In Episode 32 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) is joined by Randall Wilson, LEGO Masters Season 2 contestant, professional LEGO artist, and founder of Rocs Mocs. Randall shares his journey from building Technic sets as a child to turning a passion for architecture and LEGO into a full-time creative career. Along the way, he reflects on losing his childhood collection in an apartment fire, finding his way back through MOCs, and how LEGO Masters opened the door to opportunities he never imagined.

The conversation dives behind the scenes of LEGO Masters, exploring what it's really like to build under intense time pressure, the lessons Randall took away from the competition, and how the experience changed the way he approaches storytelling, scale, and color in his creations. He also talks about returning for the Holiday Bricktacular, working alongside Kelly Osbourne, and the friendships that continue long after the cameras stop rolling.

Randall also discusses building culturally inspired LEGO projects, creating large-scale commissioned artwork around the world, and why representation and creativity matter in the LEGO community. From life-size Power Rangers weapons and architectural replicas to an eight-foot heart catheter and interactive public art, this episode is a fascinating look at how one builder transformed a lifelong hobby into a career built brick by brick.

Find Randall Wilson:

• Website: randall-wilson.com • Instagram: @rocsmocs

To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app.

Until next time... play well.

Read transcript

By the mid-2000s, Naruto had pulled off something most manga-to-anime properties never manage: it wasn’t just popular, it was everywhere, spinning off a small army of video games across nearly every system with a screen, like Naruto himself used Shadow Clone Jutsu on the entire games industry and nobody thought to stop him. Somewhere in that flood of Ninja Councils and Clash of Ninjas sits Naruto: Path of the Ninja, the entry that decided the best way to honor Kishimoto’s story wasn’t just punching (though there’s plenty of that too) but actually letting you live through the Land of Waves and the Chūnin Exams one turn-based battle at a time.

Path of the Ninja debuted on the Game Boy Advance in Japan back in 2004, then took a leisurely three years to reach American shelves in 2007, arriving on the Nintendo DS instead, because by the time they got around to localizing it, the GBA already felt like last decade’s news. You pick from six familiar faces, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Neji, and Rock Lee, pair them into formations for bonus combo attacks, and work through more than 90 jutsu, some of which you cast on the DS touchscreen by frantically scribbling a shape with the stylus, which is either a clever nod to hand seals or just a fun way to give yourself a cramp. The story runs all the way to the Chunin Exam invasion and a face-off with Shukaku, and if you’re wondering whether you can also fight Itachi as a secret bonus boss, the answer is: only if you own the Japanese version. The English release quietly deleted that fight but somehow forgot to scrub his name from the end credits, which is the video game equivalent of hiding a body and leaving the shovel leaning against the wall.

Making another through the Play Comics dojo is Merrilee O’Neil of Fear Coded, last seen on the show trying to keep pace with the Flash. This time she’s trading super speed for shadow clones, hand seals, and a Konoha headband, so at least the running is a little more sustainable.

So form your hand seals, grab your kunai pouch, and let’s find out if Path of the Ninja earned its headband as a worthy trip through early Naruto, or if it should’ve stayed back at the Academy with the rest of the genin.

Learn such things as:

• Isn’t the world today better, with games coming out worldwide at basically the same time?
• How can you use a console’s gimmick to really lean into the gameplay?
• Can a game stick to the established story a bit too well?
• And so much more!

You can find Merrilee being the main driver of the Fear Coded account on BlueSky @fearcodedpod.bsky.social on her podcast Fear Coded.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

Play Comics is also part of Art Comedy Pop-Culture Network, which is a long-standing creative organization spawning from a love of Adult Swim. Be sure to check them out for all sorts of entertainment news, commentary, and just plain fun stuff.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.

If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from children’s media and how crazy it is that we’re supposed to just forget about that now that we’re adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.

A big thanks to Kaiju Comicast and Anime Field Guide for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who probably has a pretty sick collection of headbands.

Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.

In Episode 31 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) sits down with Alice Finch, LEGO Certified Professional, founder of the Women's Brick Initiative, and creator of the legendary life-size Hogwarts model that inspired builders around the world. Alice shares how building with her children led to creating one of the most iconic LEGO fan creations ever, and how that experience shaped the rest of her journey in the hobby.

The conversation explores the origins of the Women's Brick Initiative, the challenges women still face in the LEGO community, and how research, education, and outreach are helping make the hobby more welcoming and inclusive for everyone. Alice also discusses her work as a newly appointed LEGO Certified Professional, the unique commissions she's taking on, and her vision for using LEGO as a tool for creativity, collaboration, and social impact.

Along the way, Jon and Alice dive into architectural building techniques, the evolution of LEGO Botanicals, the story behind Alice's influential LEGO architecture book, and why the best builds are often the ones that inspire others to create something of their own. Whether you're a longtime builder or just discovering the hobby, this episode is a fascinating look at how one person's creativity can help shape an entire community.

Find Alice Finch:

• Website: thebricknest.org • Women's Brick Initiative: womensbrickinitiative.com • Instagram: @womensbrickinitiative

To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app.

Until next time... play well.