BioniBlog

2011-02-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well, we're just on a roll this month, aren't we? Though BZPower's BBC contests do tend to bring out some above average creations. So yes, retinence has also built this Viking. The elbows are more than a little awkward, but we like the rest of this, especially the beard.
Yarr harr fiddle dee dee
Do what you want cause a Viking is free
You are a Viking!

2011-02-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

HEY! DO YOU WANT TO FEEL SO MAN-ERGETIC? THEN TRY KAKARU'S "THE COMMANDER!" IT'S A MANLY MOC FOR MEN! MAN-MOCS! IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL SO MANLY, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PUNCH COMETS! THAT'S RIGHT, COMETS! COMET HALE-BOPP WILL BE LIKE "HURR I'MMA CHUNK OF DIRTY ICE AND ROCK" AND YOU'LL BE LIKE "SCREWWW YOUUU" AND SHOOT IT IN THE FACE WITH YOUR MAN-GUN! IT'S LIKE A SOLID HUNK OF TESTOSTERONE MADE OF LEGO! LEGOSTERONE!

CHEST HAIR! RUNNING ALL THE TIME! BAAGH! SPORTS! BAAGH!

2011-02-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hey, y'all (no, we are not using that word ironically; we believe that English needs a second person plural pronoun that is distinct from 'you')! retinence has built this guy he calls "Malrik." We call it "nifty." We are not entirely sure about his shoes or feet or what-have-you, but we are quite enamoured of the parts combination on the head and the integration of Glatorian helmets and Hero Factory armor.

2011-02-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

That's right, dear readers. You only wish you could build as well as Elzy here.

(This is just to establish a beachhead of sorts. Better creations are forthcoming. Probably.)

2010-07-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Legoman ha construido un rinoceronte blanco y azul. Nos gustan especialmente los colores y la configuración de la parte superior. Él escribe que "no es difícil de comprender." Estamos de acuerdo.

2010-07-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dear readers, normally we look much more favorably on cows as a result of a steady diet of Far Side comics and hamburgers when we were children, but this horse by retinence is just too cool to pass up. The only things that could improve it would be a horn and rainbows shooting out its arse.

2010-07-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

Motorized Ringo Starr!

U2 in concert!

Lazy sod paying attention to his blog for the first time in months!

...No, wait, you don't get a picture of that. I'm not lazy--well, okay, I am sometimes--but I have a life to be getting on with, too, you know.

2010-04-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Arkov initiates Operation Fuzzy Dice with his renditions of snarky robots Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot from Mystery Science Theater 3000:

Crow looks a little weird, but let's just blame Lego for the dearth of yellow Technic parts and call it good.

2010-04-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

As those of you involved with the larger Lego community may know, Nate Nielson, AKA nnenn, recently died. Many kind words have been said (most of them true), and many creations have been made in tribute to him (most of them good), so I'll let everyone else carry on with that and simply showcase some of this unique and creative builder's Bionicle and Technic-using creations.

His Sishliva Fighter may not look like it at first glance, but balls and sockets form an integral part of the rear construction:

These green ships each have Bionicle pieces forming a large part of them:

Finally, his Jula Mobile Defense Platform (one of my all-time favorites) uses Technic panels to create a deliciously curved body:

2010-03-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

Aaron Dayman has ventured into the uncharted (for him, anyway) waters of Bionicle/Technic building, armed only with a seed part (the long gunmetal panels), and created this Scrapmetal-Bot Scorpion. I like the combination of gears and tubing, especially on the tail.

2010-03-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

ToM has put up some new pictures of his White Makuta creation. My favorite part is probably the warhammer.

2010-03-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

Primus's Call of Cthulhu uses inverted tires and tentacles to make an excellent squiddy sort of head. The rest of the diorama isn't too bad either. You can check out his short comic leading up to this creation if you're into that sort of thing.

2010-02-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

A couple of creations for today. First is Rojaz's Clone Trooper bust, based off the pivotal scene from Star Wars Episode III wherein Emperarth Palpamasidious tells his clones to off the Jedi:

Also, TOAOFCOMEDY's miniature Krika build is instantly recognisable, in part due to the use of Kraata for the head and leg spikes:

However, I would suggest using these for the front spikes instead.

2010-02-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

BZPower's current building contest requires entrants to build something from a work of science fiction. As the deadline nears, some great entries have come in. First up is Blue Diamond's R2-Q5 astromech droid, which uses stickers and dome pieces quite well:

Kakaru has built a turret from the video game Portal:

I went old-school and did something from a book, or rather a series of books: A Formic Drone, or bugger, from the Ender's Game series:

2010-02-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

Pate-Keetongu's Spider-Man creation has a great solution for the head that makes it instantly recognisable:

2010-01-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Primus's Katsumoto is a fine samurai-inspired creation with some creative parts use. Note particularly the use of treads and the unified design aesthetic (read: poky bits) on the arms, shoulder armor, and torso.

