Cast members from The CW’s Walker were the headliners at this year’s 10th anniversary of Rhode Island Comic Con, which took place this past weekend. Jared Padalecki, Genevieve Padalecki, Keegan Allen, and Mitch Pileggi were on hand all weekend signing autographs, taking photos, and having a panel onstage.
Located in the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the Walker cast was clearly the star of the show as their lines consistently were backed up with fans, having overflow areas created due to demand. The cast was gracious and lovely, each taking their time to sign autographs and chat with every single fan that went up to them. They were animated, personable, and upbeat, and any person who came out of their lines sang their praises. On Sunday night, Keegan even went through the lines to do autographs and selfies, so that no one lost their spot on the last night of the convention. They were spending hours at their tables signing, which really showed their dedication — something that the fans noticed, too. They took photos in multiple combinations, whether it was solo photos or team-ups (even one combination with the whole Walker cast) and each fan leaving had a giant smile on their face after the ops were taken.
There was also a Padalecki Mercantile table, where you could purchase items such as lithographs, shirts, pins, lanyards, and much more. Fans were able to enter a raffle with the purchase of an item to win one of four exclusive items from the Walker set, including two cast mugs. Fans were also able to also vote for their favorite charity between Wounded Warriors, Feeding America, and Out Youth who would receive a portion of the proceeds from the weekend’s sales.
On Sunday, the cast had a panel located at the Omni Hotel in the Narragansett Ballroom, and fans were lined up early to get into the ticketed event. Keegan started the panel off strong, arriving on stage wearing merchandise from Padalecki’s table. He then proceeded to take off the items one by one, tossing them into the excited crowd (and also trying to avoid hitting anyone with the heavier objects). As Jared, Gen, Keegan, and Mitch arrived on stage, so did a surprise – Jake Abel! Abel, who worked previously on Supernatural, will be featured in this season’s Walker, appearing starting this Thursday (you can read our interview with Jake about it, here). The cast was energetic and engaging, something fans talked about long after the panel was over. They talked about Jared producing, Gen and Jared working together again, Mitch talking about how Jared’s the best person he’s worked with, the trauma in season 3 with Cordell and Liam, and Jake trying to elude Walker fans. The panel was a success and fans loved every minute of it, hoping that Walker panels would become more of a common occurrence.
It was clear to all who were there that Walker fans had taken over Rhode Island Comic Con; they showed up for the cast, and the cast showed up for them. This weekend proved just how beloved this show and cast are. It was one of the best weekends for so many, and we only hope this is just the beginning.
