“Star Wars” has been a part of Christmas tradition since the first toys came out in 1978. I’m almost positive that every year since then there has been no fewer than three presents under the tree that have the familiar “Star Wars” logo on them. The presents aren’t the only thing “Star Wars” in our Christmas.
Our tree is covered in decorations from a galaxy far, far away. We have Yoda, Clone Trooper, and Darth Vader stockings hung over our fireplace with care as well. I would imagine that’s how it is around every employee of Lucasfilm’s house every year during the Yuletide season.
Every year since 1977, Lucasfilm has designed and sent out Christmas cards to its employees. Sometimes they’re more festive than others. There are a few that fully capture the spirit of the season, and then others aren’t quite as traditional but more “neutral.”
The Lucasfilm Holiday cards featured C-3PO and R2-D2 helping out in Santa’s workshop in 1980. This same illustration was also used as the cover for the “Star Wars: Christmas in the Stars” album. 1999’s card had Indiana Jones, Shmi Skywalker, Darth Maul, Anakin, Princess Leia, Jar-Jar Binks, and Yoda waiting to carve the turkey in what was made to look like a Norman Rockwell painting. Last year’s card featured Darth Vader releasing a dove.
This year’s card features a snowman Jabba the Hutt on the front with snowflakes falling around him. When you open the card up, it shows him melted away in a puddle with nothing left but a top hat, the coal used for his mouth, carrots for his eyes, and stubby branches for his arms.
Industrial Light & Magic art department designer Devon Cutler discussed the concept of the card on the official StarWars.com website.
“For this year’s holiday card, we depicted Jabba the Hutt as a snowman who melts away from Lucasfilm’s warm wishes. This lighthearted and whimsical approach to Jabba was a fresh take on a bad guy. We used a white shimmery foil on a thick white paper stock and subtle emboss details on the hat, eyes, mouth and hands to add a bit of sophistication.”
Chances are you’re not on Lucasfilm’s list of people to receive these cards personally. However, you can see this year’s “Jabba the Snowman” card and all of the other ones from the past in a slideshow right here. Each image is accompanied by a caption that talks about who designed the card, the significance of it, and the year it was for. Merry Christmas and May the Force Be With You!
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
Voice Actor Dee Bradley Baker Talks About Being the Clones of ‘Star Wars’
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Cast Talk Favorite Characters and Plans for the Series Finale
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Cast Talk About What Their Characters Know
Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
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