JMS Usenet Posts - 4/25/2000
Dirk A. Loedding
>has been terribly hectic lately, and I just haven't had any time.
>This issue will be very much on the long side, as a result.
>This was about Fiona Avery's appearance at Gallifrey:
>JMS quotes and answers:
:And does anyone know when Fiona is scheduled to be there?
I sent Fiona an email asking, and this is the reply:
"Space Fantasy Television: A How-To -Saturday 2/19, 12:00pm **
Discussion about the planning and implementation of SF television,
and the best strategies and success stories
Science Fiction Across the Pond -Sunday 2/20, 2:00pm ** Approaching
the craft of science fiction from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean,
with writers from both the US and UK
Doing a reading of one of my short stories on Sunday around noon-ish.
I hope to autograph after my reading, and have scripts available for
sale."
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I have a rather odd question for you. Once various items go through
:the licensing process for B5, are they simply considered mere licensed
:items, or do they, once approved by WB/continuity, become part of the
:body of canon, especially in the case of the various table-top and PC
:games out there or formerly out there? Thanks.
How closely it ties in depends on the item in question. To some
extent that's Fiona's job, to cross-reference new products with what's
gone before to ensure that there are as few violations as possible,
whatever we can catch.
So the goal overall is to not *conflict* with what's established
wherever possible. (Some folks have unfairly gigged her for lapses
with one of the original RPG books, not understanding that she hadn't
even been HIRED when that book had gotten put together, and that was
one of the reasons for bringing her in in the first place.)
As to something that adds to the canon, that tends to be something
that I generate, as with the B5 trilogies from Del Rey. They are
canonical in the broad strokes, though it's impossible to ride every
single small detail and get anything done on any kind of reasonable
schedule.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:So jms, are you taking the stand on RS as you did with B5? IOW, it is
:not a mystery to be solved but a story which involves elements slowly
:laid out in plain site only obvious to most at the end? I remember a
:Usenet statement on your feelings of fans trying to solve the B5
:mystery (read arc) before the whole tale was told.
Basically, yes, in the sense that I don't think you can sustain a
mystery of this sort over 24 issues. That's suicide. It's about much
more than that, which people will begin to figure out soon enough.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I suspect that Toronto Trek would *love* to invite you as well -- and
:probably already have. (Yes, I know, it's got the T-word in its name,
:but they are good people, and like to get the writers as well the
:actors to the convention.)
Yes, I've been contacted multiple times by them, and you're right,
they're good, and remarkably patient/persistent people. But I kinda
set this rule not to do cons with the word Trek in the title, because
I tend to get grief from a portion of the Trek fans who think I'm
"poaching" on their terrain. Since this can, at times, become
quite...intense...on their part, I'd rather not get into the situation
to begin with.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:>Doing a reading of one of my short stories on Sunday around noon-ish.
:>I hope to autograph after my reading, and have scripts available for sale."
:Do you know which scripts you'll have?
Just to clarify...I was forwarding Fiona's email, so the above was
from her. I imagine she'll have at least two of her Crusade scripts
available, one of which is the unproduced Bester script.
jms
>JMS talks politics:
I'm putting this here only because my message specifically on this
issue under a new header hasn't reached the group yet, and Saturday is
nearly upon us.
To encapsulate that long (and totally off topic) message in about a
sentence or two:
I don't normally get involved in politics or recommending people;
that's just not something I generally do. But for those looking on
from South Carolina...
I believe that if we end up with a national election between Gore and
McCain, we have a 100% chance that, whichever man wins, a decent guy
will be elected.
If we end up with a national election between Gore and Bush, we have a
50% chance that a venal man owned lock, stock and barrel by the
handful of corporate folks who gave him $70 million to buy the White
House could be elected.
I apologize for the digression into politics, but this seems kinda
important to me.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:For those of us who can't make the conf circuit, will these scripts
:eventually be offered through any other mechanism, such as the fan club?
She's selling her own scripts, which per WGA are the property of the
writer. I think that there's a website being set up for a variety of
writers to sell their scripts, called Scripts from the Lot, and I
believe that hers will also be available that way. (I don't have the
URL at hand at this point.)
jms
>JMS quotes and answers about politics:
>I am not a registered democrat. But I think that Bradley is the
>decent one, while Gore is the one who will do anything to win.
>Clinton taught him well. Why do you think that Gore is decent?
I said decent, I didn't say great. I don't think that he represents
the best we can do; I have a great deal of respect for Bradley and I
would vote for him in a national campaign but I don't think he's going
to last the next few primaries.
jms
>More JMS comments about politics:
This isn't B5, it's just me on this one, so feel free to ignore.
You have to understand where I'm coming from on this. The first time
I voted in a Presidential election I couldn't *wait* to vote because
it would give me the opportunity to vote against that creep Nixon in
1972, for whom I'm sure an entire section of hell has been set aside.
I'm 45 years old, and in the 28 years since then, I have never once
voted for a Republican for president. Not Ronald ("Just Tell Me What
To Say Boss") Reagan, not George Bush, not Dole, not *one* of them
because I couldn't find any of them that was worth a damn in my book.
As much to my consternation as anyone else's, I find to my
astonishment that I will be supporting McCain in this election.
Take it as read that I disagree with some of his positions. I think
he's too conservative on some pro-choice and environmental issues.
But at the same time, whenever I see a prospective Supreme Court
justice being grilled by conservative senators on the abortion issue,
trying to make it a litmus test for eligibility, I find I'm grinding
my molars into powder with frustration...so how can I then turn around
and do the same thing? I'm not supporting him because I agree with
everything he says, or because I think he's liberal, or any of that.
I think the courts will be more influential on those issues in the
long term than a president in any event (though I'm fully cognizant
that he will be appointing some of those judges).
For me, this isn't a left- or right-wing thing, lliberal or
conservative; from where I sit, the American Eagle has to have a right
and a left wing in good working order or it ain't gonna get off the
ground. So I don't play that game. Never have.
To me, it's an issue of who's the best *person* for the job. I think
Gore would be okay, I think Bradley would be okay...GWBush would be an
unmitigated disaster, this guy is a mean, venal, manipulative guy who,
as one publication put it, "was born on third base and thinks he hit a
triple," who thinks the job is his by default, who got here only
because the massive money guys in the Republican party want someone
they can own and control....
