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One thing remains the same between my 13-year-old self and the current version at 41: Left to my own devices, I might spend the rest of my career writing about “Return of the Jedi.”

I learned through “Star Wars” fans that the voice of “Jedi” characters Admiral Ackbar and Bib Fortuna was Erik Bauersfeld, a longtime fixture at Berkeley’s KPFA radio with a stellar reputation as a prolific radio dramatists. He was a mentor to multiple Academy Award winning sound designer Randy Thom, and at 90 years old is still producing new material.

I exchanged a few very pleasant e-mails with Bauersfeld, and a week later spent two hours with him at KPFA. I wrote an article for the San Francisco Chronicle, presenting a broad retrospective to his career — saving much of his “Star Wars” connection for this video. Bauersfeld was charming, and I liked him more as we continued to talk. To this day he hasn’t seen the original “Star Wars,” but he’s developed a growing fondness for “Star Wars” fans, saving their correspondence in a filing cabinet and writing personal responses to each one.

Even better, in a world where actors with very small connections to science fiction movies can make a lot of money on the convention circuit, Bauersfeld refuses to charge for his autograph. “It’s not so much money,” Bauersfeld told me, adding that he already has enough income for his simple needs.

A few more things:

1. Thanks to Isaac Pingree for shooting and editing the video. What was supposed to be a short interview turned into two hours, and Isaac kept his toaster oven-sized camera rolling throughout. You can see more of his work and buy his movie “Day of Vengeance” at lagoonside.com.

2. Bauersfeld wasn’t listed in the cast when “Return of the Jedi” came out, but has since been credited. I checked the most recent “Return of the Jedi” DVD and he’s there.

3. It’s not lost on me that this looks like I’m interviewing a 49-years-older version of myself.

4. One thing that’s not emphasized in the video is the collaborative work that went into bringing Admiral Ackbar to life, to the point where Bauersfeld could add his voice later in the process. Phil Tippett and others were responsible for the Ackbar creature design, and Tim Rose was the puppeteer. I’ve interviewed Tippett before and would love to catch up with Rose some time. The below video highlights their contributions.

5. Bauersfeld was unaware of the Internet memes and surge in popularity for Ackbar and “It’s a trap!” He seemed to find the University of Mississippi’s drive to have the character named a school mascot especially entertaining.

6. As mentioned in the video, you can listen to Bauersfeld’s non-“Star Wars” radio work and learn more about his life at www.bardradio.com. He retained most of the rights to his work over the years, and Earwax Productions sound designer Jim McKee helped him create a site where Bauersfeld’s work can be discovered.

PETER HARTLAUB is the pop culture critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and founder/editor of The Big Event. He takes requests. Contact him at phartlaub@sfchronicle.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/peterhartlaub. Follow The Big Event on Facebook