Day Three
I loved day three, don’t get me wrong, but day two was too much fun. I think by day three the weariness factor had set in. Again, I slept in, waking up with a bit of a headache from too much beer and transcribing. I ended up having a very nice peaceful breakfast buffet in the hotel since everyone else (at least all my gold ticket friends) were at the Jensen and Jared breakfast. I spoke with the omelet station guy about the breakfast. He said it was for 300 people, some big stars were coming in, and everyone was going crazy on staff there. I’ll bet. He obviously got the easy job since there was barely anyone in the restaurant. I have to say, the Wyndham O’Hare drastically improved over last year. The food was a little better (still overpriced) and I don’t like paying for parking, but the staff was very friendly and accommodating this time. They were all great. Well done guys on fixing the most important thing in a hotel, the service.
Back to the ballroom and in waiting for Jensen and Jared I got to talk with Angie’s sister, who came to a con for the first time. She is a big fan and watches regularly, but has not been an active fandom participant. She doesn’t do cons or go on websites. I really think she was amused the whole weekend by this insane display. She doesn’t get away much and this surely is an attention getter. I was thrilled to met her and I hope she comes back. I think she figured out the fans don’t bite. I think.
Okay, Jensen and Jared went on at 12:30, right on time. You all know that though for I’m sure everyone read the panel reports and will likely blow off this. The boys were in true form. It was very different compared to last year just because they spent the whole time together. Of course we got a half hour less with the combined panel, but that hour gave us plenty. While everyone got in the autograph line, I went to finish the Misha recap. What was really cool is they came out after the autograph session and thanked the crowd. Jared was now wearing this really hot looking black t-shirt. He obviously changed clothes after his sweat fest. He must wear more black. I command it! Okay, maybe not. How about a pretty please??
I spent quite a bit of time this day talking with the Creation volunteers. James was there again this year, manning the staff room door. I met him last year and he was every bit as fun to talk to this year. He also had his cool variety of hats. It was really cool because while I was talking to him people were going into the room and I got a glimpse of Jared pigging out on some pizza. It’s a good thing they fed that boy before sending him on his way. I also met Brian, who was the guy checking for wristbands at the entrance. This was his first con as a volunteer and he’s a huge fan. He said seating before they added the extra rows on Sunday was at 940. I’m sure they broke 1,000 on Sunday. He joked that he must have saw about 10,000 wristbands that weekend.
Julie McNiven (Anna), who was supposed to be there Friday but had to postpone, went on. This was my first time seeing her, but it wasn’t her first time for a con. She looked a little ill at ease, like she probably had a very busy weekend. I don’t have anything really to share from her panel. She’s a nice girl, but she didn’t have much to share about Supernatural. She did talk a bit about Mad Men though.
Rob Benedict
Rob Benedict, aka Chuck Shurley, came on last. This was at his first con and he was the last guest of the con. He arrived late and didn’t go on until after 5:00. He was only up there for a half hour but man what a great guy! He talked a lot about his other acting roles as well as Supernatural. He must come back (I heard LA is a possibility). He had some really interesting things to share about his episodes. Here are highlights of his panel:
· He likes the idea of Chuck having a relationship with Becky. He thinks it is a cute idea. ”It’s nice for Chuck to have someone that likes him being back.” He has no idea if it will go anywhere or not.
· He’s a huge baseball fan and loves the St. Louis Cardinals. Probably because he’s from Missouri.
· He’s a huge Pearl Jam fan and told an amusing story of meeting Eddie Vedder at a party.
· Most of the fans in the room also knew that Rob is a musician and has a long time band. What is the first song he learned on the guitar? ”Jessie’s Girl.” He thinks that song rocks.
· Someone suggested his band play at the planned Supernatural 100th episode party. He’d love that.
· He knew from the first episode he did it was the writers speaking through the character. Someone pulled him aside and said “You realize you’re Eric in this.” Then he finally met Eric because he directed the season finale and he was his height and had his energy. He always thought Chuck was kind of dark and Kripke isn’t. ”Definitely, he’s speaking to you through me.”
