Celebrate Fandom with OTP The Show!

The cast of OTP the Show
The cast of OTP the Show

The Supernatural fandom has been enduring Hellatus for a while now, so we thought we’d post some feel-good things to keep us all going until Show returns in two weeks.

We’ve written four books on why people become fans and why that’s a good and healthy thing. When we started out in fandom more than a decade ago, there was still a great deal of shame around being a fan – especially being a fangirl. When we fell head over heels for Supernatural, most of the people in our lives shook their heads in confusion (and perhaps a little dismay). What had happened to us? Our parents, our children, our partners, our colleagues – everybody seemed to be judging us for engaging in something so frivolous. Why write fanfiction when we could be publishing textbooks or novels? Why spend good money to fly across the country to go to a fan convention? What was this Supernatural show anyway??

Things have changed a little – it’s cooler now to be a geek. Everyone is allowed to like Star Wars (even if most of the merchandise is still missing the main character…). It’s probably even okay to spend money you don’t really have going to the Big Apple to see Hamilton the Musical. But going to a Supernatural convention? Hyperventilating a little over Jensen in single layer or Jared’s gorgeous hair or Misha still looking like an adorable teenager? And reading (or god forbid, writing) fanfiction about the Show? Still as likely to garner “grow up, young lady!” as it is to garner either an understanding nod or maybe even a positive comment on your writing.

That’s what makes this show so important. OTP The Show is about many things, not just fandom – but it’s written by a fangirl, from a fangirl point of view. It doesn’t shy away from portraying fans as passionate or talking about fanfic or shipping or Tumblr. It’s witty and funny and sometimes poignant. And it’s different. I mean, it’s called OTP – something most fans recognize from the fannish lexicon.

Graphic @sweetyhigh
Graphic @sweetyhigh

I had the pleasure of chatting with creator and star Laura Jordan – who also happens to be best friends with Supernatural’s own Kim Rhodes. So, by proxy, SPN Family. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon – chatting with a fellow fangirl!

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Counting Down to the End of Season 9 – Supernatural ‘King of the Damned’

xxx 9.21 moc flash

The pressure is on for the last few episodes of Supernatural Season 9, which means every moment has to count. That’s probably an unfair expectation, but watching “King of the Damned” this week, I found myself resenting the clock ticking down WAY too quickly.

I also found myself setting my expectations rather high, which is dangerous when you’re a passionate fan, but I couldn’t help it. I may have been muttering, “you only have a few more episodes to play alot out, Show, don’t mess it up!” Maybe.

The writers of this episode haven’t always been my favorite in the past, but some of their recent episodes have made me more hopeful, so I went into this episode with some cautious optimism. Did it pan out? Yes and no.

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Fandom, Passion and Supernatural: A Chat With Misha Collins

Fangasm-Jared-Jensen-_MG_1703-Edit_Schmelke_WM1

“For me, discovering this fandom was pretty much like getting kidnapped by a dragon. I didn’t expect being inducted into this world to be anywhere near as strange, wonderful or overwhelming as it has been.” – Misha Collins, in Fan Phenomena: Supernatural

We sat down for a chat with Misha Collins at the recent VegasCon. Misha wrote a chapter for our new book, Fan Phenomena: Supernatural, in which he talks about his experience joining the SPN Family and the way it changed his life, just as it has changed the lives of so many fans.

Misha had just directed his first episode, so that was foremost on our minds.

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“Still Into You” – Our Thanks to the SPN Family

Photo by Chris Schmelke
Photo by Chris Schmelke

We’ve been in love with this Show and part of this amazing fandom for eight years. It’s been eight years of incredible highs and more than a few painful lows, but – improbably perhaps — we’re still here. Still in love with Supernatural and still grateful to be part of the best fandom in the world. So we wanted to take a few minutes and say thank you.

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Playing God and The Fangirl: Supernatural’s Chuck and Becky Get Meta (Part One)

"Becky!" "Chuck!" *hearts*
“Becky!” “Chuck!” *hearts*

Few shows have dared to go as meta as SPN, and most of the time, we’ve loved the results. It takes a uniquely close and reciprocal relationship for a show to dare to incorporate both its own fans and its creator into canon, but Supernatural has done just that. Repeatedly.

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