Tourist Bot's Diary

"Give Me Something to Chew On," She Said

2006-11-12T00:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, blogsketeers! I've been too busy conspicuously not building to update, and this is the first chance I've had to come up for air from my busy schedule of internet surfing, online RPGs and sleeping in until sunset. Sure I may be neglecting the blog, but it's not like I'm Tim Deering or anything.

Anyways I'm thinking about entering this year's Classic Castle contest, though I didn't manage to eke anything out for last year. The competition is never that stiff, so it's relatively easy to "prize-snipe", but I'm up against my monumental lack of motivation. And even if I did manage to build a little something-something, there's no guarantee the radical anti-fantasy contingent over there would find it acceptable. So we'll see.

The first offering for today is an Amsterdam canal house by Lowlug member Patrick Bosman. It strikes me as a very uneven MOC: some of the details are exquisitely rendered, but others are lacking. For example, the baroque frosting on top of the front façade is well-done, except for the baroque curlicues in the middle. Now the belville plate serves well though it's not an oval, and the balustrades are spot-on, but the sparsely placed white plumes don't do the original justice. I do appreciate the half-stud offset, and the two-tone parquet floors are a nice touch, but the greater part of the baroque detail is bafflingly unreadable. Given that it was in a recent Lowlug show, I'm going to guess it was rushed. I can certainly sympathize, as every year before Brickfest I half-assedly scramble to (almost) finish everything that's been lying around incomplete for months. He seems to be leveling up though, so I'll have to keep an eye on him.

The worryingly prolific izzo has done up an excellent steampunk train engine, which has single-handedly given me an inferiority complex. Just look at that cow catcher. It's a little slick and black for my tastes, but damned if it doesn't have style. Concerning izzo himself, I'm a little concerned. He's been churning out MOCs at a dizzying pace, and it leads me to wonder if he's just lost a job, or become a hikikomori. Don't lose hope, izzo! Be sure to get proper nutrition!

Okay, am I the only one thoroughly creeped out by this town MOC? Tile siding, geometrically perfect roof trim, rectangular flower bed where they buried the leftover limbs? Seriously though, the flat baseplate landscape and the way the driveway just sort of ends makes you think that the world stops along with it. Like in The Others. So "matija", if that is your real name, stop kidding yourself and put a knife in that classic smiley fig chick's hand. We won't feel bad for her Gilderoy-Lockhart-coiffed hubby, who's clearly cheating on her with his secretary, never mind the fact that he takes the convertible to work and she's stuck bringing the groceries home on a bicycle.

This train by Lowlugger Rene Kok has been skulking around the Brickshelf recent pages lately, and I was waffling on blogging it, but I guess I'll put it in after all. Not that I encourage updating folders just to keep them recent; it's obnoxious and smacks of attention-whoring. About the MOC: where the hemorrhaging fuck are the driver wheels? For those not familiar with steam engines, a train without driver wheels is like the zombie you don't realize is a zombie until you see the chest cavity gaping open, all entrails dragging on the pavement. I know it's supposed to be like that, but it still gives me the willies. It seems most of the effort went into the pneumatic drive, with little left over for looks (for instance, a wing plate would have been excellent on the boiler here). And somebody please tell me he's using this Explorien sticker ironically. I hate to say it, but this is what happens when you let Technic guys out of their box.

This new train-car-I-mean-engine by Japanese Brickshelfer mumu nicely triangulates peachtree and sekiyama to form a triumvirate of Japanese town-themed bizarreness. Despite its name, nobody actually lives on the "house of train"; it merely looks "house-y". Points for incorporating that damnable Belville arch, and I really like the "spine" on the roof. I'm going to let the doors used as windows slide, but the simple slopes on the undercarriage strike me as a cop-out. I do love the engineer in front of this thing: it has no room for a diesel engine, and it doesn't have the pantograph to be a trolley, so it's clear he's not going anywhere. But he's grinning like a fool nonetheless.

Lomero (known as "sir" on Classic-castle) did up a Civil-War-era-looking steamship not too long ago, and it's cool, but got all the details wrong. First off: the green crenellations. Is it because he's a castler and instinctively put them along the edge? It would have been much easier to make it look like a proper ship hull by continuing the 1x2 curved-wall technique through to the green layer. The paddlewheel doesn't seem to be actually connected to anything, though it's a good rendition of a paddlewheel. Also, the firebox is in the pilot house instead of deep down in the ass-end of the ship where it should be, which means the poor helm was relegated to the roof. I do however have to give Lomero props for making the tile deck match up to the curved hull, and for the understated smokestacks, and for that nice little flag. Its heart was in the right place, just not its boiler. Also: why is it hauling rubble?

Space Runaway!

2006-11-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Izzo's faithful reproduction of Ideon (from the 1981 anime of the same name) isn't especially striking at first, but it compensates for a lack of stunningly obvious good points with great proportion, especially in the head. And it provides me such a nice excuse to link this video and boil your runny little fanboy brains. If you're lazy/ADD/stupid, skip ahead to around two minutes in. You'll know it when you see it.

Sitting on the Beach with Rusted Machines

2006-09-21T23:38:00.000-06:00

I think it's too late for me now: I've turned into a full-on train geek. This adorable-as-shit little locomotive was CADded up by one Andreas Weissenburg, and I've kinda sorta become obsessed with it. Just look at the half-stud offset on that roof! However I am kind of disappointed that the windshield doesn't appear to be attached. Is this sort of behavior approved in train circles? Or is this a symptom of CAD: thinking you can get away with sketchy building? Nevertheless, I'll probably build my own version soon enough.

In continuation of tonight's theme, I've got an ostentatious dark green traincar for all you word-greedy readers. Mysterious European dagealka, whose train station I've previously blogged, has resurfaced after a few months with this latest offering. In what is rapidly becoming a signature style for this dagealka fellow, the traincar uses gratuitously byzantine schleim building techniques (surely as much to work around dark green's small part selection as to achieve the look). The schleim is so complex that I'm surprised he was still able to fit passengers. I wonder how long it would last on a train layout before shattering to bits.