· When he read the script for the latest episode he noticed at first the convention was being made fun of but the convention ended up being the champion. It was a nod to the fans. He loved that last line about jumping the shark. ”That whole thing I did when I was on stage and I was supposed to be stalling was two pages of script Kripke wrote and he couldn’t use them all. The scriot didn’t say come back at the end the editor just did that, but there were a whole bunch of things he had written that were all like that.” He also recalled the “Ghost Ship” thing from the first episode he did. ”I guess that person that wrote that episode doesn’t write for them anymore.”
· He was more intimidated being on stage doing the mock convention than he is doing this one. He thinks it was the costumes in the episode.
· In an answer about shooting the convention scene and chugging down the bottle of water he does the best “Damn You Kripke!” I’m so going to try and get that clip.
Dinner proved to be very interesting. I had an absolutely great weekend and was thrilled to do the General Admission thing. I didn’t have to wait in lines or seek out autographs and I had far more fun mingling with the fans. All of the people I ate with had Gold Tickets and get them at every con. I was surprised by a couple of these diehards being very disappointed this weekend and saying this was their last con. They were tired of the same old routine and waiting in lines, not the mention the expense. I told them how thrilled I was coming General Admission, which cost me far less and I didn’t need the autographs, dessert, and breakfast because that gave me more time to socialize. They didn’t seem to be interested in going that route. Who knows, maybe their minds will change.
I closed out the night in the bar with Lynn, Kathy, Dakota (who is the booking agent for Traci and Richard and an internet friend of mine), and Stephanie, the behind the scenes person in charge for Creation Entertainment and the main reason this con ran so smoothly. Stephanie does 40 of these cons a year and is constantly on the road. She somehow can handle a character like Dakota too, who was getting amusingly wild (I’ll leave it at that). She deals with so many agents, so many actors and producers, and she was stressing all day about how tight Jared and Jensen’s schedule was. If anything went wrong and they missed their flight, they wouldn’t come back to these things.
Stephanie also had HUGE praise for Adam and Gary of Creation, saying they were the best bosses in the world. She said they really do care what the fans say about these cons and always consider fan feedback. They really, really want fans to have a great experience because they’re fans themselves. Earlier as Adam was leaving I told him it was a great con and he was very pleased to hear that. Judging by his exhaustion level, comments like that make it worth it.
I have to admit, after getting to see things more behind the scenes this time, I do have a huge new respect for the folks at Creation. They really do bend over backwards to reconcile talent needs and fan needs, knowing that sometimes schedule will interfere with the best fan experience possible. This is the hardest Supernatural con to pull off. The other two are in Vancouver which is where the show is shot and Los Angeles after filming has wrapped. Schedule in Chicago is the tightest but the demand is so high for this one so they do it. They’ve even booked a larger venue at the Westin next year so they can be more accommodating.
Okay, other than a fandom article that I’ll be writing about my conversation with Maureen, Lynn, and Kathy (it’ll be a hellatus thing) that’s it. Chicago Con coverage is done. Thank so you much to Creation Entertainment for a great fan experience despite all the difficulties. Thank you to all the fans I got to see this weekend. I hope our paths cross again at other cons. I’ll be attending ones in the future, just because I love meeting other fans and sharing in their joyful experiences. I’m just waiting for those General Admission tickets to go on sale for LA. Who’s going to join me?
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Alice, you have done an amazing job writing all these reports!! This sounded such a great weekend… busy, but great. And you got a photo-op!! YAY!! Never say never 🙂 *waiting for the pic*
That Maureen, Lynn and Kathy conversation sounded really cool, can’t wait for the piece on that. And get the whole “lurker” -thing. It took me over a year before I was comfortable to publish a comment of my own anywhere (which was here btw), allthough I don’t really comment a lo. I dunno, I’m shy… or paranoid lol Your site really is one of the few sites where the characters are both treated equally and I love that… And sadly haven’t found that many places that do that. And you also treat your commenters with respect too, and even let us post our own articles, that’s just awesome, you let us share in the fun. There’s always a good atmosphere here, we don’t bicker (seriously anyways *g*) and everyone always has interesting points and views. And I haven’t even started about the work you put here or the amazing articles you pour out from somewhere in the ingenious depths of your brain 🙂 Man I wish for your writing skills, but I feel just as good reading something thought provoking and fun, so it’s a win-win for me. I know I say this a lot but: Thank you for this site, these stories and articles and polls, all of it. It’s all good 😎
What, so we’re not allowed to be stupid and belligerent any longer? Pshaw.