Then I look at McCain, and I have to confess that despite my
reluctance to ever vote Republican, he's the best *person* for the
task in my view. I like his forthrightness, his attitude, the way he
conducts his business, the ideas he brings to the table, and his
background. I think he comes from the same mold of presidents as
Truman, or Teddy Roosevelt.
I think he can be a bridge between generations. I believe that he can
return to the nation a sense of mutual responsibility and community
and self-sacrifice that has been noticeably lacking of late.
Now, I'm in the most trivial and ephemeral of professions: I make
TeeVee shows. So I've got no business preaching to anybody about
anything. So I put this out there only as a thought, to those fans of
B5 in South Carolina and Michigan and Arizona and elsewhere: if you've
made up your mind on anybody else, I think that's great, go and do.
But if you're on the fence and not sure, for whatever small value it
has, I would ask you to consider taking a chance on McCain.
If the show has had merit for you, if the ideas and values the show
has put forth have had value, then I ask that you give this guy the
benefit of the doubt.
I know this is a small breach of protocol, but as far as I can
remember, I don't think I've used this pulpit much to advocate for
anyone during a political election. I hope you understand that I
don't do this lightly, and will probably never do so again. My
perspective has always been to stay the heck out of these things and
not to abuse the voice that producing a show can provide by advocating
personal causes. (Though as always anyone who wants to contribute to
the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, or a local battered woman's
shelter, is always on my A-list of people.)
It's just that something deep in my gut says this is the right man, in
the right place, at the right time, for what's ahead, and to not say
that would be irresponsible.
Joe Straczynski
jms
>JMS quotes and answers about more politics. This post created a
>firestorm of political posts:
:Even with all the evidence in, you still can't bear to admit that
:Reagan was the best president America had in the last 50 years. Not
:only did the country end up in far better shape than it was when he
:took over, his policies were directly responsible for the collapse of
:the Soviet Union and the death of communism as a serious political
:movement.
He did this in part by spending them into the ground on military
projects, and along the way almost did the same thing to *us* by
ringing up the biggest deficit in history, which we are *still* trying
to pay off.
And let us not forget his administration's attitude toward education
and the environment (good old Watt who declared that in school food
programs, catsup could be considered a vegetable for dietary
purposes).
Now it's Reagan who can be considered a vegetable. I find something
most appropos about that.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers - more politics:
:Needlessly cruel like violating the democratic process, maybe. Pity
:that Hinckley fellow couldn't get closer. Oh well, at least the crook
:will suffer longer this way. However bad Reagonomics may have been,
:it's nothing on October Surprise and Iran/Contra. As far as JMS, the
:only thing I can say is that Nixon is going to have company
You know, it's funny that we all like to say we support freedom of
speech and differing opinions until someone actually *uses* same, at
which point one is pilloried for saying such things (though on the
other hand it's enlivened the conversation a bit).
I'm sorry, but I can have no soft spot in my heart for Reagan. He's
been a quisling ever since he was president of the Screen Actors Guild
and cooperated gleefully with HUAC in rooting out all those supposed
commies in the film biz.
He ran a heartless administration, which saw retreats in many
necessary social areas, and created a meanspirited "me first"
generation that gutted the heart of this country. He allowed, even
encouraged the closure of plants and the shifting of the very *heart*
of this country's manufacturing basis to other countries because it
was good for share holders, no matter how many people were thrown out
of work after decades of loyal service.
You want to talk mean and cruel, nothing I said here compares in the
*slightest* with the tens of thousands of people who have suffered
lost jobs and incomes and even lost lives because of the policies and
programs he implemented.
But that's the way of things...get outraged about the *word* and not
the *thing*...and the *thing* here vastly outweighs a few pixels and
phospher dots.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers - Still more politics:
:With all respect, JMS, I think that what people are reacting to is
:that somebody as thoughtful and mindful as you are should wish the
:absence of mindfulness on *anyone*.
I absolutely agree.
I want him to *remember* all the things he did -- closing down mental
health facilities and throwing old or mentally dysfunctional people
into the streets (including many with alzheimer's) so we could spend
billions on corporate welfare, including millions of bucks spent to
promote the Pillsbury Dough Boy in South America -- so that one day,
right before the end, he might finally realize how much pain he
caused, and have just a flicker of regret.
Not that I hold a grudge, mind.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers - and even more on politics:
:I think it tells MORE about a person when they suggest that a special
:place in hell is reserved for someone they don't like,
Which is what the person who started this particular thread said of
me, that for simply expressing an opinion, I deserved taht selfsame hell.
:or somewhat gleefully observing that Alzheimer's has turned someone
:they don't like into a mental vegetable. You can't throw stones
:willy-nilly and expect that someone might not throw them back.
You will not find glee anywhere in that statement. I said only that I
found it appropos...especially when you factor in the many mentally
disabled people, many of whom themselves suffer from Alzheimer's, who
were dumped out into the streets under the Reagan administration which
felt that the money used to fund those facilities was better spent on
weapons tech, and thus saw record closures.
Nothing I said in that one sentence comes anywhere NEAR the meanness
of spirit, the abuse of the mentally disabled, that was practiced by
the administration that closed down those facilities.
And I do expect people to throw back. I'd be disappointed if they
didn't. But it's one thing to say "I disagree with you and here's
why," and another to say "shame on you for speaking your mind, you
should go to hell."
jms
>And more:
:3. Finally, there's a difference between hating the sin and hating
:the sinner. I hate what you said, Joe; I still respect and admire
:*you*. You, however, cannot see past your disagreements with Reagan
>on policy, and feel you must condemn the man himself as evil.
If you're going to go Biblical on me, then I have to point to the part
that says "Ye shall know them by their works." So given his record,
yeah, I'd say he fits the bill.
The "hate the sin love the sinner" thing is also a great remover of
responsibility. It also is used primarily by Christians, and I do not
fall into that camp.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:The words above sound like you're interpreting the above (initial)
:quote as an attempt to prevent/dissuade you from using your own
:"freedon of speech"? If so, I'm confused, since from here it just
:looks like the usual "give and take" (okay, the "give and Take That!
:amd give and Take That!...)
The original message indicated that, for nothing more than stating my
views, I should go to hell.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers - an end to the political stuff?
:My question is about the scripts that have popped up occasionally on
:the various auction sites. They say that these are actual shooting
:scripts rather than copies. Does buying them deprive the script writer
:of any income or is the same as buying any other piece of
:memorabillia?
