New Contest - Spooky!

Tomorrow we start our October contest. This time around our sponsor is Reasonably Clever Regular TK-1420 - and he's brought some really big fun to the site.

Not only are we looking at rare and out-of-print sets as prizes, we're also looking at our highest-caliber celebrity judges yet.

Look for the big reveal tomorrow, but in the meantime, let me taunt you with one word.

Lucasfilm.

Episode 529

Read the comic here.

Those heart shaped pieces are "Clickits" - an abandoned LEGO make-it-yourself jewelry line. I didn't realize the blue pins used to hold the transparent ones up would show so badly in the final photographs. Oh well.

This set, my "ye olde strip mall", was a quick scratch build just for today's strip.

BRICK SCIENCE: The Winners!

The Winners have been posted!

It should be noted that all the races were closely contested - in three of the cases the winners were separated by less than a point in aggregate score! (The Diorama one had a larger margin, the MythBusters were loved by two of the judges and took a strong lead.)

Winners were notified by email earlier today - and prizes will be shipping out later this week.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a very exciting announcement about our October contest!

Episode 528

Read the comic here.

No, you don't want the recipe.

BRICK SCIENCE - Mad Scientist Award and Comments, too!

There's been an update to both the Entry Grids and The Winners.

First up, let me announce the winner of the MAD SCIENTIST award. Graviton selected a model that he enjoyed the most, and unsurprisingly, it's a very nice MOC indeed:

Konrad Zuse and his Z3
By: nolnet

Graviton added:

Loving that rendition of the old school computer!

For his efforts, Nolnet will receive LEGO set 8112: Battle Arachnoid. Better yet, he's still in the running for the major awards!

Major awards that will be revealed at noon on Monday!!

In the meantime, take a minute or ten and cruise the entry grids. Both Graviton and I had comments on several of the models, and they've been added to the entry grids. Do they contain hints as to the winners? Maybe - but don't let Graviton's frequent use of "total win!" throw you. There can only be ONE per category!

Castle Advent in the USA - sort of

For those of you who don't read the other LEGO fansites, there is a way to get the CASTLE version of the advent calendar...if you act quickly.

Check out this post at The Brothers Brick for more information.

Good luck!

BRICK SCIENCE - not an update...

No update to The Winners yet - the last judge is still finishing up his totals. (Since he's the one who paid for the prizes, I think we can cut him some slack!)

Look for the next prize announcements on Monday if all goes well - Along with a NEW contest announcement on the 1st!

Episode 527

Read the comic here.

Now that we're past yesterday's "shocker", I just wanted to say that aside from poking some fun at Blog-Geoffrey's posting history, Geoffrey the Troll is meant to be his own character, not an in-strip avatar.

To quote the bard: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" - this is a Storybook Character...that he has a name we recognize is a *cough* complete coincidence.

Anyway, a grateful nod to Blog-Geoffrey for taking the ribbing in the lighthearted way it was meant.

BRICK SCIENCE - Evil Scientist Award

Here's today's update to The Winners.


Today: GEM (Good/Evil/Mad) Awards - The Evil Scientist

Today I reveal my Evil pick of favorite model. It was a tough choice, but I had to go with the one model that really stood apart from the others - one that, once again, saw the contest in a slightly more pure light.

The Blow-Up-The-World Button!
By: Dave Rapp

I can't help but wonder if this isn't a close cousin to the History Eraser Button.

Dave will receive LEGO set 4916: Mini-Animals for his troubles - and he's still in the running for the Class Two grand prize!

Check it out.

Episode 526

Read the comic here.

*whistles innocently*

The Seagirl who saved Christmas

Thanks to a very helpful online friend, an international shipment arrived at my doorstep today.

Here's a picture of Whiskey with one of the transatlantic passengers:

LEGO die-hards will recognize the wizard from the non-US Castle impulse set.

And...if the UK Wizard has arrived...you can bet there were some other UK goodies in that parcel as well.

Perhaps it's a good thing that Whiskey and Co are already in the Castle theme as we approach the holidays...

BRICK SCIENCE - Good Scientist Award

Here's today's update to The Winners.


Today: GEM (Good/Evil/Mad) Awards - The Good Scientist

Bruce N H ( MicroBricks/VignetteBricks) selected the following for the Good :

Dr. Able Tosplice, Ph.D.
By: SirNadroj

SirNadroj's model was the first entry in the Good Scientist category- by winning a prize he continues the proud "First One Wins" tradition started by Polywen and his RedTRCTR in our last contest.

