Supernatural fun-dom: Top 5 things to love about the SPN Family

Supernatural — “Exodus” — Photo: Robert Falconer/The CW — Acquired via CW TV PR

So you’re new here, huh? Welcome to the party! 13-year fan? Awesome. No matter where you hopped in the timeline, your Supernatural family will keep you smiling. The list of reasons is endless, but here are a few of our faves.

Earlier this year, I was forced into a chair for a while and Netflix became my main squeeze. This is when I found the golden goose that is Supernatural. I didn’t wake up one day and say “I will become a fangirl of this thing.” Alas… I could not be halted from evolving.

And if you’re reading this, you probably already know exactly what I’m talking about. The reality is, this Supernatural phenomenon cannot and must not be stopped.

Well, no need to describe what happened to me because as you can see, I am here with you. I lovingly hover at stage five, creating content such as this while I (not calmly) wait for my calendar to tell me it’s Oct. 11, 2018. Because you know, Supernatural season 14 premiere, obviously.

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• Did The Winchesters get renewed? (Is The Winchesters season 2 happening?)
• Is a new episode of The Winchesters on tonight? (March 14, 2023)
• The Winchesters Season1 finale explained: Did it connect to Supernatural?

When I first turned to the internet for comfort upon reaching the edge of creation, I felt a little lost and wished I had known all along. I saw quotes, GIF images, jokes, and more. I didn’t know why “pudding!” was so funny. But as I continue to take twists and turns into the world that is the Supernatural fandom, I have started to find that being new is not necessarily a disadvantage.

Before long, I was playing some game called GISH and making friends in other states. This week, I’m working on organizing a fundraiser at my daughters’ school to raise funds for The Bad Idea Tour. I’ve made phone calls to get a political message up in space, I’ve gotten perfect strangers to sign up for a scavenger hunt, and I actually have an inner desire to send something I made to a person I’ve never met. All of this is because of the family I have joined. The Supernatural Family.

#1 – Quirks and inside jokes

Last night I saw this Q&A footage for the first time. Now I am aware that Jared Padalecki seems willing to do anything to justify his use of GIF (pronounced J-I-F-F). This could even mean nonchalantly altering the word graphic (say giraffe-ick) to suit his needs. We are dealing with some creative people, here.

And this is just one of many little quirks and tendencies that you will eventually discover. This particular discussion about the GIF thing stemmed from the fact that Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki playfully torture their friends by responding to texts with .gif memes of themselves.

Additionally, I learned that J2 no longer prank each other as they have decidedly gone too far already. Apparently now they are a joint force of trickery to be reckoned with.

Generally speaking, the new guy is going to get it. Misha Collins had to be a little relieved on the inside when Alexander Calvert joined the cast and some of their efforts were turned to him as we clearly see during the gag reel on the new season 13 Blu-ray.

These tricks may range from making faces while the camera isn’t looking to snipping up a person’s bank card IRL to prevent them from paying the tab (this happened). Sometimes they get annoyed with each other and vow to take revenge, sometimes they play along and historical events are born. Once you’ve spent even the shortest period of time looking at fan videos and clips, you will easily believe that you understand every reference in the first or second Supernatural parody. But you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: Actors Richard Speight Jr. (L) and Rob Benedict perform onstage at the “Supernatural” panel during Comic-Con International 2017 at San Diego Convention Center on July 23, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

#2 – Conventions

This is where it’s at, my friends. Supernatural family reunions. These events are way over the top and always something to behold. We’re talking about vendors, Q&A sessions, madlibs, pajama parties, meet and greets, autographs and hugs. This is not just an event, this is a party. Things will happen, memes will be generated. Jared will say Jiffs.

People will sing and give private concerts (because guess what? They have bands), and the 80s will live again when fans and actors sing karaoke versions of Africa, by Toto. It’s like we’ve all known each other since birth.

Conventions are like Pringles. You can’t have just one. You will be a serial convention-goer. You will have a cork board with all of your photo op visits in a collage. You will start collecting gear from Hot Topic. Your Holiday savings account will be relabeled “convention fund.” You will be “one of us,” because in fact, you already are.

The cast and crew of Supernatural are some very dedicated, involved, and wonderful people. Our fandom is vast and immensely involved. There might be a vortex as you observe YouTubers who are Supernatural fans greeting other fans who are also fans of them for being fans of Supernatural. There are vendors who spend their time and talent making amazing and unique books, gifts, and trinkets that we can have and love.

We can even be part of the art, ourselves because being part of the SPN Family means giving. This group of people comes together and donates their time, love, and personal support to each other. We’re not just there to get the joy of seeing and learning more about our favorite actors and actresses in the show we love. We are also giving to them and to the things they care about. We want to give them as much as they give us. Like random thank-you notes that we can all sign (yes, I signed).

#3 – Spoofs and gags

Ahhhh, where to begin? We can talk about the many behind-the-scenes bloopers you can spend hours watching on gag reels for every season. We can talk about the on-set pranks. Or what about the fan fiction (omg). There’s a world of parodies to consider, crossovers, even a full episode, The French Mistake, where the actors, creators, and crew appear as themselves playing themselves playing themselves. From ridiculous to remarkable, unique is the word du jour.

No matter which direction you take first, the path will be seemingly endless. You have YouTubers making videos with their thoughts. You have fans writing entire storylines about where it could have gone, side stories, back stories, you name it.

There is an endless supply of artwork, trinkets, translations of symbols, new stories like Wayward Sisters, and more. Entire accounts dedicated to bringing you unusual collections of tidbits. More than I could possibly name and certainly more than I know about.

Some of this delicious material is serious while other pieces of unique wonder focus on the comedy of Supernatural, its story, history, what-ifs, and beyond. If you haven’t stumbled into this yet (which I cannot imagine is the case), you are in for a serious and wonderful treat. Prepare to clear your schedule because once you start, you will not want to stop.

#4 – Kindness

There is no short way to express the level of kindness I have experienced along this path of Supernatural fandom. The actors/actresses/creators of Supernatural really go above and beyond. It’s not just about items and events, either. GISH has broken world records for acts of kindness that surpass all other attempts, like collecting the most donated socks (ever) for the homeless.

Every single year, fans and strangers alike donate to the Ackles family’s efforts in raising money for Down syndrome research and awareness through Team Levi. Misha Collins passed out voter registration forms at SDCC. This stuff has been going on for some time and is only the tip of the iceberg. The city of Austin, Texas has an official Supernatural Day. I’m serious, it’s official. The impact is real and people everywhere want to join in and recognize it.

As you can see, the Supernatural fandom takes on missions that matter to them and to each other, and the network branches out to bring true change together. There is so much more to say on this topic and a single post, let alone a section, can never do it justice.

#5 – SPN Family

This is what we’re talking about, ladies and gentlemen, the Supernatural family. This is not just a fandom alone, it is a true family. There are books, hashtags, events and more. The list of good deeds and hugging events is impossibly long and not likely to wrap anytime soon. With this quote from Dean Winchester, we can build on the principle that you don’t need to be related to be family:

"A wise man once told me, “Family don’t end in blood.” It doesn’t start there, either. Family cares about you, not about what you can do for them. Family’s there through the good, bad, all of it. They got your back. Even when it hurts. That’s family."

And that’s real. We band together to raise money, have conventions, promote each other personally and professionally, make friends, sign petitions, create fan fiction, art, laugh, hug, and so much more. We are a movement. We are family.

What is your favorite aspect of being a member of the SPN Family? Did you know about all these awesome things? Let us know in the comments or send us a tweet!

Supernatural season 14 starts October 11 on The CW! Follow SPN Hunters on Facebook or Twitter for the new and review!