Category: 2016

Supernatural Con Anniversary at Chicon!

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This is a quick Chicago con update, but I want to give Chicon some love because it’s special. It’s where it all began – the first Creation Supernatural con we went to many years ago (way way back in 2008). I still remember how incredibly excited I was, and how confused about how to get tickets. Kathy and I and two of our friends took turns monitoring (read stalking) Creation’s website, trying to literally have someone online at all times as we waited for tickets to go on sale and bit our nails to the quick. We were thrilled to snag Row B tickets, and guess what? We’re still there today! That first con, the hotel bar had purple nurples and Jensen and Jared didn’t stand up for photo ops and the rule was not only ‘no hugs’ but no touching at all! I remember gingerly inching closer to Jensen as I stood awkwardly next to him, hoping my shoulder might bump his before the photo was taken. Jared ignored the no hugs rule even at that first con and pulled me in, much to my shock (and delight). I think of the way they are in photo ops now, and all the wonderful stories of heartfelt fan encounters that happen, and marvel a little bit at how far we’ve come. From strangers to family, it’s been quite a journey.

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The Saturday Night Special Vancouver 2016

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To be honest, I missed Richard Speight Jr and his country-twang-ballhat-wearin-jammin-on-guitar portion of the concert. And I missed Gil McKinney singing some song that dripped with so much silky sexiness that it makes one feel weak in the knees. Yes, I missed those guys.

But the Saturday Night Special, at any convention, is always about Stephen and Mike and Billy and Rob. And, as always, they delivered one helluva show in Vancouver this year.

They opened the show with “Reunion,” from their Sky Alive album. Then they played for us a new song, called “Present Time,” from their upcoming album. I don’t know who’s more excited for this new album to be released, the band or the fans. I know a few die-hard Swainers who would argue that they are more excited for its release than the band, that they need this new album like they need air to breathe. Yet as I sat there and listened to the guys play this new song, I am pretty sure they too are pretty excited about this new album and can’t wait to share it with us. And if I haven’t used the word pretty enough, then can I just say the boys of Louden Swain are just so freakin pretty? Yep, pretty. (insert sighs here)

(Side note: there is not an official release date yet. So I guess we’ll all just wait here then.)

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Vancon Sunday – J2 Day!

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Well, actually at Vancon, J2 Day (or at least J1 Day) started the evening before, when Jensen Ackles joined in the Saturday Night Special. I’ve written paeans to Jensen being a rockstar before (maybe even a few times), but I just can’t help it – he is just unbelievably good! He was in a wonderful mood at Vancon, rested and not having had to travel. And his family was with him, so doing the con didn’t mean being away from his daughter, which must have felt pretty utopian. It’s clear how much he enjoys singing with Louden Swain and his fellow cast and musicians too, so the combination made for a very smiley Jensen indeed.

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Supernatural Vancon 2016 – Friday and Saturday

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I wrote an article on this year’s Vancouver Supernatural convention for MovieTVTechGeeks that you can check out over there (link at the end), but wanted to add my own more personal moments (and the 5,298 photos I couldn’t include in that article…). Vancouver is one of my favorite places in the whole world. It’s where the Show I love is made, which makes it special already. It’s a gorgeous city that takes my breath away with its beauty every time I come back (especially this time, because the weather was five days of perfection!). And it’s where some of the best experiences I’ve ever had have happened on the set of Supernatural.

I don’t even mind the twelve hours of flying, because once I walk outside and realize where I am, I’m wide awake and smiling, brimming with memories of all the good times. Vancon is one of my favorite cons for another reason too – fangirls. SO MANY FANGIRLS! It was one of the first Creation cons, and there are still many people who came to that first one and have come back every year since, me included. So Vancon means lots and lots of socializing – there’s nothing like being with fellow Supernatural fans to make you feel like life is just plain GOOD.

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J3! (Jared and Jensen and Jeff) at Minncon

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So where did I leave off in my Minncon adventures?

Saturday night I was invited to speak at the Attitudes in Reverse ‘In Their Shoes’ event, which kicked off the Minneapolis chapter of AIR. If you have not been to one of AIR’s events, let me tell you that it is tremendously powerful and moving to see all those shoes with all their messages – of doubt, sadness, fear, and ultimately of hope. Hope because it is people speaking out, talking about how they feel, reaching out and asking for help even though that’s tremendously hard. I’m inspired by the work that AIR and SPN Survivors are doing to combat the stigma that keeps us from talking about mental health issues and prevents people from getting the help they need. That’s the best way to prevent suicide – and if people can feel comfortable asking for help, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope.

That’s one of the messages of our new book, Family Don’t End With Blood: Cast and Fans on How Supernatural Has Changed Lives. It’s a story twelve years in the making, with chapters written by ten Supernatural actors and a dozen Supernatural fans. Every chapter in the book, both those written by fans and those written by the actors, is personal and incredibly powerful. Some of the chapters were hard to write, but every author persevered because the message is so important. We all hope that the book will be an inspiration to others to speak up and be real too, and to ask for the help we all need sometimes to get through the challenges life throws in our way.

