Tales From The Brick

In Episode 42 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) sits down with Adrian Drake, longtime AFOL, legendary SHIP builder, and the creator behind BrickFrenzy. Adrian shares how growing up in Germany surrounded by LEGO sparked a lifelong passion for building, and how the release of LEGO Star Wars in 1999 helped turn that passion into decades of creating some of the most ambitious LEGO models in the AFOL community. Adrian takes us back to the earliest days of the online LEGO community, from Usenet and LUGNET to attending BrickFest in 2001, when conventions were small gatherings of just a few hundred builders. He talks about helping pioneer the SHIP building movement, contributing to the original Moonbase Standard, and watching the LEGO community grow from a handful of dedicated builders into the massive worldwide fandom it is today. The conversation explores some of Adrian's most recognizable creations, including his massive Serenity from Firefly, an eight-foot-wide Deep Space Nine, a life-size six-foot-tall Bender from Futurama, and his latest project, the Highwind from Final Fantasy VII. Adrian shares what goes into designing these enormous builds, from engineering internal structures strong enough to support thousands of bricks to figuring out how to transport creations that can take years to complete. He also reveals why Bender once had several bottles of whiskey stored inside his chest and what happened when a fellow builder accidentally knocked off his arm at a convention. Along the way, Adrian discusses building with his family, the friendships formed at LEGO conventions, and why he prefers creating for the enjoyment rather than chasing awards. He also offers advice for anyone looking to tackle their first large-scale MOC, explaining why the best way to improve is to study other builders, experiment with techniques, and simply start building. Find Adrian Drake & BrickFrenzy: • Website: brickfrenzy.com• Instagram: @brickfrenzy• Flickr: BrickFrenzy To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app. View the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/uM8ZAtv8xE8 For more Tales From The Brick, visit talesfromthebrick.com. Until next time... play well.

In Episode 41 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) sits down with Dana Knudsen, longtime AFOL, Classic Space enthusiast, and one of the founding members of Old Grey Bricks. Dana shares how his childhood love of LEGO Space eventually led him back into the hobby, from rebuilding his original sets to discovering the AFOL community and setting out on a mission to collect every Classic Space set ever released. Dana takes us through his journey of restoring all 74 original Classic Space sets, hunting down rare pieces, and eventually expanding his collection into nearly every LEGO Space theme that followed. He talks about joining Peach LUG, becoming its ambassador, and working alongside legendary Space builders like Chris Giddens and Mark Sandlin to create massive collaborative moon bases. Along the way, he shares how those friendships introduced him to a larger LEGO community that has become like an extended family. The conversation explores some of Dana's most ambitious creations, including a collection of monochrome minifigure habitats spanning 50 different LEGO colors, miniature versions of all 74 Classic Space sets built to accommodate the blue Space Baby, and a massive 10-foot-tall David Bowie mosaic made from approximately 70,000 LEGO tiles. Dana also discusses the challenges of sourcing rare elements, experimenting with unusual building techniques, and why he builds for the enjoyment rather than chasing convention awards. Dana reflects on the friendships he's made through LEGO conventions, the creative outlet that building provides, and why the AFOL community has become such an important part of his life. Plus, he shares some hilarious stories about his name being repeatedly mispronounced, including the convention award ceremony that accidentally gave birth to his alter ego, David Zuell. Find Dana Knudsen: • Instagram: @troublesbricking• YouTube: TroublesBricking• Old Grey Bricks: Find the show on YouTube• Gunpla Instagram: @troublesmeching To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app. View the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/MLRLHzOIYQY For more Tales From The Brick, visit https://talesfromthebrick.com. Until next time... play well.

