Interview: Eric Kripke Talks the Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester

'Interview: Eric Kripke Talks the Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester,' Written by: Karen Benardello

The long awaited book 'The Essential Supernatural: On The Road with Sam and Dean Winchester' has finally been released by Insight Editions to serve as the ultimate visual guide for the critically acclaimed series. The coffee-table-book offers a comprehensive look into the previous seven seasons of the fantasy horror drama show, which stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. The guide also offers a glimpse into the second half of the current eight season, which returns on January 16, 2013, with the episode 'Torn and Frayed.'

'The Essential Supernatural: On The Road with Sam and Dean Winchester,' which was written by Nicolas Knight, also features extensive cast and crew interviews, candid behind-the-scenes photos, revelatory production art and collectible pullout elements, including postcards, stickers, photos, and a map that details the cross-country adventures of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester.

Eric Kripke, the award-winning writer, director, producer and creator of 'Supernatural,' which premiered in 2005, wrote the foreword for the book. He generously took the time recently to discuss 'The Essential Supernatural: On The Road with Sam and Dean Winchester' and the series over the phone. Among other things, he spoke about he became involved with the book, how working on the guide brought back memories from previous seasons and how the crew keeps track of the mythology listed in the book.

Question (Q): How did this all come about, and how did you get involved with it? Was it your idea being that you did the foreword to the book?

Eric Kripke (EK): I wish it was my idea, but it was not. We have been publishing a lot of 'Supernatural' guides over the years, and it is something really for the fans. It is to really give them a behind-the-scenes look of how the show is made. The writer has been great with doing those over the years.

It has been nice to have a real guide and history of the show for the fans and, frankly, for the people who are making it. It helps to remind us what the hell we been doing over the years. (laughs) 'The Essential Supernatural Guide' is the next step up from what we been doing at this point. It really makes an all-inclusive collection of everything 'Supernatural,' and it's done with a tender loving care for the graphics and production design. It's a really stunning guide of what 'Supernatural' has been. We are all really excited about it.

So when they ask you to do the foreword--of course I immediately signed on. 'Supernatural' will always be my first child, and I am just incredibly proud of it. It is a job that everyone has worked so hard on over the years.

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