2010-01-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Jason Corlett has a pair of steampunkish post-apoc sort of creations, the Wasteland Scavenger and Clockwork Soldier:

There's more at his MOCPages if you're into the story side of things.

2010-01-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

Flickrite Pate-keetongu has built a rendition of, well...Keetongu. The colors could use some work in that the secondary one should be all black or all gray, but I like the use of Bohrok headplates. They give this revamp a Juggernauty sort of vibe.

2010-01-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

Hi-res pictures of some sets for Hero Factory, Bionicle's new summer replacement line, have surfaced. Bearing oddly human names and overly specialised parts (I thought Lego said this new line was supposed to be more flexible? I really dislike the arm-covering weapons as they will be difficult to use with anything besides these 45-degree arms), the sets still look all right. The leg armor and helmets may find good use for their intended purpose in other creations, as will the feet, which are probably my favorite pieces. Below, the improbably named Jimi Stringer:

See the rest of the sets here.

2010-01-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

There are two things I really like about BCii's version of BZP member EmperorWhenua: The head, which uses a Piraka skull interestingly and generally looks cool, and the color scheme. Gold, teal, and white. Definitely a rare, if not entirely novel, combination, and one in which I'd like to see more creations made. Also, check out the teapot. When was the last time you saw one of those attempted in Bionicle form?

2010-01-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, so after the highly in-depth and scientific poll I took, the only things that clearly emerged were that people hate lime green and want to see more MOCs, both of which I happily ignored during the month of December. I could whine ad nauseam about real life and enumerate all the things that have been keeping me busy and stressed over the last few months, but that's not what you're here for and I'd feel like an egotistical prat for loading you with them anyway. So! The reredesign has been done, now to the creations.

Reader BCii submits Blue Diamond's latest creation, Chrome:
In addition to the excellent presentation, the robot itself has a delightfully offbeat, steampunkish vibe to it.

2009-11-29T00:46:00.000-08:00

Chris Edwards has made a spaceship that makes good use of Bionicle pieces in several places. The black and yellorange make for a simple but striking color scheme.

2009-11-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

Brickthing has built a really excellent Sweepod:

And Kohaku has made a stark, simplistic vignette of windmills in a post-apocalyptic world, definitely a first for the Bionicle/Technic medium. Regrettably, I cannot find further pictures nor his Flickr account.

2009-11-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I've been terrible about blogging recently. Not that I normally post frequently, but there have been some good creations lately that deserve the bloggage. All of these are entries for BZPower's 56th BBC Contest, which asks entrants to build things using the often loathed red axles and blue axlepins prominently.

Also, I've put up a poll for you to give feedback on things you might like to see more of on here. Please vote!

Kakaru's MOCer's Medication uses lots of those inside his pill bottle, but the pills themselves are also worthy of notice. They are easily the best use for Thornax fruit that I have yet seen:

Shannara enters with + and -, a pair of roboty creatures using flex tubing to make rings of pins and axlepins:

Finally, MeWithoutYou has undertaken an ambitious project: Building the island of Metru-Nui out of Bionicle pieces! With the prerequisite pieces only showing up in Ga-Metru and Ta-Metru, it doesn't fit the theme as well as some others, but it's still quite an original creation. Chutes crisscross the different Metru city sections, and pieces like Cordak bullets are used as small towers. The overall shape of the island is done well too:

2009-10-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Brickshelfer shaddow has a fine rendition of popular video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. Actually, I have no idea if he's popular anymore. I think he was at some point? I don't play many video games. Anyway, the Glatorian hands really come through here, and the head is well done.

2009-09-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by a vague feeling that I should be blogging more and at the expense of mangling a Harry Potter paraphrase, the Bioniblog presents Distorted's Train. It's rather cute and chibified and has a "NPU," as the kiddies say, in the form of a Power Functions motor.

2009-09-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

BZPower's latest BBC (Bionicle-Based Creations) Contest requires entrants to build one of the site's administrators. Many of the entries (my own included) are fairly banal humanoids, but as with any contest, there are some standouts. You've already seen BCii's rendition of Tufi Piyufi. Here is a version of former admin Ninjo by Shannara:

The use of the wheel technique pioneered by Primus is notable, and the general spiky robotic look is just plain cool.

Puffins are the animal to style your entry after if you're building Tufi Piyufi and don't want to take the humanoid route. Bundalings has done just that, and added a comically oversized weapon for good measure with his majik puffin:

2009-09-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Nice thighs, and the rest of what Internet rumor informs me is Moko's first published Bionicle MOC isn't half bad, either. He's really worked well with the asymmetry of the Gali Mistika mask.

Fair Bricks

2009-08-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

BrickFair 2009 took place recently, and there having been a peculiar and deplorable lack of good Bionicle MOCs recently, I have decided to throw patience to the winds and post pictures of some of the peculiarly and deplorably unpublished(?) MOCs that made their appearances there.