"Sekiyama", Japan's freak-train impresario, has recently been playing with a rack-and-rail system for sloped train tracks. I haven't blogged any of Sekiyama's MOCs yet, and I've been meaning to: his ornate, shambling style strikes a chord with me, though I can't tell if it's baroque-y steampunk or a more organic, Wings of Honneamise-y style. His bizarre ornamentation and almost gleeful dearth of color-blocking is refreshing after being immersed in the ordered, precise western Lego community.

Sekiyama's rack-and-rail system uses the new technic motor in the engine and strategically placed technic gear racks on the train track. As he mentions on his blog, (robot translation here) there are a couple innate limitations with using just the motor with a 9v battery box. The most obvious is that it's either off or full-power, not exactly the best for navigating curves at odd angles in what looks to be a top-heavy train engine. The other flaw being that, as far as I can tell from Altavista's thoroughly pedestrian translation, the 9v battery isn't powerful enough and the six-AAA battery box is too heavy. What I don't understand is why Sekiyama didn't just use a proper train motor. It clears the technic racks just fine, and has the electric studs to hook a motor up. Bonus serendipity: the motors would both move at the same speed. He could even put it in a crocodile engine. Sekiyama seems to have thought of using the train motor, but from this phrase:

"Being if ultimately, the demon you can remodel the electricity possible wheel and 9V from the rail could supply, it does, but."

I can't tell if he was too impatient to test the model, or just too lazy to implement the train motor. However I should cut Sekiyama a little slack, as he's breaking new ground. As far as I can find out only two attempts have been made previously, one using a disgustingly non-lego solution. And Sekiyama's the first to attempt a rack-rail system with a curved track. I hope he works out all the kinks; this would be a great boon to train layouts.

Catastrophe Keeps Us Together

2006-09-11T21:09:00.000-06:00

So I'm back to blogging after an unplanned 4-month hiatus (which coincidentally started when I figured out you could download animes off the internets. Fancy that!)

Celebrated mecha builder and official correspondant of the Mecha Hub's Japanese bureau, izzo, has once again made surfing Brickshelf worthwhile. His latest is a high mark in his industrial series of izmojuki-like civilian mechas. The new toy is a charmingly overcomplicated street sweeper, part-Lovecraft part-Snuffleupagus. The uncluttered color scheme deftly highlights the MOC's rich detailwork. That said, I'm almost disappointed that the iconic black and yellow striped tile was left out. It might have made it seem too busy, but I probably wouldn't have been able to resist its siren call. Oh, printed tiles, you control me utterly.

A far more mysterious Japanese builder, styling him/herself "sigezo" on Brickshelf, has done up a spectacular sculpture of the popular anime character, Keroro Gunsou of the anime named... Keroro Gunsou. I have caught a few episodes of the show, and it is as bizarre as it looks. The premise of the show, in short, is this: Sgt. Keroro and the frog-people make an abortive attempt to conquer Earth (or as he calls it, Pekopon), and his space fleet leaves him behind. He eventually freeloads off a generic middle-class Japanese family and collects Gundam models. Needless to say, otaku eat it right up. Good job, sigezo! De arimasu!

This next builder is so mysterious, I'm not even certain s/he's Japanese. Brickshelf's "kwi-chang" has improved rather dramatically in mere months. Kwi started from modest beginnings like anyone else, but it didn't take long for him to get good enough to rival some of the best mecha builders around. Did Kwi sell his soul for building talent? Is Kwi a secret group of builders operating under one name, like that odious coven of manga-witches, CLAMP? Well, from the way this Kwi character documents sets he bought, I'm going to guess it's pure purchasing power. Having enough brick to never have to compromise goes a long way towards making good MOCs, and Kwi has probably been steeped in the mecha otaku culture since birth, so it was probably inevitable he'd become a major-league mecha player. And so we have his new "Magatsuhi, version 1.5". The whole mech, while not colorblocked in the Mladen style, has a consistent design and solid detail. I'm also impressed with the combination of red and new trans-orange (trans-dark-orange?) as accent colors; it's a rare choice and it works well in this context. The thing I don't like? The huge, inflamed, missile launcher mecha-junk. Freudian and bad for balance? Wouldn't make it into production. Fuhgettaboutit.

P.S. Moko is colorblind. Fate can be so cruel.

Blasphemous Legomancy

2006-08-01T08:57:00.000-06:00

[08:38am] Soren: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=197124 boner.
[08:38am] Gambort: mmm yeah
[08:39am] Gambort: loving the hand design
[08:39am] Soren: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=197118 I like the hands on this better
[08:40am] Gambort: I prefer the other ones
[08:40am] Gambort: and they also look more wind resistant
[08:40am] Soren: heh, yeah
[08:41am] Gambort: the lol-gaim looks quite strong compared to his other stuff
[08:42am] Gambort: admittedly two bricks balanced on the top of a pin look more strong
[08:42am] Soren: well yes
[08:42am] Soren: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=197119 okay I need a tissue.
[08:42am] Gambort: Goddamit
[08:42am] Gambort: that thing shouldn't exist
[08:43am] Soren: laws of nature have been broken
[08:43am] Gambort: he's treating Lego like straws and paper... it's wrong but oh so right
[08:44am] Soren: it's disgustingly awesome
[08:44am] Soren: he should be killed so we can keep our self-respect
[08:44am] Gambort: agreed
[08:45am] Gambort: what's the bet he needs both hoses to stop it snapping?
[08:45am] Gambort: otherwise the torque from one would destroy
[08:45am] Soren: probably
[08:45am] Gambort: I think he's used my entire clip plate collection on one arm of that
[08:45am] Soren: God, I wish I could make things that wispy and delicate.
[08:46am] Soren: time to cry in the corner
[08:46am] Gambort: even if I could think of it I don' have the motor skills to pull it off
[08:46am] Soren: I'm pretty sure I do, I just don't think that way
[08:46am] Soren: I think in plates and hinged segments of brick
[08:47am] Gambort: yeah me too
[08:47am] Soren: and only fitfully in bars and clips and... witchcraft.
[08:47am] Gambort: basic rod and clip and snot rod and clip is about where I end
[08:48am] Gambort: "witchcraft"... bingo! we'll have him burned at the stake
[08:48am] Soren: yes.
[08:48am] Gambort: I just keep shaking my head
[08:48am] Gambort: I can't fathom how anyone could think of that
[08:49am] Soren: he's fucking amazing
[08:49am] Soren: he's twice the artist :e: thinks himself to be, which is to say he should be in a gallery.
[08:49am] ErictheDancingMonkey: Thanks for using my name to make your self look good. Like using me like a door step. Where I come from you may be on the other side. It's about Respect. Why are you prevoking me accross the keyboard?
[08:49am] Soren: stab yourself in the penis eric.
[08:50am] Soren: we're admiring someone with talent.
08:53am] Gambort: squieu... scares me
[08:54am] Soren: indeed.
[08:54am] Soren: I'd like to meet the bastard
[08:54am] Gambort: yeah
[08:55am] Gambort: I just hope he's some emaciated waif living in his parents' spare room on a diet of pot noodles
[08:55am] Gambort: if he's in anyway normal I may have to cap myself
[08:55am] Soren: haha, yeah

Rare Ould (UC) Times

2006-07-09T07:24:00.000-06:00

Brickshelf user Mumu has built a great replica of the RX-121 TR-1 Gundam "Hazel" , from the Advance of Zeta serialization currently running in Hobby Japan. It's a sexy beast in kit form and the Lego version is unbelievable. The shield binders, the multi-weapon latch, the sub arms - it's perfect. Do yourself a favor and take the time to really drink it in.

...He had a pocketful of horses, fucked the shit out of bears...

2006-06-30T07:09:00.000-06:00

A quick double-scoop for our reader(s). Not a filling meal by any means, but a nice snack.

First up is Danny 'Big-X' Rice's Porphyrion, which I'm sure you've seen at least twice and possibly three times before seeing here and need to see again, because it's pretty much utterly and completely the shit. I think it justifies the existence of CSF, just by having been posted there. It's very, very pretty.

Next up, Brickshelf user 'Jimmichie' has built a nice, simple hardsuit/robot (depending on how anal you are about having a minifig inside - I can't be moved to care) that practically cries out for mass production. I can see this going over well with a lot of people, if only because you can't improve on a nice simple shape. Grab some printed tiles and start planning color schemes, it's variant time.

"...Six-foot twenty, fucking killing for fun..."

2006-06-17T17:42:00.000-06:00

Having freed the fair maiden Jonesy from the dull, stultifying, oppressive clutches of Kevoh, a new blog is born! Huzzah!

Brickshelf user RMnano has stuck together a cute little SNOT-floored diorama. It's nothing especially interesting at first glance, but the combination of white lines and yellow guardrails is growing on me. I'm not totally convinced by the hazard lines, but they're winning me over. I think more yellow, some big grippy manipulator arms, and some big pixelated type on the walls would really get this MOC going.

FBTB MOC-monkey PepaQuin has built a very fetching Bongo Sub despite being equipped solely with the webbed, stumpy fingers typical of that board's users. How else could he capture so perfectly the slippery, amphibious lines of this lumpy, lovable craft? I'm not a fan of the rather stiff-looking tail-tentacles, but those canopies are cute enough to make up for it. Gimme an oily little hug.

One of my perennial favorite .jp builders, 'Squieu', has apparently been playing a lot of R-Type lately, judging by this latest little ship. Like a lacy tuft of fluffy microscale fragility, it bears reviewing almost endlessly. Wouldn't do to touch it, though, it looks ungodly delicate. The rest of his gallery is worth checking out, if you can remember not to breathe too vigorously.

Laying Low in My Tropical Hideout

2006-05-21T22:47:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I think Niels Bugge just went there. His new Longship, well, kind of blows away everything else in the Space Vikings subtheme. It's a sleek, mean-looking marauder looking to rape and pillage your unsuspecting Moonbase city. Sure it uses clichéd space wheel engines, but they're in an interesting configuration, and they fit the design of the ship. The figurehead is a little weak, but it's made up for by the profile that so strongly evokes the seagoing longships it has replaced. Also, the anime angles always score points with me. What can I say?

Noted MichLTC "trainerati" Jim Garrett recently finished a monster of a real-life Detriot skyscraper. He has pics up of the real building, and from what I can tell, it's pretty spot-on. I suppose that makes sense, as he's had a bit of practice with the Art Deco style. Indeed, he styles himself "Deco Jim", so I would expect nothing less.

"Began adding the remaining 34 stories as the Bricklink orders started to arrive," he says. I would certainly hate to be faced with his credit card bill. Anyways, is it kosher to resent this kind of ostentatious spending? I mean, I'm no anti-capitalist, but it somehow really gets my goat. Okay, okay, i'm jealous of all that dark orange brick. I mean, look at it. Even Eric Sophie doesn't have that much. At least he showed a little restraint by using black instead of buying smoke windows.

I need to blow off some steam now. Lucky for me, Piglet of Brickshelf made the cutest little tank mecha the other day. Selective compression? Check. Prehensile arms? Check. Keg? And check. The pics are sort of washed out on the diorama, which is kind of a shame. I do think that it should have something a little more substantial than a 24-tooth gear posing as a circular saw blade to cut trees, though. What about redwoods? You'll never squish the hippies camping out on low branches if you can't cut through the trunk. What this thing needs is an oversized chainsaw. I'm serious.

Our favorite picaresque Portugese, Luis Baixinho, posted a picturesque pirate citadel. Check out his Lugnet post for a rather amusing Babelfish of his originally Portugese blog post. The MOC has a really good feel to it: The wooden shack at the base of the crag is nice and ramshackle, and the rickety airship pier endears this MOC to me immeasurably. I don't mind the unlikeliness of a pillar of rock sticking out of the sea, (after all, I'm a fan of the more-ridiculous floating rocks) but it could have looked a bit more organic. Also, the building on top seems rushed. I like how it hangs off the edge, but the roof is sort of terrible. Also, boarded-up windows could be done more charmingly with something other than log bricks. I do hope Luis is cooking up an airship for the pirates. The scene seems incomplete without one.

