"'Bertha' from Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials"
"Bertha" is the name given to the '85 Chevy Suburban belonging to shady trafficker Marcus. The protagonists steal the truck and use it to navigate into the mountains.
My build for "Bertha" features two pairs of doors, two rows of seating, and an opening rear hatch for extra trunk storage space. Up to six minifigures can fit!
Photographed 1/3/25, Built at age 19
"Donkey Kong's Treehouse"
A faithful recreation of DK's iconic treehouse seen in both Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
Since Tropical Freeze released all the way back in 2014, I built this model as something of a 10-year anniversary celebration of my favorite videogame. (It's truly fantastic!)
The opening cutscene shows the Kong family celebrating DK's birthday when one of his red balloons floats out the window, blown by a strange gust of frigid air.
As misfortune would have it, the arctic Snowmad army has picked today for their all out invasion of Kong Island, and as the oblivious Kongs party inside, snowflakes begin to fall on the jungle...
The build showcases the treehouse upon its iconic stilts and rock base by the shoreline. The cave containing the Kongs' banana hoard is tucked beneath the deck. Above, a balloon floats away as the first snowflake drifts in. Inside the treehouse, a table holds DK's banana cake, and the room is completed with a boombox, television, presents, and a balloon.
Photographed 1/3/25, Built at age 19
"Where We Droppin?'"
Being four years removed from quarantine and the days of regularly playing Fortnite with my squad, I was feeling particularly nostalgic in the spring of 2024, and decided to recreate the Fortnite map as it appeared in Chapter 2, Season 2.
This was the season which launched during the pandemic and therefore holds a lot of good memories for players, myself included. Rather than just creating a flat map, mine is topographical, with miniature versions of all the iconic landmarks from that time in-game.
I built my model digitally first using the Stud.io 2.0 software, alongside a reference image, shown on the right.
I also created a little updated version of the squad I had built a few years back to show myself, my little brother, and our friends all as a group in LEGO form.
I displayed my map at the Brick
Rodeo LEGO Convention in the
summer of 2024, and I was happy to
see that people loved it!
Rodeo LEGO Convention in the
summer of 2024, and I was happy to
see that people loved it!
Photographed 7/4/24, Built at age 19
"Jorge's Toyota from Maze Runner: The Death Cure"
Yet another 6-stud wide movie car, and yet another one from the Maze Runner series. This is Jorge's modified 4Runner used to help hijack a prison train.
The left side of the vehicle is covered in rusty metal plates to protect against bullets as the vehicle speeds alongside the train, and the driver's side door even has a hinging shield plate which blocks the window for added protection.
Photographed 1/3/25, Built at age 20
"Jeep Cherokee from Maze Runner: The Death Cure"
The last of my Maze Runner cars (for now!), this is the beat-up old Cherokee Thomas and Vince use to hijack a prison train. The build includes a functional tow winch, a rear roll-cage covered with netting, and the appropriate missing doors and added bars all over for ease of climbing.
The front even has the missing right headlight just like in the film.
Photographed 1/3/25, Age 20
"Nux's car from Mad Max: Fury Road"
Finally moving away from Maze Runner, we head right into another blazing apocalypse with Nux's Chevy Coupe from Fury Road.
The images shown here are a combination of the initial digital design I made on Stud.io 2.0, and my finalized, brick-built version, with which I have built a little display stand.
The car has the grille-mounted cross for "blood-bag" Max to be chained to, as well as numerous little details within the car itself. I've included the gasoline tanks Nux uses to flood the interior, as well as his little bird skull bobblehead.
WITNESS!
Photographed 1/3/25, Age 20
"The Immortan's 'Gigahorse' from Mad Max: Fury Road"
My largest minifigure-scale vehicle to-date, and for good reason! Immortan Joe's "Gigahorse" is a monstrosity of horsepower and chrome, boasting incredible opulence in the burned out wasteland.
The iconic design uses two '58 Cadillac Coupe DeVilles stacked atop one another, kitted out with a flamethrower, harpoon gun, and the Immortan's signature red and black flags.
The rear dualie wheels have functional suspension, and the interior has seating for at least four figures, as well as an access door to the rear.
I first designed the model on Stud.io 2.0 before ordering the pieces to build it physically.
Containing over 700 LEGO pieces, many words could be used to describe the Gigahorse, but hopefully "Mediocre!" isn't one of them.
Photographed 1/3/25, Age 20
