Clutch Power

The original text of the Bible is rampant with violence and sex. Most adaptations tone that down. The Brick Bible puts it on full display - albeit in LEGO form. Today’s guest: Elbe Spurling , author and artist who spent 12 years creating a very accurate version of the Bible completely out of LEGO. Elbe also have a handful of other LEGO adaptations, including: The Brick Book of Mormon REVOLUTION! A...

Three months after moving houses, I still haven’t unpacked all my LEGO. When I look at the massive piles behind me I can’t help but wonder: am I a hoarder? Two great guests for this one. First, Nathan Sawyer of Sawyer Studios on YouTube . Nathan is a rare LEGO content creator who A.) genuinely admits there’s a problem and B.) takes steps to address it. He has twice now cleared out a bunch of his L...

If you haven’t had an existential crisis over LEGO, then you haven’t listened to enough of this show. Find episode notes and more at clutchpower.substack.com . All music by Nihilore ( www.nihilore.com ) Do Not Look Back

25 episodes. 43 guests. One year of Clutch Power. And I’m putting three previous guests to the test: how much do they REALLY know about LEGO? Four guests in this one! Three you are familiar with if you’ve listened to the show before: Caleb of Cheesey Studios: LEGO Masters contestant, Minecraft aficionado, and Power Miners fanatic. Wes of BLACKLUG: world traveler, MOC-displayer, and the only Monkie...

LEGO won’t make realistic guns and minifigs. People want realistic LEGO guns and minifigs. Meet the custom companies stepping up to fill that void. Two guests today! First: Payton Dean, founder of BrickTactical . Payton manufactures dozens - maybe hundreds - of custom weapons and minifigs of all sorts: from video game weapons to customizable .50 caliber sniper rifles. If you want a gun, odds are B...

Who let me in front of a crowd? A badly-needed analysis of how, why, and when LEGOs got so complicated I held at Dragon Con 2026! Joining me on this panel were two familiar faces for viewers of Clutch Power 18: What Race is a LEGO Minifig? : Corey D. Samuels - LEGO Masters Contestant and LEGO STEM Teacher Christine “Tacos” Blandino - LEGO Masters Contestant and LEGO STEM Teacher I can’t thank them...

Olivia Rodrigo has a LEGO set. BTS has a LEGO set. Where is the LEGO set for the biggest pop star in the world? Today’s guest: Olivia Sheane aka my fiancée! We got engaged on August 12th and I want you guys to get to know her. She is a Taylor Swift fanatic in the same way that I am a LEGO fanatic. Once she named 300 Taylor Swift songs off the dome which I don’t even think I could do for LEGO. If y...

Some LEGO sets are worth their weight in gold. Some LEGO sets are worth more than that. And a small cabal of LEGO Investors is finding ways to make serious profit. Two guests today! First, the incredible Phil Edwards . If you haven’t seen Phil on Youtube yet, consider this your formal invitation. For a data / culture fiend like me, his videos are a feast every single time. Here are some of my favo...

It seems like a no-brainer collab, but LEGO and Nintendo have a history messier than your one bum cousin. On this episode, a look at LEGO and Nintendo’s first time butting heads in the 60s, and how that evolved into the beautiful partnership of 2026. Today’s guest: Chris Byrne, AKA The Toy Guy ! Chris is a genuine talent who’s appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark, Oprah, Good Morning America, and...

Loretta Veney had been building LEGO with her mom for decades. And even after her mom was diagnosed with dementia, their love of LEGO kept them together. Today’s guests: the wonderful Loretta Veney! Loretta is an inspirational speaker, author, and LEGO Serious Play facilitator. Her mom was diagnosed with dementia in 2006, and in the years after, through the highs and the lows of the disease, LEGO...

LEGO Universe shut down on January 31st, 2012. But a group of players are dedicated to keeping the lights still running - 14 years later. Today’s guests: HailStorm and aronwk from Nexus Universe. Nexus Universe is a public server where you can experience LEGO Universe like it’s 2011 again. It’s extremely simple to set up - only took me a few minutes. All you’ll need is a Discord to get the game ke...

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE  LEGO says yellow represents every person. LEGO fans of color disagree. On this episode, a deep dive into the origins of the “yellow everyman” and the consequences that’s had on the LEGO fandom. Today’s guests are numerous and wide-ranging, from philosophers to LEGO Masters contestants. In order of appearance: Randall Wilson - LEGO Masters Contestant and Brick Artist...

There are over 250 Bricks & Minifigs stores that claim to be independent. But what kind of control does the corporate office have over its franchises? BAM (Bricks & Minifigs) is entrenched in Internet outrage, at least one lawsuit, and allegations flying around. Many BAM locations have come out with statements saying they are “locally owned and operated small business.” On this episode, I sit down...

