The CW Source

The CW Source is an official blog produced by the CW network, ostensibly as a marketing tool.

Its tone is very casual and friendly, and it is authored by CW employees (presumably employed for this purpose, as opposed to members of production teams or otherwise keeping a blog).

The blog covers a range of CW produced shows as well as Supernatural, such as Smallville and Veronica Mars.

The CW Source can be found here, or click here to view only Supernatural-related posts.

The CW Source linking to Fan-created Material

In late 2006, The CW Source began linking to fan-created material in their posts about Supernatural, and encouraging fans to submit their favourite fanart and fanfiction.

• May 25, 2007, posted by Sarah – linked to Kroki Refur’s Various (Ten Expressions) Picspams, saying:

We're at the start of a long, dry, new-Supernatural-free summer, and we know you're wondering how you're going to get through until the new season starts this fall. We're here to help, with the return of our posts on the best in Supernatural fan-created goodness.

This week, we're going to point you to the various picspams of Kroki Refur (about halfway down the page). Refur is, quite simply, a genius, and her picspams inspire as much glee as the episodes themselves.

We were first introduced to Refur's particular brand of madness through her "Ten Expressions" posts, where she takes 10 expressions from an episode and weaves them into a story. In these posts, we discovered the show's budgetary restriction on expressions, thrilled at evil make-up department plans, witnessed the salting and burning of the Internet, enjoyed the uses of flashbacks for brotherly torture, first set eyes on the Fabulous Drunk!Sam seal of disapproval, debated whether Sam is evil or 12, and discussed the philosophical implications of seriously cheesy movies.

Plus, Refur came up with the single most brilliant explanation for what happened to Sam in All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1. Seriously – check them all out.

Then we delved into her exhaustive and exhilarating Episode Recaps of Doom – perfect for when you want to relive the best of the episode. They're smart, they're funny, and they make you see things you may have missed the first time around. They're just the thing to get you through the summer.

We were thrilled when we got a chance to talk to Refur about her Supernatural art, the show, and why she does what she does. Read on!

Ten Expressions started when Refur watched In My Time of Dying: "I was just struck by how expressive Sam and Dean's faces were, and I wanted to make a post about that. I started off just picking my favorite ten expressions for Sam, but then I did Dean too and I put in a few funny captions and people liked that." Those posts evolved into using the pics to tell a story based on – or inspired by – the episode.

The conversation part is the easiest part of the process, Refur says,"The rapport between the brothers makes writing dialogue for them awesome fun." The rest of the process takes some time: "I basically go through the episode making screencaps of every time there's a good shot of the boys' faces (preferably close-ups). I usually wind up with four or five hundred caps. When I'm done, I go through them and go 'Man, that's an awesome bitchface' or whatever, and pick my favorite expressions and put them in a separate folder, which usually brings the number down to about fifty, and then I see what sort of conversation suggests itself based on those. Then I write the conversation, pick caps to go with each line, photoshop them to make them clearer, et voila!’’"

Of course, the show itself helps the process along: "The most important thing for me, and I think most people in the fandom, is the relationship between the two brothers. Even when the show is being silly or cheesy, the family dynamics are so well-drawn, and the characterization is wonderful."

Refur has nothing but good things to say about the show and about her fellow fans: "Supernatural is a wonderful fandom to be in, both because of the show (which is, of course, awesome) and because of the sheer love for it that we all have. I've had so many kind comments about my stuff from total strangers, and, you know, it's the sort of thing that would make me want to have a giant chick-flick moment if I wasn't so stoic and repressed."

Hee! Well, we may risk inspiring a chick-flick response by saying this, but we think Refur is all kinds of awesome. Go check her stuff out!

• April 12, 2007, posted by Sarah – linked to Giggling Kat’s music metas, saying:

You all know by now that we love Supernatural, and for good reason: It’s got great actors, good plots, clever writing, and the added bonus of monsters and blood and gore.

But sometimes when we enthuse about the show to the uninitiated, they get a sort of glazed look in their eye. In many cases, that’s because Supernatural falls into the category of a “genre” show – it’s about horror, monsters, things that aren’t (we hope) real. And a lot of people equate genre with brainless entertainment. So since Supernatural is genre, they think, and genre is brainless, then Supernatural must be brainless too, right?

Of course, we know better. And leave to Supernatural’s legion of exceedingly brainy fans to prove the point.

As an example, check out Giggling Kat’s music metas, dissections of how the show’s music choices underlie and amplify what’s going on onscreen. And this isn’t in the “they’re using strings, so we’re supposed to be sad” school of emotional manipulation – this is good, deep-thoughts stuff. She breaks down the song, line by line, matches it up with the visuals, and delves into the deeper implications of what the music and lyrics are saying about what’s happening in the Supernatural world.

We asked Kat, who lives in Florida – “where all the weird stuff happens, according to Dean” – to tell us a little about these music metacommentary pieces:

“Music tends to shamelessly manipulate emotion and project it on whatever you were seeing. What Supernatural tends to do better than other shows is deliberately twist the knife with something they already created. I like that they put the effort behind it rather than let the music do the work for them or let the music decide what the emotion is.”

As an example, Kat cites Renegade, the classic, operatic and entirely ass-kicking Styx song used at the end of Night Shifter. We were content to headbang and bellow along (gotta love Styx), but Kat gave it a little more thought.

“I gotta tell you – I wasn't sure about the episode, “ Kat said. “Obviously, they weren't dead or in federal prison the next week. So it just seemed like a bit of a cheat to set up the FBI and just let them get away. And then Tommy Shaw crooned ‘Oh, momma I'm in fear for my life...’ And right there - I knew they were going to follow up and there WERE going to be consequences. The music told me without the show ever needing to.”

It’s stuff like this that we point to whenever anyone rolls their eyes and says “Yeah, but isn’t Supernatural just some horror show?” It’s a lot more, and fans like Kat help prove it.

Also linked to Heavy Meta Poisoning, saying:

Kat also pointed up to a central place for all sorts of metacommentary on Supernatural – Heavy Meta Poisoning. First of all, we love the title. Second, it’s a great place to while away the time getting a new perspective on a lot of things that happen on the show. Wonder about the significance of John’s USMC t-shirt, or the parallels between Jess and Dean? Someone has thought about it, and they’ll give you something to ponder. It’s the perfect place to get backup when you’re arguing for Supernatural as a smart, meaningful show.

What do you think? Do you dig metacommentary, or do you prefer your fan art and commentary to stick to the funny? Or do you think that there’s room for both smart and funny in this fandom – just like there is in this show? Let us know, and keep sending us fan art recommendations!

• March 30, 2007, posted by 'Sarah' - linked to Super-Wiki, saying:

We like to think we’re pretty knowledgeable about the Supernatural universe. We can rattle off the types of beasties the boys have taken out, identify the various people they’ve saved (or failed to save), and present a thoughtful critique on the proper method of salting and burning bones. Plus, all things Winchester have bled over into our regular lives: We’ve got 169 songs on our Mullet Rock playlist. We keep up with the antics of the Plastic!Winchesters. We have seriously considered keeping a bag of rock salt in easy reach of the desk – just incase.

But every once in a while, we get stumped. What was that song on the jukebox? Who wrote that one episode with the tulpa? How do the boys fit all of their belongings into one little duffle bag apiece? When questions like these arise, we know exactly where to go: Super Wiki, an encyclopedic look at the world of Supernatural put together and maintained by fans.

These people are – and understand, we mean this in the best possible way, and we say it with more than a fair bit of awe – completely insane. They’ve collected and dissected nearly every aspect of the show, the behind-the-scenes world, and the fan community, and laid it out in stunning detail. You have a question about something related to Supernatural? Most likely, someone on Super Wiki has answered it.

While we appreciate Super Wiki for the big-picture items – who wrote what, what happened in what episode, that sort of thing – it’s the completely random pages that captivate us. As an example, consider the Laundry Lists. Not only has someone painstakingly written down every article of clothing that various Winchesters have ever worn, they’ve also calculated the odds – with pie charts! -- of a particular shirt or jacket being worn. They’ve even contemplated how often the guys would have to visit the Laundromat – presumably so they can stake out likely washing establishments on the off-chance that the guys would show up with a load of whites.

Or take a look at the Dudemeter – another exercise in statistical madness that shows how often Sam and Dean say “Dude,” who is more likely to pick a lock or shoot a gun, and just who gets to call Sam “Sammy.”

So check out the Super Wiki while you’re waiting for a new episode. Be warned: it’s an enormous time-suck, but we guarantee you’ll find some new fact or facet to entertain you.

• January 9, 2007, posted by 'Sarah' - linked to The Dean Show Slumber Party:

We’re long-time fans of “The Dean Show Slumber Party,” a collection of chibi comics by Olga Bosserdt. Some deal with the present-day hijinks of the boys – for example, check out this tale of dares and double-dog dares. Others show the boys growing up – for example, this story about Dean stretching his hero muscles for Sam’s benefit, or this picture of life as a 12-year-old father figure. All of them are funny and, we’ve got to say, completely adorable.

We asked Olga what inspired her to draw the comics – and what’s the with the title? “I was watching the show for the first time with my two best friends and we were having a grand ol' time late at night (a slumber party atmosphere), laughing with and at the characters, swooning over the handsome, funny entity that is Dean Winchester. He quickly established himself as our favorite character and as we weren't that familiar with the show's title, after each episode we clamored for ‘More Dean Show!’ My friends generated a lot of amusing ideas about the show and I sketched a couple of them on post-it notes, just for fun. The chibi post-its evolved into strips, and Supernatural was forever ‘The Dean Show Slumber Party’ for us.”

Olga credits the show for being a great inspiration for fan art: “Supernatural just has that IT factor. It's got the unbeatable mix of horror and supernatural elements, plot twists, story development, and of course character dynamic, the driving force behind the show and much of our enthusiasm. Its evolution is genuinely engaging and I think the audience, like its creators, are just having a good time with it and this is evident."

But the fans play just as large a role in making the show enjoyable, she said: “I can honestly say I've never been involved in a show that had such a good-humored, mature and dedicated audience. It's also a show where the creators are intimately involved in the fandom and actually pay attention to what their viewers have to say. To me, that is downright astounding!”

We agree – the fan art, forum conversations, and other viewer-created works are what got us through the hiatus. We love to see what you all create.

• December 29, 2006, posted by 'Jackie' - linked to TWoP's "The Quest" Forum:

But where we really waste -- er, that is to say, invest – the most time is in the Supernatural forums, especially the section called "The Quest." That's where you'll find fanfic, art, games, writing, and other assorted forms of Supernatural-inspired madness.

Among the recent insanity: A Twelve Days of Supernatural carol-writing escapade; a collection of haiku, limericks and some surprisingly moving poetry; caption contests; and a strange, somewhat masochistic game where you take someone's wish for what would happen on the show and twist it in a suitably Kripke-esque fashion.

The twisted genius of the TWOP forum-dwellers really comes out in Text Me: Letters to the Characters. In this thread, fans give voice to some of the undersung players who make this show great – like the Metallicar, various pieces of clothing, weapons, accessories, villainous toys, and more. The folks who contribute are possibly certifiable -- and endlessly entertaining.

For example, check out the war between the clothing and the dirty socks, featuring John's Leather Jacket, various t-shirts and hoodies, possible demonic possession, fiendish M&Ms, and the sweetest little greyhound t-shirt you ever did meet.

Or jump in at the saga of the Frisky Armadillo, who our faithful Winchester accoutrements try to rescue from the fiendish plans of several possessed kitchen appliances and the evil cymbal monkey.

Or you could check out the introduction of Dean's rosary, a sweet Catholic girl who engages in a tempestuous romance with Dean's mysterious necklace, resulting in little jewelry babies, kidnappings, possessions, and more.

Who are the people writing these short messages, and how do they come up with this stuff? We have no idea – but we hope they don't stop any time soon.

• December 21, 2006, posted by 'Jackie' - linked to Big Pink's Bear Hunt, saying:

Remember Dean’s throwaway line in “Faith” about wanting to hunt the Snuggle Fabric Softener Bear down? Big Pink decided to make that a reality, and combine it with a map of where episodes were shot in the Vancouver area. The process was fraught with peril to both body and ego, Big Pink says: “The looks we got, carrying around a freakin' Snuggle Bear and snapping photos of it in public places, sometimes stopping traffic to do so….”

Big Pink and her trusty driver/location scout JM completed the photo shoot in one day, with the help of “inordinate amounts of sugar and caffeine,” Big Pink said. Among her favorite locations were Save-on-Meats, where the employees happily held the Snuggle in the window beside the pork chops, and the Riverview asylum, which is still used as a mental health facility. “We had a great conversation with the guys filming there (I think the production was 'The Seed'), who showed us how they were making fake graves. Again, JM and I killing ourselves laughing and pointedly not mentioning why I was carrying a Snuggle Bear. Later, JM quite rightly pointed out that I didn't look so out of place hauling around a stuffed toy.”

We asked Big Pink if we could expect another comic soon. “We'll probably do a second one after Season Two's over, though the Supernatural location guys aren't giving us too much to work with yet,” she said. “Snuggle Bear is now sitting on my bed, awaiting her next close up -- I guess she made it out of the wreck okay.”

We can’t wait.

Also linked to Dragonfly's The Carol of Supernatural songvid, saying:

a holiday treat: Check out Dragonfly’s awesome fan video, The Carol of Supernatural. It’s well worth the download. We’ve been geeking out over it ever since Kim sent it in. (Thanks, Kim!)

• December 15, 2006 posted by 'Jackie' - linked to anteka's Plastic!Winchester Theatre, saying:

Plastic!Winchester Theater. This was the suggestion we got most often by far, and we know why. We loooooove Plastic!Winchester Theater, and look forward to new episodes almost as much as we do the real thing.

For the uninitiated (and oh, how we envy those of you who will be discovering this for the first time…) Plastic!Winchester Theater is the brainchild of the brilliantly twisted Anteka, who uses some scavenged Ken dolls, various doll-size props, and fiendish toys to create Supernatural episodes. See Plastic!Sam and Plastic!Dean battle witches, mutant crocodiles, ghosts, evil Care Bears and other things too horrifying to mention. Plus, these brothers actually hug – unlike some Winchester boys we could mention…

Check out Plastic!Winchester Theater for yourself. Make sure to clear some time in your schedule – you’ll want to consume all 24 (!!!) episodes in one sitting.

Oh, and as a special bonus, Anteka also created a pictorial guide to Supernatural for the Newbie – use that to reel in any of your friends who aren’t yet watching the show.

• December 1, 2006 posted by 'Jackie' - linked to deirdre_c's List of rules Dean has for Sam while on the road, and invited readers to submit:

Now here’s where you can help. We want you to share some of your favorite examples of Supernatural-themed fan art. E-mail us the stand-out examples you’ve got bookmarked to cwsource@gmail.com. We’ll take a look and share the best bits with the group. Oh, and since it is for a general audience, please don’t bother sending us the sort of stuff that would have the folks in HR sending us out for sexual-harassment retraining. Please? Those off-site seminars are brutal!

• November 22, 2006 posted by 'Claire' - linked to gekizetsu's Drunken Sam-fu, and introduced it with:

[Reasons to be thankful] #5. Supernatural fans. One of the perks of the job for us is that we and legitimately spend at least some of our working hours checking out Supernatural-related websites, and boy, are Supernatural fans a creative bunch! From videos on YouTube to Motivational Posters on Television Without Pity, the fan-created material knocks our socks off. With that in mind, we're planning on pointing you to some of the best fan art when there's no episode to sate our Supernatural hunger.