CSF's Jerac uses some homemade sails to good effect on this Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang-tastic steampunk MOC. The sails-cum-wings were originally made for a charming microscale solar sailer, and give this creation an inimitable pre-Wright-Brothers look. Tan is often abused in steampunk MOCs, so he scores extra points for making it look good. It would have been perfect if the wings flapped.

I've Made a List of 375 Reasons Why I Never Ever Ever Ever Ever Want to See You Again

2006-05-15T23:36:00.000-06:00

So continuing with Kevoh's architecture postage, here's a just-surfaced and gorgeously detailed train station by who I assume to be a European, one dagealka who has a fairly empty Brickshelf gallery. This is the sort of half-timbered Tudor look many castleheads only dream of. It uses the crossbeam technique pioneered by Didier Enjary, and loads of clever little techniques I've at least never seen before. If you look closely, you'll see that nearly the whole structure is schleim construction. It's slightly dizzying to behold. This sort of marvelous find in an anonymous Brickshelf gallery makes me realize more and more that I should really start following the train scene more closely.

Continuing with the architecture trawl, here's a sweet little nugget of old news by Keith Goldman. It's vintage of last March, but as Moonbase Mastermind Jon Palmer is considering adding some badly-needed design tips to Zemi, it's newly relevant. It's nice to see some coherent architectural style in a moonbase module, and this MOC has a sci-fi style so 70's that you wonder where all the hexagons went. This MOC has all the Goldman signature moves: repetition of parts and motifs to good effect, and also making the awful Star Wars cannons not look like ass. It's totally 'core.

Another mysterious Brickshelf surfacing, this enormous Hindenburg model is the work of (European) Carsten Wagner. It clocks in at nearly six feet, (175 cm for you non-Americans) uses about a half-dozen motors, and has enough light bricks to illuminate a train display. The swastikas were tastefully left out, but it seems like every other detail was included. Look through his amusingly-translated site for a detailed description (and animated .gifs!) of all functions. Check out the terribly lazy propellors and the dirty rainbow-warrior secret of its inner frame.

Wrapping up today's post is a little mech Fradel Gonzales posted in February. I just can't get over that half-plate gap for the eyes, which adds an incredible amount of character. Some of the black detail on the legs could stand to be color-blocked out of existence, but otherwise it's a very solid mecha MOC. I'd love to see this and some of his other mechs in an urban battle scene. Maybe he could run the idea past WamaLTC. Now if only we could dissuade Fradel of the crotch-mounted guns...

You and Your Orange Sweater

2006-02-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

There's been a good many things posted in the past week or so, and I have been adamantly putting off posting about them. But lugnet.build.mecha's Iron Mecha Contest just ended, which will need some coverage, so I figured I may as well dig in my heels and get through my backlog.

The first MOC I meant to post on the first time around, but what with one thing and another, I never got it done. Luckily FBTB's Darktide did up a second version, so I wouldn't feel lame about posting on old news. He points out the specifics of the revision here, so I won't go into them. What originally struck me about this is, of course, the wings. It's a simple enough solution, but I'm still rather enamoured of it. The beastly TIE canopy is integrated as well as it can be at this scale, so I won't begrudge him that little problem. What was a bit disappointing about the revision, for me at least, was how he got rid of the awesome obtuse angle of the wings and changed it to a safe, structurally sound 45 degree angle. As someone who also does a lot of direct-from-pop-culture MOCs, I understand the importance of accuracy, but we're talking Expanded Universe here, so there should be some aesthetic wiggle room.

Well, you knew it was going to happen: someone posts something steampunk, and it's only a matter of time until us steam fanboys here at Golden Shpleem pubicly salivate over it. This charming little omnibus is the work of Eric Druon, known to most as "that French guy who sells all his MOCs". It's mostly studs-up brick and plate construction, which gets the job done well enough. I think the cab could do with a bit of color, though. Given the many color options for those windows, I would have maybe chose red or dark purple. Or both! The undercarriage gets that spindly turn-of-last-century look down just right. The back wheels look nice with the spoked wheels in the hubs, but I'm ambivalent about the non-lego solution used for the tire. I think it's black masking tape. Be that as it may, I would have liked the front wheels to match. Perhaps it was a parts issue.

The infamous Mladen Pejic has graced us with what looks to be his biggest hexapod mecha tank yet. It is a paragon of understatement: a palette of white, grays, tan and black constitute a creation at once imposing and demure. The streamlined hammerhead is comfortable without ornament. The twin railguns, supermodel-thin, don't speak the language of limitation, but intention. Through some alchemical process, he succeds in making even these stolidly un-pretty bar fences look good. But don't think I don't have my nitpicks. The flags on the back of the main body strike me as a little weak; perhaps he hadn't yet gotten his second wind greeb-wise. This might be a little unfair, but the underside of the body could do with a bit of detail, due to the fact that ground-based enemies (tanks, minifigs, smaller mecha) would be seeing a lot of it. Aside from that, the MMP is a near-perfect culmination of years of working with large spider mechs. The prudent thing to do would be to branch out now, Mladen, before you get stuck in a monumental rut. Hopefully it's not too late.

The "other Admiral" Chris Giddens strikes a blow to spacers' core beliefs with his concept-art-inspired cargo ship, Denarius. It's yellow. It's boxy. And it's not a subtheme. It provoked a lot of soul-searching among the CSF crowd, to say the least. The consensus was, "I like the greebles". It's true, there are some really good bits in there. But I also love the shape and color. It doesn't look like a naval battleship with wings! Anyways, that recessed cockpit is nice, and the hull texture looks neither busy nor sparse. The exception is the topside, which somehow falls short of the mark. It's just a lot of stuff up there, really. It looks like Mr. Giddens was unable to resist the sinister siren song of this rubber stretcher frame thing. I can't comment on below too well, as we never got the right angle. To quote a Decemberists B-side, "All I want is a good look at your underside". But I must admit that even I have my limits when it comes to the amount of yellow. Specifically, the interior. I imagine being on a long cargo run, with all that bright sunny yellow around you... it's no wonder there's only one crew member and the captain left. Perhaps that's why the last one looks to be on a tight leash? This thing should've ideally had an interior wall in some neutral color. Between that and this quick and dirty ambulance mod used as cargo, this ship seems more like a reactionary response to the space aesthetic dialogue than a MOC he would have made in a vacuum.

