Category: LEGO MOCs

Step into the imaginative world of LEGO MOCs here on our Brickshow blog. Immerse yourself in the creativity of LEGO enthusiasts by discovering unique fan-made designs and learning new building techniques. Join a thriving community of LEGO builders as they share their custom creations and inspire others to bring their own ideas to life. Whether you’re an experienced builder or just getting started, our site is the ultimate destination for LEGO MOC enthusiasts.

Submission Period for Bricklink’s LEGO AFOL Designer Program Has Begun

This early September, third-party LEGO-selling platform Bricklink dropped a bombshell when they announced a new crowd-funding initiative in major partnership with LEGO itself. This was the AFOL Designer Program, which aims to showcase AFOL-submitted MOCs which can be supported and crowd-funded into limited-release box set with revenues to the creators.

Bricklink has already laid down specific details about the AFOL Designer Program, which comes off as an alternative to LEGO Ideas, but which will have the resulting sets be limited-edition only for the 60th anniversary celebration of the LEGO brick. Oh, and they also gave a date for when entries will begin to be accepted for the program: right now.

That’s right, Bricklink is now ready to accept MOC designs from AFOLs aspiring to have their builds be included in this limited-time wave of LEGO sets that will be coming out next year. The start date was September 18 and will last until November 18, after which they will be evaluated under the supervision of “a celebrated LEGO designer with unique expertise and a historical understanding of the LEGO system”.

All AFOL MOCs that make the cut for Bricklink’s Designer Program will then be out forth for crowdfunding throughout the month of February. They will then be put on a limited production run in time for release in April 2019. When total sales revenues arrive in the future, the lucky AFOLs will receive 10 percent of it, no questions asked.

Unlike the LEGO Ideas path, these limited sets that will be born out of the program will not be official releases, though they will likely be comprised of authentic LEGO pieces. Still, for the time they’ll be available, these uncommon sets from AFOLs’ dreams will be a true part of the ongoing grand global celebration for 60 years of LEGO.

Lepin Shamelessly Steals A Custom LEGO Gundam Fan Design

Henry Pinto is one of the best LEGO builders around specializing in huge, minifigure-scale creations. One of the most notable builds that he worked on is the towering 4-feet tall, custom LEGO Sentinel MOC based from the classic X-Men animated series. He is also actively involved with the Australian LEGO fan community and continues to delight us with his MOCs and other LEGO-inspired creations. Just recently, he came up with a worthy rival for his colossal LEGO Sentinel MOC in the character of his next gigantic mech – his custom LEGO Gundam. This behemoth clocks at more than 10,000 pieces and stands at 90cm or almost 3 feet tall.

LEGO Gundam

Unfortunately, talented builders and MOCers like Henry are shamelessly blindsided by companies that don’t give any value to the creativity and tons of efforts given by LEGO builders. Within the week of posting his custom LEGO Gundam MOC online, reports came to him that Lepin has already listed a copycat set that ripped off the original design and images of his latest work. Australian-based Bricking Around managed to interview Henry and was able to get to the bottom of this barefaced thievery.

For the record, this is not the first time that Lepin stole from the LEGO community. Back in October 2016, we brought to your attention how Lepin picks up several AFOL designs and packages them as their own. Some of these were taken from LEGO fans’ Flickr sites or straight up from the LEGO Ideas page. They even launched their own copycat LEGO Ideas platform in the hope of getting more inspirational builds from avid LEGO fans. Truth be told, there are AFOLs who actually submitted their original custom LEGO creations to this site so it was but natural to ask Henry if he indeed submitted his custom LEGO Gundam to Lepin. His answer was a resounding NO: in fact, it was only Monday this week that he shared his latest creation online. After a day or two, Henry’s friends and fans worldwide alerted him on how Lepin launched a copycat version based on his original LEGO Gundam MOC. “I had people from all over the world message me”, Henry admits. “At first I thought it was a joke and someone was pulling a prank. I even thought it was funny, but then I started getting links to actual retail stores taking pre-orders. That’s when I realized that it was not a joke and they were serious”. Just by looking at the following images below, you can immediately recognize that these were lifted from Henry’s Flickr album.

