Category: Featured

WATCH: Netflix’s ‘The Toys That Made Us’ Promo Clip Featuring LEGO

Earlier this year, we reported that one of Netflix’s documentaries, The Toys That Made Us, will feature one of our culture’s most loved toys and popular icon – the LEGO brick. The first four episodes were released already on the streaming giant’s platform with Star Wars, Barbie, He-Man, and G.I. Joe comprising the first wave of episodes. Now that the second wave of TMU’s docu-series were announced for a May 25 release, a particular promo clip has been released by Nerdist that features what most of us has been waiting for. This particular promo clip puts the spotlight on that period of history where we as kids,  once dreamed of reaching the stars, and relived the grandeur and chivalry of knights and wizards. Watch the clip below.

The promo clip begins with a visit back to the acclaimed LEGO vault archives to see two particular sets that forever sealed LEGO’s footprint across the toy industry: 1973’s LEGO Space Command Center (493) and 1978’s LEGO Castle (375). There is much to talk about as far the history and influence of LEGO as a toy brand around the world, so this is one particular episode that I’m looking forward to. Toys That Made Us Season 2 will be available in Netflix starting May 25, and will feature toy brands such as LEGO, Transformers, Hello Kitty, and Star Trek –the first two being the most influential toys that made up a significant part of my childhood.

Designer Video for LEGO Star Wars UCS Y-Wing (75181) Now Out

Many LEGO fans who keep up with related news would remember how the LEGO Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon (75192) was such a major big deal upon its release, leading to it selling out multiple times. LEGO seems fit to do the same now for the UCS Y-Wing (75181).

And the latest entry to the LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) is no slouch at getting attention to its stunning detail. Where the UCS Falcon (75192) was mostly encased in a spaceship hull, the Rebel Alliance’s star-fighter-bomber is filled all over with support struts, connector tubes, wiring, etc.

Such an intricately-crafted LEGO model needs proper spotlight, and so we’ll get one in the form of this designer video put together by two of the minds behind the UCS Y-Wing (75181). Senior Designer Jordan Scott and Graphic Designer Maddy O’Neil share a few bits of trivia about their creation.

Take for instance: did you know that set 75181 has been in development for the past three years? It says a lot about the conceptualization of this set, numbered earlier than the long-released UCS Millennium Falcon (75192), but coming out much later, this May the 4th Star Wars Day celebration.

Other LEGO promos connected to the May 4 release of the UCS Y-Wing (75181) include a printed technical blueprint of the set, available free with any LEGO Star Wars purchase by black VIP cardholders (and with an unspecified minimum purchase amount for non-VIPs). The set also includes a Gold Leader minifigure with blaster sidearm, and an R2-BHD astro-mech droid copilot.

LEGO Blueprints for UCS Y-Wing (75181) Available for Free to Black VIP Cardholders on May the 4th

For quite some time after it was first introduced, the Star Wars-themed LEGO VIP Black Card was tied to one of the most impressive model sets ever rolled out by the company: the UCS Millennium Falcon (75192). Of all Star Wars promos since, this was most synonymous with the card.

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Now however, LEGO is keen to remind their VIP members with the Black Card that they can get more out of it where Star Wars is concerned. For May the 4th, VIP cardholders might be able to avail of an official technical blueprint for their UCS Y-Wing Bomber (75181).

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This information comes to us by way of French LEGO news source Hello Bricks. And the preview image of the Y-Wing (75181) blueprint is out of this world, showing how the Star Wars star-fighter’s mechanics were translated into LEGO bricks and building elements. It’s a LEGO Star Wars tech-geek’s dream.

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And the nice part is, LEGO Black VIP members can get this sweet technical illustration during May the 4th with any LEGO Star Wars purchase, without minimum amounts. That’s…marginally better than the regular non-VIP shoppers who do get a minimum LEGO purchase amount. But at least everyone has a chance.

May the 4th be with you this coming Friday, as the precious blueprint of the UCS Y-Wing (75181) comes to The LEGO Store, for free especially if you have a Black VIP card. Other LEGO promos for Star Wars Day are: free BB-8 (40288) polybag with minimum $75 purchase; LEGO Store “Make & Take” Porg; twice the VIP points on many LEGO Star Wars products.

Weekend Custom LEGO Deals From The Brick Show Shop Now Up!

