Category: LEGO Books (Page 23 of 36)

Bricks Culture Issue 4 Press Release

January 11, 2016 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

The folks over at Bricks Culture has sent over the press release for issue 4 of the magazine. Check out below what the next issue of Brick Culture has to offer.

Pre-order Bricks Culture issue 4 now

Collaborative builds and innovators galore

Issue 4 of Bricks Culture magazine continues to explore the world of LEGO and its role within modern pop culture. As more individuals adopt this medium as a form of expression we discover bonds are being formed, spawning the most amazing collaborative builds.

This issues cover, showcases the amazing work of the Arvo brothers and how they have taken their Alien model to the next level, by producing it as a book. Prolific builder Simon Liu looks at community builds and shares his love for science fiction while David Alexander Smith conducts an collaborative experiment by asking three builders to create one model. This is without the knowledge of what the other is building – an amazing outcome I am sure you will agree.

When it comes to pioneering builders this issue is not in short supply as we visit the home of OrionPax and delve through his tv inspired creations. Including giant transformers, terminators and realistic inspector gadget model. We catch up with former LEGO designer and space aficionado Bjarne Panduro Tveskov before visiting Alaska to discover the Bionicle creations of Breann Sledge.

There’s more inspiration from the likes of Chris McVeigh and Cole Blaq while James Pegrum gives us another lesson from history.

Packed with innovators and creators from across the world,

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Bricks Magazine Issue 8 Press Release

December 31, 2015 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

Happy New Year from Bricks Magazine

January is the time for exciting new LEGO sets and 2016 is no exception

The best thing about a new year is new LEGO sets. It may be a time to make a fresh start or celebrate new beginnings, but when that clock strikes midnight on 31 December it means we have a whole new wave of sets in our grasp.

The 2016 line-up looks impressive: NINJAGO is taking to the skies, City has a great new island prison and the intergalactic craziness of NEXO KNIGHTS boasts some great new pieces. Alongside all these store releases we have two massive exclusives available in the form of the Ghostbusters fire station and the very impressive Brick Bank Modular.

Inspired by these vast buildings, this month at Bricks we are wandering into the world of all things urban. Starting with the Brick Bank, Mark and Dr Dave examine this modular floor by floor, leaving no tile unturned. Packed full of new elements and great colour pieces, this new offering looks set to be a winner. Chris Pearce investigates the latest 2016 sets and highlights what we should be looking forward to most. Alongside this there are amazing custom builds in the form of Janet VanD’s theatre, Patrick Bosman’s piece of historic Holland and Jamie Douglas’ twin-roofed Brickadilly station.

As it’s a new year we have some great new series starting. Huw Millington hits the rails and starts his journey aboard on LEGO trains while our new technique master, Luke Hutchinson, begins his

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LEGO BIONICLE: Gathering of the Toa Graphic Novel Sneak Peek

December 22, 2015 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 1 Comment

It looks like LEGO BIONICLE fans are getting a sneak peek at some new stuff. Earlier today, Kim from the LEGO Community Engagement team sent over images and a short excerpt from an upcoming LEGO BIONICLE graphic novel called Gathering of the Toa by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The book will be available on December 29 and it’ll be available in paperback, hardcover, or on the Kindle. Although I’m not into BIONICLE, I know there are readers who are interested in the theme.

On the mythical island of Okoto, the forces of darkness are on the move. To defeat evil, the island Protectors call on the help of six elemental heroes known as the To a. Join Tahu, Kopaka, Onua, Gali, Lewa, Pohatu, and Ekimu as they discover their powers and gather together to fight the hordes of Skull Spiders and the oncoming darkness.

Also includes a never-before-seen look into the secret world of Bionicle in THE OKTO PROTECTORS GUIDE.

The first in an epic graphic novel series of new stories and action-packed adventures following the heroes of Okoto. Features exclusive content that provides maps, myths, and more!

Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

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Blocks Magazine Issue 15 Available Tomorrow

December 16, 2015 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

Issue 15 of Blocks Magazine will be available starting tomorrow. Check out the details on what you can expect from the latest issue.

Issue 15 of Blocks Magazine is now with subscribers, and will be in shops on Thursday 17th December.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has finally arrived in cinemas, and to celebrate we’ve assembled the best builders in the galaxy to construct seven iconic saga scenes, from the classic trilogy to the new film. We also take a look at the Star Wars Battle Figures, and compare Darth Vaders new and old in a showdown of galactic proportions.