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As bad as this may sound, Henry is such a cool LEGO fan and builder that he does not want this incident to dampen his enthusiasm in sharing his love for the brick. When asked if this experience made him reluctant to share his future work, Henry said, “Not really, I’ve always loved sharing as I go, as it engages a lot of people and it also helps me stay motivated. I also think the journey with a build like this is interesting as it very unique. I also enjoy the fact that people learn techniques from my posts.” Thankfully, we have people like Henry Pinto.

We would like to point out that what Lepin is doing is simply wrong, and it hurts LEGO builders and avid fans when their work and designs are taken without permission just for copycat companies to earn a quick buck. Let’s continue to be vigilant and report any similar activities, and we will do our best in keeping you informed.

 

Who Needs Card Boards When You Have These Custom LEGO Nintendo Labo

Here’s a great MOC story and an excellent example of unintentional (but awesome) cross-brand interaction. Fans of video games, particularly of Nintendo, would know that their Switch console has been making waves with its potential for multi-functional abilities. This is reflected in their Labo gaming/toy-construction platform, one of its best-selling points. Nintendo Labo kits consist of cardboard patterns that are cut out, folded and assembled into “Toy-Con” components that attach to the Switch unit and controllers to create new gameplay experiences with compatible software. It’s innovative and fun, but cardboard isn’t a notably sturdy material for long-term gaming. But what if there’s an alternative for it? Why not a custom LEGO Nintendo Labo?

There is, if you ask industrial designer and AFOL Vimal Patel (vmln8r on YouTube). He’s taken LEGO Technic pieces and assembled them into more durable alternatives for the default cardboard constructs of Nintendo’s Labo kits for the Switch. His first attempts in April were a kickstand and steering wheel; now he’s back with more builds.

A new YouTube video put up by Patel demonstrates his latest custom LEGO Nintendo Labo components used instead of the Nintendo Labo’s cardboard Toy-Cons. First he demonstrates more Switch unit grips; then we go to his piano alternative (with conventional LEGO pieces mixed in the Technic), a new motorcycle handlebar racing controller, and a sturdy fishing rod for the corresponding Labo fishing game.

Why do the LEGO pieces work? That’s because regardless of the materials used for the Toy-Con attachments, they only need the kit-included reflective tapes placed on the areas indicated by the building instructions so that the Switch infrared sensors can detect them. For more on vmln8r’s LEGO Technic developments for Nintendo Labo, you can also visit his personal website here.

Build the Construction Machines of the Future With LEGO Ideas

Though the submission of entries for the LEGO Ideas Contest – Create Your Most Imaginative Voltron Scene is almost at its end by September 24 next week, the LEGO Ideas Team has launched another contest that challenges LEGO Technic fans to Build the Construction Machines of the Future. LEGO, together with Volvo Construction Equipment invites LEGO builders and futurists to come up with their visions of constructions machines using but of course, LEGO pieces. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect from this latest brick-building contest.

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BUILD THE CONSTRUCTION MACHINES OF THE FUTURE!

Build the construction machines of the future! We’ve teamed up with LEGO® TECHNIC and Volvo Construction Equipment to invite you to build the construction machines of the future – either autonomous or not! What will these construction machines look like, what tasks will they perform? Show us your design of what’s to come!

One Grand Prize winner will win a trip to the Volvo Customer Center in Eskilstuna, Sweden, to an unforgettable VIP test-drive of construction machines, visit to the Volvo Munktell Museum, Volvo Merchandise and LEGO Technics sets. There will also be two Runner Up winners that will get Volvo merchandise, and a collection of LEGO Technic sets.

The top 10 physical entries, to be selected by the judges, will also be invited to be displayed at the Volvo Munktell Museum in Sweden and photographed to be part of a digital campaign.

Similar to previous LEGO Ideas contests, there will be a Submission Phase from today until October 18 (6AM, EST); a Judging Phase from October 19 to November 9; and the Announcement of Winners which will be on November 21.  Other than the usual guidelines of submitting an entry made entirely of physical LEGO elements or via LEGO Digital Designer, this particular contest also stipulates that entries must consist or made up of 50% LEGO Technic parts.

