Happy Flashback Friday! TWO vintage LEGO sets!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!  Since it's a double-long weekend I figured I'd double up on Flashback Friday with two old set videos for you all!  Anybody like either horses or space? How about both?

• Vintage 1989 LEGO Derby Trotter set 6355 reviewed!
• 1979 LEGO Mobile Rocket Launcher set #462 reviewed!

I have a bunch of these things already filmed, so I should be able to continue these regular trips down history lane for many months to come.

Bricklink Haul Nov. 22, 2013

The recent miniature flood of 2014 set reviews pushed some things backwards in the video queue, but I'm taking full advantage of a brief break this week to bring in some updates on other things going on in my LEGO world.

• Video: Bricklink Haul Nov. 22, 2013

Mega Bloks Halo Battlescape III overview

Continuing my overviews of a bunch of older MB Halo products that are discontinued, but still on the market.

• Video: Mega Bloks Halo Battlescape III

LEGO City 2014 Monster Truck & Tow Truck set reviews

Two more 2014 City sets have gone on sale today and I've got them reviewed right here!  I think this may do it for early '2014' releases until the big December 1 drop.

• LEGO City 2014 Monster Truck set 60055 Review!
• LEGO City 2014 Tow Truck set 60056 Review!

More 2014 LEGO City sets in hand and reviewed!

Well, I've gone through almost all of the 2014 Ninjago sets, so how about getting back to the most popular LEGO theme, City?!

• LEGO City 2014 Auto Transporter set 60060 review!
• LEGO City 2014 High Speed Police Chase set 60042 in-hand Review!
• LEGO City 2014 Crook Pursuit set 60041 Review!
• LEGO City 2014 Race Car 60053 set Review!

Many more to come, so stay tuned!

LEGO Ninjago 2014 Hover Hunter & Overborg Attack reviews!

Two last 2014 Ninjago set reviews for this weekend!  Enjoy!

• LEGO Ninjago 2014 Hover Hunter 70720 full Review!
• LEGO Ninjago 2014 Overborg Attack 70722 full Review!

Three more 2014 LEGO Ninjago set reviews!

On a roll here!  Still more to come :)

• LEGO Ninjago 2014 Kai Fighter 70721 full Review!
• LEGO Ninjago 2014 NinjaCopter 70724 full Review!
• LEGO Ninjago 2014 Thunder Raider 70723 full Review!

Flashback Friday: LEGO System River Runners set 6665 reviewed!

Happy Flashback Friday everyone :)  I picked up a bunch of small vintage sets at once, all produced in the range of the early 1990s, and here's the second in line.  I like this one because it's different -- not the average City/Town subject material.  The set is small, so the video is short!

• Video: Vintage 1994 LEGO System River Runners set 6665 reviewed!

Mega Bloks Halo Spade vs. Skirmisher set 96981 review

I still have a bunch of Mega Bloks Halo videos in the hopper, so I'll continue to tease them out over time.  I've also started work on my next MB Halo MOC!

• Video: Mega Bloks Halo Spade vs. Skirmisher set 96981 review

LEGO City 2014 Logging Truck 60059 set Review!

It's a truck with a big mechanical arm and sharp claws and it's coming to steal all your trees!  Well, not entirely.  It brings some logs & saplings too, so maybe it's willing to share.

• Video: LEGO City 2014 Logging Truck 60059 set Review!

LEGO City 60058 SUV with Watercraft 2014 set Review!

Still rolling out more new reviews!  One more to come tonight and dozens more to follow in coming weeks :)

• Video: LEGO City 60058 SUV with Watercraft 2014 set Review!

What do you think of the name of this set?  To me it seems extraordinarily pedestrian for some reason.  SUV.  With watercraft.  It's like Toast.  With butter.

LEGO City Camper Van 60057 set Review!

Another 2014 replacement for a previous LEGO City set, and another impressive improvement over what was already excellent.  All for 20 bucks.

