David Mandel, What Does Star Wars Mean To You?

David Mandel (Veep, Seinfeld) joins Elora & Dave to chat Star Wars and the galactic collection he's curated over the years! He shares his first time seeing Star Wars & why it was twice in a row, how he went from collecting loose Kenner action figures at San Diego Comic Con to collecting unopened figures, why Hammerhead seems to resonate with people, how he hired a private investigator to track down...something, what he looks for in items, his Five with the Force and so much more Star Wars!@davidhmandel on Instagram @DavidHMandel on X David on YouTube Our guest today is well known as a creator, writer and producer! He’s worked on Saturday Night Live, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Seinfeld. He was one of the co-creators of the animated series Clerks as well as the showrunner on VEEP. But he’s also a collector, which, with co-host Ryan Condel, inspired him to create the podcast THE STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF. And like any great collector, he’s an avid Star Wars fan with an impressive (Most Impressive) Star Wars collection AND he wrote the book on Ralph McQuarrie Star Wars art, appropriately entitled Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie – please give a warm “Hello There” to David Mandel! Twitter and Instagram @StarWarsMean2U Star Wars may have the largest and most diverse fanbase in all the galaxy—but every fan has their own certain point of view. So, tune your comlinks and join Star Wars enthusiasts, Dave (an OT kid) and Elora (a PT kid), every week for an in-depth conversation with a different devotee from all walks of life across the Star Wars fandom universe. Plus, it’s just FUN to talk about Star Wars. To bring balance to the fanbase, each episode we’ll delve into our guests’ personal Star Wars fandom story, and from that point of view, we’ll celebrate the power of the Force. Strap in, ignite your passion for the galaxy far, far away, and find out: What Does Stars Wars Mean To You? Music composed & performed by Gregory BromfieldCopyright 2026 David H. What Does Star Wars Mean To You? website Mentioned in this episode:Enjoying What Does Star Wars Mean To You?One of our goals this year is to grow the show so that WHAT DOES STAR WARS MEAN TO YOU reaches more listeners. And that’s where we’re asking you for help. And it’s really easy. Wherever you listen to us, please hit the subscribe button. If you’re liking the show, give us a 5 star rating and review on the platform you listen to us.It really does help us get noticed by new fans. May the force be with you