First up is an unattributed MOC, possibly black fantasy. Note the use of stingrays as ears.

Next, Bundalings's Packbot.

Perhaps most impressive, at least in terms of technical skill, is ToM's Autobot Jazz. Yes, it really transforms.

And because I'm a sucker for small cute MOCs, a model of the beetle Click from the upcoming Bionicle movie.

For more pictures, see here and here. BrickFair 2010 is August 5-8th of next year. Be there or be an oblong rectangularish sort of thing?

The Final Frontier...

2009-07-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

...A la Bionicle, purrhaps? Well, with Dablackcat's UFO Invader...

...Primus's Steel Falcon...

...and my own (admittedly rather old) Green and Orange....

...Bionicle/Technic building is definitely making inroads into the space scene as of late. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues. Qapla'!

BBCC Winnerview #3: Bundalings

2009-07-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Better late than never is a maxim by which we proudly live here at TBB (Though if we really cared we'd blog about those BBCC54 entries. Maybe later.), and so we are pleased to present an interview with Bundalings, winner of BZPower's 51st Bionicle Based Creations Contest with his Batterfly.
TBB: Congratulations on getting a BBCC win all to yourself for the first time! Anything you'd care to tell us about your winning entry? Perhaps how the building process went, or any obstacles you encountered?

Thank you! And thanks for interviewing me. It makes me feel all special inside. Ah, the MOC. Well, when I heard about the theme, I instantly gravitated to Eisley's music. It's very visual, at least to me. And then I instantly gravitated to their most bizarre and possibly demented song, Marvelous Things. So yeah.
At first I was a bit (read: a heck of a lot) worried about making a bat... with butterfly wings. But then I randomly (but pleasingly) found that tentacles make wonderfully skeletal shapes when looped, and Nuparu Mahri armor makes great ears. The rest just kind of fell together...
Except for the legs. Is it safe to say I still hat them? I do. I really hat them. I spent lots of time on them and they still aren't eye pleasing. Icky.

TBB: How do you start work on any given MOC? Do you usually have a good idea of what you're aiming for, or do you make it up as you go?

That depends. Usually I have a vague idea, like I see a picture and think "oh, that would make a cool MOC," and other times I just sit down and mess with parts. I'm sure it happens with everyone, but more than half the time you end up with something unexpected.

TBB: What genre, if any, of MOCs do you most enjoy building?

I like building a variety, but Rahi are always fun. You can build all sorts of crazy things and just pass it off as a Rahi... with rockets on it's back...
I've been dabbling in Mecha some lately as well.

TBB: For this entry you obviously were inspired by the song Marvelous Things. From what other sources do you derive inspiration whilst building?

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Movies, books... but a lot of times I'll see another builder do something crazy and I think, "can I imitate that and get away with it?" Usually the answer is yes, since what I end up with is usually pretty mutilated. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way, but I just keep messing with it until it either: A] Works. B] I get sick of it. C] Another BBC contest starts and I have to pirate the pieces. Arrr.

TBB: Any bunniful advice for your fellow MOCers?

Don't be afraid to be a copy cat in the privacy of your own home. By imitating other people, you can find out how their style works, and so refine your own. But it's probably not a good idea to post the exact same MOC as someone else... without credit... yeah, someone did that to me. I am still really ticked, 'cause they didn't give credit--

BUNNY TRAIL

Back on topic. If you DO copy someone's design, give credit. Also: If at first you don't succeed, give up dramatically, and someone will probably shove you hard enough to get you back to work.

TBB: Which summer sets are you most excited for?

Mata Nui looks kk, Stronius and Ackar look awesome... and who could hat the rickety Thornatus and hugimongus (but still red ;_;) Skopio? Summer has a pretty good lineup, really, bar the Baranus and Titan Mata Nui. It's hard to just choose a couple.

TBB: Anything else you'd like to say?

Thanks for interviewing me... LONG LIVE LAPRAS.

Words to live by, those.Thanks to Bundalings for his interview, and watch this blog for interviews with the winners of BBCCs 53 and 54, hopefully coming soon. Hopefully.

The Disembodied Hand That Didn't Strangle People

2009-06-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

Rather, it hung limply from a dull chain above a pool of putrefying blood and gore, rotating ever so slowly in tandem with its chiral opposite...Yes, I should write horror novels, but I'd have to give credit for that particular scene to Distorted, whose Surgery is a singularly unique MOC for a number of reasons. Not only is it a good and proper vignette, a thing rarely seen in Technic form, but the tone (aided by the dark photography and color scheme) is rather morbid, such as I've rarely seen in a Lego creation. I think the use of Bionicle (and yes, that MOC is made entirely of Bionicle/Technic parts, no System) makes it even more effective than had it been done in that blockier medium, since it allows for details such as fingers and all the mechanical-looking bits that Bionicle is so good for. Note too the use of the rarely-used Rhotuka launchers in the base. So yeah, props to Distorted for an extremely original MOC. w00t!