Speaking of winners, there will be one Grand Prize winner and two Runner-Ups at the end of the contest. Additionally, top ten physical contest entries will be invited and put on display at the Volvo Munktell Museum in Volvo’s headquarters in Sweden. The Grand Prize winner will also get a once-in-a-lifetime experience to test-drive Volvo’s coolest construction machines in Sweden. Check out what the winners can bring home for the LEGO Ideas Build the Construction Machines contest.

Grand Prize:

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Runner Up:

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  • Volvo merchandise
  • The following LEGO Technic sets: 42079 Heavy Duty Forklift, 42080 Forest Machine, 42081 Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX, 42082 Rough Terrain Crane.

Be sure to take time to read the complete set of contest rules right here. For the latest LEGO Technic sets, please visit shop.LEGO.com. Happy building!

It May Not Be Over 9,000 Bricks, But This Brick-Built Vegeta in Great Ape Form Is Jaw-Dropping

If you’re anime fan, than you will probably agree that Dragon Ball Z and its cast of high-flying, hard-hitting, and battle-shouting warriors (yeah, there ARE a lot of shouting in DBZ) has become icons of the anime world. The first season of the classic Dragon Ball Z series introduces us to the Saiyan race, helmed by the self-proclaimed Saiyan Prince Vegeta. His confrontation with Goku during the first season of DBZ gave us a glimpse of his Great Ape form which literally crushed the living lights out of Goku. And this time around, as his way of tribute to the Prince of the Saiyan race, Japanese Master Builder Moko gives his interpretation of a brick-built Vegeta in minifigure scale, and the result is simply awe-inspiring.

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If you remember from 2 years ago, I featured Moko in several of my write-ups when he cleverly created his versions of a mecha-riding Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck minifigures, a custom LEGO Transformer Brick, and a LEGO Mechatrobot MOC. Now he is back and this time with a MOC that is grander in scale – in fact, at minifigure scale that makes a custom Goku minifigure seems like an insect in comparison.

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Moko never ceases to amaze with his brick-building techniques. His attention to detail in creating this brick-built Vegeta is astounding. The circles around his eyes, the ‘patch’ of hair underneath his tattered clothes, and the smooth flow of his gigantic tail were created by employing ‘organic’ or life-like building techniques using unconventional LEGO pieces (i.e. the emphasis around his eyes were achieved using minifigure arms while the tail’s flexibility is recreated by joining several tire pieces). He even recreated Vegeta’s damaged shoulder guard at properly balanced proportions.

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The level of skill and effort that Moko showed in creating this MOC gets even more impressive when you realize that this MOC is at minifigure scale and highly articulated in spite of its massive size. Its jointed parts from the hip down to the ankles allow a variety of lower body poses for this brick-built Vegeta. His hands are superbly designed as well, with Moko giving considerable attention on how to make it life-like as much as possible.

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Moko also Tweeted this image to give you a better perspective on how big this version of Vegeta is.

If you like this MOC from Moko, be sure to visit his blogsite for more custom LEGO projects. The site is in Japanese so be sure to have Google Translate ready.

Create an Amazing Family Moment With This Latest LEGO Ideas Contest

The new and revamped LEGO Ideas platform is back with another building contest to test you brick-building mettle. After the successful launch of its first contest (post-Rebrick), Form Your Most Imaginative Voltron Scene, LEGO Ideas has announced another MOC-building competition that draws inspiration from Disney Pixar’s super family. The LEGO Ideas Create an Amazing Family Moment encourages aspiring Master Builders to come up with their most super cool depiction of what day-to-day life is for the Parr Family.

Submission of entries has already begun, and will end on October 10. Winners will be announced on November 13 over at the LEGO Ideas website. Submitted entries must be able show a day in the life of the Incredibles family using either physical bricks or a digital build using LEGO Digital Designer (LDD). Three winners will be selected – a Grand Prize Winner which will bring home $500 USD worth of prizes, and 2 Runner-Ups with $200 USD worth of goodies each.