If it's an actual production script kept afterward by crew or cast or
others, and then sold...no. If it's a mass produced copy sold by one
of these script houses, then yeah, they're taking money from the
writers involved, who under the WGA's Separation of Rights provision
own the physical script.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Do you know what story you are going to do for B5 Magazine yet? What
:idea won out in the end? I voted for G'Kar.
It's a story set on B5 during the original 5 year arc.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I admit, I wasn't too excited by "Rising Stars" when I first heard
:about or the first 4 issues. They were good, but not exactly AMAZING
:like _WATCHMEN_. was in its first issues. Still, they are the best
:super-hero comics currently out there so I kept with it.
The first four issues were really to establish the foundation for the
story, and to create the environment. It's not your typical superhero
environment, so I really had to take some time to establish the ground
rules of that, plus set out the basic situation: issue 1,
introduction; issue 2, the murders are established; issue 3 introduces
a possible motive; issue 4 gives you the suspects.
Now it starts to kick into high gear. Each of the subsequent issues
gets faster paced for the next batch. (And if you look at Watchman's
first few issues, they also started off establishing things; it was in
the later issues that the thing really kicked into gear; people tend
to forget that.)
:I think you might have at least achieved the distinction of a unique
:trick or two with this issue. The last page is probably the most
:original thing I've seen in a comic book in a *very* long time. How
:did Top Cow react when you handed them a script that called for that
:-- unique -- effect on the last page?
Initially they weren't sure it could be done. They went through a lot
of trial and error before deciding on what combination of layout,
color (warm vs. cool colors) would bleed through the best. To their
credit, they never tried to talk me out of it, and went above and
beyond the call of duty to make it work. And it's gotten tremendous
response so far, which makes it worthwhile.
jms
>This was written on 2/19. I hope those who might have been
>interested heard about this through other sources. Again, my
>apologies for this issue being so late:
Okay, you asked for them, you've been asking for them for six
years...now you've got them.
The Babylon 5 crew jacket from 3rd/4th seasons is now available at
www.thestation.com. This is identical to the kind of jacket made for
the cast and crew by Doug and myself: same material, workmanship,
detailed stitching, all of it. If you've seen this jacket, you know
the level of stitching that goes into that back logo, and if you've
bought one of the Crusade jackets, you know firsthand that the quality
is right up there (as some in the newsgroups have mentioned).
As always, there's a limited number of these things available.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:There's an obvious parallel between some of the plot points in Rising
:Stars 5 and one of last year's better genre pictures. (If you don't
:know what I mean, I'll privately e-mail you a gradual (lots of
:whitespace) set of spoilers.)
No, I honestly don't know what you're referring to. I'm guessing the
Matrix? But I don't see any parallels there.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I'd just like to say a good word about Val, who's handling the fanclub
:these days. I received my copies of "Voice in the Wilderness" parts 1
:and 2 and somehow, when packed, the sealing part of the envelope
:became stuck to the script itself. When I opened the envelope, it
:became impossible to separate the envelope from part 2 without
:damaging the script itself. I called the toll free number and
:explained the problem to someone who turned out to be Val. She was
:exceptionally cheery and friendly and promised to send a new copy out
:immediately. When asked if I should send the old copy back, she
:simply said "I trust you. " <g>
That's just how we run things. The buyer is always right, and service
with a smile, concepts that seem to have sometimes been forgotten.
jms
>Why can't those of us outside the US get Fiona's Bester script?
This is a question only Fiona can answer; you may want to send her a
note via the Scripts from the Lot page and inquire if she might work
something out.
jms
>Someone wonders how much control JMS has with "Rising Stars":
I have approval over every aspect of the book, including artists.
Christian's name was presented to me with a sample of his work, and I
liked what I saw.
As for the rest, from time to time I go for an adult-ish image,
because it's kind of an adult book.
jms
>Is "Rising Stars" the comic book form of that 1000 page novel you
>were talking about back around the fourth season?
No, Rising Stars was never a novel first, the project you're thinking
of was one I put aside until I can figure out how to tell it.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Hi Joe, I have been vising different web sites a message boards about
:Babylon 5: Crusade all of the sudden I notice a BIG increase in the
:number of messages and such regarding you not wanting Crusade to
:continue. Are these true? What if any talks are going on? PLEASE
:CONTINUE IT:-)
I've never, at ANY time, said that I didn't or don't want Crusade to
continue. My feeling is that if it has not happened by this point, the
odds are that it won't. I don't know of any talks going on at present
between WB and anyone else, but as is typical of such things, I
wouldn't really know unless something pinged back as a possibility.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers - Back to the political stuff:
:Do you really think that a President actually has the power to *do*
:the things you've said? Yes, perhaps he allowed them to be done and
:perhaps had an obligation to say something, but actually to instigate
:them as you make it sound? I don't think a President has had that
:kind of power for at least several decades.
I think that's a very good question. There are some who seem to want
to have it both ways on this question, when it comes to Reagan. Why
didn't the economy come around while he was on watch for 8 years?
"Well, the president can't really do anything in that respect," they
would say...then after he was gone, and the economy came back, they
said, "Oh, well, that was Reagan who did that." So on that count they
want to definitely have it both ways.
To the meat of your question...I think the answer is in general, yes.
While there are checks and balances, Reagan was able to push through a
lot of his agenda at the very start, and there are any number of
things that can be accomplished by executive fiat. There can be no
question that Reagan broke the Air Traffic Controllers' union -- he
has repeatedly taken credit for this -- a move which vastlly
accellerated the erosion of unions in this country, to the point now
where we see the result in loss of health care, pension plans falling
apart, low wages, the use of temporary employees in huge numbers
because they don't have to receive benefits (Manpower Intl, a temp
service, is now the largest single empoyer in the US, with over one
million employees).
A president sets the tone, appoints the Supreme Court Justices that
retire during his administration, and has vast discretionary powers.
Does that mean I let Congress off the hook on this, on either side of
the aisle? Nope. But this sort of thing comes from the top down, and
Reagan instituted a spirit of meanness and self-interest the likes of
which I'd never seen before and hope never to see again.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:The law which did this was signed by Gov. Edumung G. Brown, Sr. You
:might recall he was governor before Ronald Reagan.
So he's responsible for the same thing happening in the other 49
states? I'm astonished, I didn't know the Governor of California had
such authority.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:: As far as JMS, the only thing I can say is that Nixon is going to have
:: company in his private little corner of hell."
:Based on the context, I assumed (and still believe) that Lt. Biles was
:referring to Reagan (for Reganomics, Iran Contra, and the October
:Surprise), not JMS, as Nixon's future hellmate.