2009-06-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Dablackcat has a pretty spiffy submarine-excavator-type thing here. I'm digging the Lehvak faceshields as seaweed, as well as the landscape in general. The scrubber-wheel hands are nice too.Via YSAB, not that they need further traffic after getting featured on Gizmodo. Someday...

Rawr rawr rawr

2009-05-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Never mind that Kraata are little more than invertebrates (though admittedly superpowered ones), Distorted's Kraata skeleton is great regardless. The curvature and parts use combine to create a bit of a menacing aura about the thing.
Additionally, Peguo's "Cypris-Morpho" has a nice look, as well as an interesting hand technique.

Pigs fly in mysterious ways

2009-04-22T08:11:00.001-07:00

It's always nice to be reminded that Mark Stafford and I aren't the only ones who experiment with using Bionicle pieces in MOCs that would otherwise only have the standard complement of System and Technic pieces, and Opallix's Khawizzer does just that.

IT

2009-04-19T14:14:00.001-07:00

This creation by Brickshelf user HARRY44 appears to be an evil version of Ronald McDonald. The piece use on the face is especially effective, and Great Kanohi Huna are put to good use as shoes and hair. Via foxyay.gif.

Scuttle'n'shoot!

2009-04-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the juxtaposition between the spindly legs and giant ray gun on Primus's Iron Wolf. The use of the rotated Miru Nuva as a head works well for this robot, too.

More than meets the...oh, zark it.

2009-02-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

Frequently features builder Kawazu2110 has a sharp little transformer here that has beast and humanoid modes:

Stickin' to yer guns

2009-02-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

The latest BBC contest has come to BZPower, and it's brought some spiffy guns with it. In the aesthetics corner, we have Neaku's Spontaneous Portal Generator Type II, inspired by (surprise!) the Portal gun:

Also, my own Zarking Space Gun:

GreenBioGuy's G.B.G, melding functionality with a decent color scheme:

Roa McToa's Flintlock Pistol, one of the few entries recognizably based off a real gun:

Ca'gerrin's Drencher 9001, which uses pneumatics for real water squirting action!

CzaR's Glock 9mm features Knight's Kingdom armor on the grip for a uniquely ergonomic solution:

Meteomaniac's "Set Phasers to Stun!" is a faithful rendition of the old-school Star Trek weapons.

I'll be quite surprised if some of these don't make it to the finals. But with nefarious entries such as the Mini Lazer Gun out to steal votes, who knows what will happen?

Princess Matoro?

2009-01-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

When I saw Flickrite rogerwaggener's Bionicle princess in this blog's Recent Photos box, I knew I had to spread the lulz as much as possible. For the other two pictures of this delightful cake, click on the photo through to Roger's photostream.
(Yes, it's not a proper MOC, but it beats absolutely everything in Brickshelf's Recent Folders as of yesterday)

2009 Summer Sets

2009-01-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

A picture's worth a thousand words, so I'm just going to say: 'Nuff said! On second thought, I'm also going to say that the formatting here is off for some reason, but you can just click through to the full picture.

Kohlii of the future

2009-01-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

I like Flickr newcomer KryptonHeidt's Matoran. In his words, "In the future, Kohlii will be a changed sport. The Kohlii field will be extended to the edge of the atmosphere. Players will wear jetpacks with no limit to how they customize them. Kohlii staffs, or sticks, will be replaced by heavier, more blade-like weapons. Kohlii players will wear armor to varying degrees, based on the weather, terrain, opponents, and their own strength. "

The Tahu Nuva shield blades make for rather good sticks here, and it's always nice to see discontinued colors.

Marvelous things

2008-12-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

I think I'd be quite remiss if I didn't mention Bundalings's Batterfly, for BBCC#51. This animal hybrid has the head of a bat and the wings of a butterfly.

Twinkletoes!

2008-10-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

O hai. So Zip's Kaftin is rather nice. I like the gun particularly.

Your powers are weak, old man.

2008-10-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from mah birthday to bring you this: Monsterbrick has rendered a famous Star Wars scene with Bionicle figures! Recognizable characters are often tricky to pull off at this size, but the use of that Onua Nuva chest armor immediately calls to mind the most famous helmet ever. I also like the way Monsterbrick used Toa Metru torsos to call to mind baggy sleeves on Obi-Wan's robe.

Monowheeliosis

2008-10-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got to blog something before the month is over. How about one of my own MOCs, Nuparu's Monowheel:

Pretty Woman

2008-10-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Distorted's "The Lady" has got to be the best feminine Bionicle MOC since Toa-Ju's Playboy bunny. Inverted tires are once again put to good use in a MOC, this time as a tube dress. The use of Kanohi Nuva for the hair is also noteworthy.

Moar MOCs!

