From the depths of a little vinyl droid comes a glowing light, piercing through the plastic to give R2-D2 a breath of life that instantly brings to mind the droid’s memorable beeps and squawks. Created by Benny Vallejo, a custom POP artist who focuses his work on LED figures, the lights give the figure a little extra oomph that makes it the highlight of any shelf it’s on, and not just in the literal sense. Vallejo has given light to many figures, from Bioshock’s Big Daddy to the Hulkbuster from “Avengers: Age of Ultron” to Star Wars and beyond.
A collector as well as a customizer, Vallejo cites the joy he is able to bring other collectors as a source of inspiration, stating that “…seeing how happy people are when they receive some of my work. THAT makes me even more passionate about what I do.” Going beyond the traditional paint brush and sealant, common tools in the custom artist’s arsenal, Vallejo brings more heavy duty tools to the table. “A Dremel, glue gun and super glue are my best friends,” Vallejo said on his process.
With every figure that he creates, Vallejo aims to push the boundaries on what’s possible, which helps keep his inspiration fresh and new, a trait that is evident in his creations. As Obi Wan said, there’s no such thing as luck, and with each new figure he proves that hard work will go a long way, turning a once plain vinyl figure into a glowing beacon that would be a star in any collection.
If you want to see more work by Vallejo, please visit the following links:
Facebook: Benz Custom Pops
Instagram: @benz_custom_pops
Twitter: @SamValle07
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