Nope. The sentence is self-explanatory. It refers to me. I'm a
writer, I do this for a living, I can parse a sentence pretty well.
Words mean what they mean, and the context here is quite clear.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Now if you would show yourself to be just as critical about the
:serious damage done to the rule of law by the current occupant of the
:white house, then perhaps I wouldn't have lost quite as much respect
:for you.
I'm sorry, I must have missed something, I thought there was an 8 year
term limit on Presidents. Shouldn't we be spending our time
addressing this one rather than fighting the last one all over again?
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:JMS, I can understand that your political views are very different
:from Reagan's views. However, could you consider the possibility that
:his views were heartfelt, and that he did what he thought was best for
:the country?
So did Hitler.
Now before everyone on the planet jumps on me, NO, I am NOT comparing
RR in any way, manner, shape or form to AH. I'm only saying that
sincerely believing that one is doing the right thing is not the same
thing as DOING the right thing. Nearly every government leader acts
his way because that's what he thinks is appropriate; that really
doesn't prove, validate or excuse anything one way or another.
And everything I've read about Reagan indicates that he really didn't
have a firm grasp on much of what was going on; he just wanted the
pointy hat that said President on it. He considered it his best role,
and pretty much let everyone around him write his scripts.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I was considering attending a forthcoming Wolf Events convention over
:here in England, and being a suspicious person, checked the company
:out on the companies house web site before sending my registration
:off. The site said that the accounts for Wolf 359 Conventions Limited
:were overdue since November 1998.
Just for my own understanding, can you clarify what this means, what
accounts are you referring to here, and what is a "companies house?"
Does this have something to do with being a supposed charitable
convention?
:I then sent an email to the enquiries desk at companies house asking
:if this was normal, or whether I had reason to be concerned. They
:replied within 3 hours saying that the company was "in default" and
:was "in danger of being struck off".
I have to say that I'm not surprised that this is the case.
:Presumably if this happens, they will not be able to hold events, and
:people like me who had sent money stand a good chance of losing the
:lot. Is there anything that can be done over on your side of the
:Atlantic to warn the stars who might be thinking of attending one of
:these events to make sure they don't get dragged into the mess when it
:does all go bust?
I don't have much day to day contact with the cast, I'm afraid, since
everyone's pretty much gone on to do their own things after B5
concluded. Perhaps others can relay this to the fan clubs of the
various actors.
I also try not to get between the cast and their activities.
:Sorry if this is not really your territory, but you are the only
:approachable person in this business that I could think of.
I try.
:The companies house web site is http://www.companieshouse.co.uk -
:check under "free information" and search for "wolf359". Please do not
:take my word for this - feel free to check it out with Companies House
:yourself.
Thanks for the info.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers, about what John and Anna might have talked
>about on their way to Z'ha'dum:
:Obviously the episode was way too tight to include any such dialogue.
:Were there any scenes written that didn't make the cut? Do you have
:any idea what they might have talked about?
Recipes, mainly.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
>Of course, since JMS is an atheist, he doesn't believe in hell, anyway.
Says you.
I'm FROM New Jersey, lady....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:As I've said in replies on the threads above, I now state to the whole
:group (since someone is more likely to look at this message than the
:others) that I was referring to Reagan as Nixon's hellmate, not JMS.
:Of course, now I can say I pissed off the creator of "Babylon 5," so
:at least someone gained something out of this.
Was never pissed off, only noting the seeming contradiction. I save
pissed off for people who really go out of their way to cause me a
problem.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
::4) If someone has a suspicion that money collected in the name of
::charity has been used for other purposes, what should the procedure be
::to get this investigated?
:Contact the Charity Commissioners, who will perform a preliminary
:survey before placing the matter in the hands of the police or the
:Attorney General (depending on whether criminal fraud is suspected)
:if so advised
That's interesting, because at the very last Wolf convention I
attended, I pulled Brian Cooney aside at a gathering just as the con
was starting. We went out on an open walkway to talk, and I told him
I was concerned that no statements or books had been forthcoming on
charity contributions, despite promises made to that extent.
He then stated to me, quite openly, that of the first two or three
such B5 related conventions, very little of the money got to charity,
unless the check was specifically written out to the charity by the
con-goer. (During the Vorcon gathering, I heard from many folks in
email that they were not allowed to make out their checks to the
charity in question, they had to make it out to Wolf or it wouldn't be
taken.) He said it went to pay actors fees and other expenses.
Which, for me, was when the alarm bells began going off, leading to my
decision not to get involved with any further Wolf conventions. I
also heard from some folks who had been involved with the cons who
said that the books were either badly kept or not kept at all, though
I have no way of personally confirming that.
That's the extent of my knowledge on the situation, so perhaps someone
over there can contact these Charity Commissioners to get a clearer
picture in case anything changed or if those statements, as presented
to me, were not correct. Obvioulsy I cannot personally state them as
fact, I can only pass on what was stated to me.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I appreciate the time you've taken to listen - maybe I should copy
:these notes to the UK discussion groups for B5, Star Trek and SG1 to
:let people start asking their own questions?
Certainly there's nothing much that can be done on this side of the
pond; it really is a UK-based problem, so that may be the best
solution in terms of getting more information.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Is there any chance for WB or you to release the director cuts of
:Babylon 5 and Crusade?
No, because they only existed in digitized form on the avid editing
machines, there aren't any director's cuts on film in TV.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:But you said that once about the pilot before long before the TNT
:"Special Edition" but it happened, so why the point blank "no" this go
:around.
The "Special Edition" is NOT a director's cut. It is another
producer's cut. What you saw in the original version of the pilot was
with very few exceptions what the director assembled. What is in the
special edition is what Copeland and I were able to re-edit after
having done the show for a while.
Sure, anyone can go in and re-edit the various episodes, but that
isn't the same thing as a specific director's cut, and those are gone.
jms
>Someone talks to JMS about "Freaks and Geeks", an NBC show that was
>treated somewhat like B5 was on TNT:
It's something I've never understood: if you want a show on your
network, then support if; if you don't want it on the network, then
cancel it before it hits the airwaves or fire the person running it.
But this kind of in-between netherworld kind of approach just
mystifies me.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers about "Rising Stars":
:There are few authors I've read with such rapt attention. Whose works
:I've waited patiently for the next installment of. Fewer still who I've
:gone back to re-read. I won't leave a list (short as it is) but rest
:assured that you're in good company.