In Episode 40 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) sits down with Sam Aquillano, founder and editor of BRICKA Magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to LEGO art, design, and the artists behind it. Sam shares how LEGO was part of his creative life from childhood through his career as an industrial designer, and how building with his own children eventually brought him fully back into the hobby. Sam takes us behind the scenes of BRICKA Magazine, from an idea sketched out on his phone during a family vacation to launching the first issue in December 2025. He explains why he believed there was room for a premium print magazine devoted to LEGO as an artistic medium, how conversations with other AFOLs helped validate the idea, and why creating a physical publication people actually want to keep was important from the beginning. The conversation explores how Sam finds the artists featured in BRICKA, the importance of telling the human stories behind their work, and the mix of photography, sculpture, mosaics, digital art, instructions, and other forms of brick-based creativity found in each issue. Sam also talks about working with artists including Kelly Bartlett, Eko Nwoko, Jeff Sanders of Brick Bending, Kate Hunter, and Shelley Corbett, as well as BRICKA's regular features like Assemblies, Constructibles, and The Missing Piece. Along the way, Sam discusses discovering the larger LEGO community through BRICKA, attending his first LEGO conventions, the surprising resurgence of print magazines, and his goal of helping LEGO gain greater recognition as a legitimate artistic medium. He also gives a preview of what's ahead for BRICKA as the magazine enters its second year and continues telling the stories of LEGO artists from around the world. Find Sam Aquillano & BRICKA Magazine: • Website: brickamag.com• Instagram: @brickamag• BRICKA Magazine app: Available on iOS and Android To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app. View the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/yIF-cOOmvzo For more Tales From The Brick, visit talesfromthebrick.com. Until next time... play well.

In Episode 39 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) sits down with Cody Wells, owner of C3Brix, custom LEGO artist, educator, and longtime member of the LEGO community. Cody shares how LEGO became an important part of his life as a child, from building a ghost trap to conquer his fear of sleeping upstairs to recreating toys he saw on Saturday morning cartoons. Years later, rediscovering his childhood LEGO collection during one of the darkest periods of his life helped reconnect him with something that had always given him a sense of creativity and belonging. Cody takes us through the unlikely path that turned that rediscovered passion into a career. He talks about moving to New York, finding his LEGO community through I LUG NY, building his first mosaics in a small apartment, and taking on increasingly ambitious commissions. Those projects eventually included an eight-foot LEGO sandcastle for Resorts World Casino and custom creations for professional wrestlers including Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Finn Bálor. The conversation also explores the evolution of C3Brix from custom builds into a unique LEGO store in New Hampshire filled with retired, collectible, and hard-to-find sets. Cody shares how education has become another major part of his work, including a summer tour that took him through more than 24 states for 140 library events, five week-long camps, and other appearances. He talks about bringing LEGO experiences to communities across the country, meeting families who traveled hours to attend his programs, and why making those experiences accessible to kids remains so important to him. Along the way, Cody and Jon reminisce about the early days of the LEGO community, BrickShelf, custom builds, wrestling, Classic Space, and the never-ending problem of finding enough room for a LEGO collection. Cody also shares what's ahead for C3Brix, from continuing his travels and educational programs to eventually making the store the focus of the next chapter of his LEGO career. Find Cody Wells & C3Brix: • Website: C3Brix.com• Instagram: @C3Brix• Facebook: C3Brix To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app. View the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/V2sgKLlt3Eg For more Tales From The Brick, visit talesfromthebrick.com. Until next time... play well.

In Episode 38 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) sits down with Guy Himber, the mad genius behind Crazy Bricks, to talk about a LEGO journey that spans filmmaking, steampunk MOCs, custom parts, and more than two decades in the LEGO community. Guy shares how building with his son brought him out of his dark age, how the early Flickr community helped shape his experience as an AFOL, and how he even used LEGO Technic to prototype the mechanics for a giant Godzilla model while working in the film industry. Guy tells the unlikely story of how a BrickCon theme called "Pigs vs. Cows" inspired his first Kickstarter and eventually grew into Crazy Bricks. He takes us behind the scenes of creating custom LEGO-compatible parts, from Crazy Arms and Crazy Legs to goats, dinosaurs, mimics, glow-in-the-dark cats, Wacky Bags, and the upcoming Cat Butt Bricks. Along the way, Guy explains how his background in industrial design and decades working in film influence the way he approaches designing, prototyping, manufacturing, and collaborating with other creators. The conversation also dives into creativity, breaking the unwritten rules of LEGO building, the evolution of the AFOL community, and why criticism can be one of a designer's most valuable tools. Guy shares why he loves pushing ideas beyond what already exists, how Crazy Bricks has managed to convert a few LEGO purists along the way, and why sometimes the strangest idea on the list is the one worth making. Find Guy Himber & Crazy Bricks: • Website: crazybricks.com• Instagram: @getcrazybricks To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app. View the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/Z6uDgO3uHSk For more Tales From The Brick, visit talesfromthebrick.com. Until next time... play well.