Welcome to Northern Bricks attendees! If you're here from scanning the QR code at my table, you've read my little self-promotional blurb. Now here's some links for you.

Here is my Rebrickable page where you can find instructions for my MOCs.

If you bought my book (thank you!) early enough to get the wee Gift With Purchase, the instructions for the little kit are here.

Here's a quick list of some of my published works, and where to find them:

My story "Escape Velocity" appears in 40 Below Volume 2. A young boy dreams of getting away from his small town bullies. 

"Here There Be (Hardly Any) Monsters" appears in LOLcraft. A Cthulhian nightmare does his best to take over our cosmos but the great whales keep eating him.

Air and Nothingness Press has published a couple of my stories, with a third coming soon if I ever get away from doing Lego long enough to write it. "Megaflora" is in Upon A Twice Time.  A Victorian Lady decided to continue exploring a beanstalk after her husband is nearly killed by the Ogre who lives there. Eventually she meets the mysterious Queen of the Planets. 

"The Art of Seeing" is in The Librarian anthology, which is composed of tales of a multiverse Librarian and her sentient companion and bag-of-holding Satchel. In my story she visits a planet of giant wasp-like aliens who are trying to decide if their next project is to conquer the galaxy.

Hey, did I mention that I like Lego? Desiging MOCs of course, but also bricking together sets. This means rather than buying the set, I piece it together brick by brick. Just today I finished bricking together this UCS Venator! Which means it doesn't have the mini figures and stuff, and sometimes I subbed out some parts either for colour (the engine parts I used black but the set uses uh, Pearl Titanium or something like that, or shape that can be made with other parts. All Lego though! Anyways, I'm giving it away at Northern Bricks! It's huge so I might not actually bring it to the convention, but anyone who buys my book for $15 gets a ticket for a draw. Also for every $25 spent on Lego stuff at my table you will get a ticket. Here's some pics!

Let's build some worlds!

 

I don't know what the Lego community is like where you live but here in Edmonton it's pretty great. Having a brick and mortar store (the Edmonton Brickyard! Best place ever) that sells bulk Lego and retired sets and serves as a central hub for all the AFOLs around town is huge. Nothing wrong with the actual Lego Store of course, and we are lucky to have two here, but the Brickyard is all about building community. Among other things they like to sponsor building contests which is the kick in the pants I need to actually create something new rather than just follow instructions (which is also great and how I learn the language of Lego!) and then you never know, you just might win.

So yeah! I won a building contest. Yay! The concept was simple and awesome- take any minifigure ever made and build it a spaceship that suits their whole vibe. I chose Robin Hood from the recent line of Disney Collectible Minifigures and built him a little arrow microfighter. Oo de lally! It was enough to impress the judges, Sam and Neena from Lego Masters Season 4! They are more or less local so more evidence that anyone reading this should move to Edmonton.

Anyways, the contest motivated me to create something, and winning motivated me to learn Bricklink Studio, which is a CAD software that lets you build Lego models virtually and then create instructions. It's actually pretty easy, so long as you are willing to watch a couple of 20 minute YouTube videos to learn the basics. I did all that, and posted the instructions on Rebrickable, aka the best website ever made. You can download the instructions for free! Might need an account but maybe not even. There is an inventory page too so you can see what parts you need before you start building. You need parts? Head down to the Edmonton Brickyard and you will likely be able to find everything you need! But if that isn't an option than another resource, available globally, is Bricklink. That's a place where you can buy individual Lego parts. Personally I use it a bunch, but I have tried to mostly shop only at local stores that offer pickup to save on postage. Building a list of local sellers is a but tricky but the best advice I have for that is join a facebook group or something of local-to-you lego enthusiasts and see if anyone already has a list.

Have fun!