Niels Bugge guilts us all about not doing our geometry homework with his new "Piranha" fighter. Done in the style of Kyle Vrieze, this slicker-than-snot ship smiles its schleim on us all. Okay, enough alliteration for me. Great form, divine color scheme, and nailed the usage of transparent green. You know, in moderation. I love the round-cornered plates as a heatsink, and I don't even mind the slope wedges on the tail. Truly, when Lego and Pythagoras team up, they hit the Aristotelian mean.

I Was a Kaleidoscope

2006-01-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

Once again we at GS find ourselves a little behind. Alright! Here goes! Toshiaki Nishiyori, a.k.a. "Tony", put this nice biped tank mecha on Brickshelf a few days back. In a word, it's dreamy. In this new era of strong yet versatile click hinge ball joints, the focus is that much more on detail, and this is where the MOC shines. The new 1x1 slopes in clear for the window? Cute. The nose art using roofing bits? Subtle. The Quidditch hoop around the hatch? Be still, my heart! I also like the use of dish parts to round out the mecha, although I can't figure out exactly what's used on the caboose. You know, under that 3x3 dish? The machine gun's okay, but I'd rather he used Dan Rubin's. My biggest gripe with this MOC, though, is the transformation. It looks a bit forced, and it's a strong enough work on its own to not need a gimmick. Perhaps I'll email Tony about this; judging from this filename, he may know more English than he lets on.

Next up is this big bloody SHIP by Brickshelfer Odarih. Who is this masked man, anyway? It's almost criminal to post such a huge MOC and not stop in to any forums and say hello. Anyways, the ship's got a lot of detail, but it's not overpowering. The overall shape of the ship is pleasingly anime. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of this loop section, but I'll stand behind it for variety's sake. The ornately scalloped end of the hull by the engines looks almost fussy somehow. I'm getting visions of a pair of giant space-pinking shears cutting this hull out. A noteworthy feature of this craft is the attention paid to the stand. Many ships of similar size get away with minimal stands or none at all, but this looks like it was almost built off the stand itself. Now that's planning ahead.

The last MOC on our little saunter is an admirable Victorian house by Nathan Proudlove. Curiously enough, he hasn't done a post about it on Lugnet. I do hope I'm not "stealing his thunder". The MOC is distinguished foremost by its unusual part usages, so I suppose I ought to point it out to those jokers at "Unique Brique Techniques". Man, it's hard enough keeping up with one blog, let alone two. But I digress. Take a gander at that droid leg balustrade! He also justifies the existence of those grotty rubber Technic axle things by using them as tasteful architectural detail. I dig the varied roofline, but the sand-blueness of the chimney is a bit of a head-scratcher. What sort of stone is that, exactly? The spindles are a little too spindly--I would have beefed them up with some white technic pins. The lift-arm mouldings above the windows score no originality points, but they're certainly passable. Now if only it had some steampunk...

As an addendum to the previous post, Keith Goldman has posted the completed form of his "Two Pits and a Pad" display, and it's breathtaking. It leaves me full of questions: How is that landing pad staying together? Where did he get all those sand red plates? Will such a setup make it to a convention?

Tropical Iceland!

2006-01-18T00:36:00.000-07:00

Looks like ol' Keith tried to slip one under the radar on us. No MOCPage, no CSF post, no Lugnet post, and he didn't even post to his newbrickorder news page! Well, we certainly can't have that, now can we? Who does he think he is, Soren? Perhaps he's not entirely happy with this one? Perhaps he's an anti-communitarian? Perhaps his keyboard fell into a lake?

The new toy is a huge, lush, detailed diorama, as Monseur Goldman is oft wont to do, inflicting brick-envy upon the masses by using lots of part multiples. He seems to be relatively weak on the foliage, though. The big metal buildings, being ostensibly in a hot, humid area, could do with a bit of rust. I'm also at a loss as to his continuing fascination with the Green Goblin figs. The reason? Well, according to the builder himself, "they look like mean pig-fuckers who would peddle flesh, or eat it." I have no choice but to agree.

I have to say, initially I was not feeling the magic of some of his previous work. But after asking him a few questions, it turns out that this is only an in-progress preview of a larger display. Which is why this one came in with such little fanfare. I'm sure we'll be treated to one of his famous MOCpages when it's completed.

Now wait just a minute! Propriety dictates that I must call "bullshit" on myself. If this was anyone else's it'd have been much more auspiciously received (by myself as well as everyone else), being as it's a very impressive MOC in its own right. Poor Keith is one of the few elite builders cursed with being held to ridiculously high standards, albeit of his own making. At least Takeshi Itou doesn't have to listen to our ungrateful cries of, "I liked your first album better!"

Old News is the New New News

2006-01-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say? We here at GoldenShpleem have really let ourselves go. Is it that we Take Our Vacations Seriously? No, we're just lazy good-for-nothings whose mothers should be ashamed of them. Did I get that grammar right?

Moving along then! Our good friend Dan "Inquisitor General" Rubin has been busy. The Enola Gray is a shmoove specimen of spacecraftery that thumbs its nose at spaceship orthodoxy with its acute-angled nose construction, non-transparent cockpit, and copious use of yellow. The flat back leaves me somehow unsatisfied, though. Looks like me and Jon have a lot in common. The Gray sports a new greeblie type on the sides, but it seems like a bit of an afterthought. I do like the layered square tile look, but I think it should be more integral to the design of the thing. Oh, and check out the crew. Best minifigs ever.

