Just How Do Those Westworld Robots Work?

Westworld is an interesting show. The robots that exist in the park are incredibly lifelike. So human that even the people behind the scenes have a hard time identifying robot from human. The show goes into great detail on how these mechanical people are created. Robot arms work endlessly to print muscle and tissue, bit by bit. The milky white bodies make for a very artistic image. The problem is that the show also goes to great lengths to not show how these Westworld Robots work. How do their white bodies end up looking like flesh? What is their power source? This Lego MOC is a recreation of the iconic scene in the opening credits. “Westworld Host Printing” is created by Mitch Phillips. The figure in the circle is an especially impressive build. Almost as complicated as printing a real robot. You can see a lot of Lego pieces, such as horns, clips, robot harms, teeth and bones. Maybe it is a tiny Power Functions motor operating these bots?

Just How Do Those Westworld Robots Work? Host.

Make sure to check out more photos and detail of this Lego Westworld Robot build over here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gamma-raay/49917232533/

Video Game Or Lego? – The Last Of Us Lego MOC

You can build anything out of Lego. Even huge dioramas based on zombie/apocalypse video games. Such as this MOC which is based on the The Last of Us. The game is easily one of the best of the last decade, and a sequel has recently been announced. The ruined buildings have been detailed down to the smallest piece. The whole creation is 3 1/2 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. It uses thousands and thousand of bricks. Interestingly enough, it sounds like one of the buildings here is made up of custom 3D printed bricks. Can you guess which one?

The buildings contain some incredible work creating the rundown walls of the buildings. A few of the techniques used can be seen over here. The Lego buildings even have plants and vines growing out of them. The whole overgrown feeling captures the game exactly. You can find some other details too: a ruined bus, a military vehicle, and even Minifigures of Ellie and Joel.

An interesting detail are the broken windows. Each building has a different way of creating these. There are stacked 1×2 clear bricks, overlapping multiple small Lego windows, unevenly stacked windows, and a combination of the other three.

The Last Of Us Lego Interiors.

“It was a challenge to create rundown interiors where furniture and other fixtures were still identifiable, but I think they turned out well.” — Tim Schwalfenberg

Each building contains fully customized and detailed interiors. Each floor is different which means there are a lot of hidden features in these buildings. A few of the scenes created contain ruined toilets, rundown kitchens, pillaged stores, and broken bars.

The only thing missing is a pack of Clickers, crazy Militias, or some Fireflies.

More info about The Last of Us Lego MOC, by Tim Schwalfenberg, can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/112058573@N02/31897740690/

Lego Comics With The Hulk and Captain America, or “I remember when comics were 30 cents”

Hulk Smash Lego bricks. These Lego versions of comic book covers are the creation of monsterbricks. The Lego comic book covers are also relief sculptures. Where a 3D image/figure is sculpted in front of the background. In this case it is The Incredible Hulk breaking through the ground, literally breaking out of the background and into your face. This is even more pronounced with the Captain America cover below. These Comic-Bricks (Lego Comics) are extremely fun. The overall design is greatly supported by the typography and logos, which is difficult to replicate with Lego bricks. Here the lettering is using a combination of brick built letters, and custom printed tiles. The end result is great. Check out the custom UPCs, price tags, publisher icons, etc. These are great recreations of their real life comic book inspirations; The Incredible Hulk #59, and Captain America #109.

Lego has had great success with their Super Heroes theme. It is a little bit weird that they have managed to license both Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Lego has been releasing mostly modern themed comic book stuff. With just a little of the classic or silver-age represented (The 1966 Batmobile). It would be awesome if Lego were to release 1 or 2 sets a year based on the golden-age or silver-age stuff. Imagine all the possibilities with Minifigures based on Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee, and John Romita designs.

This post has been approved by the Comics Code Authority.

Check out monsterbrick’s Brick-Comics (Lego Comics) over on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/monsterbrick/15408223229/

Custom Lego Minifigures from BrickUltra: Wave 2

BrickUltra has just released information about their Wave 2 release of their Custom Lego Minifigures. These new Minifigs are digitally printed, meaning that the quality and detail is amazing. These feature printing that completely covers the Minifig head, arms, and legs. The first four Minifigures all appear to be based on popular video games. I recognize Titanfall, and Borderlands 2, but for some odd reason I can’t place the other two. They are being sold for $30, and ship will be shipping in March.

“Prepare to drop! Each Mech Pilot’s body armor is equipped with a jet pack which allows them to hop across the battlefield! Despite these abilities, the Mech Pilot can still be squashed like ants if they are not careful around an enemy Mech.”