• Video: LEGO City Camper Van 60057 in-hand 2014 set Review!

LEGO City 60061 Airport Fire Truck set Review!

Here comes the hot stuff!  This is the first of my 2014 LEGO City set reviews, with many more to come.  Keep checking back for more!

• Video: LEGO City 60061 Airport Fire Truck in-hand 2014 set Review!

LEGO Giraffe version 3, and an African Forest Buffalo MOC

More animal work for my zoo!  I think the third time is the charm with the giraffe.  I finally allowed myself to use a smaller face, which then opened the door to further miniaturization of the entire body.  With a smaller, lower-resolution build I was able to finally introduce the overused, somewhat unrealistic, but very recognizable yellow-and-brown color scheme made popular by Geoffrey the Toys R Us giraffe.  The important thing here was the introduction of spots, which were simply impossible with the previous design.  I would eventually like to convert the yellow to a more realistic tan, but right now I don't have the needed pieces.

Then there's this guy, an African Forest Buffalo (see the real ones on Google Images).  This one started out as an experiment to try to create something from a class of animals I had in my head, then when I got close, I went in reverse and found an animal that looked like the MOC.  To finish it, I returned to the normal process of trying to make the MOC look like the real deal.  I'm very happy with the result, though, so that's really all that counts!

Videos: 

• Palm-sized LEGO Giraffe! (ver. 3 custom MOC)
• LEGO MOC: African Forest Buffalo (minifig-scale)

JANGBRiCKS LEGO parts tour! Part 5 - Plates & Tiles

The tour continues.  I think I may have finally passed the halfway mark!

• Video: JANGBRiCKS LEGO parts tour!  Part 5 - Plates & Tiles

LEGO City Forest Police Station 4440 set Review!

Here's another new-but-not-that-new set to provide a little entertainment while I queue up more 2014 reviews :)

• Video: LEGO City Forest Police Station 4440 set Review!

Mega Bloks Halo 2011 Versus: Covenant Locust Attack set review

This is an old set that I wanted badly when it was introduced in stores, but I left it alone since I was stubbornly avoiding Mega Bloks back then.  I finally picked it up only to find that it's not quite as cool as I expected.

• Video: Mega Bloks Halo 2011 Versus: Covenant Locust Attack set review

LEGO Ninjago 2014 Nindroid MechDragon 70725 full Review!

Here it is, my first "2014" set review with almost 100 more to come over the next 2 months! Spread the word!

• Video: LEGO Ninjago 2014 Nindroid MechDragon 70725 full Review!

Currently this set here is only seen on eBay as it's not supposed to be released to the public yet.  Too many folks who know folks who presumably work in Toys R Us stockrooms raided the sealed crates marked "do not open until December __ 2013" to make quick some quick illegitimate bucks.  It's sad, but it's how it works sometimes :(  

Hopefully this set and more will soon be available at normal prices at normal stores!

Flashback Friday: LEGO System Backhoe set 6662 reviewed!

Happy Friday everyone!  Thought I'd take us back in time with a little 20-year-old set review!

• Video: Vintage 1992 LEGO System Backhoe set 6662 reviewed!

The MOC process: Zoo planning & mockup (step 3)

Impatient people who demand instant satisfaction out of all things in life, look away, run away!  The process of planning for my city zoo continues in slow, methodical fashion :)

• Video: The MOC process: Zoo planning & mockup (step 3)

Something of this size and permanence requires time to get right!

Bricklink Haul Nov. 15, 2013

These days I usually don't give haul videos their own post on the blog, attaching them to more important stuff as "bonus" content, but this one had so many interesting & exciting pieces that I just had to give it a little more of a push!

• Bricklink Haul Nov. 15, 2013

Mega Bloks Halo Brute Chieftain Charge set review

Just one more small video for the Mega Bloks Halo fans for the weekend!

