Creation Supernatural Convention Kansas City 2022

Creation Supernatural Convention Kansas City 2022

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It’s been a busy couple of months! It’s almost Thanksgiving as I write this, and I’m finally trying to catch up on Supernatural convention posts – first up, Kansas City Con!

Three days after getting back from the Supernatural convention at Denver, I headed blearily to the airport again on Thursday night to fly to the next one in Kansas City. I’d never been there, and there had never been a convention there, so that was exciting – enough to keep me awake at least. My lovely roommates had a delicious burger and fries waiting for me, so that helped too. So did a good night’s sleep!

I am rarely able to be at a con on Friday morning, so it was a treat to get to see Gabe Tigerman’s panel. Gabe has a chapter in There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done, and he’s also part of our earliest books, both Fangasm Supernatural Fangirls and Fandom At The Crossroads, so it made me all kinds of happy to catch up with him.  A fan asked what he would do if he had mind control like his character, Andy?

Gabe: I’d do the same thing he did – steal Baby!

Favorite line?

Gabe: I have an evil twin! Though I wish it was identical twins so it could be like me fighting me with a mustache.

Like so many guest actors on the show, Gabe said that Supernatural was his favorite job.

Gabe: As guest actors on that show, we really got to act – and then do these conventions!

He wishes Andy didn’t have to die, because it made so much sense for Sam and Dean to just take Andy’s van and go hunting with him.

I was extra thrilled to hear him tell the infamous 5-legged steer story, about the time he and some buddies went to see the world’s largest groundhog and found it stuffed – and then were chased by a cow with a whole ass extra leg hanging off its side!

He also told the story of him fanboying Michael C Hall at a restaurant, and taking out his Invisalign at the exact moment that Hall walked by and said hello, so that Gabe looked up at him with a spit string attached to his Invisalign hahaha.

Gabe took an informal poll of how many times people in the audience had watched Supernatural start to finish – the winner was 35!!

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Julian Richings too – only in the Supernatural fandom does Death exuberantly take the stage like this!

Julian said that for Death and Dean’s pizza scene, they got someone in Vancouver to actually make Chicago style pizza and it was delicious. So delicious that Julian, who was hungry, ate all the pizza during rehearsal. So by take 37…. Ooof.

Julian: Jensen kept saying to me, you’re eating a lot of pizza, man…

Memorable moment?

Julian: When the AD said ‘here’s your car’ and it’s like a boat, and I was just panicked trying to hit my mark!

He also said he loved his role in Supernatural.

Julian: The boys run around all serious and I’m the grumpy uncle. Death enjoys them more than he wants to reap them.

David Haydn Jones was not at this con, so we got Adam Fergus and Gil McKinney together, which turned out to be a lot of fun. I’ve also missed Gil – he wrote a chapter in Family Don’t End With Blood about how much the fandom inspired him and gave him courage to get back to things he loves like singing, and it was great to see him again.

They asked the audience which dynamic duo they would be.

Audience: Thelma and Louise!

In the middle of their panel, DJ Qualls stepped up to the mic to ask an important question: had their panel discussed penises yet?

DJ: Because penises usually come up…so to speak… lol

Gil said that a favorite memory was singing for the SPN Family at a con for the first time. Adam said that although he’s not a singer like Gil, he felt like a rockstar singing U2 onstage at a con (which I can confirm he totally was!)

At one point, Adam mentioned actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who is personally responsible for my ever finding online fandom and there both revered and reviled (joking…) and my head exploded with fandoms colliding.

 

Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster also entertained us. They both wrote chapters, similar to Gil, on how much the fandom has meant to them, in Family Don’t End With Blood .

Briana: Jensen told me that doing cons is so great because it’s like being onstage in front of all your friends.

Awwww. No wonder they were eager to do cons!

Briana  said she got so nervous at her first con that when a fan who didn’t recognize her asked if she was there for the Supernatural con, she said ‘never heard of it!’ and quickly exited the elevator.