Elsewhere, we find out how LEGO can be used with prosthetic limbs to improve the lives of child amputees, how Britain’s most outspoken toy retailer is preparing for the Christmas season, how to bring your minifigures to life and why not every LEGO set is a solid investment.

There’s much more besides, as animation expert Steve Guinness wraps up his Italian Job project, while David Kresse shows us how to motorise our Technic MOCs. This build-filled issue is topped off with an exclusive interview with Michael Price, the mind behind LEGO Star Wars series Droid Tales.

Get your copy on Thursday in the UK, and why not subscribe to get future copies early and enter monthly free prize draws? See www.blocksmag.com for more details.

Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

When you make a purchase or, sometimes, carry out some other action as direct result of clicking on a link at The Brick Fan, we will receive a small

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The Ultimate Guide to Collectible LEGO Sets, Identification and Price Guide Book Review

November 23, 2015 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

If you’ve ever wondered what your LEGO sets are worth, then you’ve probably been on Brickpicker where you can see the values of pretty much every set on the secondary market. Our friends Ed and Jeff Maciorowski has recently released a new book called The Ultimate Guide to Collectible LEGO Sets, Identification and Price Guide by Krause Publications. It contains 250 pages and retails for $26.99.

In recent news, there have been many reports of LEGO sets being a better investment than gold and some people are jumping at the opportunity to make a quick buck or two. Many times, I’ve seen two distinct groups of LEGO fans, people who build and people who use LEGO as a business.

We’ve probably all seen what retired LEGO sets are worth on eBay or BrickLink if we’ve gotten into LEGO late. We know that prices for sets on the secondary markets gradually rise as time goes on. Since there is still pretty good demand for retired sets, this is where LEGO investors come in or as many people call them, resellers.

The Ultimate Guide to Collectible LEGO Sets can be seen as a good resource for newer investors to get started in the hobby because we’ve probably wondered what a certain set is worth at one point in time. I know that I have although I’ve never sold anything before. It tells you how to pick the right sets for investing and what sets to avoid. If you’re looking to buy retired sets for your own collection, this … Continue

Blocks Magazine Issue 14 Now Available

November 19, 2015 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

Issue 14 of Blocks Magazine is now available online and in stores. Check out the press release below.

This month we take a journey into the space-time vortex with the Doctor and his TARDIS, featuring an in-depth review of the latest LEGO Ideas set. We also stop off for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes interview on how the Ideas platform really works, including what the review process involves, why larger projects don’t make the cut and much more besides.

Elsewhere, we take a look at how LEGO’s spaceship designs have changed over the decades, the most profitable LEGO sets to invest in, how to build a supercar and whether LEGO Dimensions really is worth your money.

With the holiday season just around the corner, we also feature the best sets to buy for your LEGO-mad loved ones this year in our handy Christmas consumer guide – including the LEGO gifts for the AFOL who has everything.

Get your copy on Thursday in the UK, and why not subscribe to get future copies early as well as monthly free prize draws? See www.blocksmag.com for more details.

Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

When you make a purchase or, sometimes, carry out some other action as direct result of clicking on a link at The Brick Fan, we will receive a small commission.

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LEGO Star Wars: Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy Book Review

November 11, 2015 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 3 Comments

About a week ago, I received a copy of DK’s LEGO Star Wars: Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy by Vesa Lehtimäki, aka Avanaut. If you’ve search for LEGO photography at one time or another, you’ve probably come across his photos before. It consists of 176 pages filled with his work and retails for $24.99. Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy is a good example of what a coffee table book should be as it is filled with tons of high quality images from the artist.

One thing the book does not consist much of are words, at least the majority of it. The reason is because the book really doesn’t need words. However in the captions, Avanaut sometimes gives you some insight on how the images were created like using various household objects like gypsum and baking powder. Other times, you get a short description of what the scene is about. If you’ve tried LEGO photography before, you know that there’s lots of little details you have to get to find the right composition for the object. Avanaut is one of the many LEGO photographers who has pretty much mastered this craft.

The Behind the Scenes section of the book, it takes you through the life of Avanaut and how he has gotten to this point in his career. It also shows some of his concept art as compared to the final shot. Did you know that one shot took four years and two photoshoots to get right?

Overall, LEGO Star Wars: Small Scenes … Continue