 

I wish I could get every Lego set ever- especially that new Rivendell set- but it's just not realistic. Luckily the whole point of Lego is you can just build stuff. So I built this AT-DP out of spare parts- including one printed eyeball turret piece that I got at the bulk bins at the Edmonton Brickyard. Didn't get two but that's ok! And I added a bit more yellow than the actual set (75130) called for but I just like how it pops. Looks good next to an AT-ST! That's all. I build so much Lego lately that I can't even keep up with making posts about it. I got so much stuff lol. Why even bother buying sets at this point.

 

Here is a little trophy I made for my Ursus Verses MOC contest! A kind of MOC itself- but not really. I mixed and matched two things, changing the colours on both to make southing new. Sometimes that's all it takes to make a MOC! 

Anyway, today is the deadline but it's a soft deadline since the judging will be Saturday down at the Brickyard. Come on down! Bring your MOC! Or send me pics of your mocs. Use the hashtag #theursusverses on Instagram. All the grams. You might win a prize!

Also. duding my extended blogging break, another book I'm featured in arrived- LOLCraft! It's big! I got some copies to sell locally, but you can get it on Amazon too. I sell it cheaper though- only twenty bucks Canadian! But I don't ship so, just hit me up if you're local. To Edmonton!

Have fun!

 It's here! It looks like I am holding two books in this photo but the truth is they are the same book. Variant covers, you know. So exciting! The Librarian! Can't wait to read it- obviously I know what my story says, but I am very curious to see how the other writers handle the shared character of the Librarian and her talking bag-of-holding, Satchel. 

I just need to finish reading Nona The Ninth. It's taking me ages, not because I'm not enjoying it, but just so busy. Actually I love that book, and I thought about rereading Gideon (for the third time) and Harrow before diving into Nona but I didn't. I regret that decision but I will just reread all of them once Alecto comes out.

So yeah! The Librarian is here. I know I've talked about it a bit here and on social media but I'm going to talk about it some more. As a writer every publication is special and it's a validation that yeah, I actually can write and write well. It's an art and I have spent literally 20 years honing it- this 20yo blog is proof of that. And of course, I was writing long before there were blogs. (And long after, some might say lol). Anyways. I saw that cover when the call for submissions came out and I knew I had to write my little heart out to earn a place in the anthology. So I did. Yeah. And I don't mind saying I'm proud of that. I've gotten my share of rejections, sure. No problem, just part of the writing life.  But this is the one that mattered to me. Thanks for letting me flex a bit! Sometimes you need to, even if its just to the void.

Hey, speaking of the void, I got one more book coming out this year- at this point might be early next year- and I will let you know when that comes out. In the meantime my Ursus Verses Lego contest is still going! Scroll down for details!

Wonky TIEs are what got me to where I am today. Broke but with so much Lego. Lol. I built this Scuba TIE fighter by TJ's Lego Room  last week. I love it, the perfect mixture of cool and funny that I love in Lego designs. Kind of reminds me of those weird Batman action figures from the 90s with all the scuba gear. Like why? But also, cool! The TIE Convor by ScruffyBrickHerder was the design that got me into this whole Rebrickable/Bricklink aspect of the hobby. I've loved Lego for years but just kept to the official sets. Occasionally I would get it in my head to build stuff out of spare parts which was fine when I had the parts, but when I didn't I just shrugged and moved on with my life. But with BrickLink (and now my friend's second-hand store The Edmonton Brickyard) you can get any parts you're missing. Now entire universes open up to you!

But let's talk a little about reinventing the wheel. There are tons of TIE fighter variants on Rebrickable. Lego has produced a bench of versions. The eyeball cockpit is kind of the common denominator for most of them. Does that mean TJ or Scruffy or you have to design their own cockpit to MOC up a new TIE? Not at all (though I think sometimes they do, either improving or tweaking previous versions). It would be perfectly acceptable to take the eyeball from 75211 and build whatever wings you want or add a shark fin or whatever. (Please add a shark fin to a TIE fighter!)

