Our pal Sunny from CoolThings went to the Toy Fair 2012 in New York and snapped this photo of a very cool Star Wars LEGO set featuring Jabba the Hutt. That must be one big brick! Link - Thanks Sunny!

The highly-anticipated Lord of the Rings LEGO line was unveiled at a party in conjunction with the International Toy Fare 2012 in New York. Or, at least most of the sets. The Hobbit set is still under wraps. But representatives from TheOneRing.net were there and took pictures. The sets themselves, which feature Lord of the Rings minifigures, are expected to be introduced in stores starting in June. See more photographs in their report. Link -via The Daily What Geek

Tran, Ken, and Rodney (who writes for GAS) got together to build a 50-inch long Super Star Destroyer from the deluxe LEGO kit. All 3152 pieces of it. And they documented the process in photos, which you can see at Geeks Are Sexy. Link

Hill Valley of the future is such a wonderful place to live, or at least it is when created by Lego artist Alex Jones. He has even more cool movie sets on his Flickr page for the viewing enjoyment of any Lego enthusiast.

Link Via Geekologie

The redoubtable Miranda-class cruisers were in Starfleet service for a century and saw action from the Battle of the Mutara Nebula to the Battle of Cardassia. For us Trekkies, the most famous was the Reliant, which was hijacked by Khan Noonien Singh in the second Star Trek movie. Christer Nyberg made this LEGO model of it using about ten to fifteen thousand pieces. It’s equipped with numerous lights, which you can see at the link.

Link -via Geekosystem

Even when it’s scaled down to minifig level, a Saturn V rocket is huge! LEGO artist Ryan McNaught built this one out of 120,000 bricks. It includes important details, such as liquid oxygen tanks and a panicking astronaut at ground level.

Link -via Nerd Approved | Photo: Melbourne Headshot Company

Previously by This Artist: LEGO Love Boat

How did Rod Gillies accomplish this feat? He used LEGO bulldozer treads to operate the scrolling skyline. They alternate between one and two-brick widths to give the assembly flexibility.

Link -via Make

This amazing LEGO sculpture of a Hyperion Battlecruiser from the video game Starcraft 2 was made by Sven Jungo, who used over 15000 LEGO bricks to build the highly detailed starship and must throw his back out every time he tries to move this thing!

And where does he display this behemoth in his house? I hope Sven doesn’t let any bratty little kids around this thing, because they might try to take it apart when no one’s looking.

You can see more pics of this incredible LEGO masterpiece at the link below, including artwork from the game as a point of reference. LEGO builders-Sven has already set the bar high for 2012!

Link

This one is fantastic: Flickr user Yatkuu re-created the Winchester Pub from the 2004 zombie flick Shaun of the Dead in LEGO: Link - via Nerdsraging

If you like zombies and LEGO, check out this fun intersection of the two over at Bricks of the Dead (gallery at Flickr)

More neat zombie stuff at NeatoShop’s Zombie Shop

Slate V imagines LEGO sets that reflect what is going on in the world, in your choice of Occupy Wall Street or Arab Spring versions. If these really existed, I would be in line to get one! Then it would be easy to illustrate the events of the past year in LEGO. Link -via I Am Bored

There are always tons of articles featuring the year in the review at the end of December, but for those of you who like to recall events in true geek style, don’t miss this great gallery featuring major 2011 events in Legos.

Link Via Geeks Are Sexy

Sascha Mehlhase built a model of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider out of LEGO bricks! It contains around 9,500 bricks and took 33 hours to assemble, in addition to 48 total hours of work just designing it. Read more about and see more pictures at his site. Link -via reddit

The 1966 TV show intro recreated, to the smallest detail, in LEGO bricks! For comparison purposes, here is the original. (via Buzzfeed)

Doc Pop spent seven hours creating this LEGO diorama featuring Lt. Pike pepper-spraying a line of protesting UC Davis students. It was installed in one the many abandoned newspaper bins in San Francisco. Someone removed it less than four hours later, but the photographs remain. Link -via Boing Boing

It’s hard to believe, but tomorrow will mark twenty years since Freddie Mercury died. Ochre Jelly pays tribute to the Queen singer with a likeness in LEGO, plus a post about Mercury’s life and accomplishments. Warning: autoplay music video. Link

This project combines three of my favorite things: Star Wars, LEGO, and puns. What else could you ask for? See more pictures in builder Lino M’s photo stream. Link -via @johncfarrier

(Image credit: Flickr user Lino M)

Steampunk as a fashion trend might be fading away, but steampunk inspired inventions and designs will never die. Matt Armstrong brings his version of steampunk inspired design to these LEGO brick sculptures, and the resulting inventions/artworks are quite handsome looking indeed. With classic designs, simplistic retro flair, and the look of full functionality, this is how you put the bricks to good use!

Link –via DesignTAXI

I’m sure you’ve seen variations on this theme before, the internal anatomy of various cartoon characters and toys, many of which were done by the artist behind this cool LEGO man anatomy sculpt, Jason Freeny.