2008-09-25T15:29:00.001-07:00

First up is Johnny-Dai's Ironman Silver Centurion:

Also, Breann Sledge's Thraxian Death Blossom uses radial symmetry for a nice addition to the Black Fantasy subtheme:

Chikt chikt chikt

2008-09-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Peguo appears to be new to the Brickshelfing scene, but what he's got is worth checking out.

First, his HI-GOG, whose freakishly extended arms make for a nice departure from the usual.

Also, his R-BULL sports a neat gun. Click through to the gallery for more.

Across the multiverse

2008-09-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Check out kawazu1120's sweet "elltalon". It knits together many diferent colors to make a neat, Optimus-Prime-like robot. I've often noticed that the Japanese style of MOCing is very different from ours, but different is often good.

Crustaceantastic!

2008-09-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Neaku's Homarus Mantidae is one of the best Rahi MOCs I've seen in a while.

Ruki! wubs

2008-08-24T14:53:00.001-07:00

Bundalings made a delightfully cute little Ruki fish whose design I'm afraid I might have to copy.

Viridian...Veridian...

2008-08-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Not to be confused with the planet on which Captain James T. Kirk ultimately met his death, ToM's Viridian displays the usual level of schwayness we've come to expect from Mr. Muffin. Note in particular the use of that newfangled tri-axle piece for the belt/sash sort of thing.

2009 Bionicle sets revealed!

2008-08-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to an image hosting site that should be safe from Lego's watchdogs...

My thoughts? HECK YES! Tan makes a comeback (Next best thing to brown), new hand pieces show up, and spiky Zamor promise to be good for many interesting uses.

Vakatu & Krukoa

2008-08-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

Roa McToa/Archinto has posted a MOC in a size to rival those of Cajun. The tail flows wonderfully, and I like the little mandibles surrounding the beastie's mouth. Also of note is the technique used on the rider's flamestaff. Impressive, no?

And I've never been to Boston in the fall

2008-08-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

Zip's Kaishu is rather full of schway and awesome. The use of fusion throughout makes for some great features, most notably the chest, thighs, and feet.

BBCC Winnerview #2: Dr. Keerakh

2008-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

They thought I had forgotten. Or more likely, they had forgotten. But they were wrong. This contest's winnerview is with Dr. Keerakh, who won BBCC #49 with his Armored Protector.

TBB: Congratulations on winning your first BBC Contest! Anything you'd care to tell us about your winning entry? Perhaps how the building process went?

Dr. K: Thank you! The building process was more or less an accident, starting off with a simple Metruan torso. I experimented with several pieces, namely Nuva armor, and decided to see how much armor I could load onto this Matoran. Eventually, I realized the armor was far too bulky for a Matoran to be practical, so I settled on a Toa instead. As I had already sealed off the bottom of the torso with a Nuva shoulder armor piece, incorporating a waist was definitely tricky. Eventually however, I got it right and continued with legs, arms, and wings. Due to the bulky nature, movement is restricted in the legs and arms in slight ways. Although I'm not necessarily proud of it, this MOC was started before the contest.

TBB: Before starting work on a MOC, do you plan it all out beforehand or make most of it up as you go?

Dr. K: I rarely have a definite idea of where to go before I begin a MOC. I may have an idea of what I want it to represent, and perhaps what kind of pieces to use, but never have I actually planned out the build before getting my hands on pieces. Generally, by the time I'm halfway done with the torso I know where I"m going with it and can appropriately build from there on.

TBB: What genre, if any, of MOCs do you most enjoy building?

Dr. K: Regretfully, humanoids. However, I rarely settle for a typical Toa, instead putting a spin on it. With Armored Protector, that spin was bulk and majesty. One of my unpublished MOCs, a black and tan robot, is thin and wiry, focusing in lightness and speed. If I ever do make a simple Toa humanoid, I like to incorporate an interesting weapon, wings, or something to give it flair and personality. Also, I've recently been experimenting in larger titan MOCs as I once did as a younger MOCist, but now with more skill. My main BBCC 50 MOC is a titan, and one I'm truly proud of. I sense that this is were I'll be heading in the future.

TBB: Is there anything in particular that you tend to draw a lot of inspiration from? And more specifically, from what sources, if any did you get the idea for your winning MOC?

Dr. K: I admire the creations of ToM, Shannara, DV, and Roa particularly. ToM and DV always make a MOC look elegant and flowing; Shannara is very creative in his designs, and Roa has the very unique skill of making a cluttered MOC look very good. I draw on all those things when MOCing. Also, I greatly admire the works of Brickshelf members Toa Ju and LOVEJOINT. Both are amazing titan builders, and have heavily influenced by BBCC 50 entry. I have imitated to Toa Ju's leg upper leg design somewhat in my entry, and the incredible Japanese-esque flair that LOVEJOINT puts in his MOCs have inspired me too. Check their galleries out. They're both great.