Kim on meeting fans: It’s the best thing when someone wants you to see them.

Someone asked about their characters’ most heartbreaking moments. Kim said it was Jody having to hear her son die, and Briana said it was Donna saying goodbye to Doug even though it was the right thing to do.

It’s director Phil Sgriccia’s doing that Jody and Donna were paired up. In her first episode Phil suggested Briana eating a donut with Dean, and then to pair her up with “the other sheriff”.

Kim: I wouldn’t be the person I am today without meeting Briana – and all of you.

She said the two of them were going to get matching tattoos for Supernatural and Wayward.

Kim: Then those three boys went out and got matching ones! (Jared, Jensen and Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

I actually got to go to karaoke for a change on Friday night, which had tons of good songs and great performances from both the fans and all the actors there, including Gabe and Gil and Adam and Julian all having a blast.

And then it was Saturday! Ruth Connell joined Kim and Briana for a panel full of amusing stories and inspiration, as often happens when they get together.

Favorite scene?

Briana: when Kim and I were pranking Jared and Jensen from the backseat of Baby and Jensen was like, why are you better at this than me?

Ruth said it was the time she tried to prank Jared and Jensen holding a giant bucket of the lube they use on set for tears and any liquid. It didn’t entirely work because they didn’t break, so she was left standing there awkwardly. But then Misha saved the day and swooped her up and carried her off (with the giant bottle of lube).

You cannot make this stuff up!

Ruth talked about her celebrity crushes, which is always so cute to hear about, especially when she brings up Michael Fassbender.

And giggles.

Kim said she came close to meeting her crush David Tennant, but then got cold feet and hid in a storeroom instead. We can all relate, Kim!

Gil and Adam did another panel, and Ruth came out onstage to tell them how much she missed doing panels with them.  It’s clear that they all miss each other as much as we miss them and the show.

It was Adam’s birthday so we all got to wish him a happy one.

Both Adam and Gil talked about how much Supernatural means to them. Gil said he actually studied Latin in school – helpful for a Winchester!

Adam: This show means so much to me. If I got a tattoo for my character it would be a typewriter.

Gil has a tattoo that’s a Texas ghost story. And for his character would get Henry’s initials.

On his butt.

What would they do if they were dying? After a serious answer, Gil had another one.

Gil: Like happened in the show, I’d have Jared and Jensen hold me.

Everyone: Valid

Adam: I love doing scenes with Jensen, but Mick’s favorite character would be Sam because they’re kindred spirits.

We also got a Rob Benedict solo panel – Rob looks so different with his hair cut short for a top secret role that I don’t think I would have recognized him! Very Elijah Wood – that’s a compliment, Rob!

Rob: I didn’t even hate the last season of Game of Thrones because I just really like to like things. (Most Rob thing to say ever)

A fan was giving out string worms to everyone – Rob was particularly taken with his and named it Mr. Fizzlediddle.

Someone asked about Chuck being God on Supernatural.

Rob: When Kripke told me I was God he said don’t tell anyone though, let the fans have their theories. I remember reading the end of Swan Song and Chuck is suddenly wearing white and disappears and I’m like, where did I go??

Also Rob: I feel so blessed to have been part of the end of this show. But I like to be liked so it was a journey. I always feel embarrassed when I’m watching Supernatural on a plane and someone recognizes me, like wow you’re really into your own work…

Rob reminisced about how great the Supernatural set was too, remembering getting the giggles on set.

Rob: Jared will do anything to make you laugh. The director’s like c’mon Rob and I’m like it’s not me! We had so much fun. I once hit Jared by accident with a plunger and was like OMG I’m sorry – and it didn’t even register!

Rob on being a bisexual God, when asked who’s God’s dream guy?

Rob: He’s a fan of all the Chrises. Evans is the one you marry. God created the Chrises for his own pleasure.

I guess lots of people agree, since Chris Evans was just voted Sexiest Man Alive. I guess those people aren’t watching the same TV shows I am!