But what makes this article really cool is that it shows Jason’s entire process, so all you artists and DIYers get ready to take note!

Link –via Geekologie

This week, Sarasota, Florida is hosting a festival of outdoor chalk art. Artists are welcome to come on Sunday to exhibit their abilities on a section of pavement. Registration and materials are free.

The minifigs in this amazing image made by an artist who is so far unknown to me look like they’re about to walk off.

Link and Festival Website -via Nerd Approved

LEGO always brings a lighter tone to gory, violent video games. This display was made by Tony Sava for the LUG Showcase display at a mall in Texas.

Link -Thanks, Christopher Jobson!

Lego Brick Luggage Tag – $4.95

Do you have holiday travel plans? Are you in need of some new luggage tags for your trip? Why settle for boring luggage tags when you can have a LEGO Brick Luggage Tag from the NeatoShop. This great luggage tag, shaped like a LEGO brick, comes in the following colors:

• Black
• Blue
• Pink
• Red
• And Yellow

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fantastic LEGO items.

Link

The Lego version of CSI is a lot like the real thing, bad puns and all, but the gore is plastic. -via Laughing Squid

The video game Gears of War meets Lego stop-motion animation in this video by Kooberz Studios. There’s also a “making of” video if you’re interested. Link -via I Am Bored

(YouTube Link)

Office cubicle warfare just got a whole lot cooler. This LEGO replica of a Lancer Rifle, the type carried by the characters in the very popular Gears Of War video game franchise, is so well designed that it functions as a rubber band gun, and has a clip so you can fire in burst mode. Good thing the chainsaw doesn’t work, or else someone would lose more than an eye!

–via Joystiq

I know we’ve posted a few cool Lord of the Rings LEGO creations before, but this 8′ wide model of Isengard might just be the most impressive one yet. Built by LEGO masters OneLUG, this monstrosity weighs over 145 pounds and uses 22,000 bricks.

Link via Geekosystem

Finnish photographer Vesa Lehtimäk captures amazing images of Star Wars LEGO minifigs in action. His winter scenes from the planet Hoth are particularly striking because the snow looks so realistic. Don’t scoff at the stormtrooper pictured above. Ski troops are useful.

Link -via Walyou (warning: auto-sound)

Have you ever wanted to see what a haunted LEGO house would look like? Well, Mike Doyle’s abandoned LEGO houses are probably just about as close as you can get. He has three great ones on his site, including the one above, aptly titled “Three Story Victorian With Tree.”

Link Via CraftZine

To inaugurate the new partnership between LEGOland and Ford, engineers built a Ford Explorer out of LEGO bricks for the theme park in Florida. It probably took them a long time to put the 380,000 bricks together, but thanks to time=lapse video, you can watch it in about 90 seconds. -via Buzzfeed

Tommy Williamson built the characters (“So-called Arthur king and his silly English knnnnnigits”) from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail out of LEGO bricks! They were constructed for a special diorama called Pythonscape that will be featured at BrickCon 2011 this weekend. Get a closer view of each knight in his Flickr set. Link -via Geeks Are Sexy

(Image credit: Flickr user GeekyTom)

The greenhouse, by U.K.-based designer Sebastian Bergne, is built out of brown and clear LEGO pieces. Commissioned by the company to display at London Design Week, the plants inside flower and bear fruit.

Link -via Designboom | Sebastian Bergne

Six years ago, we posted about the Rebel Alliance attack cruiser that Erik Varszegi made with 35,000 LEGO pieces. He’s now topped that with a 8-foot long, 43,000-piece Venator-class Star Destroyer.

Link -via Geekosystem (where there’s a video)

Confused by the European Sovereign Debt Crisis? Michael Cembalest, the Chief Investment Officer of J.P. Morgan's private bank enlisted the help of his son Peter (age 9) to illustrate the crisis ... with LEGO minifigs!

Surely you can see that the pig is the crux of the problem (How do I know? Cuz he's not even LEGO! Edit 9/7/11 - Hamm is a LEGO piece! Thanks TW George!)

Link - via GeekDad

The Juno spacecraft, after a planned launch in August, will travel to and then orbit the planet Jupiter. On board will be three LEGO minifigs representing the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno, and the astronomer Galileo Galilei. Jupiter is holding his traditional lightning bolt, Juno a magnifying glass to represent her search for truth, and Galileo holds a globe and telescope. Link -via DVICE | Photo: NASA

At the Bronx Zoo, now through September 30, you can visit life-sized LEGO recreations of some of your favorite animals. The animals-in-brick are part of the Great Summer Zoofari, a Lego Wildlife Expedition which aims to shed some light on “the challenges faced by wildlife due to habitat loss and other threats to their survival.”  My favorite part is that they’re offering PDF guides to building your own Lego frog or fish. Click through for the gallery. Link

via DVICE

This neat scene from a 1979 Danish film “The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders” shows an electronic Lego device that expertly sneaks into a building, making its way up a flight of stairs. I don’t know who the Olsen Gang is, but they sure have some innovative Lego designers.