TBB: What advice would you give to your fellow MOCers? Building tips, advice on attitude, anything.

Dr. K: Well, for one thing, be different. Same old Toa humanoids are getting old. Invoke interest, be bold and give your MOC flair and personality. In many situations, bigger is better. Have fun and go over the top if you want! Armored Protector went over the top with weapons and armor. You can do the same with wings, decorations, anything. MOCs can go in many directions though. Don't be fooled into thinking every MOC has to be a grand show. ToM's rose was simple, elegant, but great. Still, don't be afraid to take risks. I went crazy trying to make a huge dragon, and still have an unfinished torso laying around. Will I ever finish it? I don't know, but hey! It's worth the experience.

TBB: Thanks for taking the time to do this. Anything else you'd care to share with us?

Dr. K: Thank you for interviewing me. Be on the lookout for my contest entry coming soon. WIP pics coming soon as well to my blog. See ya!

Certainly an excellent interview. I'll try to be more on-the-ball with the next one, so keep your eyes peeled! I'll also try to branch out from MOCing-specific questions.

00101010!

2008-08-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

A shadow mysteriously brought to life, JackHunter's "Noir" is nicely rounded both literally and figuratively. Of note are the wings, created by layering Makuta wings with those found in Batman sets, and the Kanohi Kadin shoulder armor.

Also, as a bonus MOC, QZero, a smaller, cuter version of his Zero.

Finally, as can be seen to the left, I have discovered Blogger's poll feature after who-knows-how-many-months of it being available. Go vote!

Keep walking...

2008-08-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

LOVEJOINT's WalkerMachine features a unique blend of System and Bionicle. The upper legs are a little skinny, but whatever.

Antrozidae

2008-07-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Kawazu1120's Original Antroz provides a uniquely Japanese take on one of those nasty Makuta:

Monocularity lives

2008-07-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Primus's "Hierarchy" features a nice use of the Midak Skyblaster as the creature's eye.

ribbit

2008-06-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Ca'gerrin/Cortana/Aethisyl//Anathame/Ihu/Venomess/Talon_X/Kabal's (I'm sure I forgot some of his various names) frog needs more pictures, but the parts use is excellent, and the prosthetic limb is a touch of mad genius.

I knew a Nuva

2008-06-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

Rather than blogging a physically real MOC, the BioniBlog today presents ToM Dracone’s vision of what this year’s Toa Nuva revamps should look like. Here’s Onua Nuva, in a form that would surely be appropriate for mass production. ;D
And here are the rest of his “what-should-have-been’s”.

;_;

2008-06-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

I refuse to count this as a reblog, since I was aware of this MOC's existence well before TBB picked up on it. I'll count it as a lazyblog instead. :P But TBB did get to it first, FWIW. Anyway, here's Draco Cycanopterus's Draco Cycanopterus.

2008-05-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was worrying that I wouldn't make the quota (2 entries per month, subject to change) when I noticed Seran/stidy had uploaded his latest MOCs. Dynamic posing + trans-neon green = Blogged.

The Celestial Purifier

2008-05-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the subtitle and teaser pic for Shine's Balai, I briefly wondered if someone had tried MOCing a toilet scrubber for Celestials. Fortunately, the reality was rather more pleasing. Note especially the use of Piraka skulls.

Shades of grey..gray..grey...

2008-04-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today we present a couple more BBCC #49 entries in all their monochromatic glory.

First off is Tumsy/TheAchilles's B.O.B., evidently inspired by a character from that Super Smash Bros. Brawl game I keep hearing about:

And for those of you nostalgic for the early days of Disney, here's Mr. Mord/mordashira's Steamboat Willie:

Tie flinging

2008-04-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Despite (or perhaps because of?) the color restrictions imposed on us by BZP's latest BBC Contest, Elzaban manages to create a fine feminine entry in the form of his Tiefling. Check out those Kraata claws, among other things.

...Rawr.

BBCC Winnerview #1: ToM Dracone!

2008-04-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today the BioniBlog presents an exciting new exclusive feature, namely, "winnerviews" with the winners of the BBCC Contests over on BZPower. The most recent contest's winner is ToM Dracone on BZP, AKA MuffinToa on Brickshelf. His MOC, The Priestess of Earth, won first place in BBCC#49, which required entrants to build a largely Bionicle vignette.

I've had this idea to interview BBCC winners in the back of my mind ever since Masoko Tanga interviewed the Arvo Bros., but only now has it become a reality. So, without further ado, the interview:

Me: Congratulations on winning your fourth BBC Contest. Anything you'd care to tell us about your winning entry? Perhaps how the building process went, or any obstacles you encountered?

ToM: Thanks! I think the biggest problem was getting started, since at first I didn't have any clear idea how to build the tree. I wound up just building from the ground up, literally, adding bits of trunk as ideas came to me and then doing the leaves once I remembered various large green pieces I could make use of. I actually got a lot of inspiration from Shan's Mata-Nui MOC for the leaves...Building the base was an interesting process, too, as I had previously only used System pieces in Bionicle MOCs, never working Bionicle pieces onto a System-dominated base.

