While busts haven’t gotten much traction in the vinyl art toy scene, with a few notable exceptions, Jesse Hernandez is quickly changing that with his Aztec-influenced busts of iconic characters including his just-announced Darth Vader bust vinyl from Unruly Industries. Hernandez’s take on the Dark Lord of the Sith blends Aztec dragon imagery on the helmet and his recurring motifs throughout including the claws around the shoulder plates. He’s also re-imagined Vader’s saber in the vein of the Aztec Macuahuitl (‘hand-wood’ in Nahuatl). The light-up red light saber is just a bit more intimidating than its ancient bladed club inspiration. Hernandez’s Vader bust follows his previous stylized take on Boba Fett as well several versions of iconic Marvel characters.
The Darth Vader vinyl bust is available for pre-order from Unruly Industries for $85 with an expected shipping window of March 2023 – May 2023.