• Video: Mega Bloks Halo Brute Chieftain Charge set review

More Mega Bloks Halo minifigures for the collection

Collectors often can't stop collecting.  This can become a serious problem :(

• Video: More Mega Bloks Halo minifigures for the collection

Another LEGO animal MOC: Waterbuck? Plus a haul video

Yet another minifig(ish) scale animal to possibly take up residence in my forthcoming zoo!  This one took an unbelievably long time to come up with, with countless failures and rejects along the way.  Once again I'm happy with the end results though!  To celebrate, I'm throwing in an extra video with this post ;)

Videos:

• LEGO animal MOC: Waterbuck?
• Bricklink/eBay Haul 11/14/13

LEGO animal MOCs: Hippo, ostrich, lion!

I had a little more time to play with some custom build ideas today and tried to come up with new animals for my zoo.  The results were small, but I had fun!  I have to admit I'm a little worried now, though; I might have to replace still more of my official LEGO animals with brick-built MOCs!

• LEGO MOCs: Hippo & Ostrich
• LEGO MOC: Lion

Mega Bloks Halo Battlescape II overview

Another short(ish) video covering an older product. I got the thing, so why not, right?

• Video: Mega Bloks Halo Battlescape II overview

LEGO City Prisoner Transport set 7286 review!

Here's another LEGO City set that has been out for a couple years, but is still sold in stores and direct from the LEGO Shop.

• Video: LEGO City Prisoner Transport set 7286 review!

Mega Bloks Halo MOC: Covenant Ghast

This here is my very first custom creation using Mega Bloks parts.

• Video - Mega Bloks Halo MOC: Covenant Ghast

According to ye olde Internets, the word "ghast" descends from the old English "gast," which means soul or spirit.  This MOC is strictly and unashamedly non-canon, but that doesn't stop me from making up my own backstory for it!  Continue on for the brief explanation...

Mega Bloks Halo Flood Hunters' UNSC Falcon set review!

For the life of me, I can't figure out why I resisted buying this for so long.  I saw it, I wanted it, but I chose to not get it.  Hmph.

• Video: Mega Bloks Halo Flood Hunters' UNSC Falcon set review!

LEGO Friends Olivia's Newborn Foal set 41003 review!

I got this one just for the foal :)

• Video: LEGO Friends Olivia's Newborn Foal set 41003 review!

LEGO City 2010 yellow Cargo Train set 7939 Review!

LEGO + trains = awesome.  It's that simple.  This set came out in 2010, but it's still available directly from LEGO and in Toys R Us stores.

• Video: LEGO City 2010 yellow Cargo Train set 7939 Review!

LEGO release season is around the corner!

This is going to be huge.

Today (well, technically yesterday, since it's almost 2am as I type this) I was combing carefully through the current list of known early 2014 LEGO sets at Brickset.com.  I counted 94 sets that I know I want to to review.  Ninety-four.  Compare this to past holidays, when I'd be doing maybe 10 or 12 Hero Factory sets, plus their combination models.

Over the past 11 months, buoyed by all of the support and feedback from viewers like you, I've transformed my YouTube channel from something that supported an incredibly specific niche into one of the most-viewed, fastest-growing LEGO (and other brick brand) video sources.  The subscriber base has grown over 400% since this time last year, and daily video views have almost quadrupled as well, with that growth accelerating each month.

I consider the past 11 months to have been a trial period -- a time to experiment, make mistakes, and figure out what I needed to do better to legitimately support and participate in the worldwide LEGO community.  Now it's time for "JANGBRiCKS" to come of age!  Unlike last year when I was completely green at this stuff, this release season I have experience, I have help, and I have a plan.  However, I will absolutely not stop being extremely critical of my work and my videos, as I know there remains a ton of room for improvement, and I can't even fathom how much I still have to learn.

I doubt I'm truly ready for this, but I can tell you one thing, I sure am excited!!

Tenkai Knights Titan Bravenwolf review!