Thanks muchly, I appreciate the kind words. (Interesting about the
part re: reading the book to music; I always write to music, and I
think that may sometimes affect the pacing of the thing).
I wanted very much to do a book about *people* who are going through
this situation, and I'm glad to see that their humanity is coming
through.
It's been fun.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:What were you listening to when you wrote Z'ha'dum, Intersections and
:Sleeping in Light? Three very different pieces of music I would imagine!
Sadly, I don't remember for certain any more. Early senility, I
suppose.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I didn't agree with JMS but I did get the impression he had his own
:reason why he felt that way.. Thats what I ment by the post below..
::Ok, JMS posted his thoughts on politics here and else where... Great,
::but who cares !!!
I agree, it's beside the point of this group. It was always intended
strictly as an aside, not meant to dominate the group, and should be
treated as such.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:So if you want to send someone to veggie hell I suggest all Lawyers
:and Geraldo at the top of the list.
I got no problem with that....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:OK, sorry, miscommunication. I *think* the original intent of the
:question was pretty much -- Will we ever see longer versions of
:episodes (like on DVD editions) with footage filmed but not used -- a
:la "The Gathering."
Highly unlikely, given the cost and the number of episodes involved
and the need to track down all that footage.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
::If this is true, I'm going to be angrier at TNT than I all ready am!
::It's amazing that a series--B5--could have such a great following, and
::yet, because of one network's meddling, the whole thing has just about
::collapsed! I've just about had it with TV entirely! If this is how
::viewers are treated, forget it!
>It is true and it's NOT TNT's fault. Sales are down since the show
>ended. B5, not Crusade. This is not TNT's fault. B5 is over. TNT
>gave it a fifth season and thus got to the end of the story JMS wanted
>to tell. That was a good thing. I find it weird (can't think of
>another word) that people who were so excited that TNT gave B5 another
>chance are suddenly so upset at them that they blame them for
>EVERYTHING that goes wrong.
Actually...it is.
We've heard from licensors and publishers, including Titan and Del
Rey, and the #1 reason they cite the problems they're having is that
TNT is airing the show at 7 a.m. Saturday mornings here in the US,
which is the biggest market, and where it *cannot* add new viewers.
(Kung Fu is aired middle afternoon weekdays.) Putting it at 7 a.m.
Saturdays was a testosterone decision by some folks at TNT.
So without question or hesitation, from the source: the continued
placement of B5 where it is is hurting the publishing licensees. This
is but the most current and visible example.
jms
>The following was written by "Shaz" <hyp...@Dial.pipex.com>, and is
>quoted without permission, in the hopes that s/he doesn't mind:
<tap, tap, tap>
Hello?
<ahem> Yes. I am a Babylon 5 fan.
What? You don't know what that is? Well, it's this really excellent
piece of Science Fiction...
Yes, I know, but Science Fiction can be just as good as Eastenders or
any other soap. Why? Well, because the plots aren't predictable for a
start.
Anyway, Babylon 5 is a really good story about a space station...
No, it's NOT Trek! Different thing altogether.
No it's not even LIKE Trek.
No, I don't dress up as a Klingon. That's the Trek universe.
Anyway, it's this really good 'novel for television'...
You know, like a book? Book: thing with pages that you read. Thick.
Thicker than a newspaper.
Yeah, but it's LIKE a novel. It tells a story that has a beginning, a
middle and an end.
Yes, it HAS finished. It had 5 seasons of 22 episodes a season, plus
four TV movies. Look, do you want me to explain this or not?
Right, thank you. It tells the story of a space station that is like a
UN in space at the hub of 5 races who don't always get on. It's got
humans who run the station...
Well, because it was our idea, really. You see, we got into this war
with another race called the Minbari who nearly destroyed us.
No, in the story I'm trying to explain to you. Not in real life.
Hmm? Well, they look a bit like humans except they're bald with a
crest of bone that stands up at the back. They're stronger than we
are, denser boned, a much older race and far advanced technologically
speaking. Anyway, after the war...
They surrendered.
We don't find out until season 2, but they had their reasons.
Will you let me get on with this? Right, after the war it was decided
that to stop things like that happening again there would be a place
where people could try and work out their differences peacefully.
Except, of course, it doesn't always work like that.
Yeah, like a said, a UN in space.
Well, there are two other races out there. One called the Vorlons, and
the other called the Shadows.
Yes, I KNOW I said there were 5 races but they're the ones who work on
the station regularly. The Shadows are always in the background
because they don't want peace. They like war.
Because they believe it helps younger races develop. But I'm jumping
ahead of myself. Anyway, the Vorlons and the Shadows...
The Shadows look like six foot tall black preying mantises and their
ships look like giant black spiders in space, but with more legs. The
Vorlons look like whatever they want to look like when you actually
see them, but most of the time they hide behind an encounter suit that
allows them to interact with other races without being seen as they are.
Colourful shower curtains attached to a horse-collar with a
rectangular head on top and a single eye in the front. The ships look
a bit like a giant garlic plant and they're alive.
The Vorlons AND their ships.
Yes, the Shadow ships are alive too.
Yes, the Shadows are scarier. They're supposed to be. And these two
races have taken it upon themselves to either help the younger races
along (that's us) by giving us help directly, or stirring up trouble
to force us to come up with our own solutions. And on this space
station the humans and other races get caught in the middle of the
fight.
Well, it's more than that because as well as having that war going on
in the background, you've got a civil war on Earth that leaves the
station out on a limb, the in-fighting between the various races
aboard the station, occasional interruptions from other races who have
their own problems, and a brewing battle between two of the younger
races who hate each other's guts and would like nothing better than to
destroy each other's planets. You've also got the telepaths on Earth
who are controlled by a bunch of Psi cops who look like the Gestapo
and are trying to get power for themselves.
Psi, it's a Greek letter of the alphabet. It's the name used for the
telepaths' organisation, the Psi Corps. Frankly, they're not a nice
bunch at all and some of the ordinary telepaths are a bit annoyed
about how they're being used.
They have no choice. There are rules laid down to protect
non-telepaths from being abused by telepaths and the existence of the
Psi Corps is one of those rules.
Yes, it is a good idea. Anyway, underneath all those interweaving
plots you have the notion that one person can make a difference if
they are willing to give everything to it. And by everything I do mean
everything.
Yes, people die. Lots of them, actually. An entire race on one
occasion. Even some of the good guys die sometimes.
