andrew bell @ the vader project
TOYSREVIL: what was the genesis/inspiration for Darthodontics? what was the theme? and how was your process like, making this custom?
ANDREW BELL: Darth Vader is usually all hard, glossy, black, cold and terrifying.. I wanted to change that to be more organic, a little gross, and still somewhat terrifying for entirely different reasons. Bring a little of what's inside that helmet to the outside. Also the headgear and buck teeth give him a sort of teenage vulnerability and awkwardness.
The process involved a lot of cutting and sanding with some sculpting on top of that. Several layers of paint went into creating a good dirty skin texture.
TRE: are you a fan of Star Wars? are you an avid SW-collector? what do you collect? (share a personal story or two if any)
A.BELL: I am a big fan of the originals, they made me want to get into special effects, which in turn influenced which college I went to, which indirectly led to me doing what I do today! I had a ton of the original figures and playsets, which I unfortunately sold at various garage sales as I got older and got more into skateboarding than Star Wars.
TRE: are you for the Rebellion? or is a proud citizen of the Empire?
A.BELL: Empire, way better costumes and cooler ships!
TRE: If you were a Sith Lord, what would be your nick / Sith Lord-name?
A.BELL: Darth Carlos Muffin Pants.
TRE: any closing thoughts on your participation in this event?
ANDREW BELL: Big thanks to DKE and Sideshow for including me in this show, it was a blast to do!
- peep more Darthodontics' custom images here on flickr [images via]
- who is Andrew Bell
- what is The Vader Project
born in england in the late 70's, Andrew Bell currently lives and work in Brooklyn, NYC. visit DeadZebra and DYZPlastic for more of Andrew's work including photography, commerical illustration, animation and toy design.
