'Star Wars' tree beams brightly

MARGARETTA TWP. — A local family's Christmas tree matches the towering presence of Chewbacca's 7-plus-foot stature and rivals how bright Luke Skywalker's lightsaber glows in battle. This holiday season, spouses Andy and Melissa Gundlach put up two Christmas trees at their Castalia-area home: One features traditional decorations found in many homes across America. And the other would even turn Jabba the Hutt, who exhibits a Grinch-like demeanor, into a jolly figure. Dubbed a Darth Vader tree, the Gundlachs adorned a black artificial tree with dozens of Star Wars ornaments, which include the Death Star, BB-8, stormtroopers and many other notable visuals from this series of films. Rather than an angel, a Darth Vader helmet tops its apex. A cape covers the back half portion. On the front side, this tree is fully illuminated in red lights — Darth Vader's second-favorite color behind black. He's also wielding a crimson-colored lightsaber in case his son wants to partake in a holiday-themed battle. "This is how I envision Darth Vader would look if he was standing right in front of us," Andy said. Joked Melissa: "I always feel like there is someone else in the living room with us now." A social media post made by Andy on the Facebook group Star Wars Collectors recently went viral. As of Thursday, it's garnered more than 50,000 likes and 8,000 shares. "I just got inspiration (for decorating the tree) from different posts I have seen," said Andy, a lifelong "Star Wars" fan and co-owner at his family's Sandusky-based company, Gundlach Sheet Metal. "It's amazing how the post has really taken off." Andy became a "Star Wars" fan when watching "Return of the Jedi" in theaters. "I was 6 years old, and, even then, I was just blown away with what I saw," he said While not as ardent of a fan, Melissa — the executive director for the Humane Society of Erie County — also enjoys the films. "They are great movies that have great scores," said Melissa, who referenced her late dad, Eldon Plummer, as someone who turned her on to "Star Wars." A quick walk around their house, and it's easy to spot memorabilia and even household items, like spatulas and wine glasses, honoring the epic space opera multimedia franchise. Even one of their dogs is named Yoda. Their other dog, Dasha, often fashions a "Star Wars" bandana. In their basement, Andy proudly displays much of his collection: actor autographs, magazines, albums, action figures, LEGOs and many other pieces with "Star Wars" branding. Friends and family have also gifted him one-of-a-kind custom pieces to fill out his collection. Andy felt honored to receive recognition for his post about his Darth Vader tree. "It's nice to know that there are so many other people out there that share in the fandom and the love of the franchise," Andy said.