Me: Your models often have designs that would be termed complex by most people. Before starting work on a MOC, do you plan it all out beforehand or make most of it up as you go?

ToM: I usually have a general image in my mind, so I know what pieces I might use for certain parts beforehand, but how to connect those ideas usually comes as I build. So, for instance, I might decide to use Nuva chest armor, but I usually don't know how to make the rest of the body until I try. Still, I usually have at least a few ideas about how to build certain parts.

Me: What genre, if any, of MOCs do you most enjoy building?

ToM: Not really sure how I would classify my MOCs into genres, except for the obvious genre of Black Fantasy... but I like building small things, which I guess is something.

Me: Looking at your Brickshelf, I've noticed some System MOCs, but the majority of your creations are built with Bionicle and Technic. Do you prefer Bionicle and Technic building to System, and if so, why?

ToM: I don't really like either one better; I have more Bionicle MOCs mostly because I just get more ideas for building them. Though, there was a time a couple years ago where I had a streak of building System... so it's really because I'm just more involved with Bionicle than System on the whole that makes me build with Bionicle/Technic more.

Me: Is there anything in particular that you tend to draw a lot of inspiration from? And more specifically, was the idea for your most recent winning entry inspired by the Shakespeare scene from which the quote in the entry pic originated?

ToM: Nothing in particular, I think. In most cases I dream up an idea either out of the blue or decide to build something that's been floating around in my head as a concept for some time, and when it actually is inspired by something, there's no consistent pattern.
As to the second part, actually no. I built the MOC and the Priestess and her cauldron partly out of a fascination with witches and magic and mythologies that I've had for a while (and a love for forests), then realized the Macbeth quote fit the scene nicely...

Me: In addition to MOCing, you're also quite proficient at drawing and writing. Do you often gain inspiration for a MOC from a story or drawing of yours, or vice versa?

ToM:From writing, yes; a fair amount of my MOCs (or half-finished ideas lying on my floor) come from Bionicle stories I've written. Though I can't recall ever having built anything as a result of something I've drawn.

Me: What advice would you give to your fellow MOCers? Building tips, advice on attitude, anything.

ToM: Color scheme is sacred. So is flow. To elaborate, colors must both work together, be organized into something coherent, and be distributed so that there's a balance between the constituent colors. You also should avoid having too many colors – more than three main colors can be difficult to work with. And if you do have more than that, the additional colors should really be left as accents instead of having all of them in equal amounts.
As to flow, different areas of an MOC need to work together just as well. Both in that one part of an MOC should smoothly lead to the next part, and that ideally the textures of different areas should go together – you wouldn't want one area to be really complex and cluttered and the next to be smooth and made of a single stock piece.

Me: Thanks very much for taking the time to do this. Have you any further nuggets of wisdom you'd care to share with us?

ToM: Yes, that stock pieces are not always evil the way some would have you think they are. Sometimes a stock piece in a certain place results in a far more elegant appearance than a custom build would. And sure thing; this was rather interesting to come up with answers to. ^_^

Certainly some wise words contained therein. Thanks again to ToM for agreeing to do this!

Bumbling the Bee

2008-03-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Via CzaR's (Another "via"!) Sanitarium on BZP comes Johnny-Dai's latest Bumblebee incarnation. See how much better mecha can be with liberal use of Bionicle?

I believe I can fly...

2008-03-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever comes a MOC found via another blog (The Brothers Brick to be precise), Mark Stafford's Iron Hawk:

Those Kopaka Nuva wings are perfect for spacey MOCs, as Mr. Stafford proves. The Vakama Hordika headpiece looks great too. Be sure to check out the gallery as well!

Me Grimlock eat puny MOC!

2008-02-18T01:48:00.000-08:00

Well, whatever. But there's no denying that mikeusa9's "Ratali" bears more than a passing resemblance to a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Carapar armor continues to find interesting uses...

2008-02-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Check out What?/Rojaz's entry for the Unofficial BBCC #47:
It features an excellent use of canisters, as well as an excellent idea and execution.

Transformers theme

2008-01-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

I just noticed LOVEJOINT's schway Megatron-esque robot:

Can you do the can-can?

2008-01-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

Another month, another BBC Contest over at BZP! This month's contest, #47, requires entrants to incorporate part or all of their Bionicle canisters into their entry.

Draxon/Jaller345 starts us off with a neat tripodal Scout Droid:

And here's my Craniopod NOD:

Tanmatastic!

2008-01-03T15:58:00.000-08:00

tmbj1/Blue Diamond has one of the better Matoran revamps I've seen:

We r0x0r your b0x0r

2007-12-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

Seranikai has an excellent Boxor Revamp:

Here's the original set:

Lewa Phantoka

2007-12-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

ToM/MuffinToa offers his version of next year's Lewa Nuva set:

Oh freddled gruntbuggly...