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Read on for the rest of the details of the LEGO Ideas Create an Amazing Family Moment, and if you’re up to task, be sure to visit its respective Contest Page for more details about the contest rules before you submit your entry. The LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 sets are now available at your local LEGO brand store and at shop.LEGO.com. Happy building!

 

Create an Amazing Family Moment

What’s it like to be part of a super family? It’s probably very rewarding and satisfying to use that super strength, elasticity, invisibility or super speed to help those in need around you! Whatever it might be, LEGO® Juniors want you to build and show us your idea of a day in the life of Disney•Pixar’s The Incredibles!

It’s time to share your ideas with the community. We look forward to your contribution!

ENTRY DEADLINE: Submit your entry no later than October 10th 2018 at 6:00 a.m. EST.

How it Works

The contest will consist of 3 phases:

  1. Submission Phase – Build and submit your entry before October 10th, 2018 at 6:00 a.m. EST. We recommend submitting your entry 2-3 days before the deadline in the event we have to return it to you for changes.
  2. Judging Phase – Our judges review the entries and choose the winners by November 2nd 2018.
  3. Winners Announcement – We share the Grand Prize winner and two Runner Up winners here on LEGO Ideas on November 13th 2018!

How to Enter

  1. Build your amazing family moment using LEGO elements or a digital building tool like LEGO Digital Designer. You’re welcome to use image editing tools, such as Photoshop, to enhance your photos/presentation.
  2. Take up to five photos of your creation and submit them to the contest. Make sure to show off all angles and any features or functions of your creation.
  3. Add a title and short description.
  4. Upload your entry to the contest using the blue Submit Your Entry button found on the contest page.

Prizes

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • Movie posters signed by the filmmakers
  • LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 sets (10759, 10760, 10761)
  • A $500 USD shopping spree on lego.com
  • Personal artwork created by Disney artists in a LEGO frame
  • A unique LEGO mosaic

Two runner up winners will receive:

  • Movie posters signed by the filmmakers
  • LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 sets (10759, 10760, 10761)
  • A $200 USD shopping spree on lego.com

Life-Sized LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron To Go On a European Tour

Last month, LEGO was able to prove the impossible when it unveiled its fully drivable  and life-sized LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron during the kick-off of the Grand Prix Formula 1 racing tournament in Monza, Italy last August 30. Powered by 2,304 LEGO Power Function motors, this fully functional LEGO vehicle patterned from its smaller counterpart, the LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron (42083), managed to churn out a max speed of 20 km/h. Though this seemingly impossible MOC is still a far cry in terms of speed as compared to the 420 km/h top speed of its original predecessor, the brilliant engineering that went through in creating this brick masterpiece is simply amazing.

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this MOC. According to Promobricks, this life-sized LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron will go on a European Tour, which already started in Milan, Italy. It will make the following road stops at these locations.

  • Dusseldorf, Germany (Schadowplatz) – September 20-23
  • Munich Airport, Germany – September 28 & 29
  • Paris, France (Motor Show) – September 30 to October 14
  • Utrecht, Netherlands (LEGO World) – October 18 to October 24
  • Great Britain (exact place to be announced) – October 30 to November 11
  • Wolfsburg, Germany (Autostadt) – November 11 to December 12

There is no exact location yet where in the UK will this LEGO engineering wonder will make a stop, and I’ll keep you posted once new information comes by. I hope this build will eventually find its way to the US and the rest of the world – it serves as a reminder that with LEGO bricks, building for real, even what seems to be the impossible, can be a reality. For now, check out these images shared by Promobricks. Special thanks also to Francesco Frangioja for snapping these images.

 

Details of the Bricklink AFOL Designer Program Officially Revealed

After Bricklink released a teaser on their upcoming partnership with LEGO, many within the LEGO community were curious about what the commotion was all about. Dubbed the Bricklink AFOL Designer Program, this Bricklink-LEGO partnership aims to “celebrate creativity by realizing AFOL designs with truly original themes.” A lot has been said about what this program may all be about, and as promised, Bricklink announces the details of what to expect from this collaboration and how exactly the AFOL Designer Program will work.