Per viewer requests, here's a follow-up to my first Tenkai Knights mini-figure set review, this time moving to the larger "titan" form to see how well the whole transforming brick idea scales up.

• Video: Tenkai Knights TITAN Bravenwolf review!

I have a couple even larger sets to check out as well.

Mega Bloks Call of Duty Seal Team set review!

This was the last of the first release series of Mega Bloks Call of Duty sets for me.  Now I get to take a break from these until the zombie sets hit the market!

• Video: Mega Bloks Call of Duty Seal Team set review!

Mega Bloks Call of Duty: Ghosts Exclusive mini-figure!

This figure was released as a Walmart exclusive in conjunction with the first week of sales of the new Call of Duty: Ghosts game.  For the sake of fans, I hope this does not remain an exclusive in the future, as the head is surely going to remain in high demand. I think folks who purchased the game from other stores or who, heavens forbid, want more than one Ghost-inspired figure, should be able to get more of these without having to pay eBay scalper prices!

• Video: Mega Bloks Call of Duty: Ghosts Exclusive mini-figure!

Giraffe MOC version 2

As predicted when I recorded this video, there was a lot more of a gap in time between when the two versions were uploaded than when they were made, but that's just how it goes!  Looking at pictures side by side, I definitely prefer version 1 better, but it would never have fit in my zoo and the size of the new one is just right.  Sorry there are no spots; if anyone has any of the exact plate & slope combinations I need with pre-printed official LEGO spot segments that line up perfectly, let me know ;)

• Video: LEGO MOC: Giraffe version 2

Mega Bloks Rockethog vs. Anti-Aircraft Gun set 96923 review!

A discontinued set, but still well-liked and worth tracking down.

• Video: Mega Bloks Rockethog vs. Anti-Aircraft Gun set 96923 review!

Two more videos for the weekend!

This twofer features a review of a nice Star Wars set that's been out for a little while, and a Hero Factory MOC that I put together very quickly just purely for the fun of it.

• LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Rausch (a simple one)
• LEGO Star Wars 75003 A-Wing Starfighter (2013) set review!

LEGO MOC: Giraffe version 1

This is my first time attempting a brick/plate built living creature, so go easy on me!  Came out a little too big as noted in the video, but I'll try to fix that soon.

• Video: LEGO MOC: Giraffe version 1

Mega Bloks Halo 97071 Flood Siege set review!

Since I started with the MB Halo stuff, I just haven't been able to stop.  If only I had gone with my gut and started buying these back when I first saw & wanted them, I wouldn't be playing so much catch-up now!

• Video: Mega Bloks Halo 97071 Flood Siege set review!

The MOC process: Zoo brainstorming (step 2)

Slow, but steady progress, and I'll be placing a small experimental BrickLink order for the zoo today!

• Video: The MOC process: Zoo brainstorming (step 2)

Bonus!  Another minifig mystery pack opening!

What is this all about?!

Any idea what's going on here?

The MOC process: Zoo brainstorming (step 1)

I thought I'd share some behind the scenes thoughts about how I approach brand new MOC project.  I'll try to remember to post regular updates as things move forward with this one!

• Video: The MOC process: Zoo brainstorming (step 1)

I also put up a couple little bonus videos today in case anyone is bored:

• Mega Bloks Halo Battlescape 1 overview
• K'Nex Super Mario figure mystery packs opening 10/22/2013

LEGO parts collection tour! Part 3 - Technic & Bionicle

In this video I pick up right where I left off last time and finish off the Technic & large action figure specific stuff.  Next I will swing back around to the System/brick side of things.

• Video: JANGBRiCKS LEGO parts collection tour!  Part 3 - Technic & Bionicle

Mega Bloks Halo minifigure collection update video

It hasn't been long since my first MB Halo minifig video, but already the scene has changed so much that it's time for another!

• JANGBRiCKS Mega Bloks Halo minifigure collection update Nov. 5, 2013!

Egads, that's a lotta figures!