“Psychos are bandits who have gone insane with a freakish obsession for loot. Shirtless, wearing a white mask and dressed in orange pants, these outlaws can be immediately identified by their homicidal cries, psychotic laughter and constant desire to get into close combat.”

“Ultra was constructed by a famed scientist/adventurer, who experimenting in high-intelligence robotics. Ultra became sentient and rebelled, hypnotizing the scientist and brainwashing him into forgetting that Ultra had ever existed. He immediately began improving upon his rudimentary design, quickly upgrading himself.”

“In the Carmine family, military service was simply an expectation; they didn’t do it for a sense of duty or honor or patriotism. Instead, they “simply loved to shoot guns, blow stuff up, and never turn down a knock-down, drag-out fight.”

For a review of the Mech Pilot check out this video by BrickQueen:

http://youtu.be/TZuT6mjny1Y

Check out the BrickUltra store for more information on these custom Minifigs: http://brickultra.com/store/

A Lego Breaking Bad Superlab Playset from Citizen Brick

Breaking Bad is wrapping up its final season and what better way to celebrate then with a Lego Breaking Bad Superlab Playset, designed and sold through Citizen Brick. Walter White is a high school chemistry teacher, who after discovering that he has lung cancer, decides to get into the local meth scene. By utilizing his scientific knowledge, Walter is able to quickly disrupt and ultimately conquer the meth trade. It is easy to say that Lego would never create an official theme for Breaking Bad. The details of this unofficial Lego Breaking Bad playset are amazingly accurate. The whole lab comes together in a modular design, with re-arrangeable walls, it is easy to display as one giant Superlab or three separate labs.

You can now own your own little Lego Walter White, and go on zany adventures through the underground drug world. This unofficial playset contains over 500 Lego pieces. Featuring custom 3 minifigures, including a Lego Walter White, and many carefully and professionally printed Lego bricks. All of the details of this Superlab comes with a super price: $250.00.

The unofficial Lego Breaking Bad Superlab Playset is offered through Citizen Brick:
http://shop.citizenbrick.com/Superlab-Playset-CB720570.htm

You can catch up on Breaking Bad with Amazon Instant Video: Breaking Bad, Seasons 1-6

Lego Printed & Named Beams & Bricks

Back before the Pirates, before the Minifig, even before Duplo, Lego introduced the Town System. With this new system came the first named beams and printed bricks. Usually produced on white 1×6 and 1×8 bricks. These printed bricks were so popular at the time that there were hundreds and hundreds of varieties available in different colors and typefaces.

The very first printed/named bricks hit the stores in 1955, just 6 years after Lego introduced their original sets. Since these bricks were there in the beginning, their availability matches the spread of Lego across Europe. First appearing in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. Originally these bricks were available in a Named Beams set (Set No. 1224). As Lego started selling in new countries, they started translating these printed/named bricks in all the different languages. By 1962 Lego was offering printed/named bricks in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Italy, France, Finland, Britain, Ireland, United States, Canada, and Australia. Most of these countries had bricks printed in their own native language, with one interesting exception. Lego never printed Portuguese bricks.

The bulk of these printed/named bricks were made in the 1950–1960’s. Since working with ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic was relatively new the printed/named bricks were often misprinted. The typefaces that Lego worked with were originally hand–lettered before being transferred to the molds. There is nothing directly comparable to this printing today, the closest results are found with Flexography (Flexo) printing, which is commonly found on plastic shopping bags.

A very wide variety of typeface styles can be found on these Lego bricks. Anywhere from Sans Serif, Serif, Slab Serif, Script, and Decorative styles were available. The imperfections of coming from hand–lettering greatly contributed to their personality. Some of this printing is interesting in that they exhibit reverse stress on the letters. This is especially noticeable with the “TAXE” and “TABAK” bricks.

As time moved on, so too did most of these unique typefaces. By the time the 1970’s came around Sans Serif typefaces were standard, and most of the charm of these named bricks started to fade. These printed/named bricks would completely die out before the 1980’s, being replaced with the much cheaper, and more versatile, sticker. Today Lego only prints a few bricks a year, and almost never text. Making this an interesting relic from the past.

One last thing; some of these bricks are a product of their time, especially the “TABAK” and “SIGARETTEN” bricks. You would never find a product marketed to children today with a tobacco reference.

Credit & More Information.

All of the above images were provided by Gary Istok. Who, can be found on the Eurobricks website as the Lego Historian. He has written extensively about printed/named bricks/beams here, and here. Also, for extremely detailed information about “Thousands of things you probably never knew about Lego sets, Lego parts, and Lego related items…” make sure check out Gary Istok’s “The Unofficial Lego Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (1949–1990’s)” which is available for DVD and Download. Seriously, his work is awesome.