SirNardoj will receive a cool Batman Magnet set for his efforts - and he's still in the running for the Class One grand prize!

Check it out.

Episode 525

Read the comic here.

That's what I like to call a MOUSE. (Minifig Of Unusual SizE)
Personally, I don't think they exist.

BRICK SCIENCE - The First Winner

There's a new link on the Entry Grids screen: The Winners.

Over the next few days at Noon EST I'll be post one of the winning MOCs. We'll start with the GEM awards (Judge's Favorites) and then move into the big prizes later in the week.

Today: The S-Team Crossover Award
Webcomic Author Ian Healy offered up a signed copy of his novel The Milkman for his favorite use of the Science Guy character from the Adventures of the S-Team in this contest!

The winner?

Marshmallow roasters
By: Wyrdness

Ian comments:
"Well, it seems pretty clear which is my favorite use of Science Guy. There are only two entries that used him and only one who did so more or less correctly. Wyrdness’s Marshmallow roasters easily wins the signed copy of The Milkman. It’s hilarious."


Check it out.

Nifty Swag

I received a neat little item in the mail yesterday - a customized LEGO keychain brick with "Reasonably Clever" etched into it.

The donor was a bit disapointed with the legibility, but I say it's the thought and effort that counts in a case like this. I am well and truly touched. Thank you!

They also included a blue "Male/Female" brick - not sure what the significance of that is, but look for it in the background of a set in the not-too-distant future.

Episode 524

Read the comic here.

Ah, finally Whiskey loses that jacket. I was getting really tired of touching up the neck color every strip. (And, yes, I'm sure I missed some along the way.)

Episode 523

Read the comic here.

It's awfully tricky to show something as "stopped moving" in a still image without labeling it as such.

Brick House Turns Two

I should have mentioned this back on Thursday, but it completely slipped my mind.

September 18th marked the two year mark on the Brick House comic strip.

I didn't make a big deal out of it for a few reasons. First, there was a big ol' hiatus in the middle there, so it hasn't been a solid two year run. (Although I've done enough "catch up" episodes to fill the gap) Second, well, like I said,I got busy and didn't even think about it.

You may be wondering about the fan art contest mentioned in the strip - well, I only received one entry, and it was of a bat-man universe character who's never appeared in the strip. So that was canceled quietly and without fanfare. (heh)

That didn't stop Ian from making a very nice Saturday-Special tribute, though. Go check it out. Thank you, Ian. I like it muchly.

On Thursday I also received my first real critique of the strip - not the daily abuse I put up with/encourage here in the blog, but a well reasoned letter from a fan who didn't realize there was a blog. (I guess I need to tweak the site design a bit, eh?)

The fan took issue with the lack of direction things have had since strip 371 or so. He missed the more "plot driven" story arcs of the past, and the characters who (apparently) were left behind.

I think most of the disappointment sprang from the "episodic" approach I was trying out. When Whiskey "walked off the set" back in the day, I wanted to see what sort of strange adventures the characters would get into without the "man and frog on the run" plot to keep pushing them around. That lead to last year's advent madness, the return of the Brick House, the death of Donut I...all good things, I think, but more random plot lines than any overarching "story".

Well, as I move into year three I think we'll see more of a return to a plot-driven storyline. I have things marked out through early 2009, and all through that span the characters have firm goals and work towards them at a fairly steady pace. Sure, there are the usual distractions and throwaway jokes, but overall it's a much more coherent storyline.

And, yes, you'll see the return of many "abandoned" characters, in some very unexpected ways. There are new friends on the horizon as well. Good thing the Brick House is bigger on the inside - they're going to need a lot of guest rooms.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for reading so far. I hope I can enourage many of you to stick around to see how year three unfolds.

-Chris

Episode 522

Read the comic here.

Today's strip points out just one of the many eerie connections between the worlds of Dr. Who and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Others are left to the reader to discover as an exercise.

Also: There's no software, cooking, or engineering problem a giant pipe wrench can't solve.

Episode 521

Read the comic here.

"Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble" is actually a (deliberate in this case) misquote from Shakespeare's Macbeth. The real line is "Double, Double, Toil and Trouble." Here's the context for the interested.

The system error is a parody of the classic error "Abort, Retry, Fail"

Episode 520

Read the comic here.

Donut's humor falls flat because, as we all know, Castle is one of the HUGE themes as far as fans are concerned. Curtis scores a point in that many on-line LEGO communities look down on the Bionicle line, despite the ginormous fanbase it enjoys. They really are two seperate worlds most days.

