In Defense of Fandom

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Alright, let's wrap up everything we've learned on endings: from the fan experience to the changes in how TV is made. And of course, we'll try to answer the question of whether we think Supernatural will ever be back for a season 16th.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Mark Hampton: NA Rob Be...

Howdy Y'all! I hope to see some of you at the Austin, Texas Supernatural convention this weekend. Please don't feel shy, come say hi to me. I'll have stickers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing ever really dies in the land of Hollywood! Reboots, revivals, and resurrections are all possible returns of fan favorite shows. Not that fans always want more of the story...   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Kevin Grazier: @kevingrazier Matt Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saint...

Spring of 2020 was a rough time for basically every industry, and television was no different. COVID-19 restrictions changed the way that television was made and what could be possible; unfortunately, this was at the perfect moment to completely alter the ending of Supernatural.   9:55 and onward contains spoilers for the last 3 episodes of Supernatural, so beware!   Support the show on Ko-Fi: htt...

Look, this is the episode we all knew I was going to do. I can't talk about endings without talking about the different perspectives on Supernatural's finale. Lynn Zubernis joins me for a conversation on the last season, the last episodes, and how different fans interpreted the ending vastly differently from each other.   Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timestamps to skip t...

Not all shows end. Or, at least they don't conform to what we tend to think of as an ending. This episode is an exploration of three short vignettes. Oh! And no need to worry about a spoiler during this episode!   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Mark Hampton: Maggie O'Connor: @maggie.in.the.m...

I’m taking a short break to get caught up on writing the scripts for the second half of the season. But, I didn’t want to leave your podcast playlist empty, so I decided to share this conversation I had back in early May with writer, cartoonist, and TV director Ben Edlund!   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music wr...

TV creators face the unique challenge of not knowing how long a particular show will last. Knowing if you’ll have 13 episodes or 13 seasons can radically alter how they’re able to approach the end, but it's a rarity to know when a show has reached the end of the road.   *NOTE: Steph Dizon is no longer employed with Creation Entertainment*   Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these t...

Does it matter if the show is more episodic vs narrative for how the ending is perceived by the fandom? How much does a show have to set up in earlier seasons to earn its payoff at the end? Let’s talk about TJLC, or The JohnLock Conspiracy in BBC’s Sherlock fandom, and the Chekov’s gun that was the premise for How I Met Your Mother.   Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timesta...

**CLARIFICATION** First, in this episode I said that Banana Fish has the highest percentage of works tagged fix it. Although Toast did their best to pull a representative sample, we still can’t say Banana Fish is definitively the top show in this metric. There could well be other fandoms with even higher percentage, but that weren’t captured in that review. Second, I misspoke and implied that tag...

I have a little theory about TV endings. Good endings are fondly remembered, bad endings kill fandoms, and divisive endings make them stick around forever (to argue!). So, am I actually right? Let’s find out…  Spoiler Warnings!  Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timestamps to skip them completely: Avatar the Last Airbender: 7:37-8:30 Dexter: 11:16-11:40 Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi...

New season, new topic! This season, we’re talking about how television shows bring their stories to a close, and how that affects the fandom. We’ll talk about great endings and terrible endings. Shows that got to go out on their own terms and shows that were canceled, only to later be revived in a new format.  And of course, there will be discussion about the ending of Supernatural. A LOT of discu...

I was so excited to meet Gabe at San Diego Comic Con last summer! He graciously agreed to an interview for this little podcast, all about his experiences writing for The Winchesters.   Tell me your thoughts on shows ending: https://forms.gle/d2KGqChpietazZh29   Definitely stick around to the end where he answers some fan questions that I collected!   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in...

While I assumed costume designers would have a heyday with Halloween, it turns out costumers just want to dress others up - not themselves. At least, that’s according to costume designer Jennifer May Nickel. For this bonus episode, I’m bringing you a conversation with the costume designer from Gotham Knights!   Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scot...

What’s it like to be on the other side of fandom, when you’re not the famous one? And how does having a famous family member affect a non-fandom business? Family Business Beer Co CEO Gino has seen it all. It turns out when fandom and ‘normies’ mix, you get all sorts of stories.   Stay tuned for a unique contest at the end!   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Compe...

SPN Family shows up to help picket for fair contracts for both the WGA (writers guild of america) and SAG (screen actors guild). Oh, and a small personal update.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Eric Kripke: @therealKripke Kaelee Rhiannon Ben Edlund: @ben_edlund Misha Collins: @mishacollin...

The first season may be over, but we aren’t done yet!   In this first bonus episode, hear some of the voices from across the season tell their stories of how they discovered Supernatural and what hooked them on the show, and the fandom.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Shontill: @abeautifu...

Somehow we’ve come to the end of this road trip, and we’re bringing things back to where it all started. In this final episode of season one, we reflect on the SPN family and how conventions play a major role as a “family reunion” for fans across the world.   It seems Bobby wasn’t just referring to the Winchesters when he said that, family don’t end in blood.    Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://...

The SPN Family doesn’t just support each other. Fans and cast alike have started campaigns, founded nonprofits, and committed charitable acts to support both those in the community and the world beyond. In this episode, learn about the international impact of the Supernatural Fandom.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Oh! And don’t forget to perform an Act of Kin...

We’ve spent quite a bit of time on the creativity of the SPN Family, and now we’ve even talked about the darkside. But in this episode, let’s hear how fandom studies has grown as a field and how community aspects of fandom have come to the fore.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Lynn Zubern...

As much as we’d like to believe that fandom is all supporting each other’s nerdy interests, that’s not always the case. What are some of the pitfalls of fandom? And which are specific to SPN Family? Let’s find out.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cassie Scott: @i...

Enjoy this mini-episode while I take a mini-break to work on the second half of this season! In this episode, we’re taking a peek at video, youtube, and a very short discussion on TikTok.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Alana King: @_AlanaKing_ Chris Scott: https://www.instagram.com/chris...

Welcome to my world, the world of audio! In this episode, we hear from podcasters, a podficcer, and even some musicians you might just recognize.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom   Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Jeremy, Monster of the Week podcast: @MOTWcast Marie, Carrying Wayward podcast: @maryturner_ Steven Hein, SPN T...

I may not be a native of Tumblr, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how the platform helped launch the careers of multiple fan artists! And let’s not forget to include our SPN convention ‘photogs’ in this episode examining the visual world of fandom. Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Jackie Dee (Winchester Reload): @JackieDeeArt  Liz: @__ellie Lizlee: @l...