Saturday is always of course Misha day too – it was a confusing con, first Rob with no beard and very very short hair, and Billy had Covid so was not there, with very blonde Jeremy filling in on guitar. Misha took the stage and was immediately confused.

Misha: I thought Jeremy was Billy with new hair! And Rob looks badass!

Misha is having to learn to roll a coin on Gotham Knights.

Misha: I’m finding I can’t learn new things…

I forget exactly how this happened, but at some point Misha replied to a fan being friendly with a ‘how’s your stamina?’ and then another fan volunteered “My stamina is great…”

Misha: (…)

Someone asked, what did Cas learn from the pizza man?

Misha: Well, he demonstrated on Meg…

Also…. arm appreciation. Just saying.

Misha also told the story of that time Jared and Jensen messed with him for so long that people drove from the studio to location just to watch.

Misha: I’d read the call sheet and be like oh no a scene with both Jared and Jensen…

He then did a fabulous imitation of the intrepid Brad Creasser refusing to laugh – while Misha cracked up.

On a more serious note, Misha talked about his last emotional scene on the show.

Misha: My last scene was imbued with purpose and it was also me saying goodbye – not just to the character but to cast and crew. Our director (Richard Speight, Jr.) moved my last scene to the last one I shot so it could breathe as my last scene. I needed to be alone before that last scene and Rob Hayter (stunt coordinator) noticed and protected me and made sure I had all the time I needed.

Now that’s a special set, and special cast and crew.

Misha said that when he first was booked on Supernatural, he watched a few episodes and then had terrible nightmares. He also talked about what’s so special about not just the show but the fandom.

Misha: There’s an ethos in this fandom of taking care of each other. (He writes about that quite eloquently in his chapter in Family Don’t End With Blood – which also benefits the charity he founded, Random Acts)

I caught some of Mark Pellegrino’s panel too  – he said he was almost late getting here filming Beverly Hills Cop 4.

Mark on being inside Sam’s head: That was scripted. Later I had a few adlibs like instead of oh my God I said oh my dad.. I liked watching Sam’s reaction to Lucifer tormenting him in his head.

Was it hard to play a dick?

Mark: In season 5 he wasn’t a dick. He was a spurned brother and son. Later he was a dick.

Me: I’ll say!

In fact, Mark said that Lucifer would drive a car with the license plate DICK.

He admitted that Jared and Jensen never pranked him.

Mark: No, it’s not because I was a dick!

Mark also said that if he was the writer, he would have made Lucifer the smartest guy in the room – not Crowley!

A fan got up and said she had to go to a Jensen photo op.

Mark: it’s all prosthetics! Pull on his ear..nobody is that pretty!

Understandable belief. However, hate to tell you, Mark…

Saturday night I had a lovely dinner with a friend who I’ve known since the early days of Supernatural and seen mostly at Comic Con or in the old days of Supernatural LA con. It was so good to catch up – and also to invite her to contribute to a new book I’m working on. The best part of cons – the friendships made along the way.

At the Saturday Night Special, Gil McKinney not only sang but also said that Jensen backstage had just okayed him to announce that we’ll have Henry Winchester back as part of The Winchesters – and as Gil!

Briana also sang, impressing everyone with just how good she is as always.

(She has an album out, if you don’t know just how good she is!)

So did Kim Rhodes, and I think maybe Ruth did some intros? I honestly can’t remember for sure, but I seem to have taken a few photos…

Jason and Rob always do a gorgeous version of Hallelujah, and we all get to sing the chorus back to them.

 

And as always, Louden Swain proved themselves the most versatile and talented band anywhere – we are so lucky to have them as our house band for the Supernatural cons!

Rob got a birthday cake, which he shared in spirit with Jason and Adam.

Rob also sang Fare Thee Well, which always makes me so emotional about Supernatural since he performed it ON the show.

It was a very special SNS because Steve Carlson and Jensen Ackles (aka Radio Company) joined Louden Swain onstage for a duet, which blew everyone away – and then, as if that wasn’t awesome enough, for an amazing rendition of one of my favorite Bad Company songs, Feel Like Makin’ Love, with Steve on guitar and Jensen singing.

