Once upon a time not long ago, two responsible college professors, Lynn the psychologist and Kathy the literary scholar, fell in love with the television show Supernatural and turned their oh-so-practical lives upside down. Plunging headlong into the hidden realms of fandom, they scoured the Internet for pictures of stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki and secretly penned racy fan fiction. And then they hit the road—crisscrossing the country, racking up frequent flyer miles with alarming ease, standing in convention lines at 4 A.M. They had white-knuckled encounters with overly zealous security guards one year and smiling invitations to the Supernatural set the next. Actors stripping in their trailers, fangirls sneaking onto film sets; drunken confessions, squeals of joy, tears of despair; wallets emptied and responsibilities left behind; intrigue and ecstasy and crushing disappointment—it’s all here. And yet even as they reveled in their fandom, the authors were asking themselves whether it’s okay to be a fan, especially for grown women with careers and kids. “Crazystalkerchicks”—that’s what they heard from Supernatural crew members, security guards, airport immigration officials, even sometimes their fellow fans. But what Kathy and Lynn found was that most fans were very much like themselves: smart, capable women looking for something of their own that engages their brains and their libidos. Fangasm pulls back the curtain on the secret worlds of fans and famous alike, revealing Supernatural behind the scenes and discovering just how much the cast and crew know about what the fans are up to. Anyone who’s been tempted to throw off the constraints of respectability and indulge a secret passion—or hit the road with a best friend—will want to come along.

Once upon a time not long ago, two responsible college professors, Lynn the psychologist and Kathy the literary scholar, fell in love with the television show Supernatural and turned their oh-so-practical lives upside down. Plunging headlong into the hidden realms of fandom, they scoured the Internet for pictures of stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki and secretly penned racy fan fiction. And then they hit the road—crisscrossing the country, racking up frequent flyer miles with alarming ease, standing in convention lines at 4 A.M. They had white-knuckled encounters with overly zealous security guards one year and smiling invitations to the Supernatural set the next. Actors stripping in their trailers, fangirls sneaking onto film sets; drunken confessions, squeals of joy, tears of despair; wallets emptied and responsibilities left behind; intrigue and ecstasy and crushing disappointment—it’s all here. And yet even as they reveled in their fandom, the authors were asking themselves whether it’s okay to be a fan, especially for grown women with careers and kids. “Crazystalkerchicks”—that’s what they heard from Supernatural crew members, security guards, airport immigration officials, even sometimes their fellow fans. But what Kathy and Lynn found was that most fans were very much like themselves: smart, capable women looking for something of their own that engages their brains and their libidos. Fangasm pulls back the curtain on the secret worlds of fans and famous alike, revealing Supernatural behind the scenes and discovering just how much the cast and crew know about what the fans are up to. Anyone who’s been tempted to throw off the constraints of respectability and indulge a secret passion—or hit the road with a best friend—will want to come along.

How a Show, and the Support of Its Fandom, Changed—and Saved—Lives Supernatural, a three-time People's Choice Award winner for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show and Tumblr's 2015 Most Reblogged "Live Action TV," has made a name for itself by supporting and encouraging its fans to "always keep fighting," and a memorable line from early in the show's run, "Family don't end with blood," became an inspiring mantra for many who found community in the fandom. In 25 powerful chapters written by Supernatural's actors and fans, including series lead Jared Padalecki, plus special messages from Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and Mark Sheppard, Family Don't End with Blood: Cast and Fans On How Supernatural Has Changed Lives examines the far reach of the show's impact for more than a decade. Supernatural has inspired fans to change their lives, from getting "sober for Sam" to escaping a cult to pursuing life-long dreams. But fans aren't the only ones who have been changed. The actors who bring the show to life have also found, in the show and its community, inspiration, courage, and the strength to keep going when life seemed too hard. Including essays and special messages from Supernatural 's cast: • Jared Padelecki ("Sam Winchester") • Jensen Ackles ("Dean Winchester") • Misha Collins ("Castiel") • Mark Sheppard ("Crowley") • Jim Beaver ("Bobby Singer") • Ruth Connell ("Rowena MacLeod") • Osric Chau ("Kevin Tran") • Rob Benedict ("Chuck Shurley aka God") • Kim Rhodes ("Sheriff Jody Mills") • Briana Buckmaster ("Sheriff Donna Hanscum") • Matt Cohen ("Young John Winchester") • Gil McKinney ("Henry Winchester") • Rachel Miner ("Meg Masters") Collected and edited by Lynn S. Zubernis, a clinical psychologist, professor, and passionate Supernatural fangirl, Family Don't End with Blood provides an insightful and often uplifting look into the way international fan communities become powerful, positive forces in the lives of so many. In keeping with the show's message to "always keep fighting," a portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to RANDOM ACTS, a nonprofit founded by Misha Collins, and AT TITUDES IN REVERSE, whose mission is to educate young people about mental health and suicide prevention.

Fifteen years. Two brothers. Angels and demons. A story like no other. And one of the most passionate fan bases of all time. That's Supernatural. There'll Be Peace When You Are Done: Actors and Fans Celebrate the Legacy of Supernatural is an emotional look back at the beloved television show Supernatural as it wraps up its final season after fifteen unprecedented years on air. With heartfelt chapters written by both the series' actors and its fans—plus full-color photos and fan illustrations—There'll Be Peace When You Are Done traces Supernatural's evolution, the memorable characters created by its writers and brought to life by its talented actors, and the many ways in which the show has inspired and changed the lives of both its viewers and cast. Both a celebration of Supernatural and a way of remembering what made it so special, this book is a permanent reminder of the legacy the show leaves behind and a reminder to the SPN Family to, like the series' unofficial theme song says, "carry on." Featuring chapters from Jared Padalecki ("Sam Winchester") and Jensen Ackles ("Dean Winchester"), which include some of the most heartfelt and emotional things they've previously said about Supernatural that they want fans to remember—plus new reflections about Sam and Dean's legacy, There'll Be Peace When You Are Done also includes original contributions from: • Richard Speight, Jr. ("Gabriel") • Chad Lindberg ("Ash") • Julie McNiven ("Anna Milton") • Tahmoh Penikett ("Gadreel") • Shoshannah Stern ("Eileen Leahy") • Rick Worthy ("Alpha Vamp") • David Haydn-Jones ("Arthur Ketch") • Lauren Tom ("Linda Tran") • And many more, including a special message from Misha Collins ("Castiel") Edited by Lynn S. Zubernis, a clinical psychologist, professor, and passionate Supernatural fangirl, There'll Be Peace When You Are Done is the ultimate send-off for this iconic show that has touched and changed the lives of so many fans across all walks of life.

Fandom At The Crossroads: Celebration, Shame and Fan/Producer Relationships is an in-depth exploration of the reciprocal relationship between a groundbreaking cult television show and its equally groundbreaking fandom. For the past six years the authors have inhabited the close-knit fan communities of the television show Supernatural, engaging in criticism and celebration, reading and writing fanfiction, and attending fan conventions. Their close relationships within the community allow an intimate behind-the-scenes examination of fan psychology, passion, motivation, and shame. The authors also speak directly to the creative side in order to understand what fuels the passionate reciprocal relationship Supernatural has with its fans, and to interrogate the reality of fans’ fears and shame. As they go behind the scenes and onto the sets to talk with Supernatural’s showrunners, writers, and actors, the authors struggle to negotiate a hybrid identity as “aca-fans”. Fangirls one moment, “legitimate” researchers the next, the boundaries often blur. Their repeated breaking of the fan/creative side boundary is mirrored in Supernatural’s reputation for fourth wall breaking, which has attracted journalistic coverage everywhere from Entertainment Weekly to the New York Times. Written with humor and irreverence, Stalking Fandom combines an innovative theorizing of fandom and popular culture, which will be useful in a variety of courses, with a behind-the-scenes story that anyone who’s ever been a fan or wondered why others are fans will find fascinating.

"From Gifs to vids, from tourist attractions to digital costuming, from Trekkers to Inspector Spacetime, Media Play illuminates the multiple economic, cultural, and social links between fans and the media industries"--

Fan Culture: Theory/Practice brings together the most current scholarship on fan studies, in a way that makes it accessible and usable for both students and teachers. The essays in this collection explore the relative influence of academic and fan perspectives in the current group of scholar-fans and the ethical dilemmas that sometimes emerge from this interplay of identities, the impact of the increasingly reciprocal relationship between textual producers and consumers, and gender differences in fannish meaning-making and interaction. Fan Studies addresses these current issues through some of the most popular fannish texts, including Doctor Who, Torchwood, Star Wars, Star Trek, Supernatural, Smallville and Twilight. Fan Culture: Theory/Practice is thus designed to challenge some accepted notions, while asking relevant questions about pedagogy. How do we understand the state of the field, and teach fan studies both effectively and responsibly? The essays contained in this volume explore the dominant themes in the field, and seek to situate fan studies as a discipline with a pedagogy of its own.