vrijdag 31 maart 2017

Custom LEGO Mardier officer

Well, this is something new, my very first ever customised LEGO torso.

And it is one for the nation of Mardier, in the Brethren of the Broken Seas.

With my skills in graphic software being limited, making decals no option, a PAD Printer being way out of my (willing to spend) budget and going to my regular printers every for one or two torsos (whom I can`t design... so that`s a bit tricky) I was looking for a solution.
And then it hit me... my old paints from my wargaming days!  I had no idea if the good old Vallejo`s would "catch" on LEGO ABS plastic.... but they do without any problem.

I wanted to base the Mardier officer on the spaniards as their nations main colour is yellow, so after some research I found this old template of a spanish Dragoon from the Napoleonic era. 

I tried my best with my now 5 year rusty painting skills to recreate the red and white detailing on the torso, and some glossy varnish later I was happy with the result.

The biggest thing perhaps is that LEGO prints are single colour, so I had to refrain from using the what is known in wargaming as "3 tone system", providing shade and highlighting to every colour.  But the torso works really well under the "2 metres rule", which is the average distance a wargame figure of 25mm (about the size of a LEGO minifigure) is "seen at" when on a table.

I`m defintily going to do more of these, and the Napoleonic Italian forces sure have my eye to make a unit with for Brick Wars in november.

The downside?  I`m really considering cutting strongly in my LEGO time and budget and rebuild and patch up my 28mm ACW army once again, and spend more time again at my old club.

The Best of Knight Rider

Today I`ve been watching this compilation DVD of the classic series Knight Rider.

This series sees a "man who doesn`t exist" Michael Knight (played by David Hasselhoff himself) fight crime with his futuristic and bulletproof car K.I.T.T. 

Now this double dvd puts together 6 "iconic" episodes from the series, starting with the double episode pilot.  In this, our hero isn`t played by the Hoff for like the first 10 minutes, as Michael Knight is a created identity for a presumably killed cop, Michael Long.

Next we get the episode where K.I.T.T. is stolen by a computer whizz, and his cpu is installed in... a portable TV set.  The other classic episodes are the ones where K.A.R.R., the prototype of K.I.T.T., is retrieved by some common criminals; the one where Michael due to a concussion returns to being Michael Long; and finally the one where he has to face the man that ordered him killed three years ago in the pilot.

While, like so many of the 80s series, the cheese is emminent on the series, this has actually aged rather well.  Definitly compared to some other series that where "so cool" in the 80s and are now nigh unwatchable.  A bit like that terrible remake they tried for Knight Rider...

Classic stuff, and it was a fun watch in honour of my buddy Axel W's 844th birthday!

Inspirational Lego 116

Two within a week, what a treat!

As I said in the previous episode, since I`ll be off for almost two weeks, I moved the episode for the coming monday a bit forward.

Now, as I still have quite a few other posts to so the coming two days, I figured it`s time to start with eye candyyyyy.

And let's start that with this fantastic rendition of the Asterix village, the famous figure from Uderzo.





The build is full of details, like the bard traditionally hanging gagged from a tree, which happened in basically every book of the series.

Next, we have this classic candlestick phone, a relic kids of this age have probably never seen, as even in my young days we had already `evolved` to the turn dial.

Next, we have this Chibi styled Bantha.  Now how cool would that have been as a microfighter?

Talking cuteness, it reaches the max level with these furry corgiballs.

On the other hand of the cute spectrum, this awesome Gundam like mech comes with a serious amount of firepower!

The venerable F640 hails from the days I started following Formula 1... so yes, I`m that old ;-)

The Golden Empress rides to battle on top of her warscorpion, a truly magnificent sight to behold

The Game of Thrones teaser has been released this week, so what better then include a blockheadz style build of Dany and her long deceased lover Kal Drogo.

For those still needing to grab a bite... bon appetit!

The final build I have for this week is the small but elegant vignette of an alien flower, love the interaction with the "bee" alien.

And that`s it for this edition, the next will be on monday the 10th as we will pick up our usual pace again, so until then, build on!

Haul Report 75

Well, like I said, a bit pushed to the front because I`m away from my PC the coming week.

But since I usually take the loot from saturday to friday anyways, it`s like totally up to date.. sort off hehe.

The first thing isn`t a purchase at all, but rather a recovery.  Years ago, when I stopped with my miniature games, I gave my paint to my nephews.  Their intrest never took off though after the initial "this is something new, I want to try that", and I asked if they still happened to have them.