I say this because I want my MOC contest to be accessible to everyone, not just people who can design a thousand-piece model with motors and hidden gears, you know? So, for example, I saw this awesome little bear at the Brickyard, and a few minutes googling tells me it is from this set, 31052. You don't even have to own the set, you can just look at the instructions for free and build one with parts you have. And that would be totally fine if you were making a diorama, say, based on a Homie Bear poem from The Ursus Verses. Homie and the Witch, or The F.A.F.A.F. which stands for The First Annual Forest Animal Forum, which is fun to say out loud. That's what I mean by you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You can say "This is my diorama of Homie Bear and the Wizard Bear from Homie and the Witch, and I used the bear from that Creator set". Perfectly acceptable! 

On the other hand, though, if you wanted to depict the ancient abomination from Again, the Abomination, it would be unacceptable to make this amazing MOC and say you designed it. Right? Makes sense, I think. OF course, any questions, just ask. Or advice, help, whatever. The important thing is to have fun! Hopefully disaster won't befall you like it did to this Scuba TIE that was tragically shot down just doing a routine patrol:

 Let's talk about prizes! These are the prizes so far:

Modest sets. I like the Creator 3 in 1 sets as prizes as they aren't tied to an IP- much as you know I love Star Wars Lego it feels not quite right to offer licensed sets as a prize for my own writing. I'm an independent author and not affiliated with any of those mega-conglomerations. Anyways, I'd love to get even bigger sets and have these as second or third prizes. But I just need to make sure I don't get carried away, you know? So spread the word! The more people that get on board the more prizes I will be able to get! Cheers!

Hey Nathan looks like you paid a hundred bucks for that sweet book stand!

Nope I just made it out of Lego. ;)

Although I'm a long way from calling myself a Lego designer, I am pretty proud of this book display stand I made today all out of my head. Us AFOLs call this a MOC. (Us Adult Fans Of Lego call this a My Own Creation). 

It's a little bright, I admit. But look how it looks with my book in it:

Pretty sweet hey? I made this for a very specific reason, which I will talk about more very soon. 

Jawas of Doom!

 

I could've sworn the caption on this issue read "Jawas of Doom" but I guess not. Maybe I got mixed up with another issue? Anyways. All I know is I need more Jawa minifigures since I only have two! From the little battle pack that came out some years ago now, 75198. I didn't get the big UCS sandcrawler though I was sorely tempted at the time. I was able to make these two little builds from pretty much spare bricks- and a healthy dose of Edmonton Brickyard bulk finds. So cool! Love these little microfighters and customs speeders!

The little microfighter in the foreground is a modification of a Star Wars Celebration Exclusive set that I didn't even know about, but I found this MOC on Rebrickable and it was easy enough to build without spending hundreds of dollars on eBay or whatever. And the super cool speeder with treads in the background is by Mr Tarproman. The stand, too, actually. Brilliant stuff! 

 

I know there's been a million Star Wars mashups, but I don't think I've ever seen this done before, exactly. There was an AT-AT done up in Caterpillar colours, which was pretty cool, but not sure I've ever seen mining equipment done up in Star Wars colours. I feel like I am the right guy to do it, given my four-plus decades of Star Wars fandom and my not quite three decades of mining experience. I drove big haul trucks and loaders and shovels and drills and dozers . . . and I should stop talking before I commit myself to a years-long Lego project lol. But I am pretty pleased with this quick build! I just searched up a mining truck that Lego put out, to see what they have, and this set 4202 popped up. Kind of the perfect size, not a huge Technic build. All I really needed to get was the tires (Thanks Edmonton Brickyard!) and a couple of technic arms. Easy peasy! Oh yeah the TIE canopy was one of my very first finds at the Brickyard, and I've been trying to think of ways to use it. Mission accomplished! Fun little goober. Here's some more pics:

 

Here is a photo montage that looks like it was made with a  1997-era photoshop competitor that has gone the way of AltaVista. And I'm ok with that! I'm all about 1997, which is when Crimson Empire came out. I loved those covers! Not enough to buy the series, apparently. I don't clearly recall why I didn't just buy them when I saw them on spinner racks- maybe I flipped through them and didn't care too much for the 90s era story-telling. I have a memory, which I don't totally trust as accurate, of being on my Cross-Canada hitch-hiking trip and seeing one of the issues in a gas station, and if that's the case, I definitely would have left it there as there was no way to transport a comic in my backpack without hopelessly crumpling it. 

