The Kings of Con Hit The Big Apple!

I had a whirlwind day in the Big Apple, so wanted to share a few photos and some of the fun. I was in NYC for the premiere of the new M. Night Shyamalan film ‘Split’, and as luck would have it, it turned out that Richard Speight Jr. and Rob Benedict would be in town too! They welcomed a small group of lucky fans to Tumblr headquarters for a screening of the last two episodes of Kings of Con followed by a Q&A.

Even waiting in line was fun – I met some great fellow fangirls while we stood on the sidewalk waiting to be let in, sharing con memories and photo ops and favorite episodes. Tumblr proved to be a wonderful host, with plenty of refreshments and a very friendly welcome.

I had already seen the last two KoC episodes, as had most of the fans there, but watching them on the big screen with a room full of fans was such a treat. We had a momentary audio glitch (must be a tech demon following Rob and Rich around this week…) and even it just added to the fun – because it sounded even more hilarious than usual.

Then Rob and Rich came out and took some questions, first from our Tumblr host and then from the audience. We had confirmed a few things that most of us were pretty sure about – for example, Jared and Jensen did a lot of improvising in their episode in that hysterical photo op scene. No surprise there! It was Jared’s idea to have Rob ask him to take his beanie off, and I think we all had already figured out Jensen’s ‘back that ass up’ in the outtakes wasn’t in the script. And the joke is that nobody actually knows what a squishy bear hug is – but I feel like lots of fans are going to try to find out at the next con.

Misha’s scene was also laugh out loud funny, and he had the monkey to deal with as far as improv goes – apparently the monkey wasn’t all that fond of poor Misha. (He was also the highest paid performer in Kings of Con, with a stint on ‘Friends’ on his impressive acting resume…)

Rob and Rich had a lot of nice things to say about each other, including that Rob sometimes feels like hanging out with Rich is almost like hanging out with himself. Asked what inspires them, they said that they inspire each other (Awww). And for some reason, Richard kept calling Rob “Bobbo” which was both adorable and amusing.

They also had a lot of nice things to say about Supernatural cast, crew and fans. There is, as Richard put it, a ‘symbiotic relationship’ between Kings of Con and Supernatural, which you can see from the tremendous support the cast has given to KoC. Phil Sgriccia even hosted a screening, and many SPN cast have already had a guest turn on KoC and have showed up to participate in the after show, Kings of Conversation, as well.

I asked about the turn toward the meta that the show took in its last episode, wondering if it felt like a risky move to bring some reality nods into the show (the crowdfunding saga, etc.) Richard and Rob said that they both feel that when comedy works, it’s because there’s reality and heart underneath. I think they’re right – we do care about Rob and Rich, not just the real people who we’ve come to know as part of the SPNFamily, but the characters as well. It’s the heart at the core of the show that keeps viewers coming back week after week as much as the comedy – and that will hopefully get the show a season 2! Asked about their favorite KoC episode, Rob said he really liked the ‘marriage episode’, because it wasn’t argh two straight guys get married – instead, there was a lot of heart in the episode, with the characters showing real affection for each other as well as exposing their loneliness and vulnerability.

There was a lot of love for the Supernatural fans too – ‘the best in the world’, as Rich and Rob said. Our Tumblr host asked what is a common question for Rich and Rob (and for the other Supernatural actors as well) – what is your craziest fan experience? I always cringe, since it carries the implication that fans are crazy and thus there will be many of these to choose from. Rich and Rob have fielded that question before (see our earlier interview with them – https://fangasmthebook.com/2016/11/03/are-you-ready-for-the-kings-of-con-a-chat-with-rich-and-rob/) and once again, they answered with the utmost respect for fans.

Rich: No, the craziest thing is that we HAVE fans! And it’s awesome!

One thing that has set Kings of Con apart from the beginning is that the comedy revolves around the actors at the conventions, and is not at the expense of the fans. The respect and appreciation that the fans feel for Rich and Rob and the other Supernatural actors is mutual, and it shows.

I hope Comic Con HQ took note of the fandom’s #RenewKOC twitter party the other night, because Rob and Rich continue to find excellent fodder for more seasons. They had taken a red eye to New York City that day, arriving at 6 am only to find that their hotel wouldn’t have their rooms ready for a while – six hours later, they finally got in with only 15 minutes to spare to get ready to come to their first interviews!

Rob: That’s an episode right there!

That it is. And hopefully the Kings of Con will get a Season 2 to show it! If you’d like that, tell Comic-ConHQ (and don’t forget the hyphen…)

Thanks, Rich and Rob, for a lovely way to kick off my birthday celebration in NYC. And to James McAvoy for helping me wrap it up. Richard asked me to say hi to James, since they worked together on Band of Brothers, so I found a few minutes at the Split premiere after party to do just that. James had such nice things to say about Richard, which I have to admit did not surprise me one bit.

Here’s to another Season of Kings of Con!

–Lynn
Pick up a copy of ‘Fangasm Supernatural Fangirls’
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Cast and Fans on How Supernatural Has Changed
Lives’. Coming soon!