As it turns out, AFOLs are now given the opportunity of having their original set designs turned into an exclusive, limited edition LEGO 60th anniversary set to be released in April 2019. The Bricklink AFOL Designer Program has three phases: Accepting Entries (September 18 to November 18), Crowdfunding (beginning February 2019), and eventual Release (April 2019).

Bricklink AFOL Designer Program

During the first phase of accepting entries, LEGO will only take digital designs made using Studio 2.0. Plans should also be non-IP based, meaning that it has not been released by LEGO before. The submitted design should also consist of not less than 200 LEGO elements and not more than 2,000 elements. For more information, check the Bricklink AFOL Designer Program Selection Criteria Guidelines.

A total of 20 finalists will be selected, which will be officially announced in February next year. During this, these 20 selected final entries will be open for pre-order crowdfunding. Suppose a particular threshold can meet its financial goal. In that case, it’s on its way to becoming a limited edition LEGO 60th Anniversary set, which will be exclusively available via Bricklink starting April next year.

Remember: all entries must be submitted in digital format using Studio 2.0, which you can download here. Check the fine print and other important details mentioned on the rules page. May the best build win!

 

This Custom LEGO Dun Deardail MOC Is a Cool Trip to the Past

How long has it been since we last featured a LEGO MOC of a castle? One that comes to mind is our feature of a MOC by Mark Erickson of Theramore, the doomed castle town from Blizzard’s hit MMORPG World of Warcraft. This new LEGO castle MOC we found is not massive, but very historical. This history-inspired MOC was the creation of Brick to the Past, a UK-based LEGO building group that specializes in making large-scale, research-accurate historical structures out of LEGO. Their most recently completed project is the meticulously studied, custom LEGO Dun Deardail MOC, inspired by the ancient hillfort with the same name established in Scotland around 2,500 years ago.

Over in Glen Nevis, on the hill of Sgorr Challum, there stand the remains of an ancient hillfort given the name Dun Deardail. Brick to the Past expert builder Dan Harris created the sprawling LEGO Dun Deardail MOC on commission from the Nevis Landscape Partnership of Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.

Harris began his commission of Dun Deardail in December 2017 by reading what he can about the ancient hillfort, which was said to have been destroyed in a fire so hot that some of its stone portions melted. Work began on the LEGO version January, and wrapped up last month.

The custom LEGO Dun Deardail MOC can be seen on display at the Glen Nevis visitor center, Fort William. Of his MOC, Dan Harris remarks, “It’s great to be able to display at one of Scotland’s most popular tourist destinations and I hope that the model will encourage people to get out and explore the real hillfort.”

Source: BBC

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus Boasts Cincinnati’s Great American Tower in Miniland

The days are counting down to the grand opening of the newest LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus in Ohio. Already the management has opened the mini-theme park to a hard-hat tour for press and local officials, and will officially open it earlier still for guests availing of its annual pass.

Now, local news has brought word of more attractions at the new LEGO Discovery Center: a new Miniland theme zone, where replicas of famous buildings and landmarks are sure to be found. One unique brick-built addition for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus is a well-known Ohio skyscraper.

This is the Great American Tower at Queen City Square, found in Cincinnati. Opened in 2011, the tower has 41 aboveground floors (with no 13th), 3 underground levels, and 26 elevators. It’s also recognizable because of its rooftop “headdress”, recalling either the tiara of the late Diana, Princess of Wales or the Chrysler Building’s spire.

Resident LEGO Builders for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus (LDC) worked 236 hours to recreate the Great American Tower, using 23,532 pieces. LDC Columbus GM Jacob Kristensen says, “We’re excited to have the tallest building in Cincinnati represented in our MINILAND and we can’t wait for you to see the iconic Great American Tower, and more landmarks, made entirely out of LEGO bricks in MINILAND Ohio.”

Other Ohio landmarks in the LDC’s Miniland include the Cincinnati Union Terminal, Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Columbus’ own COSI Discovery Center. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus opens to annual pass-holders in September 21, and to the public September 28.