By the way, I bet Curtis is a big fan of the long-vanished Western theme.

Of course, you have to start talking about LEGO Webcomic authors before you get *really* niche.

Episode 519

Read the comic here.

Pop Culture Links: Gumby, Victoria's Secret

BRICK SCIENCE - Final Grids Online

The Entry Grids have been finalized.

As expected, I received a few entries after the deadline. I've put them in the grid as non-competing models. (A nice break for those who entered on time; some of those late creations were quite nice.)

The final tally:
33 Class One Models
38 Class Two Models
32 Class Three Models
28 Class Four Models

That's a grand total of 131 MOCs! Once again the judges will have their work cut out for them.

BRICK SCIENCE - Contest is Closed!

Well, if you've been waiting to submit your entry to the BRICK SCIENCE contest, you've officially waited too long. The deadline for entries passed quietly this morning.

Well, not "quietly" - I was on-line and watching and had four entries arrive in the last 30 seconds. Talk about cutting it close...

Anyway, I'll try and get the grids updated by tonight. Judgment Spreadsheets will be mailed out shortly after that. I hope to announce the winners by September 30th.

Episode 518

Read the comic here.

So long, Alton. You were a great Guest Star.

Guest Starring at S-Team...me! (Sort of)

Ian warned me about this, but I didn't want to wreck his reveal by acknowledging it too soon. The "Mysterious Guide" character appearing recently in S-team is indeed meant to be a quasi-cameo of yours truly.

Ian and I have a long history of sharing characters with each other, but this is certainly a first for me...

Now, why I'm apparently dead and dressed in tacky white, that's another question entirely. Something you're not telling me, Ian?
(Ian says I'm NOT dead, just Meta.)

Episode 517

Read the comic here.

This incarnation of Donut doesn't handle stress very well, does he?

Episode 516

Read the comic here.

Sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective to see the answer to your problems.

Episode 515

Read the comic here.

Ah, Real Genius. For when you just don't feel like writing a joke of your own.

Episode 514

Read the comic here.

Today's joke is a variation of a term I use all the time in my day job working with computers. Of course, on that side of the fence the term is "Pebkac" - "Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair"

BRICK SCIENCE - Updated!

Just finished posting the latest batch of entries to the grids - if you've submitted something it should be in there.

I'd also like to point out that we lured in yet another celebrity in the LEGO community as an entrant. Too cool!

Episode 513

Read the comic here.

Alton Brown's hair is just about impossible to match in LEGO form - but the new hairpiece from the Agents line does an okay job. Maybe someday there'll be an ideal wig for him.

I'd be happier with more official LEGO faces with glasses, too, just in case someone is in the mood to grant wishes.

Crap in a hat

You know that cool Castle version of the LEGO advent calendar I was hoping to use this year?

Not going to be released in the US.

The fan community is trying to change this, but honestly, I don't see that happening.

Not getting the Wizard impulse set was bad enough. I was ready to buy six or seven of these.

Damn damn damn.

Episode 512

Read the comic here.

Yes, I've been building up to this all week. Sorry about that.

Episode 511

Read the comic here.

This strip changed while being photographed. The script called for the last two panels to be Donut and Whiskey just looking sadly off to the left, with Donut's head in his arms, crying, in the final panel. It was tragic, really. And sad.

So I went with the advertising malfunction instead.

BRICK SCIENCE - Updated

I've been a bit lax in reporting the updates to the entry grids, but they've been going up pretty regularly.

With just a week and half left to build, the grids continue to expand with some high quality entries. Right now there are a total of 66 models - with just under half of those in the Class 2 "Evil Scientist" category.

Exciting times!

Hell Freezes over: Also, MiniMizer Updated

It only took me the better part of a year, but I finally found a few minutes to put a few new parts into the Upgraded Mini-Mizer.

Recently I've received several requests for Joker and Robin parts, so I put those in there. Along with some simple Iron Man-ish armor.

Now that I've cracked the code open again I'll probably update this a few more times before I put it back on the shelf. If you want an item added, now's the time to ask.

Enjoy!

Episode 510

Read the comic here.

You really can't help but feel bad for Donut in this one.

Episode 509

Read the comic here.

I already gave you an Alton Brown wiki link, so here's his homepage and the Feasting on Asphalt wiki.

Comics delayed (slightly)

Brick House will be going up late today - sheer laziness...um...technical difficulties on this end.

Don't worry, you'll still get a full fix this week.

Episode 508

Read the comic here.

Yeah, like you need it: Labor Day Info

The sad thing? I still had to make today's strip about skipping today's strip.