Our official storefront, The Brick Show Shop, is offering a wave of weekend custom LEGO deals that are hard to miss out on.

For those of you who have been following our blog site for quite some time, you may have already noticed that we now have a link that leads to our official merchandise page. The Brick Show Shop is now live with plenty of custom LEGO deals that are up for grabs as long as stocks last.

Weekend Custom LEGO Deals To Check Out at The Brick Show Shop

Our official storefront offers a barrage of super saver custom LEGO deals over this weekend. From mini LEGO MOCS (designed by Build Better Bricks’ master builders Tyler Clites and Sean Mayo) to unique custom LEGO pieces, there’s something in store for every LEGO fan.

Whether you want to add more fun to your existing LEGO City MOC by adding several custom brick-built arcades, or simply want to ‘wear’ your passion for the LEGO brick, then the Brick Show Shop has something to suit your fancy.

This time around, the Brick Show Shop is currently running a weekend custom LEGO deals sale that can save you up to 15% on each of the builds that are on sale. So if you’re planning to expand that LEGO Arcade MOC with additional custom brick-built retro games, then be sure to enter the code APRIL 15 when you check out from the store. Remember, this deal will only happen during the weekend so be sure to check this out.

Here’s a glimpse of the things that you’ll find in the store. Click on the following links below to see more custom LEGO deals in our store.

LEGO Arcades

The Brick Show Shop offers a wide variety of custom, minifig-scaled LEGO arcade machines inspired by classic 80s video games such as Donkey Kong, Centipede, Q*Bert, and Pac-Man.  They also come with unique, high-quality stickers that bring these tiny MOCs to life.

 

Apparel and Other Fun Brick Stuff

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From LEGO-inspired tees, to sunglasses and LEGO-compatible BT speakers, this collection is for anyone who would like to show their love for the brick.

 

The B3 Shop

The B3 Shop offers not just the building instructions for these awesome builds, but also the LEGO pieces that go with them – we take care of searching the LEGO parts for you. The Claw Machine, Air Hockey Table, and Retro Arcade Machines are just a few of my favorites. This collection of high-quality custom LEGO kits was designed by the coolest designers around at Build Better Bricks (B3).

 

Again, be sure to enter the promo code APRIL15 to avail this weekend’s discounts. Happy building!

 

Episode 5 of Netflix Documentary Series “The Toys that Made Us” Featuring LEGO Releasing on May 25

Early this year, we gave a brief coverage on The Toys that Made Us, a Netflix documentary series by Brian Volk-Weiss that discussed the history of some of the greatest branded toy lines of past and present. Slated for 8 episodes, four of them were released before a lengthy hiatus.

Now, almost four months since Netflix made available the first four episodes of The Toys that Made Us for streaming, we have a release schedule for the latter half of this documentary; the first of which, episode 5, will cover what we in the Brick Show discuss every day: LEGO.

As our previous article on this documentary feature for LEGO stated, Netflix, Brian Volk-Weiss and The Nacelle Company have as part of the presentation, some LEGO subject-matter expert AFOLs courtesy of Bricks LA. That ought to ensure that The Toys that Made Us would include in-depth information on LEGO history.

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In addition to that, there will also be scenes and perhaps interviews to be done at LEGO HQ in Billund, Denmark. You can’t get more first-hand info and company stories than that. I suppose we can now wait in full confidence that this show’s LEGO episode will be respectfully spot-on.

The Toys That Made Us May 25

The earlier half of The Toys that Made Us, put up on Netflix last December 27, 2017 included episodes covering Kenner’s Star Wars, Mattel’s Barbie and He-Man, and Hasbro’s G.I. Joe. The latter – May 25 – episodes, aside from LEGO, will also feature Hasbro’s Transformers, Sanrio’s Hello Kitty and Star Trek.

LEGO Unikitty Collectible Figures Series 1 (41775) Revealed!

Boy, oh boy! This weekend is jam-packed with a ton of reveals from LEGO that it’s kind of hard to focus where to begin. Better start the ball rolling, and let’s begin with the multifaceted (read: bipolar?), brick-built kitty sensation from the highly successful LEGO Movie.

Now that she has her own TV show, LEGO opted to push through a dedicated theme for her and the rest of her gang.  We already reported back in January during the Nuremberg Toy Fair that the sensational Unikitty will be having her own line of collectible figures, or more specifically LEGO Unikitty Collectible Figure series (41775). For one, this is definitely not your typical CMF series due to the very feature of Unikitty herself being made roughly of 14, mostly printed, standard LEGO pieces set on a cloud shape baseplate.