Monseur Rubin also built a mecha, and posted it at the same time. Who does that, besides Soren? The very idea! Alright, regarding the MOC: it scares me a little. I think it's the face. Is it Patlabor-y? Turn-A Gundammy? Ultraman-ish? The stuff of nightmares, to be sure. I like the waist hoses, but like the cube greebs, i think he concept could have been taken further. The hip assembly is pretty hip, (did I just say that?) but the shoulder, while it matches, looks weird somehow. Also, it seems like it's missing its kneecaps. I do like the wings, specifically the vernier thruster things. All in all, it's a capable ape of Ugly Retro Japanese Robot style. I'm looking forward to the giant Magical Girl mecha Dan's been kicking around for nearly a year and hasn't told anyone about.

Better Than Two Ninjas

2005-12-28T00:29:00.000-07:00

More and more steampunk is coming out of the woodwork lately. I think I speak for everyone when I say that this is the best Christmas ever.

The builder, spotfrog on FBTB and CSF, is a theme-dabbler after my own heart. He started off with Bionicle and Star Wars MOCs, tried Castle and Space, and has just now (okay, last week) had a go at the sublimeness that is steampunk. Not to oversell it or anything.

The MOC is very good, especially for a first try at this tricky-to-do-right theme. The treads are well-played: each gear wheel being a different size maximizes the cute-factor. The greebs are competently done, and the pneumatic tubing is a nice touch. A couple of nitpicks: He forgot the steering wheels for pressure valves (almost essential), there's no discernable smokestack (not as crucial), the nose needs some work, and the cannon is a bit awkwardly positioned. I sure hope there's no recoil on that thing! It's supposed to be steampunk, not splatterpunk!

Happy Everyday

2005-12-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

Kevoh fails at timing. Mere moments after he posted his Chistmas MOC roundup, the incomparable Ry posted his equally incomparable Santa sleigh.

It's about time Santa showed those spoiled kids who's the boss. A gatling gun, candy-striped rail gun, and gun-toting elf riding a mecha-Rudolph should make nice, smoking craters of those kids that steal candy from shops, scream unnecessarily in theaters and restaurants, and relentlessly kick the back of your seat for the entire duration of your transatlantic flight. See if you can find the dark green!

We're No Render Bigots

2005-12-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

Brickshelf user KillerMoth26 gives us an early Chanukkah gift in this hip Greek-flavored airship. I'm a pretty avid airship aficionado, and I love the original angle taken on this MOC. To quote Tim: oh, baby! This looks like KillerMoth26's first foray into steampunk-type stuff, I wonder what inspired him? Perhaps after watching Last Exile, he decided to do his own spin on a Greek airship?

There's a few things I don't like about this MOC. The machine gun portals on the side look too much like Moonbase corridor ends, the lift rotor mounts don't look quite robust enough, and the rear propellors look slightly tacked on. Also, the windshield is goofy. The helmsman could easily wear goggles. Otherwise, it's excellent. The bow's air intakes are a stroke of brilliance. The gamma on the side is well done. And the brick-built Greek flag is a nice touch. To tell the truth, I'm thinking of making my own version in real brick.

You Haven't Fastened Your Safety Bat-Belt, Robin.

2005-12-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

You can tell Kevoh's on winter break, because he's cranking out MOCs. Hot on the heels of his Hitodama, Kevoh builds yet another steampunk creation.

This latest effort somehow doesn't grab me. I mean, all the elements are there: spoked wheels, huge boiler, pipes and greebs; but as a whole it isn't my favorite. I hate to say it, but it's kinda "meh".

I think the problem is he set out to make a steampunk-ified version of a modern car, even though Tim did it first. He relied too much on black brick, making a frame that, were it wrought iron, would be too heavy for the steam engine (wherever it is) to reach any useful speed. I will also point out that the shape is boxy, and isn't that exactly what CSF tells its new members to avoid? Also, greeblies are the backbone of steampunk, and this MOC doesn't have nearly enough. Perhaps they're tied up somewhere else? Or is it that he just didn't want to spend the time?

In the end, it's just a clanky old Batmobile. Everyone has their missteps, and I'm sure Kevoh will get back on track.

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Become Cabbies

2005-12-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

The mysterious Brickshelfer Legohaulic has built again! It was built for a contest on the shadowy "Saber Scorpion Lair Forum". Alas, the forum doesn't allow the unregistered to browse (read: lurk) its threads. I'd consider joining if red text on a black background didn't scare me so much.

As for the MOC, I like it. Now, I have a well-known aversion to automobiles generally, with a few exceptions. Fortunately, that doesn't extend to hovercars. The engines are nice and oversized, (or is it that the cab is undersized?) it has dual subspace antennae, (or are they overhead curb feelers?) and even tailfins! Yeah!!!

The MOC's Achilles Heel seems to be its transparent elements. Transparent red, green, clear, orange, blue, neon green, even purple? Bad news. Also, he switched the red and green lights. Who does he think he is, Dan Rubin? Greeblies would've been a better choice than transparent parts for the engines, although greebs don't seem to be Legohaulic's strong suit. Regardless, it's my favorite to win the contest, although I've only seen one other entry.

Nepotism is the new Principled

2005-12-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

CSFer and self-proclaimed "Lego Pope" Kevin Blocksidge graced the internet community with a new MOC today.

The "Hitodama" is a svelte, spry little slip of steampunkery. Constructed entirely of greeblies, this one-legged mecha is an unimpeachable example of MOC perfection!

Well, that's a lie, but I said it with a smile. I advised "Kevoh" (as he's known) to tart up the lantern a bit, as that's the thing it's named for, but he didn't. Maybe he's not good with rubber bands? Furthermore, he uses an unholy combination of old and new grays. It gives me the shivers!

Jesus Helps Me Trick People

2005-12-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

Mwahaha, I got Kevoh to compromise his principles. Mark Stafford ended up entering his "Death in the Library" diorama (see previous post) in the CCC3 anyways. Yes, Golden Shpleem is secretly a morass of lies and intrigue like that. Stay tuned for further unscrupulousness! By the by, Mr. Stafford made another death-themed diorama, this one conforming to the rules, and it is pretty hip.

