The Winner of Nerdvember 2021 Is…
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Merry Christmas from BrickNerd! Now, let’s give away some presents and a little gold!
Last month for Nerdvember, we asked you to build a Comic-Con-style set inspired by previous LEGO exclusives. Entries could be a minifigure scene, character bust or vehicle—and we got 35 entries! You all really made us want your exclusives!
Judging this contest was VERY difficult because of how varied the submissions were and how creative each entry was. Each BrickNerd contributor had an equal vote, and the results were very close.
Ultimately we concentrated on a few key criteria aside from overall build quality:
Does the entry make you say, “I want that!”?
Does the entry look like an event exclusive in terms of presentation (base/border/bust)?
Does the entry appear to be made from around 300 pieces and cost less than $50 US?
Honorable Mentions
These are just a few of the stand-out entries that we enjoyed. Several looked like they were ripped straight from the comics or movies. Each could be a lovely desk model or Comic-Con exclusive and all of them nailed the look and feel of previous exclusives.
But at the end of the day this is a contest and we had to choose some winners—as difficult as that was. So here are the top three who will get to choose from our Nerdvember prize pool of LEGO exclusive sets, receive a BrickNerd box of swag and be awarded a Golden Nerdly trophy!
Third Place: Oscar Cederwall - Ponda Baba
Our third-place prize goes to Oscar Cederwall for his “Ponda Baba” bust that absolutely EXUDES character and NPU (nice parts usage). The expressive eyes, textured face and bulbous chin instantly convey the Star Wars character who was disarmed by Old Ben in the cantina back when this saga first began. The build almost feels effortless with deceptively simple connections, though we know better!
Second Place: Okay Yaramanoglu - T-800 Endoskull
Our second-place prize goes to Okay Yaramanoglu for his “T-800 Endoskull” bust in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Terminator 2. Two well-placed light bricks make this build come alive, and the shaping is spot-on. Even the combined use of old and new light grey makes the endoskeleton seem weathered like it has been fighting for Skynet for some time. We want this on our desks!
First Place: legobsmack - Batman and Robin
Our first-place prize (including a custom comic drawing by artist Paul Lee) goes to legobsmack for their brilliant Batman and Robin scene. This desk model captures the iconic bat-climbing scene from the 1966 TV show and even includes a play function showing how the scene was filmed vs. how it aired. (We promise the fact that Santa is included in the scene did not sway our votes at all!)
We particularly loved the simple skyline, the moving base, and how the model really dove deep into comic nerdiness to show how the special effect was done back in the day. If this were ever released as a Comic-Con exclusive set by LEGO, we’d be thrilled and would scream in unison, “We want that!”
Congratulations to all of the winners! We will be in contact about your prizes soon.
Contributor Contest
But wait, there’s more! In addition to the public contest, some of our own BrickNerd contributors wanted to join in the comic fun. Here are their entries, all competing for a Golden Nerdly trophy and an extra Comic-Con exclusive set. We have some busts of two iconic characters and two unforgettably nerdy scenes.
Our wonderful Patrons voted on the winner, so congratulations to Caleb Huet for his “TARDIS Console.” The entire MOC looks not only like an exclusive set but a decent playset too. You can get a much closer look at his build here including how all those crazy angles and railings were created.
Official Nerdvember 2021 Gallery
You can see all entries to our Nerdvember 2021 contest embedded below or in the official gallery. We’ve left a few comments and linked to each builder’s Flickr or Instagram. There are so many more amazing comic exclusives to see, so take a moment to browse through the gallery below. We are grateful for each and every entry, and we take our hats off in honor of your nerdiness!
Well, that’s a wrap on our Nerdvember 2021 contest. Thanks to everyone who participated, congratulations to the winners, and we’ll be back with another building contest soon!
Which comic creation is your favorite and why? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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