Now thanks to Italian toy and hobby store, Radio Kontrol, we no longer need to guess how this Unikitty collectible figure series will turn out. Now if you’re looking forward to this one, then a word of caution: it is virtually impossible for you to feel your way through most of the characters in this series because as you can see, each blind bag basically has the same kind of pieces save for their own unique printings. Here’s a rough Google translate from the Italian website, which interestingly states that this is the first among upcoming series.  Read on and check the images below.

LEGO Unikitty Collectible Figures Series 1 (41775)

Jump into the wonderful and glittering world of Unikitty! ™ with the Series 1 Collectibles Unikitty! ™ 41775, with buildable characters in limited edition. Discover Unikitty ™ and Prince Puppycorn ™ in a completely new version! Each character comes with a collector’s brochure and a cloud-shaped display plate. There are 12 to collect and exchange with your friends! Which character will you find in the surprise bag? 

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The LEGO Unikitty Collectible Figures Series 1 (41775) is expected to be available sometime in June. Will keep you posted as more info comes out so be sure to stick around with us here in the Brick Show.

Check Out These Latest LEGO Training Manuals From Scholastic

It seems that there are still plenty of LEGO themed books to watch out for this second half of the year. Other than the impressive collection offered by DK that comes with exclusive, free LEGO sets and minifigures, children’s book publisher,  Scholastic, also has something to offer worth looking into.

It may not really fall under that ‘exclusive’ category such as those offered by DK, but still, any free LEGO is something worth catching. In this case, for those who are still missing the DC Comics version of Aquaman as found in Arctic Batman vs Mr. Freeze: Aquaman on Ice (76000), Black Manta Deep Sea Strike (76027), and LEGO Dimensions Aquaman Fun Pack (71237), then this is your chance to add him to your collection without breaking the bank. Check out the complete description below as posted via Amazon.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes The Official Justice League Training Manual

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Want to join the LEGO(R) DC Justice League? Then this training handbook featuring Aquaman(TM) is for you! Learn all about the vehicles, secret headquarters, and gadgets of the Justice League from the actual Super Heroes in the guidebook, and then put your knowledge to the test in the activity book! Includes an awesome buildable Aquaman minifigure!

In a similar vein, Scholastic also makes available another all-too-common minifigure character from the LEGO Star Wars franchise, specifically, from The Force Awakens subtheme. Rey’s minifigure version comes as a freebie with this next Scholastic offering, which is based on minifig renditions of her as found in Rey’s Speeder (75099), Millennium Falcon (75105), Encounter on Jakku (75148), and last year’s Jakku Quadjumper (75178).

Here’s the complete description.

LEGO Star Wars The Official Force Training Manual  

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The official training manual for using the Force, complete with a Rey minifigure! This box is two inches taller than the LEGO(R) Star Wars Stormtrooper Training Manual, is narrated by Rey herself, and features every notable Force user from Kylo Ren to Qui-Gon Jinn. With tons of info about the Force combined with pages of activities, this book is the ultimate guide for the budding Jedi, told with trademark LEGO(R) Star Wars(TM) hilarity. So pick up a lightsaber, grab a glass of blue milk, and join Rey on this out-of-this-world journey to hyperspace. A must-have for the LEGO Star Wars fan!

Scholastic’s LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes The Official Justice League Training Manual is slated to be released on July 31 retailing for $12.99, while the LEGO Star Wars The Official Force Training Manual is due to be out on September 25 selling for $11.05. Both are now listed for pre-order at Amazon so better take advantage of their relatively low price as it is currently available.

LEGO Joins Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary with “Infinity War” Promotional Poster…in LEGO Minifigures

Cross-promotion is the way of the market these days. We already know that LEGO has released an impressive wave of tie-in merchandise for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War premiering next week, but now, they’ve also decided to lend a hand in promoting the film studios first decade, in poster form.

Collaboration between Marvel Entertainment and LEGO has resulted in what’s probably the coolest promotional poster for the Infinity War movie; plus it joins the rest of the other quirky special events already done to celebrate “The First Ten Years” for Marvel Studios, architects of the box office-breaking MCU franchise phenomenon.