I love Buffy, and I’m glad that it has gotten taken seriously enough to where there’s a periodical devoted to the thing (good thing ’tis electronic, for my employer would never subscribe to the thing), but given how much Americana and folklore and urban legends and mythic hero stuff is in Supernatural, I don’t see how this show can’t end up in the same realm. It’s worth study and it’s great to hear that there’s a book coming out that will hopefully get the ball rolling.
Almost forgot, ha ha, absolutely cool recap. You make these things sound even more enjoyable than I had assumed despite the intermittent periods of lunacy and the too-loud bar. When I want loud, I prefer to be listening to a string of power chords. 😎
If Bobby does stay in the wheelchair, get that sucker souped up, a holy water-thrower or something.
Alice, thanks again for great coverage of the Con. You do a great job of it and it’s appreciated.
If you decide to do the General Admin thing for the Vancouver Con, please let me know. I’d be more than happy to be host and chauffeur and roomie if you want to come. I’ve got my Gold ticket for next year (since Vancouver is the only one I can attend so I’m willing to splurg) so I’m good to go. GRIN
Thanks for the picks on the rest of the Con. I can see why you had so much fun.
So a photo op? take it out of the draw and show it! Common Alice, you know we’re all itching to see it! Pretty please?
I like Steve Carlson loads better than Jason Manns. I think creation should stop putting Jason Manns on the bill. I don’t like the idea that i’m paying for him to be there. I don’t even know why he has a panel. He has nothing to do with Supernatural. He also came up conceited to me and that is a major turn off. Steven Carlson on the other hand was a wonderful musician. He brought his game. And his panel was more about his music than anything to do with Supernatural. Whereas Jason Manns panel was mostly about his connections to Jensen. That to me is a sign that you didn’t impress much. Although, i don’t think the musicians should have a panel.
Anyways, I’m glad you had a good time a the con Alice.
I didn’t comment on your other Chicago Con coverage articles, saved it for this one. I loved reading them all. Thank you so much for writing them up. I’m waiting for hellatus to actually watch the ChiCon vids, so this has been great to both tide me over and whet my appetite!
Cheers! Candy
I’ve met Lynn and Kathy too at the LA con they were kind enough to show me some of the photo’s they have for the book and I had a chat about the problems they were having publishing it because WB had some problems with the content – i’m so glad it’s becoming a reality because I, in all seriousness, want to read that book.
Post the piccy! Come on, Alice, we’re going to nag and nag until you do … 😀
I lurked for ages before I posted so hurrah for the silent majority, although I do second Randal, SPN commentary without a spot of snark is like chips without salt ( that’s french fries to you lot … )
Looking forward to the hiatus as I have serious catching up issues … Bloody technology 👿
I enjoyed reading this because it rang so true for me as well, and I can’t complain when I get an internet mention! lol
Yes, I was the volunteer/fan that was checking wristbands, and I do not want to see another event bracelet for awhile.. or wrists for that matter.
However, I truly enjoyed this experience so much more than even I had expected. I was fairly focused on trying to get to meet the talent or watching the panels, but over the course of the con, I learned the fellow fans were what made the experience truly worth it. Like Clarice said, its a wonderful experience to be able to talk to someone about something you are so passionate about without having to explain, “it’s this show on the cw about these brothers that travel the US fighting supernatural things.” I pretty much boil it down to that just so that I can share anything with friends and coworkers, but it really is so much more, and getting to meet the fellow fans, I got the experience to delve into that a bit more.
I look forward to going to next year’s Chicago con not so much for the talent anymore, though a plus indeed, but more to get to meet more fans and see some of the ppl I got to meet, such as yourself. Looking forward to what the next year brings!