Jared Padalecki is one of the actors who wrote a chapter for the book, written with candor and trust, and so inspiring I still can’t read it without tearing up and smiling simultaneously. He came to the AIR event to talk about his own journey – the help he has needed and the hope he has found.

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A common thread in all the chapters is how the extraordinary relationship between the Supernatural cast and fandom has been a source of support and inspiration – for both sides. At the AIR event, Jared didn’t leave after he’d had his turn at the mic. Instead, he reached out to a young girl who was crying, crouching down and holding both her hands as he listened to her and helped her feel grounded.

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Supernatural Minncon 2016! Friday and Saturday

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Minncon still feels new to me, added years after the first cons were already established. It’s a city I had never been to before Creation decided to do a con there, and that I probably never would have visited otherwise. (Not that I’ve seen a lot of it other than the convention center and the Hyatt…) The weather there is apparently problematic often enough that connecting corridors between buildings are advisable; they’re like human habitrails, and I admit to being glad for them when it was raining. When the weather was nice, I walked outside instead, since it was a lovely walk through a park. The park even had its own version of our beloved Moose – this one was gigantic, and interactive. When you pedal the bike beneath him, the Moose tells you a story. If you pull on the giant rope attached to him, he’ll move his head up and down in a truly impressive manner. I can’t believe nobody got Jared to go do that!

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The boys were advertised on the convention center’s sign, which amused me every time I walked past. Everyone knows I don’t like convention centers, so walking back and forth to my hotel every time I needed to charge my phone or change my clothes or put my damn feet up from so much walking wasn’t much fun. On the other hand, at least I had the habitrail for the late night walks. Last year, Misha was mugged at Minncon, and everyone was a bit on edge this year because of that. Luckily, I didn’t hear about any incidents this year.

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Richard and Louden Swain kicked off the con, as they do every con (unless they’re filming something, in which case we miss them like crazy) – which includes the band’s incredible music and Rob’s traditional shaker dancing.

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Supernatural at Comic Con 2016

Supernatural at Comic Con 2016

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Comic Con always makes me nostalgic. Our roadtrip through Supernatural fandom started at Comic Con way back in Season 2, when we thought we were a little bit crazy to get in line at 4 am for the Supernatural panel. No Hall H back then – Jared, Jensen, Eric Kripke and Ben Edlund sat on the stage in Room 6CDEF, which wasn’t nearly large enough to allow the huge line of hopeful fans to get in. We were unspeakably grateful that our 4 am “craziness” put us at the front of the line and in the front row, where we happily stared wide eyed at our heroes.

Believe it or not, the same thrill rushes through me now, a decade later, when the teaser for Season 12 comes on the big screen and the whole room goes a little bit crazy. The girl next to me was shaking so hard I thought she might fly apart, exclaiming over and over ‘Ohmygod Ohmygod Ohmygod’. It’s something to witness when a room the size of Hall H erupts into screams of excitement.

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This year we got Jared, Jensen, Misha, Mark, and Bob Singer and Andrew Dabb (the new showrunners). You know I’ve been nervous about this season with the departure of so many of my favorite people, but I thought Bob and Andrew did a great job. Andrew showed off a snarky sense of humor that I can appreciate, and Bob closed the panel with a heartfelt thank you to the fans. We also got surprise Samantha Smith and Ruth Connell, who were (as always) awesome.

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Jared and Jensen at Pittcon!

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Sunday is J2 day at a con, which means I don’t grumble as much as usual about getting up early for the Gold Panel. Jared and Jensen apparently had their morning caffeine too – they didn’t walk, but speed walked through the catwalk.

Gary from Creation: I guess I don’t have to announce that they’re on their way…

It was about a million degrees in Pittsburgh, and poor Jared sweated his way through the panels. Not that any of us minded. Like, at all.

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Saturday Night Special at PittCon

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20160710_000712_WM20160710_000711_WMSaturday night is always, as you all probably know by now, one of my favorite parts of any con. I’ve written many a heartfelt post about why, which you can read on this blog (but have some tissues handy).

I wasn’t expecting this Saturday Night Special to be off the charts though – everyone was tired, Rob and Rich especially. Rob is so much the heart and soul of the SNS, I wasn’t sure how it would be considering he had a) just gotten there and b) was absolutely knackered. But somehow the force of nature that is the SPN Family and the brilliance that is Louden Swain managed to energize Rob – and the concert was amazing!

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WaywardAF Friday and Saturday at Pittcon!

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If you’ve read Fangasm Supernatural Fangirls, you know that conventions are always an adventure. Pittcon was no exception (I tweeted about a half a million tweets at the con with that hashtag, btw, only to belatedly realize it was supposed to be #spnpitt. Which sounds really unattractive. Why you have to mess with hashtags?? We had a system here!)

Anyway, Pittcon was no exception. I decided to take a Greyhound bus to save money, thus having more to use for the important things in life – like a photo op! I was feeling like a relatively smart person for that $27 round trip fee as I dragged myself out of bed at 4 am to catch the 5 am bus out of Philly. We made a few pit stops, I had an Auntie Anne’s pretzel, I even managed to doze a little on the way. Hah! Brilliant decision. Or at least I thought so at the time. Stay tuned for my post-con travel adventures…

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