Check the video out and confirm for yourself this is a wonderful time to be alive.

Somebody Stop Me!

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It’s been a long time since I’ve seen The Mask, but after seeing this awesome build by Pistash I have to admit I’m thinking of screening it again. This was the role that Jim Carrey was born to play, and I can’t imagine the part with any other actor. Yes, he chews up the scenery, but that was sort of the point wasn’t it? And the over-the-top Tex Avery style cartoony visual effects by ILM were a treat.

Mass Effect Disciple Shotgun

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You’ll no doubt be shocked to learn that I haven’t played Mass Effect (I say that about every game, maybe I should game more) but that doesn’t keep me from appreciating a sweet bit of sci-fi weaponry. This state of the art pew pew by Sheo looks like it leapt right off the screen, and is ready to mow down some baddies.

In Memory

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Jens Nygaard Knudsen passed away. You may not recognize his name, but if you’re reading this blog you know his work. Jens was initially a designer at LEGO and quickly became Chief Designer from 1968 until 2000.  He designed early town sets and was Mr. Space having his hand in the Space lines from the Classic era up to M-Tron and what started as Sea-Tron which later became Aquanauts. Also he is credited with inventing the Minifigure! Mark Stafford posted his article (Brick Journal #6 2009) we he talks to Jens and Designer Niels Milan Pedersen on his flickr stream in memory (page 1, page 2, & page 3). The article has many pictures of concept models that Jens and Niels created. Mark will be forwarding comments on the flickr pages to Jens family and has started #NygaardMemorialFleet for anyone who wants to build a memorial spaceship.

Image from Mark Stafford’s flickr stream, original published Brick Journal #6

Image from Mark Stafford’s flickr stream, original published Brick Journal #6

Shedding Light And Casting Shadows

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From the moment I learned about the products from Brickstuff I was intrigued. From the moment I used the products they graciously sent I was a fan. And from the moment I met the founder Rob, I had a friend. Brickstuff lighting products have been our go-to here at the animation studio and have played a critical role in our scale lighting needs. I’ve reviewed several of their kits and have never been less than totally impressed. Just watch either of these videos and you’ll see the care, quality and creativity that went into them.

Today I learned that LEGO was partnering with Light My Bricks, the company that outright pirated Brickstuff’s designs, for their exploration of LEGO branded lighting products. You can read more about it in this article by Brickstuff. I don’t want to don the hat of social justice warrior, but I feel this is just way out of line, and while my reach is admittedly limited, I want this to be known. Please take some time to read the article, and if you are so inclined, let LEGO know this is just not cool.

The Magic Bus In The Wild

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What do you do when you’ve trekked hundreds of miles and you stumble upon an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness? Well you move into it of course. This is the way over simplified version of the fascinating tale of Chris McCandless, and his ill fated quest to reject society and live off the land. Builder Norton74 has crafted this awesome recreation of the “Magic Bus” as Chris dubbed it.

Because These Balls Aren't Going To Move Themselves

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I’ve always been fascinated by great ball contraptions, or GBCs. They’re wonderfully complex design to do a wonderfully useless action tickles my Rube Goldberg fancy. Builder and mechanical evil genius (ok, not so evil) JK Brickworks has crafted his very first GBC, and of course it’s a wonder to behold. Watch the video to see it in action.

Were You Ready For Some Football?

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Football season officially ended Sunday with the super-est of bowls, and while I’m not really into sports, I can appreciate how much my friends are. Take for instance my buddy Brandon Griffith, who crafted this beautiful replica of the Vince Lombardy trophy. Brandon’s team the Titans didn’t make it this year (so close) but I’m sure he was still watching the game with enthusiasm.

Outhouse

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There have been countless technological advances in the past century, but few are as taken for granted as the modern bathroom/toilet. Within as few as three or four generations, less depending on just how rural you are, an outhouse, like this one by SuckMyBrick, was simply the place to do your business. And it just takes a short visit to a outdoor event or construction site to relive just how terrible it was as you are forced to use a “modern” porta-potty.

The Space Bar

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You’re a space trucker, looking to unwind after a long week of hauling bio-cells. Where do you go? Why, the place where everybody knows your name: The Space Bar. This MOC by Pixel fox is really fun, with tons of detail. I love the bubble-lamp things, and all crazy characters and stories going on (my favorites are the little spider thing at the bottom, and the guys jumping over the railing to save their friend).