There is no bond like that of a father and son. While society may have folks believing that those relationships entail throwing a football around in the yard, or someone’s dad teaching them the inner workings and the ins and outs of the coolest car, that’s not the case for all.

For instance, Kerwin and Keith Yarde have a deep connection thanks to one of the most iconic installments in entertainment, “Star Wars.” So much so that it led them to their very own show, Father. Son. Galaxy: A Star Wars Podcast, where viewers can dive deep into the space fantasy and get all the feels from the dynamic duo. While they both have a love for the franchise, both Kerwin and Keith came into the galaxy in their own way.

“I was 12-years-old when I saw my first ‘Star Wars’ movie, ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ and ‘The Return to Jedi’ in ’83. Then I saw the prequel trilogy,” Kerwin explained. “When Keith was born, there was talk of Lucas Film putting together the sequel trilogy and at the time, we were looking forward to the ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.'”

He explains how he saw a version of the “Little Golden Books” that focused on the first “Star Wars” films and introduced them to his son. The rest was history. From the books, Keith was sold on the galaxy and began to go from the books to LEGO sets, even more books, and eventually the films. Before the Yarde household knew it, this became the norm, and “we’ve been talking about ‘Star Wars’ up to this day,” Kerwin told AfroTech.

“My own love for ‘Star Wars’ began when I saw the first movie,” said Keith, who explains why he grew to love the franchise for himself. “Even though the graphics weren’t as good as they are now with the special effects, I liked it because it felt … I don’t know how to describe it — it was just fun. It was a whole experience.”

A Family Affair

The pair has always talked about “Star Wars,” but they credit bringing those conversations to the public to mom, Tanya Yarde. They say without her, helping to run the logistics of the Father. Son. Galaxy: A Star Wars Podcast would not be a thing.

“We were at the breakfast table just talking about ‘The Mandalorian’ [because] we had just watched an episode the night before and that’s what we do. So, the next day, we were talking about the episode and Tanya had the idea of recording us as we were having a conversation, but we didn’t know we were being recorded,” Kerwin explained. “She played it back and said, ‘You guys are pretty good,’ and she said, ‘You should do a podcast.'”

Although Kerwin initially resisted, mom did not take “no” for an answer. Now, the pair has created a whole new lane for a niche that really didn’t exist before.

“We don’t see too many fathers and sons talking about “Star Wars,” especially a Black father and son. So, there was a void there,” Kerwin continued.

It is truly a family affair, because Keith’s younger brother, Maceo will come in and watch them as they record the podcast. He is responsible for “Storytime with Maceo” to encourage literacy and families reading together. The little one is also the mastermind behind sound effects for the show. In addition, Mom works as the producer, and Kerwin and Keith research and prepares show notes, and Keith even edits each episode.

An Unbreakable Bond

The galaxy fantasy isn’t the only thing that Kerwin and Keith have in common.

The father, son duo also has a love for writing. Dad has been a script writer for years, and although Keith is following in his footsteps, he is heading in a different direction as a fourth-grader who has been working on writing his own books!

“I was in third grade when I was like, ‘There’s this book series that I really love,’ and so I figured, ‘Hey, maybe let me write some fanfiction about it,’ and so I did. I actually [also] got in touch with one of the authors who told me that I can send him my books once they’re complete, which I certainly will.”

When they aren’t recording new episodes for the podcast, Keith, Kerwin, and the family are out and about at “Star Wars” celebrations across the U.S. Most recently, the pair had the opportunity to present at the 2022 Star Wars Celebration.

Click here to tune in to Father. Son. Galaxy: A Star Wars Podcast and be sure to check out their Patreon page.