The answer was yes, and while the initial plan is / was to customise some torsos... I fear I`m being sucked right back into my old hobby.

Not that I`m quitting the Lego world, so put that champagne back in the fridge, but I`ll write down an opinion piece on it tonight or tomorrow.

In other news, I did receive some Lego bricklink orders today.  The first was a boo-boo on my part, I had ordered 50 flesh hands for my Confederate regiment... and forgot that what we call "fleshies" are actual "light flesh" called on BL... oh well, I`ll order some of those then, and now I got a stock of these colour of hands for I don`t know what yet...

The other order where some flesh heads for said regiment, filled out with a pile of green plates to work a bit more on the Fredericksburg plate.

Nothing spectacular really on the brick front as such, but handy elements and I HOPE that by the time I have my pc back, I can show a new WiP on the ACW build, complete with the full southern force.

Cheerios and until next time, in about 12 days!

donderdag 30 maart 2017

Build Report: 41092 Stephanie's Pizzeria

A small Friends set today on the menu, as we take on this 80+ part set from 2015.

Now, I actually bought this because it came with a 2+1 action in Kruidvat, but parts are parts is it not ;-)

Opening the box, we get two bags of parts and the instruction booklet.

The Stephanie minidoll (whose hair has already found it`s way into a Harry Potter moc btw) comes with a sweet torso print.

And she sports her pink helmet of course to deliver pizza's.

The first thing we build is her scooter, which is based on a large central mould.


A white carry basket is then added at the back of the vehicle, made up of corner elements.

A small and simple table is next, including a ready pizza and a nice bottle design.



Of course, some seats have to come with the table.

We are then putting together the pizzaoven, based on a tan 2x4 and some masonry bricks.

This is build up, and a rowing paddle serves as the pizza "spoon" to put it in and out of the oven.


The final thing we build is the restaurant front, starting on pink rounded plates with the phone to take your orders.


Quite an expensive pizza if you ask me though...


The top is made up with curved slopes, and the front is completed.


Of course, a few extra parts came with the set.

And the full set completed

With the hairpiece, the masonry elements, the printed "money" and the basic bricks in rather neutral colours, this was actually a good buy all things considered.

Next week, there won`t be a build report, as I`ll be on vacation, so see you again in two weeks!

dinsdag 28 maart 2017

Spider-Man The Ultimate Villain Showdown

This animated movie, based on the classic Spider-Man series, promises to bring a whole truck load of villains to the screen.

And so it does indeed, as we see some "big hitters" take center stage.

But it ain`t an original movie however.  The DVD bundles a few (not even all) episodes of the Sins of the Father storyline from the cartoon together, in order to put a focus on Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, and Kingpin.  This is done with Spidey getting help from 8-year old Tania as he is tested by Madame Web, with Harry who tries to solve the disappearance of his father, and of Robert who needs to continue his education for a better future.

While it ARE top notch episodes from the series, if you`ve seen the cartoons, this movie offers nothing new though...

maandag 27 maart 2017

Inspirational Lego 115

Hey all, here we are again for the weekly dose of awesome builds I`ve found on the internet.

Now, I`m already telling you that 116 will arrive this weekend already, as the week after that I will be away from my PC.  Far away.  Having a few beers.

Let's begin the series today with an UCS build.  It's a spaceship, it's a freighter, and it ain't from Star Wars, so all you Falconista's breathe out again.



The Planet Express is the main vessel from the excellent Futurama cartoon, and it's rendered awesomely in LEGO.  Including a plate :-)

Next we have the Southern Air Temple from the Avatar franchise (the Airbender anime, not those big blue aliens).

This medieval country house sports some awesome architecture, and a variety of crops outdoors.

Who didn`t love dancing Groot, greatly recreated in BrickHeads style.

This fantastic Abernathy build from Fall Out 4 looks genuinly ramshackle like the real thing.

Something completely different is this cute build of a guinea pig.

Lego cars made in the style of classic Hot Wheels, now how cool is that with their "unpainted" fronts and all like the toys.

A bit of surrealism next with the Man on the Moon... literally.

The Octan Thunderbolt from the year 1 of Andromeda's gates, the RPG that is now closing it's first chapter, looks like it can really burn some serious rubber.

It`ll be swifter at least then this poor Fiat 500 which met an early demise...

And that`s it again for this week.  Expect the next episode probably on saturday morning already, and until then, cheerios!