#ThankYouRobbie

Dear Robbie Thompson,

Thank you. I don’t think I can say thank you enough.

You have been such a fantastic member of the #SPNFamily for the past five years. Your grasp of this show, the characters—in particular Sam and Dean Winchester—and the quirkier side of fandom has made watching your episodes some of the best experiences every season. Your ability to weave great pop culture, meta-fiction, humanity, and beauty into this show shines in every story you’ve told. Somehow, every episode you’ve ever written has managed to make me cry at some point—but I’ve already told you that before. Your ability to touch deep in the soul has made that possible and I know you’ll manage to do that wherever you go and whatever you write. I, for one, will follow you anywhere your career shall take you.

ChicagoWay
I love that you’ve shown us all these sides of the characters—Dean’s playful fanboy nature, Sam’s strength and heart, Castiel’s awkward boyishness, Jody’s love and beauty, Claire’s strength and growth, and so much more. You brought us Charlie Bradbury, a character that represented so much of myself—and so much of so many others—and given us a chance to revel in who we are as geeks or nerds. Her strength, her grace, her awkward nature, and her never-quit attitude made her a heroine we all aspire to be. She never apologized once for being who she is or for being into what she loves and for that I can’t say thank you enough. Creating a character like her inspires so much of us—either through what she’s given us on screen or what we can do with that inspiration in our everyday lives or our own writing.

CharlieasHeroLARPRealGirl
On writing, you’ve taught us so much, too. You’ve shown us that we can stretch limits, push through barriers, and do what seems impossible and spin it into a believable and real story that connects on so many levels. You’ve given us daring episodes like “Bitten,” making the tragic story of monster creation on #Supernatural a real and tangible thing—and not just the monsters that the Winchesters stop each week. You gave us the daring and heartfelt love letter in “Fan Fiction,” capturing the spirit of not only the show’s expansive and glorious history, but showing us a version of ourselves that exemplifies the spirit that makes the #SPNFamily endure. You wrote the stunning “Baby,” showing us that we could make a car—an inanimate object no less—have as much life and heart and soul as any other character in the show and that her story is our story. It is in episodes like these that we see the imagination and the joy in pursuing wherever it shall lead that makes your episodes some of the most inspiring. No matter how crazy or obscure the idea may seem, you proved to us time and time again that it could and would be done.

RobbieandMe
Truthfully, I can’t say thank you enough on a personal level for all the patience, kindness, and joy you’ve given me in the few times we’ve had a chance to meet and talk. Your willingness to let me interview you for a profile never ceases to amaze me. It is truly an #Aweminous thing you’ve given me in that. Having had the chance to meet you at Van Con 2013 and then again at the DePaul Celebration sticks with me. Your graciousness with me and with so many fans makes you extraordinary. I know that wherever I shall go in my life and writing career that I will be forever grateful to you for your encouragement. It means everything to me that we had a chance to talk those few times about craft. While we write in different mediums—-and yes, prose is “work”—I know I’ll treasure so much of what you’ve written and look to it for inspiration when I need to focus.

Most of all, thank you for being you. Thank you for joining our fandom, becoming such a crucial member of our #SPNFamily, and for all that you’ve given us through the years on Twitter, at conventions, and on our television screens. You deserve only the very best, sir, and I can’t wait to see where you go next.

deancharliehug1
Goodbye Stranger. And Merry Christmas. Fare Thee Well. May we meet again.