No, they're NOT wearing red shirts! Even the leader of the station
dies. Twice, in fact, but the first time he's given twenty years to
finish what he started.
No, he's not Spock. He's a human who cares enough about what's going
on around him to try and stop it and make people work together instead
of killing each other. But he's wounded, captured, tortured, forced to
do things he doesn't want to do to try and save everyone else and,
ultimately, he sacrifices himself for the rest of us.
No, he's not Jesus in space, although there are elements of religion
in the series. It's based more on ancient Greek and Norse mythology
than anything else.
OK, OK. It's an intellectual Trek with a long term story that is
nothing whatever LIKE Trek, will THAT do?
No, they're not perfect. They make mistakes. The head of security is a
recovering alcoholic whose addiction sometimes overcomes him. The
first officer is a very low grade telepath who's trying to keep away
from Psi Corps because of they way they practically murdered her
telepath mother, the security chief's second isn't what he appears...
actually, no one in this show is what they appear to be. Not even the
Commander of the first season or the Captain of the second to fifth,
or the Minbari representative, or any of the others. The characters
change and grow over the course of the series and what happened before
affects what happens in the future. That's why I said it's a novel for
television.
Nope. No reset button. This isn't a game of toy-soldiers where you
take out the pieces, put them in danger for 30 minutes and resolve it
all in ten before putting them back in the box and starting over the
next week. It's more like a game of chess.
Yes, there are battles. Whopping great big ones, in fact. Sometimes
the good guys win and sometimes they don't, but enough survive to
carry on.
Yep, the special effects are awesome. All done with computers and they
had Nasa and the Jet Propulsion Labs explaining things to them so
battles aren't done with the protagonists simply facing each other.
Sometimes they attack from above, below, whatever works. Really
impressive stuff.
Yes and no. As Delenn says, the war is never completely won. But they
achieve what they set out to achieve. It's just not as clean as they'd
like. No guarantees.
Yeah, it's clever, it makes you think, it can make you laugh or cry.
Once you get into it it's really hard to stop watching.
Well, it's on Channel 4 at somewhere between 1 am and 4 am Sunday
night/Monday morning here in the UK. I can't say exactly because they
pre-empt it for things like cricket. In the US it's on at around 7 am
in the morning on TNT.
Yes, we are a dedicated bunch. We don't get much choice. It's always
been shunted around and treated like shit. But if you're interested I
have all the videos and I'd be happy to lend them to you so you can
get some idea.
Nope. Not much in the shops. The good stuff you can get at the on-line
base of the show called www.thestation.com but the creator didn't want
a whole load of merchandise when the show was running because he
didn't want 'the tail wagging the dog' as he put it. You know, games
manufacturers asking him to put a particular type of gun in a show so
they could sell it. And now the show's over and so damned hard to
find, people aren't aware of it so sales of what there is aren't all
that high. Even the magazine is shutting down and that's the last
thing we have to keep the show alive that's officially endorsed.
Well, with the show over there's not much to write about.
Yes, there are stories that other people have written unofficially
because they love the show, but since that's a violation of copyright
they'll never be published. You can get them on line, though. A lot of
it is garbage, but some are really amazing and capture the characters
incredibly well.
No, the magazine can't publish them because they're a violation of
copyright . Anyway, I don't think they want to wade through the 99% of
bull out there to find the 1% of gems they *might* endorse if there
was a way around the copyright laws.
Yeah. It's hard to find, you can't get stuff for it unless you're
REALLY dedicated, it's not being supported by WB or anyone else to
promote it properly, it's treated like the poor relation at the
wedding, the fans can't keep it going on any major level without
risking copyright lawsuits, the story's finished and even its creator
has moved on. But I STILL support it, love it, re-watch it to find
those details I missed the first few times, and will continue to
support it for as long as I can because it's a GOOD show that told a
very powerful story that deserves to be told over and over, like any
good myth. It's a moral story that requires some modicum of brains to
appreciate. Anyway, the show itself was always saying how just because
you're the underdog doesn't mean you should give up. I'm just hoping
that one of these days someone will take it up who actually
appreciates the show, makes it their flagship, and does what's
necessary to introduce new fans to it. Just because the story we know
is over, doesn't mean the whole thing is over. There are a LOT more
stories in that universe that are waiting to be told. I'd just like to
be able to watch them or read them.
<sigh>
Never mind. What's the use? I'll just stay here until they switch off
the lights. I saw the heyday. Now I guess I'd better pack my bags
because the game's being called on account of darkness. I can still
carry the message of the show with me for the rest of my life. I don't
have to go willingly into that good night, and while I can I will
continue to rage against the dying of the light.
It's from some poetry. Something you find in books, and not just the
two year old copies of Reader's Digest you have stacked up in the
bathroom.
Excuse me. I have a copy of The Golden Bough I have to go back to.
It's about ancient mythology.
Yes, I AM an SF fan. Amazingly, you can like the future and appreciate
the past. The two aren't exclusive, you know. Good SF, like Babylon 5,
uses the ancient stuff because we haven't changed that much. We're
still human, and whether we stay here and die as a species, or go to
the stars, we will *still* be human and have the same loves and
worries and fears no matter where we are.
Watch the show. You'll see what I mean.
Shaz
>JMS responds:
Ah...so you WERE there when I tried to explain the show to the execs
at PTEN....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Since Babylon 5 Magazine is going to call it quits with issue #24, are
:we still going to get to read the "Toad Strangler" ?
That one is in Amazing, coming out in June.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:You have a degree in literature, don't you?
Not really. I have a Bachelor's degree in Clinical Psychology with a
minor in Philosophy, and a second Bachelor's in Sociology with a minor
in Literature.
:I'm curious: to what extent has knowledge of literary *theory* (as
:opposed to having read widely) influenced/not influnced/been crucial
:for/been irrelevant to your writing?
Totally irrelevant. I find most literary theory dry, academic, and
useless. It's there to provide academicians a platform to stand on in
trying to interpret fiction, but at the other end of the keyboard,
there's not a bit of it that I've found useful (though obviously your
mileage may vary).
I've always encouraged fledgling writers that if they want to actually
*work* as writers they should get a degree in ANYthing other than
literature.
jms
:I would like to know what was the thinking behind WB renewing TNT's
:contract to show Babylon 5?
They didn't, TNT had a multiple year contract going in.