Link

Photo: akama1_lego [Flickr]

Well, it's no fire-breathing pony, but it's still very impressive indeed. Aaron Amatnieks built this LEGO dragon that breathes fire: Link

LEGO Star Wars Pen – $7.95

Back to school is nearly here.  Have you found that perfect pen?  You need the LEGO Star Wars Pen from the NeatoShop.  This fabulous little writing tool comes with interchangeable parts for minutes, possibly hours, of entertainment.

LEGO Star Wars Pens are sold individually. It is available in 8 different LEGO Star Wars Characters. Collect them all!

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more awesome Back to School items.

Link

On a brisk day on Hoth, you might enjoy an ice cream treat — if the ice cream truck can make it to your Wampa cave. LEGO artist Louis K. has the right idea about what sort of transportation would be necessary. Link -via reddit

That’s not modeling clay. The LEGO minifig is surfing on a cloud of ink in water, captured in a moment by photographer Alberto Seveso. His series entitled Ink Riders includes several other examples, which you can view at the link. Link -via Colossal

LEGO artist/designer Nathan Sawaya, known for his life-sized LEGO sculpture of Conan O’Brien and amazingly detailed gray brick version of Mount Rushmore,  has unveiled his newest brick-terpiece: a bust of Stephen Colbert!  Check out these and other awesome LEGO sculptures at the link.

Link -via Urban Vinyl Daily

There have been some pretty neat LEGO replicas but this iconic tower from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy really impressive. Let’s just hope it’s not functioning.

Kevin Walter made this absolutely amazing LEGO Barad-Dûr for Brickworld 2011. I’d be curious to know how many pieces he used to make the tower, but the only details I got from his Flickr account is that the construction measures 175cm tall.

Link

This was YouTube user demondoggz‘ dissertation on stop-motion animation several years ago. Mashable has assembled a You Tube list of the best summer songs ever, but this was my favorite by far.

Link via Mashable

At my office, we think it’s hilarious to fill people’s cubes with balloons (and then our facilities people get upset). At Legoland, they think it’s hilarious to replace your car with one made of little plastic bricks. They win. It took 201,076 Legos (that’s 2,934 pounds’ worth) to build this Volvo replica.

Link via The Daily What

Have you been searching the galaxy and galaxies far, far away for the perfect keychain? You need the Darth Vader LEGO Star Wars Key Light from the NeatoShop. Darth Vader’s movable arms and legs makes dancing around the Dark Lord so much fun.  This is an impressive, most impressive, keyring.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fantastic Star Wars Items.

Link

The Danes started making LEGO bricks in 1949 using a hand-cranked molding machine. This LEGO set permits you to make a model of that machine. It is not yet a fully functional model, but I’m sure some LEGO enthusiasts are working on remedying that problem. Then we would have self-replicating LEGO machines, which would be awesome unless they gained sentience. Link -via Nerdcore | Photo: Eurobicks user Vassal

LEGO artist Ryan McNaught’s largest project to date is a 250,000-piece Pacific Princess from The Love Boat. McNaught writes:

It has 450 minifigs enjoying a fabulous cruise and the best holiday they have ever had! Its full of power functions, The anchor, bow thrusters, the lifeboat raise/lower, the propeller, and the rudder at the rear. The ship of course has all the Love Boat crew onboard as well as a whole series of 80’s washed up TV stars including none other than the Hoff!

Link via Craft

This one is admittedly cool: the LEGO-covered room by Lena Seow, Vrinda Khanna and Suzan Wines of I-Beam Design:

LEGO boards cover a wall of this room, from floor to ceiling. "Children can build with or against gravity," says Wines, adding that the child’s ability to impact the basic architecture of the play area by building on the wall is a large part of the appeal. "Everything a child builds becomes an integral part of the play-space architecture until a new construction is made," she says.
The room also features small cube-shaped pillows, adding to the building adventure. "Kids can build their own environments to play in and on," Wines says.

Link via ohdeeoh

Marshal Banana’s 10,000-piece LEGO Jawa sandcrawler is an extraordinary work in the medium. It’s executed in great detail, inside and out. And it even works at collecting droids! He adds this interesting bit of Star Wars trivia: only one side of the Sandcrawler featured in Episode IV was painted, so he got creative with the other.

Link via DVICE

Ross Crawford faced four challenges with this project. He had to be able to shape the LEGO pieces into generally curved shapes. The assembly had to be strong enough to withstand the pressure of four tight strings. There had to be a way to tune those strings effectively. Finally, even though it was made of plastic, the ukulele had to sound like a ukulele. Crawford writes that he was successful:

So, after all that, I ended up with what I like to call an alto ukulele – it is tuned to C-F-A-D (normal ukes are generally tuned to G-C-E-A).

Hopefully he’ll soon put up a video of the ukulele in action.

Link via Make | Photo: Ross Crawford

Do you remember the scene in The Return of the Jedi when Emperor Palpatine arrived at the second Death Star? Using a huge supply of minifigs and a detailed setting totaling 30,000 pieces, LEGO artist Jay Hoff recreated it. You can see several other photographs at the link.

Link via The Mary Sue