If you have even a passing interest in LEGO’s larger sets, you’re gonna run into the black boxes. And I, quite frankly, am sick of it. Today’s guest: Graham E. Hancock, writer and editor of Blocks Magazine . Blocks really carries on the spirit of mid-2000s LEGO Magazine with designer interviews, MOC showcases, and reviews of old LEGO themes. Each issue is massive and I can’t imagine the amount of...

Welcome to the world of AFOLs, MOCs, BURPs, SNOT, greebles, and a bunch of other nonsense words LEGO fans use. Wondering where to begin? The author of a LEGO glossary can help. Today's guest: the charming Jim Winslett ! Jim is what I would describe as a hobbyist, and his website shows that: LEGOs, roller coasters, handbells, and his most recent obsession: British hip hop group Pete & Bas . This is...

LEGO Western may not be the shortest-lasting, the strangest, or the most problematic LEGO theme, but it’s up there. On this episode, a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly legacy of these 24 sets with one of the people who knows it best. Today’s guests include the one and only TrikBrix ! Jamie has huge Clutch Power guest energy with his deep dives into 80s and 90s LEGO themes, and I’m so h...

There are a lot of sexy alt-bricks brands out there. Lumibricks. Bluebrixx. Pantasy. I made a lifelong commitment to LEGO, but I’ll be honest…the temptation is strong. Today’s guest: Jackson Sandler of LEGO YouTube fame. Jackson burst into the scene about a year ago with his phenomenal video Building All 36 Minikits from Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga . Since then, it’s been banger after banger...

If you’re over 10 years old going to a LEGOLAND park, something will feel off. The parks are…barren. Low attendance, badly-maintained attractions, and limited entertainment staff. LEGO is obsessed with high quality, so why are LEGOLANDs so shoddy? I’m proud to declare this Clutch Power’s first two-person interview! Dan Ibbertson of Slope’s Game Room and Slope’s Adventures , and his buddy Andrew Da...

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE  If you don’t live near a Bricks & Minifigs store, you will soon. These secondhand LEGO stores are expanding incredibly quickly, and I swung by a grand opening to chat with locals, management, and LEGO Masters about what makes these stores so special. YES, this is a video and YES it was a lot of fun to put together. I talked to so many wonderful people but I want to h...

April 23rd, 2019. Shanghai Police arrest nine people, smash assembly lines, and raid a warehouse. It looks like a LEGO factory, but it’s not. This is Lepin, a Chinese knockoff company that will get shut down by 2021. But with knockoff LEGO companies facing such severe penalties, why are there more than ever before? Two very educated guests for this episode! First, Aaron Wininger , Principal and Di...

Ask anyone what a LEGO is, and they’ll tell you: it’s the little brick with studs on top. But the deeper you look into that question, the stranger and stranger it becomes. Is string LEGO? Is foam? Am I? Today’s guest: Darian from The Plop ! About a year ago, Darian put out a video called “ LEGO, But It’s NOT Plastic... ” where he made LEGO bricks out of all sorts of materials: snow, concrete, even...

In 2002, a LEGO theme and companion show came and went: Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension. These days the theme is infamous for nearly bankrupting LEGO, and the show is hardly remembered at all. But Galidor wasn’t the end of the line for the co-star of the show. If anything, it was the jumping off point. Two guests this episode! First, it’s Marie-Marguerite Sabongui, who played Allega Zane...

LEGO's new Smart Play System is very controversial. And everyone’s got an opinion. But I wanted to talk to some people with credibility - beyond just “adult LEGO fan”: someone who's actually USED the Smart Brick, and someone who's dedicated to children's well-being. Two guests on today's episode! First, Graham E. Hancock of Blocks Magazine ! Graham was at CES in January when LEGO unveiled the Smar...

In the video games industry, there’s a concept known as the Game of the Year (or GOTY). This is that, but for LEGO: proving scientifically, without a doubt, the very best LEGO set that came out in 2025. But there’s more to it than just choosing the best set. I created several categories to discuss: Best Minifig Best Collectable Minifig Best Polybag Best Set Under $50 Best Gift with Purchase (GWP)...

Over 26 years, LEGO has put out over 1,700 Star Wars minifigs, ranging from classics like Darth Vader to deep cuts like Kithaba. But obscure or not, Blue Milk Figs collects them all, having one of the only complete LEGO Star Wars minifig collections, tucked away in a hidden, climate controlled room. Today’s guest: Blue Milk Figs ! Boasting a complete minifig collection, along with every Star Wars...