Two months ago, Marvel released a golden Infinity War/10 Years poster, depicting characters from the Avengers, Asgardians, SHIELD, Guardians of the Galaxy, and other corners of the MCU in a group shot, with Iron Man high above them. LEGO has replicated that poster using their minifigures from their tie-in sets.

MCU LEGO Poster

It’s got Vision; it’s got Loki; there is Hawkeye, Star-Lord, (a miniaturized) Ant-Man, Falcon, blonde Black Widow, Nomad Captain America, Nick Fury, and even Black Panther and Okoye. Finally, minifigure Tony in his Iron Man armor is zooming away with clear repulsor add-on elements on his hands and feet slots.

As expected, no X-Men (still with Fox) but strangely, no Spider-Man either. One can collect all these minifigures featured in the posted by getting all the Infinity War tie-in sets that are available now. They’ve got BrickHeadz figures too. And Avengers: Infinity War arrives on April 27 in US theaters.

It’s kind of like the custom cover thing for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, come to think of it; except this is for a Marvel milestone.

Studio Nine Introduces Stüda: “LEGO-Compatible” Buildable Furniture

Give anybody a pile of LEGO bricks, and eventually they would’ve made something out of that, whether it’s a toy to play with or something to display on a table or shelf. But what if you can do more with a LEGO build than just make it a desktop ornament?

That’s quite the idea, being able to integrate your LEGO builds with the very furniture you plan to display them on. But that’s exactly what Italian designer Paolo Bellisario had in mind when conceptualizing a new line of furniture by Studio Nine, which he co-founded. How about some “LEGO-compatible” furniture?

A quick look at sample furnishing by Studio Nine, an elevated square cabinet with a modular – and therefore customizable – build, would evoke images of LEGO. If it doesn’t, then the fact that its outside surfaces are dotted with familiar-looking studs would. Said studs are compatible with LEGO’s interlocking brick design.

Studio Nine is even calling their latest furniture collaboration with Corian Design with a catchy name: Stüda. Bellisario is banking on this eccentric concept resonating with LEGO fans of all ages, spurring them to stick their official sets, MOCs or simple accessory bricks on their storage containers and other furnishings.

“We believe that every age will have a different way of personalizing it,” Bellisario noted. “Stüda is not only for kids and we are sure that letting children and adults interact together around it could bring some stunning results.” It should be noted that he’s also a childhood LEGO fanatic.

No further details have been shared about the Stüda design furniture collection from Studio Nine, but mass-production of their sets are expected to begin any time soon, following the positive reception that their concept have received thus far.

Icelander Boy Diagnosed With Autism Creates Huge Scale-Model of the “Titanic” in LEGO

There have been so many stories of people in the so-called “autism spectrum” who have become news celebrities for even the briefest of moments, because they did something awe-inspiring and remarkable with their unique talents. Usually these feats happen by means of their extraordinary attention to details, and resolute patience.

It would explain the achievement of Brynjar Karl Bigisson, a 15-year-old from Reykjavik, Iceland diagnosed with Autism. He just gave other big-scale model LEGO builders a run for their money by designing and constructing a LEGO model of RMS Titanic, the famed ocean liner that sunk in 1912 after hitting an iceberg.

Brynjar’s dream project came about due to two factors in his childhood: being introduced to LEGO when he was 5, and an ocean fishing trip with his grandfather Ludvik Ogmundsson which fired up his fascination for ships. Eventually his special attributes spurred him to study the Titanic to minute detail.

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Using 56,000 bricks and building elements, Brynjar created what is believed to be the largest scale replica of the Titanic in LEGO yet. Measuring 26 feet in length and 5 feet in height, there’s just no contest, even for the 5-meter Millennium Falcon once displayed at Melbourne’s LEGOLAND Discovery Centre.

The dimensions for the LEGO Titanic built by Brynjar were so that it would be scale-accurate to the size of regular LEGO minifigures that could be positioned on it. Calculating the level of scaling to achieve the right proportions was no problem for this Icelandic wunderkind. Labor took him beyond 700 hours total, though he had help from grandpa Ludvik and his proud mother Bjarney Ludviksdottir. Family members donated to help him buy all the LEGO bricks required to finish.

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Following its first public reveal, Brynjar’s LEGO Titanic model was shipped to America (in three pieces to reassemble later) and has been put in display at the Titanic Museum Attraction of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It will remain on exhibit there all through December of 2019.