It is always a cause for celebration when a CSFer makes their debut. RocketSeason, also known as Matt (Forcum?) has made his MOC "coming out", and what a MOC it is! Now, I normally don't much like small space fighters, as their same-yness seems to me like permutating the name of G-d, but this one thankfully breaks the mold. Indeed, it looks very Miyazaki-esque.

The ship is excitingly chunky. Its bold 90° edges, normally anathema to a spacer, are ameliorated by the funky angled sectioning. The round Santa Fe windows are the perfect retro non-canopy solution. I'm really curious about the use of the chessboard piece in the controls. 3D holographic navigation? Some sort of baroque battle system? That bull-horn figurehead is kinda goofy, but it has a certain charm, so I'll let it slide. All I can find fault with is that the greebing could be a bit more complex. And I can't get all fired-up about just that, how disappointing!

If this debut MOC is any indication, RocketSeason should be a great builder. I look forward to his next work!

P.S.: The title is a Diesel Sweeties ref.

A Belated Appraisal

2005-11-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

I will admit: It's been a full ten days since our favorite monosyllabic builder, Ry, finished his first foray into floating rock-building. Kevoh, in the interests of integrity, was unable to comment on this fine creation. So the only feeble defense I can offer you, gentle readers, is that I was "on vacation". Kevoh's excuse on my behalf was well-intentioned, but false: I never liked Interpol much.

As for the rock! The odd shape is appealing, and the surface is interestingly (if a bit perilously) sloped. I'm not sold on the bamboo shoot bricks on the lawn, but there's so few options for underbrush that I can hardly blame Ry for using them. I like the way they've grown up around the disused orrey, though. The secret space-y basement (spacement?) is a cute thumb-bite at the Castle contingent, but a bit ironic as the Floating Rock meme is more popular with people in the Space crowd. Oh, and the gyrocopter is gold.

The house is charmingly top-heavy. When Ry was building it, he was initially at a loss as to a roof for such odd-shaped walls. The mushroom-inspired roof is striking, distinctive, and sure to achieve notoriety. Perhaps it's better he didn't follow my suggestion of making it a Mansard roof. The door is nice for a brick-built, but looks like it would withstand a full-scale siege. Seems to me Ry doesn't buy many Castle-type sets. Somebody send him a Harry Potter door!

Floating Rocks have a long and storied history. Their humble beginnings reside in a MOC of mine from back in '02, complete with fly-through fast-victuals shack and a teleport pad. How quaint! But Brickfest '04 was when it became firmy lodged in the collective consciousness. I re-imagined the village for Brickfest '04, but it suffered from being rushed: I'd completed it the night before I left. I was in such a hurry, I didn't even have time to make villagers, but scooped up some Final Fantasy-ish mages I had lying around. Imagining I'd quickly build a better one, I never did take pictures of it, so the only evidence of its existence lies in others' Brickfest photo albums. Lenny brought his famous moonbase non-module to that same Fest and coined the term. And so the destiny of the genre-orphan Rocks was forged.

There've been a few uninhabited rocks built: Soren built one, Tim built two, and "Watkins" made one with a (nostalgic!) teleport pad. Our own Kevoh built a rock for BF05, with attendant floating house. Nathan Proudlove raised the stakes with his waterfall-endowed castle in the air, and the indefatigable Lenny made two more excellent rocks, home to those wizard-types I'm secretly ambivalent about.

I meant to bring a new village to BF05, and even filled out a MOC Card for it, but last summer was kinda dark-agey for me and it never had a chance of being finished in time. I've recently begun working on it again, and I'll share with you (as reward for suffering through my pompous and treacly prose) a secret in-progress pic.

Miss Fat Booty

2005-11-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a striking specimen from the presumably-new-to-the-scene Brickshelfer modelgal. Would you look at the shleim on that thing! I hate to think how many tiles and jumper plates went into it. The only bit I'm not thrilled with is the head, but I know it's pretty damned hard to make a decent dragon head with Lego.

This dragon looks like it's been sitting on its hoard of gold watching "All My Hatchlings" a bit too long. That awkward-looking knight doesn't look like it'll be good for much exercise as much as another high-cal snack. It's high time our not-so-mini dragon friend changed the channel to one of those aerobics shows, and I don't mean Sit and Be Fit.

BimP my Ride?

2005-11-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Looks like Tom "Dr. Cranium" McDonald has been building again. My first impression was, "It's a hovership gussied up for a night on the town!" You know, because of the orange antenna bits.

The hip thing about it is, like all the cool RC racers, it can drive upside-down. The driver's seat flips over, too. It's super-toytastic, but I imagine I'd get a bit queasy driving the thing.

Construction-wise, I really like the wheels. The car is a tad too wide for my tastes. The addition of white to the colorscheme seems like a token gesture, like he wanted it to be all orange but didn't have the right parts. And I don't like the dragging antennae, unless they're designed to shower the car behind it in sparks. Which would be awesome.

If you're reading this on ILENN, by the way, drop by and leave us a note! Propriety demands it!

Renovate!

2005-11-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Why build a new building when you can renovate? See, this may be news to us Americans, but over in Europe they have something called "architectural history". This means that they have old buildings. It can be hard to imagine for us in The Land of Opportunity and Big-Box Retail Stores, but some buildings in Europe are older than your moms! Some are even older than your grandma!

Reinhard "Ben" Beneke, a known European, has the benefit of all that "architectural history" they have across the pond, and makes MOCs of these ineffable old buildings. His new gas station is a renovation of an older building, invoking a double dose of nostalgia.

The building flaunts it: lots of gray tiles for the timbering look, light yellow walls on the second floor, a weirdly small 70's door, macaroni bricks, old-school printed bricks, garage door bits, shleimy doors in back, and checkerboard floors. And yet I feel like something's missing. Perhaps he's saving some things, like cars filling their gas tanks, for its train layout debut.

Oh yeah, and if you're not familiar with Ben's work, I command you to peruse his gallery. Even though he's a train guy.