:I picked up issue 5 of 'Rising Stars.' I must say that at first I
:didn't get it, but after rereading it several times I understood it,
:and ordered all the back issues. I have to confess this story was the
:way I first 'got hooked on B5.'
Thanks. 5 takes some work on the last page to get what's going on,
but it's worth the effort.
Six should be out either this coming week or the week thereafter.
Things start moving awfully fast now.
jms
>JMS responds to McCain's loss on Super Tuesday:
One of McCain's idols is Teddy Roosevelt, who of course ran third
party when his own party fell behind the goals that he had set for
them. He lost, but then again, there is nothing that says history
*must* repeat itself.
If I were on his board of advisors, I'd tell him run third party. I
think it's actually feasible now, whereas it wasn't in prior years.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Since the comic genre is visual, does it take a "screenplay" or, I
:guess, "comicplay" to put the pieces together? From a certain
:perspective, a comic could be considered a storyboard to a screenplay.
I take the same approach to writing a comic as writing a script; I
flesh it out panel by panel, page by page, rather than doing a plot
and letting the artist break it down. Not because I don't think the
artist can or should, but because I just don't know how to write it
any other way. I need to see it in my head, shot for shot, or I can't
follow or create the narrative.
:What does what you submit to the artists look like?
Like this. (From Rising Stars #1) Please excuse the weird margins;
it came in odd when I did the text insert from the script.
"Nova Placenta"
PAGE ONE
SPLASH PAGE Earth looms large in BG. We can see the edge of the North
American continent through a scattering of clouds.
In FG, we see part of a massive ball-shaped energy field with arcs and
eruptions like solar flares. The bulk of it bleeds off the page, we
see only enough of it to know that it's big, and it's heading right
for Earth.
CAPTION
Poet's Journal. This is way it happened.
PAGE TWO
This page is done in soft pastels, an airbrushed feeling, romantic,
the faces of the two people seen here smiling, warm, loving. This and
the facing page, page 3, are meant as parallel pages, so the poses
used in one should be reflected in the facing page. (It may help to
read each panel one at a time across the two pages, rather than
straight through.)
PANEL ONE - A BEDROOM, NIGHT
There is a couple in bed: 30s, the man is EVAN, dark haired, the woman
ELIZABETH, with red hair. A vase of flowers is beside the bed. It's
night, and Evan is in bed smiling up at her as she settles into the
bed. She is pulling open a nightgown, clearly on her way into the
bed.
His arm is draped across the bed, ready to accept her. A trace of
moonlight filters in the lightly curtained window, which blows gently
with the nightwind.
CAPTION
Not the way I would like to think
it happened.
PANEL TWO
A medium-high shot angling down toward the bedroom window in BG. In
FG Elizabeth and Evan are embracing, their mouths hungry for one
another, loving, passionate.
PANEL THREE
A downshot of Evan's face in the bed, her POV, his eyes closed in
rapture, mouth slightly open, her hand reaching out to him.
PANEL FOUR
A close-up of the Elizabeth's face in the bedroom, his hand on her
face, straddling him, the lovemaking continues. A vague glow
backlights her head.
PANEL FIVE
A wide shot again, same angle as the first panel, as the two entwined
in sex look toward the open window, which is now lit by brilliant
light from outside.
PANEL SIX
A thin horizontal panel across the bottom of the page, broken into
repetitive sub-panels in which we see the ball of energy coming closer
and closer to the earth, moving left to right, toward the intersection
of pages 2 and 3, so that in the last part of the panel it's about to
strike the earth.
PAGE THREE
This page is done in darker, more stark art and colors, the look
severe, more realistic.
PANEL ONE - THE SAME BEDROOM, NIGHT
Evan is still in bed, but dead asleep. Instead of a vase of flowers
beside the bed, there is an empty bottle of beer. His arm is draped
across the bed, but in sleep, where he passed out. Elizabeth is in
the same pose as the other page, but from the expression on her face
and her movement, pulling the nightgown closer, we can tell she's
getting out of bed, not getting in. A trace of moonlight filters in
the lightly curtained window, which blows gently with the nightwind.
CAPTION
Or even the way it probably happened.
PANEL TWO
The same medium-high shot, angling down slightly toward the window in
BG. In FG, we see a part of Evan's body, still asleep on the bed, and
out the window we see Elizabeth embracing a blonde, muscular man,
their faces locked in the same kind of passionate kiss as on the
previous page.
PANEL THREE
A close shot of Evan in bed asleep, mouth slightly open, drooling.
PANEL FOUR
Outside the house, a close-up of Elizabeth's face, the larger hands
of the blonde man touching her face, the house behind her in BG, the
stars above...making love under the stars...as a light begins to
appear in the sky above them.
PANEL FIVE
Evan in bed is awake now, same angle as the first panel, looking out
the window to where the night has lit up like daytime. The two
figures making love outside are caught in the sudden glare, but
almost made invisible by it, whited out.
PANEL SIX
A thin horizontal panel across the bottom of the page, broken into
repetitive sub-panels in which we see a sperm coming closer and closer
to an ovum, moving right to left toward the intersection of pages 2
and 3, so that in the last part of the panel it's about to enter the
ovum.
PAGE FOUR
SPLASH PAGE
The night has turned into day, totally obscuring the house except
for the barest silhouette, just enough to make out the forms of the
couple outside the house, standing, and the man inside, now standing
on the porch, their forms almost skeletal or blurred out, the way
those old x-ray Specs would make things look when you would squint
through them.
CAPTION
Just the truth about the way it
happened, and what came after.
CAPTION
Though no one really
understood what happened that night. Not for a long time.
CAPTION
Not until the first of us was born.
(That help?)
jms
>About the fan club:
Just a note at Val's request to let folks know that the B5 Fan Club
site is still open, and the Gold Channel is now available to everyone,
and that the season 3 Babylon 5 jackets -- identical to the ones given
to cast and crew -- are still available.
Link is below.
jms
(jms...@aol.com) B5 Official Fan Club at: http://www.thestation.com
(all message content (c) 2000 by synthetic worlds, ltd., permission to
reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine)
>JMS quotes and answers:
:How come Bester and company had jurisdiction over *all* the telepaths
:holed up on B5? Weren't any of them born on Mars? For sure some of
:them had resided on Mars for a while. That's where PsiCorps had a
:concentration camp.
There seems to be some confusion over what independence means in this
thread.