I managed to tweet a few snippets in between screaming for these absolute rockstars…

 

Jensen and Steve also joined the band and some of the other guests for the amazing encore of Helter Skelter and then Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love which… DAYUM Ackles!

 

I was so flustered that I managed to tweet the same little video clip three times, and then to tag all the encore clips as Helter Skelter when Jensen was actually singing Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love.

Seriously though, who can blame me?

Louden Swain’s bow was well deserved – and you can tell they were as happy as we all were!

I probably had great dreams Saturday night but I was way too exhausted to wake up and remember them. Ah well. Then it was Sunday – J2 day!

The gold panel kicked off with Jensen echoing something I’ve thought too, turning to Jared and saying that he misses his long hair, with his hand over his heart. Awwww.

Jensen then complained about his own long hair, saying that when they were filming Big Sky yesterday, “this happened to my hair”.

Jared: I like it.

Me: Me too!!!

Fandom knew that Jared had taken a page out of Jensen’s book and made a pilgrimage to Sam and Dean’s hometown, Lawrence Kansas, a couple days before the con. (Yes, I got just as emotional seeing Jared sitting on top of the Lawrence sign and contemplating the graves in Stull Cemetery as I did when Jensen made the same pilgrimage. I love that they love these characters so much, just like I do. He said he also had some great brisket while he was there.

Jared and Jensen did some reminiscing about the early days of Supernatural, laughing that as soon as they called cut, they’d run to their trailers to play Contra. I have no clue what that is, but it was clearly a fond memory for both of them.

There was a lot of laughter, as there always is at their panels, and it never fails to make me laugh along.

Jensen told an amusing Big Sky story that one time when Reba was introducing herself as the character she plays (Sunny Barnes), she mistakenly went into familiar meeting someone mode and introduced herself as Reba instead!

Jared told a hilarious story about working with Gen as Ruby in the early seasons and she stopped a whole take because she was convinced there were worms on the ground in the leaves and she’s apparently terrified of worms! Poor Jared was standing there holding the actress playing the nurse Sam drains and Gen is freaking out. Finally someone (Brad maybe?) picked up an armful of leaves and removed them, assuring Gen “I got them…” lol

He also talked about being a fan himself, which he wrote about in his beautiful chapter in Family Do’ End With Blood. Love the photos included with his chapter too, of baby Jared the Star Wars fan.

There was a question about if and when we’ll see Sam and Dean again, which is frankly a question that plays in my head 24/7 so I appreciated it – and their answer. Jared and Jensen said that the boys haven’t hung up their boots for good.

Jensen: We’ve been talking about it. Five years, maybe?

Audience: CHEER

They also reminisced about the day they met, a story I’ve heard before but could listen to approximately 8 million times.

Happily.

Jensen: With us, it was instantly cohesive.

When the fan who was giving out worms gave some to Jared and Jensen, Jared picked the red one and Jensen the blue, and then they agreed that ‘these will always be our marks”. Awww my heart.

I had some photo ops, during which I told Jared and Jensen to do whatever, which always results in something awesome (and occasionally hilarious).

Then we got a Jake Abel panel in the afternoon (before we knew for sure that he was about to join ‘Walker’).

A fan asked if Michael ever got the therapy he needed?

Jake: Through Adam he did – Adam was actually pretty well adjusted.

Jake: What was interesting about Adam and Michael was the two of them together. When two men are inside of each other…

If Adam and Michael had a show, he said, it would be The Odd Couple.

Fan: would they get married?

Jake: Depends on what state they live in…

At some point someone said something and Jake asked, ‘did you just say fluffer? How did you know I used to do that?’

He also said he felt a little left out of the whole prank thing.

Jake: I’m kinda insulted they didn’t pull any pranks on me. Jared farted on me once and yelled ‘I am Fartacus!’ though.

Oddly, that seems to be a fond memory.

