…that’s the real question when one is operating this Wrecktor mech by SuperHardcoreDave. I’m really appreciating the balance between the simplified geometry of the upper body and the details of the lower body. It’s an animalistic mech that doesn’t go overboard with the concept. Sure, it’s got teeth, but if you aren’t looking close, you might even miss them. It’s highly reminiscent of the mechs that were the onboard defenses of Robotech’s SDF-1, but definitely leaps beyond the reference in its own unique direction. Click through to see the features up close, including the cockpit and what I think are pretty impressive feet. Ha. No, really.

It seems that SuperHardcoreDave either has a theme / faction going or has red on the brain. Either way, we’re getting some great deep crimson MOCs to inspire us. Here is the L1 – Commander, a vehicle inspired by spaceship concept artwork by artist Ryan Church. On its own, it’s a fascinating ship with its six-winged geometry which alludes to a starburst or even some sort of sea creature (turtle?). The angle shown above is especially striking. It’s unclear as whether or not SuperHardcoreDave is actually done with it, but, if not, it’s a pretty good looking WIP.

Easily, Portal is one of the few stand-out twenty-first century video game series that has caught the attention of my inner gamer-in-recovery, with its hybrid first-person-shooter-slash-puzzle-game sensibility. Put simply, it’s simply cool. So yeah, it’s a perfect candidate for LEGO-ization. Unfortunately for us, it doesn’t really pass CUUSOO’s guidelines. Really though, who cares, because these are mostly simple enough for any of us to build on our own, thanks to the brilliant designs by collaborators Brickthing and [Lego Junkie]. They’ve put together a gallery of their work on this theme that really showcases what good building is all about. I especially like the title-appropriate modular building approach seen here. Now all we need are just a few custom elements for one of the many third-party custom houses to take up, and we’re on like Donkey Kong.

Let’s just say that I’m no fan of stickers on my models. They’re too much of a commitment to me, especially because I tend not to keep things built and am most into the building part of the whole “building toy” thing. In my perfect world, printed elements would run aplenty, or at least moreso than they do now. However, I am really into the visual aspect of stickers and do think they can really add a whole lot to a model. With that said, the best middle-of-the-road solution is static cling! I’m late to the party, but apparently BrickStix has been making these available since ToyFair earlier this year. What’s especially notable about their product is that it was all dreamed up by a then nine-year-old KFOL named Greyson to accessorize his own models. My hat’s off to him and his family for bringing this concept to the table. Currently there are themed packs—WWII, Zombies, Comics, etc.—of the static cling reusable “stickers” as well as your garden variety decals that are apparently more positionable and less icky-on-the-bricky. Seems brilliant to me. The only complaint that I have is that the design needs to be pushed a little more in future products. In my opinion, they’re not quite up to par with TLG’s design sensibility, but I’m sure that this will change with time. They say imitation is the best form of flattery, so let’s just say that I think I’ll be designing myself up some static cling designs as a salute to these good folks. Stay tuned for more info.

Behold the Polarcus Alima, an oceanographic vessel that’s truly minifig scale by Lego Monster. The size alone is remarkable, not to mention the demonstrated building know-how. The brick-built “Polarcus” and color blocking are highly impressive. Too bad this would cost a fortune to build, because I think every kid should get a chance to build and play with this sort of model at home. Dare to dream.

If Andy Warhol were alive, he’d definitely be making screenprints of clone troopers given how much of an icon these things have become. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, like this Chibi ARF Trooper by M<0><0>DSWIM. Definitely a cool little MOC, this guy is one of a series of his Chibi Star Wars models that you can check out by clicking through the image above.

Not only am I a geek about sci-fi, fantasy, and the like, but I’m also pretty damn geeky about history and social science. So when Matija Grguric built a series of MOCs depicting monuments from various World Civilizations in the scale and style of the LEGO Architecture series, I ate it up. What’s especially nice is that this collection of MOCs goes beyond the typical smattering of icons of “Western Civilization” and instead includes fantastic miniature versions of the Incans’ Machu Picchu, ancient Egyptians’ Hatshepsut Temple, China’s Great Wall of China (a tiny section of it, anyway), Japan’s Miyajima Torri, the Mayans’ Kukulcan pyramid, and the giant Moai sculptures of Easter Island. “Well done,” I say. Better still, Matija has turned this entire series into a CUUSOO project that you can support right after reading this. Unless you want the legacy of CUUSOO to be a Minecraft set, please do so.

This stunning vignette of Napoleon’s French Soldiers Crossing the Alps by michaelozzie1 has just the right amount of mood and drama to set it apart from other MOCs attempting historical reproductions of famous wars. The blocky yet convincing terrain showcases well-built minifigs on multiple levels while the commendable use of lighting focuses our eyes on the hushed planning happening in the foreground. It’s all very well composed. [Thanks to S.B.P.D. for the lead.]