2007-11-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sugegasa appears to have yet more Bionicle-incorporating "unmanned experiment control machines" up his sleeve...

Love is like a red, plastic rose...

2007-11-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

Easily the best Bionicle MOC I've seen in months, ToM's "The Rose" is an excellent example of what can be done with the right pieces and a little creativity. I suppose I should add that the current BBCC requires entrants to build non-humanoid, non-animalistic objects, hence the lack of the usual humanoids and Rahi in these last couple entries.

And what would a blog post from me be without some shameless self-promotion? Here's my Entry, In Which Learned Professor Arpy Examines a Bula Berry Through His Microscope

BBCC#46

2007-11-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

Some of the better entries thus far...

Bumblebee!

2007-10-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Bionicle at BrickCon 2007!

2007-10-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

BrickCon 2007 was held in Seattle this last weekend, and Bionicle had an excellent showing:

BZP members from all over the country sent in their MOCs for display, and "that chick with all the Bionicles" came down from Alaska with a great deal of MOCage in tow:
The public hours on Saturday and Sunday saw lots of people ogling the MOCs, asking questions, and screaming things like "Those are so COOL!"
Judging took place Saturday evening, and here are the winners: There were four categories: Best Micro Bionicle, Best Small Bionicle, Best Medium Bionicle, and Best Large Bionicle.

And, most especially:

:happy:

'-'

2007-10-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

So it seems like there's been a lack of decent MOCs lately... I wish I could hack Brickshelf and make a custom filter to exclude humanoid MOCs, but regrettably I do not have the 1337 -4x0r s<1IIz.

Yeah, no MOCs. I just wanted to blog...

Of beetles and hellaciously awesome mechs

2007-09-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is the first decently original attempt at a cute MOC I've seen in ages. For that, Jaller345's Ki Beetle gets the bloggage:

1 x 3 liftarms as legs? Woot.
While I'm here, I'll use the presence of Bionicle parts on Wintermute's hellaciously awesome mech as an excuse to blog it:

Another winningful mech...

2007-09-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by sugegasa, of all people.

And the finalists are...

2007-08-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well, for those few of you who haven't seen them yet, I'll post the finalists from BZP's latest BBC contest. In addition to Roa McToa's entry (shown previously), there are three rather excellent MOCs in this poll:

What?'s rendition of munkeymunkey, which refuses to show up so I have to link it.

Shine's version of lovable yet lethal eel Swimmy:

And ToM's coelicanthoid:

Would Master prefer the savory stew, or else the Shameless Self-Promotion to which Master is so partial?

2007-08-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry for BZP's latest BBC contest:

And here's Roa's entry. Check out that awesome staff!

Stay tuned for some form of coverage of this latest contest!

Is scary.

2007-08-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Mischief Mecha's Empress Demos:

And another one of sugegasa's frexcellent fusion mecha:

2007-07-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

I hate to blog the same guy two times in a row (sugegasa is excepted 'cause he's Japanese), so I'll break up the streak of ToMness with Darth Vader's version of Hapori Tohu, for the latest BBC:

...and then fall right back into the ToM streak with his latest self-MOC, Tiome:

..., again.

2007-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

MuffinToa presents the best set redux I have ever seen. Ever. It's a revamp of set 8900 Reidak if you didn't know.

...

2007-06-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, sugegasa, you've mastered Bionicle plzstopnowkthxbai.

Tealz!

2007-06-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

Apathetic bloggers must be shot!

2007-06-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Except of course for me and a couple of my comrades.The usual inter-BBC doldrums have set in, but here's a MOC to keep whatever readership I have happy:

Sugegasa wins. Again.

2007-05-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'm too lazy to blog anything else.

Sugegasa wins.

2007-05-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

Best. Squid-usage. Evar.

Intermission

2007-05-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

There will now be an extremely long intermission while Tufi gets the polls up, during which we hope to display more of the entries for this contest. Not that we are bugging her or anything. Oh no.

Makaru's Deep-sea Fanglyfuss:

Roa's Pit Scourge:

Shine's Grunth (love the retarded look):

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

2007-05-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

These MOCs sure don't. BZP's latest BBC asks builders to build an aquatic Rahi that might serve in a Barraki's army:

E-T's Kizimaki:

jaller 345's Kalmah's War Squid (yay for radially symmetrical Rahi!):

And my own entry, flying (or should that be swimming?) in the theme's face:

Selling my soul to Bill Gates for ~$5,000,000,000

2007-05-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

Picks for today:

Elzaban's devil:

Brad's grasshopper:

Those crazy japanese builders...

2007-05-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

At least, I'm assuming this guy is Japanese. I just discovered his gallery, but he has some really neat stuff in there, including this: