Krista Martin
Contents
"Be kind to each other. You never know what anyone else is going through. Be kind. And also be your own kind of weird. You don't have to be anyone else's. Be you own."
– Krista Martin, From The Wayward Podcast, recorded at Creation Washington DC 2023.
Krista Martin was a long-time fan of Supernatural, who became widely known through fandom for her generosity and positive energy.
Conventions
Krista’s first Con was the very first Jus In Bello convention in Rome 2010 (In true “it would only happen to Krista” style she was on the same plane as Jensen!) and she attended every subsequent one. By 2023, Krista had been to 87 cons around the world. They were her happy place. She made close friends in many countries, and many more fans knew of her online. She loved dressing up for karaoke, be it as Trinity from the "Matrix" or a "Game of Thrones" Princess or a Lion!
Krista was a keen photographer and videographer. Krista videoed nearly every panel at the cons she attended. and shared them with fandom. It put fans there with her in the front row, enjoying the antics of the guests. It expanded the culture of conventions beyond only those her were present, so that we all got the jokes and references. For many fans, her videos were the way into not only conventions, but the Show and the fandom.
Krista was a great photographer, and more than just taking great photos of the guests, she made a point of capturing photos of fans' special moments – at karaoke, or as the last question of Jared and Jensen’s panel. She would search out these fans via Twitter so she could get copies of these amazing memories to them.
That is just one example of Krista’s kindness. She was also welcoming to fans who were at a con on their own or attending for the first time. As Cons are often very hectic affairs, many people don’t have time or simply forget to eat. Krista always had a range of snacks with her that she would hand out to anyone in need – fellow fans, convention staff and guests alike. When it came to panels, if there were no questions from the audience for a guest, Krista would always fill the awkward moment by stepping up to ask one, or more, if needed. She was also known for many a well-timed quip during panels!
An engineer by profession, Krista loved documenting things and kept many a spreadsheet related to cons. One of the most widely referenced was her Unofficial Guide to Attending JIBCon.
On the Set
In 2016, for the second time and auction of a visit to the set of Supernatural was held to benefit Thinkery, a children's museum in Austin. Krista was part of a group of four friends who won the visit. The set visit too place on March 1 and 2 2017, during the filming of 12.19 The Future, which Amanda Tapping was directing. According to Tami who was on the trip: "Amanda was so kind and very attentive to us in video village. Most of the filming was in the Men of Letters bunker. On day two (which was only because Misha is a love), they were filing with Kelly Kline and Castiel in the truck and the poor man's process with the truck. So we got to see that which was so cool."
GISH
Krista also loved GISHWHES aka GISH (the Greatest Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen aka GISH) and embodied its motto “Death to Normalcy”! She embraced its madcap tasks with a boundless energy and endless creativity. Krista was always encouraging of teammates and deployed her serious organizational and spreadsheet skills to great advantage! She took part in the true spirit of GISH which was about the connection and creativity and silliness of the event, not the competition. Krista was there for the joy of it. In addition, she raised many thousands of dollars for the associated charities every year.
KristaCon
In September 2023, Krista learned that the melanoma she had been diagnosed a couple of years prior had spread and that she only had a couple of months to live. She was determined to attend one more Convention. Creation Entertainment and the Supernatural show’s cast dubbed Supernatural weekend in DC officially KristaCon in her honor.
- Misha talking about Krista "We love you...You have been a source of joy, and optimism and we are always delighted to see you at these shows year after year. We are grateful for you".
Krista’s extended family attended, as did friends from across the US and as far away as Ireland, England and Germany. Her family got to experience what Krista so enjoyed about conventions and to see how loved she was by fellow fans, staff and guests alike, who all donned green #KristaC❤︎n t-shirts.
The Saturday Night Special concert was dedicated to Krista, with a set list composed of her favourite songs.
- Saturday Night Special concert by Krista
- Saturday Night Special concert by Amy Cui
- Rob singing to Krista at the end of the concert
- The cast with Krista after the concert
During the weekend Krista was a guest on the live recording of a podcast with Kim Rhodes and Brianna Buckmaster where she talked about her love of fandom.
- Krista guest stars on The Wayward Podcast with Kim and Brianna
Photos from KristaCon
Tweets from KristaCon
Click to enlarge
Memorials
Krista died at home surrounded by her loved ones on November 30, 2023 at the age of 44.
- A tribute from the staff at JIB Con who gave away an Angel pass in her honour.
- Creation Ent in conjunction with Random Acts introduces “Krista’s Snack bag. Fans enter their name at registration and a random name will be drawn to carry the bag during the Con and hand out treats.
- Rob talks about Krista before Louden Swain plays “Amazing” at Nashville Con.
- Brianna Buckmaster and Billy Moran dedicate their acoustic version “Carry On (Wayward Son)” in honor of Krista at The Heist PBJR tour at The Heist on 12.01.2023
Fundraising in memory of Krista
Jan 2025: A friend of Krista Martin, Billy Paradise, is running in the Boston marathon to raise funds for IMPACT Melanoma. You can donate directly here, or participate in the fundraising raffle which has many great Supernatural items as prizes.
- Krista set up a scholarship for “Band Geeks” at her old school Westerly High School where she had played clarinet and trombone. You can donate to the scholarship fund here.
Links
- Krista’s YouTube Channel with her Con videos. These are also linked on the individual Con entries on the SuperWiki.
- Krista’s photography on Instagram