Founded in 1971 by Gary Berman and Adam Malin, two young teenage sci-fi fans in New York, Creation Entertainment continues a 53 year tradition of producing the world's leading fan conventions for followers of genre television and film. In this episode, I interview Gary about how they got started, what it’s like to put on a small but impactful event, and where they are headed to next!

Links:

Creation Entertainment: https://www.creationent.com/

The FitExpo: https://www.thefitexpo.com/about-us/

SPN Conventions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-8-conventions-conclusions/id1674695211?i=1000618516299

Credits

Music written & performed by Chris Scott

Cover art by Liz Hand

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How well do you know Eric Kripke's two biggest hits: Supernatural and The Boys? Can you name all the shared actors between the two shows? Did you catch every clever homage shared between the shows? Do you think one pulled off its finale better than the other? Host Sadie Witkowski (host of In Defense of Fandom podcast) pits Geekscape podcasters Matt Kelly (Weird Al-gorithm and One Hit Thunder podcasts), Eric Conner (Marvel Movie Talk podcast), and Joe Fejeran (Fright School and San Diego Pride podcasts) as "Team The Boys" against "SPN Family" members Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural season 15 writer), Berly Land (host of Denim-Wrapped Nightmares podcast), and Irena Chernova (self-described fanfic writer and meta dabbler) to see who knows these shows the best. Listen to the live recording of this San Diego Comic Con panel and hear the audience cheers determine who wins!

Find the Panelists (instagram handles):

Matt Kelly - @saintmort

Eric Conner - @countericconner

Joe Fejeran - @frightschool

Meghan Fitzmartin - @megfitz89

Berly Land - @dwnpod

Irena Chernova - @ayreisha

Credits

Music written & performed by Chris Scott

Cover art by Liz Hand

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Started in 1987, Atlanta Georgia’s Dragon Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe. At least, that’s according to their official website. For this episode, I sat down with Science Track Director Matt Jarrett and the science track second-in-command Vaughan James to get the insider scoop on what it takes to organize this community of science nerds each year.

Additional Links

DragonCon Official Site: https://www.dragoncon.org/

Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast (mentioned by Matt): https://www.pvshadowcast.org/

Vaughan's dissertation on science communication at DragonCon: https://www.proquest.com/openview/a243e74d71a6bbf7fe7dca8b5b3957a7/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Credits

Music written & performed by Chris Scott

Cover art by Liz Hand

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season, we're changing up formats! Conventions are all about the in-person experiences and the conversations you have with others. This season, we'll bring that interview format to life with minimally edited conversations between Sadie and a range of guests.

Have a guest you'd love to hear from? Or maybe a question you've always had about convention-planning? Let us know and you may hear your request in the next episode!

Music by August Hotel

Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the series finale of Supernatural Music Extravaganza! In this episode, the Denim Wrapped Nightmares and In Defense of Fandom crews tackle the eternal question: "Why does my Supernatural sound different on {insert name of streaming platform}?!" Spoiler alert: blame capitalism!

The hosts explain the wild world of music licensing, from the show's early "oops, we only bought DVD rights" days to the later "give us your songs FOREVER" era. Turns out those iconic needle drops cost serious upfront cash, which is why Season 1 Dean might be rocking out to "Generic Rock Song #4" instead of AC/DC. RIP original soundtrack, we hardly knew ye (unless you own the DVD).

Featuring insights from Jensen Ackles on budget woes, a deep dive into why physical media matters, and heartfelt tributes to favorite Supernatural needle drops—from "Heat of the Moment" torture to Bob Seger brotherhood feels. Plus: important intel on where to snag those Radio Company vinyls before they're gone again.

The moral of the story? Buy the Blu-rays. Buy the CDs. Stream responsibly. Go to the shows. And never trust a tinkerbell.

Click here to learn more about music supervision and Alexandra Patsavas.

Catchup on Supernatural Music Extravaganza episodes, shop, and find playlists at linktr.ee/SPN20.

Thank you for taking this SPN Family musical journey with us!

Please continue to follow Denim-wrapped Nightmares and In Defense of

Special thanks to Steve Hein, producer of the hit podcast, Supernatural Then

Special thanks to our "favorite needle drop" contributors: Kera Styler, Nessa Colt, Lauren from Hops Geek News, Lynn from SPN 'Verse, Jordan, Liz, Iggy, Nerdy Tavern, and Waleed from the Wally Verse.

Special thanks to our music contributors: Richard Cummins (richardcummins.bandcamp.com/music), Gil McKinney (music.apple.com/us/artist/gil-mckinney/315769280), The Station Breaks (music.apple.com/us/artist/the-station-breaks/1181728798), Briana Buckmaster and Billy Moran (music.apple.com/us/album/carry-on-wayward-son-single/1487727442).

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another installment of the Denim-wrapped Nightmares and In Defense of Fandom collaboration, Supernatural Music Extravaganza!

What happens when two powerhouse voices (who spent years thinking they weren't good enough) finally find their people? Pure magic, that's what.

Briana Buckmaster and Lisa Berry take us back to a fateful train ride from a Stage West audition where they bonded over being told their alto, bluesy, rock voices didn't fit the "belt to an E, ingenue" sound that musical theater demanded. Spoiler: the industry was wrong, and Saturday Night Special proved it.

From Bri's traumatic vocal node saga (thanks, restaurant work and Beauty and the Beast) to Lisa spending a decade not singing at all before landing Death on Supernatural, these two get real about vocal insecurity, jet lag voice loss, and why Jason Manns is everyone's musical fairy godfather. There's the story of how Phil Sgriccia turned Lisa's trailer recording of "O Death" into the iconic season 11 trailer, why steroid shots are a musical theater thing (opera singers just cancel, apparently), and how Lisa manifested becoming Death through sheer fan theory energy.

Plus: why Louden Swain won't let Bri sing "Stairway to Heaven," the revelation that maybe everyone's faking it, and Lisa's dream of re-recording "O Death" now that she can actually fly in the song.

Fair warning: you'll laugh, you might cry, and you'll definitely want to attend Lisa's future Toronto concert.

Special thanks to Bri for allowing us to feature some of her music. Find tracks at https://music.apple.com/us/artist/briana-buckmaster/1399938992.

Don't forget to check out these playlists of the full songs featured in our episodes so far!

Apple Music

YouTube Music

Spotify

And don’t worry, we’ll keep adding to the tunes as we continue our journey into the music of Supernatural!

Catch-up on Supernatural Music Extravaganza episodes at https://linktr.ee/SPN20

Please rate and review In Defense of Fandom wherever you get your podcasts!

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our collaboration special between Denim-wrapped Nightmares and In Defense of Fandom continues with hosts Sadie, LA, and Berly exploring the world of Supernatural-inspired music—because apparently, watching two gorgeous brothers hunt monsters for 15 seasons wasn't enough.

Opening its doors in 2018, Family Business Beer Company was a Texas hill country retreat where visitors could drink craft brews, enjoy tasty pizza, and see local live music. Although the brewery’s physical location has since closed, its legacy lives on through the musicians who performed there. 

Night Parade, a classic rock and pop music cover band, describe their experiences performing at Family Business Beer Company. Not all the band members were originally fans of the show, but they absolutely appreciated how the brewery connected with the Austin live music scene while keeping it chill. 🔗http://nightparademusic.com/

The Scott Sisters, Charise and Christian are an acoustic sibling duo from Mississippi. Although they were raised in a musically-talented household, it wasn’t until the covid pandemic that Chistian followed her sister to Texas and they began singing together on stage. They take us through the whirlwind experience from performing at the brewery’s annual private party to singing back up for Steve Carlson to performing at Saturday Night Special in Oklahoma City!  🔗https://tr.ee/Ruf1df 

🍻If you want to support Family Business Beer Company, you can find their beer across Texas or shop their merch here.

As we are just past the midpoint of our musical Supernatural journey, please check out these playlists of songs featured in our episodes so far!

Apple Music

YouTube Music

Spotify

And don’t worry, we’ll keep adding to the tunes as we continue our journey into the music of Supernatural!

Catchup on Supernatural Music Extravaganza episodes at https://linktr.ee/SPN20

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Please rate and review In Defense of Fandom wherever you get your podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder what happens when a TV show's crew forms a band? We got answers from two members of The Impalas - Supernatural's incredibly talented crew band that rocked wrap parties and even appeared as the Roadhouse band in an actual episode.

Jim Michaels (Producer) reveals that crew bands are a TV tradition, explains The Impalas' "full-time crew members only" rule, and shares how their drummer was SO good that recording studios started hiring him. Also confirmed: Jensen Ackles is annoyingly talented at everything.

Brad Creasser (Camera Operator/Saxophonist) played with the band despite being "terrified" of performing. He recalls the Hunker Down Festival where Vancouver crews battled with their bands, and the magical moment filming Rob Benedict's "Fare Thee Well."

PLUS: Ben Edlund on writing the Ghost Facers theme, his recorder orchestra trauma, and his own band Ghost Tyger & Friends (where he's definitely NOT being possessed by a pro-cannibalism interdimensional tiger who wants you to recycle grandma into furniture).

Highlights: The physics-defying Kansas Comic-Con surprise, why "Renegade" is the perfect needle drop, Jensen's musical beginnings, and a passionate defense of paying for real music instead of cheap sound-alikes.

Warning: Contains references to eating the dead and bismuth discussions.

Special thanks to Ghost Tyger & Friends for allowing us to feature some of their music. Find tracks and more at https://bit.ly/4ixhyjN.

Catchup on Supernatural Music Extravaganza episodes at https://linktr.ee/SPN20

Follow In Defense of Fandom (if you're not already) and turn on

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode two of the Denim Wrapped Nightmares and In Defensive Fandom crossover! This episode dives deep into the sonic soul of Supernatural—from the classic rock that made us fall in love with the show to the music keeping the fandom alive today.

Billy Moran - Guitarist for Louden Swain, Billy was actually a Supernatural fan BEFORE he joined Rob Benedict's band. Discover how a Flash website with a virtual car radio led him to the show, why he had to learn 70 classic rock songs (spoiler: he didn't), and the origin story of the mysteriously named "Elastic Waistband" (RIP to those wigs). Billy shares tales from the road, explains why the tour van's worst seat is forever known as "the butthole," and reveals which Louden Swain song was directly inspired by a disastrous snowy Atlanta tour.

Chris Schmelke - Creation Entertainment's official photographer and the maestro behind those perfectly curated photo op playlists. Chris explains why music is absolutely critical to creating magic in the photo room, how he DJs on the fly while shooting, and why certain songs are permanently banned (looking at you, "Africa" by Toto—sorry Jen!). Plus, learn about his own rock band origins and why he kisses Rob Benedict on the cheek every time he joins Louden Swain on stage.

Key Moments

The exact moment Billy discovered Supernatural (hint: it involved an interactive website)

Why Mark Sheppard told them to ditch the Elastic Waistband persona

Chris's philosophy: treat photo ops like experiences, not cattle calls

Why the Saturday Night Special is really about celebrating that Rob Benedict is still here

Grab your flannel, crank up the classic rock, and join us for a conversation about how music became the beating heart of the Supernatural fandom—both on screen and off.

Special thanks to Billy for allowing us to feature some of his music. Find tracks and more at https://www.billymoran.com/.

A Denim Wrapped Nightmares and In Defensive Fandom podcast crossover

Follow Denim-wrapped Nightmares for our next episode: https://denimwrappednightmares.buzzsprout.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadie, along with Denim-wrapped Nightmare's Berly and LA, kick off their massive 10-episode collaboration celebrating the 20th anniversary of Supernatural by diving into the show's iconic musical legacy. And yes, they interviewed over 20 people for this series because apparently they're all insane.

The episode opens with a power move: Sadie asking Jared and Jensen about Supernatural's music at a convention panel (using Berly's name callout because Berly is a good friend who understands true J2 fandom priorities). From there, the hosts explore why music became so fundamental to the show's DNA—including Eric Kripke almost quitting over the network wanting to ditch classic rock for "current, exciting, young music."

They discuss fan-favorite needle drops, with Death's entrance to "O Death" taking the crown as most mentioned, followed by the "Renegade" escape in "Night Shifter" and "Rooster" in "Folsom Prison Blues." There's also a moment of silence for all the needle drops lost to streaming music licensing (RIP "Don't Fear the Reaper" in the Faith episode).

The hosts break down the convention music experience—Saturday Night Specials, Louden Swain as the house band, Jason Manns, and the revelation that there's literally music everywhere at these things. LA admits she had no idea conventions even had concerts before attending her first one.

Important PSA: This series features interviews with composers Chris Lennertz and Jay Gruska, musicians inspired by the show, and approximately everyone talented in the Supernatural universe (who was willing to meet with us).

Subscribe to both podcasts to hear all the interviews, because yes, you have to follow both feeds. It's free though, so they're really not that evil about it.

The series drops November 11th and runs through the end of the year!

Special thanks to Steve Hein, producer of the hit podcast, Supernatural Then and Now, for permission to include the conversation with Eric Kripke. Find their full discussion at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spotlight-on-eric-kripke/id1605385289?i=1000646839769

Find and follow Denim-wrapped Nightmares at https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076426.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices