Episode 23 - Tacos

Episode 23 - Tacos

In Episode 23 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) is joined by STEM educator, LEGO Masters Season 3 contestant, Zumba instructor, and community advocate Tacos for a conversation about creativity, education, and finding your place in the LEGO hobby. Tacos shares her unique journey into LEGO, from growing up without the bricks as a child to discovering them through engineering education and STEM teaching. What started as a way to teach physics and problem-solving eventually led to creating Powered by Tacos, a program dedicated to making STEM learning accessible, engaging, and welcoming for kids of all backgrounds. The conversation explores how LEGO became a teaching tool, the challenges of running classes during the pandemic, and why attracting more girls and underrepresented communities to STEM remains one of Tacos' biggest passions. She also discusses the importance of teaching engineering concepts in both English and Spanish, helping expand opportunities for future generations of builders and innovators. Tacos takes listeners behind the scenes of LEGO Masters Season 3, sharing stories about the audition process, filming during COVID restrictions, surviving long production days, battling imposter syndrome, and what it was like competing alongside Michelle while representing the Hispanic community on national television. She also talks about returning for the LEGO Masters Holiday Bricktacular and building alongside actor Eric McCormack. Whether you're interested in STEM education, LEGO Masters, robotics, or inspiring the next generation of builders, this episode is packed with energy, humor, and a reminder that creativity can come from anywhere. 📍 Find Tacos: • Instagram: @tacobitesandbricks • Instagram: @nerdynewenglander   To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app [https://bargain-bricks.com]  Until next time… play well.

Episode 22 - Simon Liu

In Episode 22 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) is joined by longtime LEGO fan, convention organizer, collaborator, and community builder Simon Liu for a deep dive into the evolution of the AFOL community over the last two decades. Simon shares how a chance return to LEGO during a university exam break led him from building a single Star Wars set to becoming one of the most recognizable figures in the convention scene. From his early days on Eurobricks and Flickr to helping shape online LEGO communities and collaborative displays, Simon reflects on how the hobby has changed and what has been gained and lost along the way. The conversation explores the golden age of Flickr, the rise of Discord, the importance of conventions in building real-world friendships, and why collaboration remains one of the most rewarding parts of the hobby. Simon offers a behind-the-scenes look at massive convention displays including New Hashima, Halo collaborations, and some of the community’s more unusual projects, including the infamous Scala Baby displays. Jon and Simon also discuss how conventions have evolved, the challenges of organizing large collaborative builds, the role of online communities in modern LEGO fandom, and why sharing a build is still one of the easiest ways to connect with fellow fans.   📍 Find Simon Liu: • Instagram: @si_mocs • Flickr: Simon Liu (si_mocs)   To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app [https://bargain-bricks.com]  Until next time… play well.

Episode 21 - Jeddi Tso (Bricker Builds)

In Episode 21 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) is joined by Jeddi Tso, Product Development Manager at Bricker Builds [https://brickerbuilds.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com], to explore the world of life-sized LEGO creations, creative careers, and turning passion projects into reality. Jeddi shares how a childhood spent digging through bins of loose LEGO bricks and building Exo-Force sets eventually led him into the wider AFOL community, working with LEGO YouTubers, and ultimately joining Bricker Builds after jokingly ending a YouTube video with “Bricker Builds, hire me.” That throwaway line unexpectedly changed the course of his career. The conversation dives deep into Jeddi's journey through creativity, video production, LEGO retail, and personal struggles during the uncertainty of post-college life. He explains how building a massive LEGO replica sword from Fire Emblem became both a deeply personal project and the catalyst that caught the attention of Bricker Builds founder Christopher Gearhart. Jon and Jeddi also discuss how Bricker Builds creates its iconic life-sized models, from giant Mario characters and Pokémon builds to wearable props, Star Wars helmets, and massive display pieces designed to inspire builders of all ages. They talk about the challenge of designing sturdy large-scale LEGO sculptures, balancing artistic vision with engineering, and how the company blends fan passion with professional design work. The episode also explores the LEGO convention scene, the welcoming AFOL community, social media burnout, creative confidence, and how LEGO can become both a creative outlet and a source of healing during difficult periods in life. Plus, Jeddi teases one of Bricker Builds’ most ambitious projects yet: a massive life-sized WALL-E-inspired build packed with moving features, advanced engineering, and over 15,000 pieces. Find Jeddi Tso and Bricker Builds: • Website: brickerbuilds.com [https://brickerbuilds.com] • Instagram: @brickerbuilds • YouTube: Bricker Builds • Jeddi’s Instagram: @exoeditstuff • Jeddi’s YouTube: Exo Edits   To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app [https://bargain-bricks.com]  Until next time… play well.

Episode 20 - Rob Klingberg (Brickstuff)

In Episode 20 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) is joined by Rob Klingberg, founder of Brickstuff, to explore the world of LEGO lighting, electronics, and the evolution of customization within the LEGO hobby. Rob shares how a lifelong fascination with electronics, model trains, and tinkering eventually led to creating Brickstuff after rediscovering LEGO through building modular sets with his kids. What started as experimenting with tiny wires and LEDs turned into one of the most respected lighting brands in the LEGO community. The conversation dives deep into the early days of LEGO lighting, the rise of the Maker Movement, Arduino microcontrollers, and how advances in DIY electronics helped make custom lighting more accessible for builders of all skill levels. Rob also discusses the philosophy behind Brickstuff’s products, from ultra-thin wiring and realistic lighting effects to custom sound modules, animated displays, and interactive features designed specifically for LEGO fans. Jon and Rob also talk about the growth of the AFOL community, the explosion of third-party LEGO accessories, the role of BrickLink in enabling creativity, and the balance between purist building and customization. Along the way, they discuss conventions, illuminated MOCs, LEGO trains, Minecraft, Halo, lighting giant UCS sets, and what the future of connected LEGO displays could look like.   📍 Find Rob Klingberg and Brickstuff: • Website: brickstuff.com [https://brickstuff.com] • Instagram: @brickstuff • YouTube: @brickstuff • Facebook: Brickstuff LEGO Lighting   To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app [https://bargain-bricks.com]  Until next time… play well.

Episode 19 Dave Schefcik (BrickNerd)

In Episode 19 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) is joined by Dave Schefcik, the Nerd-in-Chief behind BrickNerd and a longtime voice in the LEGO fan community. Dave shares his journey from building imaginative worlds as a kid to rediscovering LEGO later in life through an unexpected office project that turned his workspace into a full blown “LEGOLAND Microsoft.” What started as a creative outlet quickly became something bigger, pulling him into LUGs, conventions, and the wider LEGO community. The episode explores how conventions shaped Dave’s path, from early experiences feeling out of place at LUG meetings to becoming a major contributor behind the scenes at events like BrickCon. He talks about LEGO as a shared language that connects builders across styles and skill levels, from mosaics to Great Ball Contraptions, and how collaboration drives creativity. Dave also dives into his work in LEGO fan media, including time with The Brothers Brick and eventually leading BrickNerd. He shares the philosophy behind the platform, focusing on storytelling, community voices, and content that goes beyond just new set releases. 📍  Find Dave Schefcik: • BrickNerd: bricknerd.com [https://bricknerd.com] To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks [https://bargain-bricks.com] app Until next time… play well.