Malvados is the creative universe born from the mind of Jesse Rivas, an artist whose work blends pop culture, surrealism, and his roots. The name translates from Spanish for evil, wicked, or villains. This word pays homage to both his Guatemalan heritage and his lifelong fascination with pop culture’s iconic antagonists. As a kid growing up in Inglewood, Rivas had a bit of a wild streak with ditching school, staying out too late, doing all kinds of things he probably shouldn’t have. His father would scold him by shouting, “¿Andabas de malvado ayer?” (roughly: “Were you out being wicked again?”). That phrase stuck like paint on canvas in his mind; part chastised, part inspiration.