Jake said that he’d love to be directed more by Richard Speight, Jr. because he “makes it fun but keeps the train on the track.”  We now know that Jake got to do some shadowing on ‘Walker’ recently – and that he’s playing Kevin on that show, and doing an awesome job of it!

I do not know why, but Jake was tasked with delivering a drawing of ‘a cock and balls – from below??’ drawing to Mark Pellegrino… it was an interesting con. You can’t make this up.

Then it was time for the J2 main panel.

Rob introducing j2: Make noise, see if you can make it vibrate and then they’ll come…Oops…

Like I said, that kinda con.

Jared and Jensen did their traditional leap onstage…

And then something surprising and really really awesome happened. First Clif came out with custom license plates for the Impalas that they each have from the show – they read “BABY” and “LIL BRO”.

Awwwww my heart!!

Then the former mayor of Lawrence, Kansas, came out with a proclamation that honors Sam and Dean Winchester!

I do hereby proclaim Lawrence Kansas as the official hometown of Sam and Dean Winchester.

Jared and Jensen: fistbump!

 

J2: You all had something to do with that, keeping us on the air for 15 years.

They talked about their love of making media, Jared saying that what he loves is telling stories and the power of telling stories.

Jensen: He and I show up here because we want to see your faces. You can say ‘fans’ but I say like-minded individuals, because I love the show too.

Jared talked about navigating his own innate capacity for empathy as he hears fans’ stories of their own journeys, something that can be a challenge for anyone who’s empathic.

Jensen also talked about how this – interacting with fans – gives them ‘fuel’. His chapter in Family Don’t’ End With Blood is all about exactly that, and it’s heartfelt.

Jared wrote a beautiful chapter in that same book sharing his own journey about ‘always keep fighting’ which never fails to both inspire me and make me tear up.

In a much less serious note, I do not remember for the life of me why he used this term, but Jensen referring to “chesticles” totally cracked Jared up.

There were plenty of shenanigans.

Jensen: Duck!

Jared: Is it safe??

They are like five year olds, and I am here for it.

Jensen to Jared: You moron…

Jared: better than being a less-on…

Me: facepalm

But seriously, I will never get tired of how much they enjoy their banter and making each other laugh.

They talked much more seriously about learning not to “sweat the small stuff” especially after both were bullied when they were younger. They get it.

At one point a fan related a hilarious story of noticing how in sync Sam and Dean were walking down some stairs on Supernatural. Jared and Jensen admitted that was all them, and then proceeded to be totally in sync right in front of our eyes without even looking at each other!

Gifs: abordelimpala

Jared on the unspoken shorthand you develop with someone over time: Whether it’s romantic or platonic, it requires trust. He gets me, I get him, let’s go play.

They were both impressed with each other’s prequel sizzle reels at the upfronts, they said – they hadn’t seen them yet until then.

I also will never get tired of how they support each other, through easy times and not so easy.

I don’t know what this was about, but it was dirty, I can tell you that…

Hence Jared pushing Jensen’s mic down…

Gif: abordelimpala

Boys.

Jensen also said that his perfect day would include floating on a raft…while eating pie off his chest.

Jared: You’ll have a nipple tan!

All too soon, it was time for the last question.

 

It was perhaps the most delightfully chaotic last question ever thanks to the fan who clearly had an absolute blast. And who wouldn’t with these two wrapped around you?

Or ‘getting in close’…

I was so amused I can’t actually remember what the last question was apparently.

Jared and Jensen signed off with after, mutual appreciation for each other, heartfelt thanks to the fans, and the traditional fistbump.

Gif by abordelimpala

This was an amazing con – I didn’t even mind so much getting up at 3 am to take a ridiculously early flight home to go to work!

I had to miss the next con (the Vancouver con, which was kinda heartbreaking) but stay tuned for more from the Phoenix con coming up soon!

–Lynn

You can read all the Supernatural actors

thoughts and feelings about the show and

the fandom in Family Don’t End With

Blood and There’ll Be Peace When You

Are Done. Links in banner or at:

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