Brian
Hey Alice,
did I just read that you’re waiting for the GA-tickets for Los Angeles??!! You can’t see it, but I’m grinning like a fool right now – so, I’ll be happy to say hello!! (I do hope we’ll get the chance to chat a bit – even though I’ll be one of those autograph and photo ops gals?, and I’m already scared to death just thinking of it. Am I? Yep, somehow, although it defies reason, I am)
😆 :roll:: 😆
This was a great recap, in particular as you stressed the efforts of the people in the wings – going to a Con will be a first for me, but beforehand I’ve already had the nicest contacts with the Creation people, especially Sharon, a most gracious lady who always finds time to answer any question that might pop to my mind, thereby keeping my confusion concerning some issues to a minimum – should you read this, Sharon – a person couldn’t be nicer! Thanks again!!
Can’t wait to read this book by Lynn and Kathy – I’m sure you’ll inform us when it’s published.
So happy for you that you have enjoyed your time in Chicago. Perhaps, if I should have any money left (not likely for the time being), I’ll do the same thing next year, get a GA ticket, and stay a while longer to visit friends and sightsee Chicago.. Again you’ve inspired me.
Oh, well, a girl can dream… slight delusions of grandeur included…
😮
I just thought of a moment I’d like to share with you and everyone here, as it is really sweet. Once I had hoped to tell Jared of it, but that is also most unlikely…
Not long ago I had a Polish patient, a lovely man in his fifties who had experienced some terrible abuse as a child and was seeking therapy because he wasn’t able to cope with it even after all those years.
Now, what I usually do when meeting a patient – I ask about things they like before getting to the hard stuff, you know, favourite books, films, music (which is always useful, as I can use that as resources during trauma therapy). And the guy goes ‘You know, there is one show I like to watch: Superrrrnaturrrral (now please imagine a heavy Polish accent), but they don’t show it anymore.’ (which is true, over here it’s not on air at present). I smile, as he goes on about how he likes the story of the two brothers. And I keep thinking: here’s one fan talking to another.
Then he says ‘you know, Sam is a Polish boy – you see how handsome he is? That’s what Polish boys are… I was handsome once, too (actually, he still was).’
What touched me, though, was how proud he was of Jared. He pronounced his last name the way it is done in Poland (different from American) and said he was immensely proud that Jared didn’t change his name when entering show business. For that patient Jared’s keeping his name was an acknowledgement of his roots and the country my patient came from, which made him proud. He cried as he told me about it, beaming at the same time as if he was talking about his own son.
Eventually, as therapy came to an end and he was getting better, I admitted to him that I was a fan, also, and we spent the last session talking about the show at his request, which was a unique experience, as it was so different a setting and manner. It was very moving, too.
So, best wishes to y’all, Jas
Jasminka, I wanted to thank you for sharing this wonderful story about the Polish gentleman and his feelings for Jared. I bet Jared would love to hear this story, and would most likely be humbled by it. Our boys appreciate their work and their fans so much, and I’m sure Jared would be touched that he and his work meant so much to this gentleman. Thanks again for sharing this beautiful story.
Jasminka, I thought I was all cried out after Abandon All Hope, but obviously not. What a lovely story.
I have now tears in my eyes, Jasminka.
Of joy, I believe.
Thank you for taking all the time to write everything down, Alice. Your reports are so great, even for us who were there!!!! “Con exhaustion” sets in and I don’t remember as much as I should after a convention.
It was so nice to see you again. I’m in the “This was my last con” category, so I really look forward to reading your reports in the future and living vicariously through you.
P.S. I want to see your photo op! 🙂
I did read it! I did! lolol
Thank you for the kind comments Clarice! Unfortunately most of it seems to becoming a blur, guess its time to work on going to another one huh? lolol But I think when it comes to Supernatural, I’ll be attending as a guest only from now on, haha, don’t want to miss any of the good stuff.
Hope all is well!
Brian
Loved your con-recap, Alice, thanks for doing it! I don’t think I’ll ever be attending a con, so I enjoy reports like yours. Thanks for sharing your time and effort