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While I didn’t dive into the world(s) of the Winchesters until late 2016, I have already accomplished a full watch of all 15 seasons more than once. However, I recently attended my first Supernatural Convention here in Orlando, and I was still very overwhelmed… to say the least. So here’s my experience regarding the Heaven, the Hell, and the Purgatory of Creation Entertainment’s ‘The Road So Far..The Road Ahead.’ As well as some tips and tricks for any other Supernatural Con virgins out there.
The Heaven We Deserve
As soon as we got there, we were graced with the presence of a Baby replica. That definitely set the tone for an exciting weekend full of other Supernatural fans . Also affectionately referred to as “Supernatural family.” Before stepping into the main room, we did a quick spin around the vendor area. It was very small in comparison to most cons. However, a majority of the items being sold were ‘Supernatural’ or ‘The Boys’ themed. These are two difficult fandoms to find decent merch for. They are also two of my favorites, this is getting listed under the Heaven part.
Check out another con Lauren covered where a Supernatural star (or 2) showed up: The Walking Dead at New York Comic Con.
The Vendor Area
In this vendor area, you’ll also find some of the characters from the show doing meet-and-greets, pictures, and autographs. I also got to meet the entire Louden Swain band, which includes Rob Benedict, AKA Chuck AKA God. Chuck may have ended the show as a villain, but he was as sweet as could be in person. At one point they did an impromptu song in the vendor area. I have to say it was a highlight of the con for me.
Panels Occurred Throughout the Day
The main room was opened pretty much all day until 5 with panels or auctions going on. Questions ranged from inquiries about the show, to completely off the wall questions that caused the actors to have to really think outside the box. With 3 days of panels, and some people showing up more than once (sometimes solo, and sometimes with other Supernatural stars), a few stories were told more than once.
The Supernatural Family
Watching stars from the show, some of whom never even shared the screen together, get up on stage and share their experiences on the show was, to quote Dean, “awesome.” You can truly tell this show was much more than just a show. In loving a fictional world so much, it’s nice to see the people who made that world a (fictional) reality, love it too.
Seeing poor ‘Splinter’ from ‘The Boys’ be teased about his human centipede scene in season 4 of ‘The Boys,’ may have been a highlight as well. I was crying laughing. It was teasing on a level that only someone who cares about you is allowed to do. If you haven’t seen ‘The Boys’ Splinter is played by Rob Benedict.
The Hell – It isn’t Wall Street
There’s restaurants and bars on Wall Street. There’s none in hell. Outside of a very overwhelmed (and running out of food) Starbucks, there was nothing to eat on property. The bar was also closed until 5pm, which is when the main part of the con ended. There were restaurants in walking distance, however, you don’t always have down time for a sit down restaurant. If we had all collectively prayed to Jack, maybe a food truck would have appeared.
Nevertheless, I recommend packing water and food, and knowing what’s nearby ahead of time. This may be an issue specific to Orlando, but better safe than sorry. I mean there wasn’t even pudding. You don’t want to get so hangry you start craving long pig.
While not all cons have bars, most seem to have some decent beer lately. A craft beer and a panel with your favorite actors talking behind the scenes of your favorite shows and movies, is pure bliss.
If we learned anything from the series finale (other than to stay away from rebar), it’s that there is beer in heaven. The song was wrong. However, there is no beer at a Supernatural con, except for the Supernatural con that occurred in the show. There was a bar there. So, what do I have to do to get some Family Business Beer Company beer at these cons?
The Purgatory
As this was my first Supernatural con I was not sure what tickets to buy. I ended up going with Copper which got me in all three days. It also included the Louden Swain concert on Saturday. This came with an assigned seat which was good and bad (hence the purgatory). When the room was less crowded our seats didn’t feel the best. However, it was nice knowing we would get into every panel and have a seat. After attending New York Comic Con recently, you learn quickly to get to a panel early if you want a guaranteed seat. That is not the case here.
There Are a Lot of Extras
While professional photographs and autographs are always extra, the Supernatural Con had a lot of other extras. From tarot readings with Rowena, to a PJ party with Donna and Jody, to Werewolf painting with Garth, and more. There was always something going on. However, outside of the main room with panels, these were all mostly an extra cost.
This is listed in purgatory, as this con costs more than most cons, however it is small and niche. Some of the extras were pretty pricey, however, I will say the rooms were very small. So if you’re looking to have a good time and really want to get to know the cast, this is your opportunity.
There’s No Singing in Supernatural
To quote Buddy the Elf, “yes there is!” There isn’t just singing in Supernatural, there is also a lot of singing at Supernatural cons. Somehow a majority of the cast has been blessed with the voice of an angel, including the archangel himself, Gabriel.
The Louden Swain concert was included with Gold, Silver, and Copper tickets. It could also be purchased as an extra for guests that didn’t attend the con. Guests were to stay in their assigned seats. While I loved the performance, this fell into purgatory as being able to stand and be closer to the band would have improved the experience for most. I would love to see them again in a venue that isn’t a con. However, Crowley showing up on the drums for a bit, was a fun surprise, which would probably not happen outside of a Supernatural con.
My biggest regret of the weekend was not doing the Sunday night concert. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and since it was an extra I chose not to purchase it. As someone who regularly listens to Jason Manns, Louden Swain, Radio Company, and other Supernatural stars singing on Spotify, I would have loved this. It was in a smaller room, and was listed as the “Post Con-Cert with Rich (Gabriel), Billy, and Jason.” They all have fantastic voices, and Jensen Ackles made a debut. He was a surprise, so there is no way to know for sure, but that was definitely my one regret.
Carry On
All in all it was a great time. If you loved the show enough to watch all 15 seasons, then there is no reason to not check out one of these conventions. Would I do all 3 days again, probably not. Would I do one day, and all the concerts, absolutely.
For fun facts from the con, as well as Supernatural fun facts in general, make sure to follow Lauren at ‘Hops GEEK News.’ Supernatural content is posted regularly, and after years of harassing her co-host, Matt, he finally took the plunge and we’re documenting his journey on the road so far…