Anyways. Not too many people remember ole Kir Kanos nowadays. And that's ok. I've always loved the Royal Guards and their various iterations- the Shadow Guards from The Force Unleashed were especially cool, and might have looked to the Kir Kanos/Carnor Jax stories for inspiration. I was at my local used Lego store (aka the best store ever, but actually known as The Edmonton Brickyard) and they have a table there where you can build a minifigure. One section for helmet/hair/head, one for torso, one for legs, and one for accessories. So I pretty much kit bashed together this Kir Kanos form there. I made his little pike staff or whatever with parts from home. Wish I knew where his legs came from- Ninjago maybe? Not an exact match but a good enough rendition. 

I also made a Lambda-class shuttle for him! Because why not, right? I love my Tydirium, especially now that I have a stand that shows off its full glory, so I thought I would build a whole nother one with Royal Red colours. And, mission accomplished in that I was totally able to replicate a set 75094 out of spare parts I had on hand, the bulk bins at the Brickyard, and not a terrible amount of specific BrickLink orders. It's maybe a bit more candy caney than I had envisioned but I still think it looks pretty cool. They make great bookends!

Happy Halloween!

 

Alright I’m at work right now typing on my phone but I wanted to get a post out before it’s too late! Here’s me as Cobb Vanth. That’s it. That’s the tweet! Have fun!

Ps the first guy is not me the first guy is Timothy Olyphant. The second guy is me. 

 

"Hey Marshal, this town ain't big enough for the both of us!"

"You're absolutely right Gar Saxon. Mandalopolis is waaaay too crowded. Let's build another level!"

"Good idea! You're the best! I heart you!!"

Filoni and Favreau, I am absolutely available to join your writers room, I can make up dialogue like that all day long!

So, I got the Mandalorian Starfighter (set 75316, not to be confused with The Mandalorian's N1 Starfighter, totally different things) primarily for the sweet minifigs. Got it sealed in box but secondhand for half price so I couldn't pass up that deal. Built the ship and it's fine, has cool moving wings and all that, but it doesn't sit in the depths of my heart they way TIE fighters and X-Wings and Imperial Shuttles do. 

So I thought I would dismantle it and use all the plates to build a second level, a boring square one since that's all I know how to do, but when I took the wings off and put them side by side I noticed how they look a lot like a Mandalorian helmet. I mean, obviously, right? So then I thought I would just tie them together (with bricks, not string), do a quick technic stand and voila. The overcrowding problem in Mandalopolis is solved! 

I also was able to put the various pieces of the Armorer's Mandalorian Forge (75319) just underneath for a sort of cave effect. Sweet! Put a micro fighter and some Minifigs on top and Boba's your uncle!

"Good job, Marshal! But where are we going to put the N1 now?"

"Oh sh..."

 Happy 10/22/2022. It also happens to be the 20th anniversary of Pooing in the Woods! I changed the header name a while back just so it looks a bit more professional as more and more of my writing gets out there in the world. But we know the truth right.

Yesterday the girls and I were out in the garage, I wanted Naia to help me with a part of my Halloween costume, so I asked her to spray paint a thing. I was pretty sure I had some spray paint somewhere, some red stuff I "accidentally" took home from the mine a while back. I found it, and it still worked! This was amazing since it's been in my garage over ...many winters now.

"How many winters, Dad?"

"Well, let's see. I remember using it for some reason I don't recall out in the yard before we had grass, so I dunno. 14 years?" (Editor- more like 16!)

This blew their mind, but for me it's just, yeah I had this in my garage for a while.

That's a little how having this blog turn 20 feels. It's just sort of been there, I don't use it much. 

But it's nice to know it's there when I need it!

Happy 20th Homie Bear!