Gingerbread House... for Pandas

2005-11-10T02:53:00.000-07:00

Here we have a modest bamboo cottage by Taiwanese Brickshelfer echao. The first bamboo building I've seen, and sure to be the definitive for quite some time. I wonder if a tan version of this would pass muster?

I like this MOC. It's chic, it's understated, but I would have put in a few more details. Something in the courtyard, perhaps, if I couldn't wheedle a bit of landscape. I like the tree, but the trunk needs to be its own color. And maybe a couple more figs; the Lenny analogue inside just isn't enough. But perhaps I'm too hard on him. Not everyone can have a wealth of parts, yes?

Furthermore, don't be shy about mucking around in the rest of his Shelf gallery. You never know when you'll stumble across some hidden gems.

On a site-related note, it looks like I'm falling behind in this posting thing. I would like to say Kevoh keeps beating me to the punch, but I fear I've been shirking my duties a bit. But do not fret, Gentle Readers, because you have my word that I will approach this blog with a renewed zeal. Or something.

Crowley wins more.

2005-10-11T00:44:00.000-06:00

Mike Crowley, aka Count Blockula, has come up with this super-articulate stick-fig design he calls BrickFA. Who knew you could do that with lever handles? This makes my chocobos look like shit!

I'll have to play around with this. You ought to try it as well.

Better late than never

2005-10-10T23:32:00.000-06:00

Check out this laudably accurate DeLorean by Brickshelfer "Flicker404". It's so cool. Only some of the building looks a bit sketchy. And the greebs could be better. But it looks spot-on, so I forgive it.

Let me tell you about how many times I tried to build one of these when I was 10 years old...

Moko wins.

2005-10-10T22:55:00.000-06:00

Okay, it's official: Moko is better than you. Ph33r the letter tile ASCII kitties.

Pillar of the Community

2005-09-05T20:19:00.000-06:00

Fellow Neutronbotter Soren "I'm too good to post" Roberts has tried to sneak a few things under the radar. Perhaps we should pretend he's a Japanese builder, blocked from communication by the great divide of language? Well at any rate, at least he has a good post-to-build ratio...

If you haven't yet noticed, it's all futuristic anime stuff. I've been trying to peer-pressure him into building castle, but that's only warranted a few abortive efforts so far.

Oh, Takeshi!

2005-09-05T17:29:00.000-06:00

Our beloved Japanese castler, the resourceful Takeshi Itoh, has put together something new. Every time he posts something, I always get overly excited.

The Prison Castle sits precariously upon a pillar of rock, discouraging would-be escapees with its dizzying heights. This MOC is much in keeping with Itoh's signature style: It's restricted to a 48 x 48 footprint, takes advantage of vertical space, and of course has immaculate landscaping. The architecture is a bit "vanilla", for Itoh at least, but perhaps it's an exercise in form following function.

If you're not familiar with his work, by all means rummage through his site or his gallery and bask in his brilliance.

Damn Europeans

2005-08-29T19:24:00.000-06:00

I mean, WTF? Classic Castler Teup, like a big huge jerk, simply excretes architectural detail. In addition to the "just some ideas" pictured, this city project of his seems to be equally on a lark. I can imagine him building a fully minifig-scale Hagia Sophia and saying, "Just a little something I whipped up".

Where does he get off with all these unusual part usages, deft schleim, and eye for composition? Say "natural talent" all you like, but my money's on the European Pick-a-Brick. That's it! I'm moving to Amsterdam!

Art Deco My Brains Out! <3

2005-08-29T19:02:00.000-06:00

Brickshelf's DecoJim makes a bold statement with this retro-tastic Miami beach hotel. It's too bad there doesn't seem to be any inside, but I can't complain as my moonbase module was similarly empty...

Like all good MOCs, this one plays fast and loose with scale- the minifigs are dwarfed by the fire hydrant and the patio furniture, and there's even a 4-wide car to mismatch the 6-wide car. Just the way I like it.

Regardless, I hope this trend towards building interesting architecture continues. Maybe it'll get the spacers' attention, ahem ahem.

Update: The builder is named James Garrett.

A Man's Home is His Castle

2005-08-08T00:22:00.000-06:00

It seems that the famed dragon-lover Anthony Sava has completed his latest and largest-yet castle, "Ulmaris". It features numerous towers and turrets, pleasantly inexcessive mottling, and an understated courtyard.

He's been stringing along the poor dears at the Classic-Castle.com forums for quite some time now, and appears to have gotten it done just in time for Brickfest. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I can't wait to ogle it in person. However, the gallery offers an excellent view of the castle from many angles, as well as a rather revealing look at what I assume to be The Savas's dining room. Nice wallpaper, Anthony!

"Aerodynamically Curvaceous"

2005-08-08T00:11:00.000-06:00

Now here's a spaceship with a good set of child-bearing hips. Kenn Oldham brings us his "Bluebell" which features some thoroughly awful Bionicle lids put to good spacey use.

Mach 5

2005-07-31T21:10:00.000-06:00

Brickshelf builder "1816" has built a commendably accurate Mach 5. The pictures are enormous, so click at your own risk.

Feeling Blue?

2005-07-26T18:50:00.000-06:00

Then have a look at this Smurf House by Brickshelf denizen "Lorax". Simple yet effective construction here, but I don't understand that green lump on the mushroom cap...

Now somebody needs to make a mushroom space cruiser with angry insectoid-smurf figs.

Todd Amacher, Back from the Dead!

2005-07-25T18:55:00.000-06:00

A new mech from Todd Amacher, and it is nifty. He mixes old and new grays, which is not as off-putting as I thought it would be.

I remember when Todd's now-defunct website Silicon Psyche was called Moonbase Io. Old School!

It's been a good week for Castle

2005-07-25T18:19:00.000-06:00

Josh Wedin has made a cool Arabian abode, called "The House of Yassar Ibn Asad". The best bit, in my opinion, is the use of the trans-light-blue flower in the fountain.

It's a rare thing to see Middle-Eastern architecture in Lego; I should build some. Maybe after Brickfest...

Yellow Castle

2005-07-20T02:05:00.000-06:00

New York's Castle Lyndhurst