Mars won independence in that it was no longer an Earth COLONY, unable
to set up its own goverment and such. But it is still part of the
Earth ALLIANCE, consisting of various worlds, and the Psi Corps works
for the Alliance.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:If this is the case Earth would be England, Mars would be Scotland
:and the Earth Alliance would be the European Union (with the Moon
:possibly representing Wales ;)).
You even try to drag bagpipes into this and I'm coming over there with
a stick.
:Does this mean that Mars will still be protected by Earth Force (and
:if so, will they have to contribute troops as member nations have to
:when Europe goes to war)? Also, if Mars chooses to, could it opt out
:of the Earth Alliance at some time in the future?
Yes and yes, though the latter only with great difficulty and risk.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Which award means the most to you? Is there any one that you would
:really love to be awarded?
The one that always means the most to me is the Hugo, because that one
comes from the fans, the viewers, not the critics, or the literary
establishment, or even from peers. That one comes right from the
people who read your stuff, and it is thus the most meaningful.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Where is the Hugo kept? On a mantle or under glass, etc?
They are both on the fireplace mantle, surrounded by the B5 action
figures, who stand guard.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Which action figures guard it? I'm guessing Sheridan & Delenn.
All of them.
jms
>Some general stuff from JMS:
(reposting since the prior message seems to have gotten munched)
In 1987 and 1988, I had two novels published consecutively, DEMON
NIGHT and OTHERSYDE. Subsequent to that, I fell down the TV hole and
never had time to even try to write another novel, though I did do the
occasional article and short story, including one mystery novelette in
the anthology Blowout in Little Man Flats.
Knowing that the TV season is going to start gearing up soon
(June-October is prime hiring season for show runners), I decided I
may not have another chance anytime soon...and have just completed my
first new novel in 12 years.
It's now gone off to my NY agent (the LA agency loves it as a possible
feature), and we will see what we will see. It's a contemporary
mystery/noire thriller with supernatural overtones, set in LA, and
weighs in at just under 100,000 words. With luck, we can get this
thing out by the Fall, assuming the planned auction goes well.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Is there a working title? And how do auctions work?
Yes, but until the book is sold I'm keeping the title under wraps.
It's not that it's particularly special, it's just a good title.
In an auction, the book goes out to X number of publishers, who have
until Y date to respond with an offer. Best offer gets it.
jms
>About Crusade scripts:
A number of folks have emailed me asking for more info regarding the
Crusade scripts available from Fiona Avery (author of Well of Forever
and Patterns of the Soul, as well as the unproduced Crusade script
Value Judgments), as well as how to obtain other scripts from other
writers. I emailed Fiona for the info, and pass along the reply
herewith.
jms
_______________________
You wanted me to email and let you know the details and URL for Scripts
from the Lot so you could repost the information on your moderated
group.
The URL is:
http://www.sff.net/people/chris-tsirbas/sftl.html
It should be up on search engines by now, too. A few people have
written in their letters to me that they couldn't find it on search
engines, but the owner of the site registered it with many after I told
him that was the case.
There's also my moderated mailing list, which puts out announcements
monthly and you can get the archives of those announcements from their
site. The mailing list address to send a subscribe is:
Fionaverse...@eGroups.com
The place to read message histories is in the Fionaverse section of:
The March Update is being mailed out now, even to brand new subscribers,
and it has all the information about where to find my scripts, my short
stories, my radio dramas; what cons I'm attending in the future; if I'll
ever release my fourth Crusade script ....
It concludes every month with a brief quote from one of my works --
sometimes unpublished -- and anyone can feel free to come check it out.
It isn't interactive -- it's just an announcement forum.
And that's it. Thanks for posting for me. I appreciate it.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:What's keeping her from releasing "Tried and True"? From what I've
:heard, it's not an arc story or anything like that.
It was still a work in progress when Crusade was shut down. She's
deciding what to do with it, apparently.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Any chance that the Fan Club site will be making any of the other
:Crusade scripts available?
Nothing's set at this time.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Now that Crusade has been canceled, have you considered answering some
:of the questions that you left hanging in the series for Crusade to
:pick up on in the books that are coming out (for example, adding some
:more hints about the Telepath War in the remaining CP books, or in the
:Technomage Trilogy).
A lot of that stuff will be covered in the later books in the Centauri
trilogy, and in the Technomage trilogy.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Who's writing the Technomage Trilogy? Are you getting/did you get
:manuscripts for the Psi-Corp, Centauri, and Technomage trilogies to
:ensure they're canon?
Jeanne Cavelos, and yes, they're all run past me and our reference
editor, Fiona Avery.
jms
>More announcement-type stuff:
Just a note in response to those who've asked about what's coming up
next for me that's non-B5 in nature...along with the just completed
novel, there are a number of things that I've signed to do that I
haven't been able to talk about, but will be able to start releasing
some of that information here over the next few weeks, so stay
tuned....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I hope you got a new series--that would be great!
Nothing there can happen until later down the road a piece. The
problem is that, while freelancers can kinda work year round, there
are only two periods during which show runners are hired.
The first is late May/June, when series are commissioned from pilots,
and those that don't already have a show runner attached need to find
one. I missed this slot last year because we didn't finish posting on
Crusade until late May, and because I've kind of been off the network
radar screens for six years doing B5 and Crusade, they weren't even
aware I was available (that has since changed).
The other period is late July/mid October, which is when show runners
go in and pitch series to studios and networks, which are then
developed into pilots that are shot prior to the following May, when
the decisions are made as to what goes and what doesn't. The Chris
Carter situation went through this past development season, and when
Fox pulled out after Harsh Realm went down, development season was over.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I hope this doesn't mean you are starving... After all it has been
:nearly year since you have a steady job. Perhaps if you're having
:some trouble you can raise some money by posting a message here!
I have rarely seen a message that manages to be so astonishingly rude
on so many levels simultaneously.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Joe, I'd just love to see a Farscape script or two from you. The
:characters and stories on that show have gotten really good going into
:its second season, and I imagine that the jms touch would only improve
:things. If this isn't one of the things on your plate, have the
:producers of Farscape ever approached your or have you approached
:them?
Generally speaking, when one has run a show, one doesn't then go down
the pecking order/hierarchy to freelance for other shows; it's VERY
hard to climb to run one's own show, and the moment you start back
down again, it's damn near impossible to get back up again.
jms
>More politics:
Spoke to Jerry Doyle tonight, and he asked me to pass this along:
For those who might be interested in helping Jerry win a seat in
Congress, a web site for his candidacy will be going up March 31st.
It's www.doyleforcongress.com.
And now the screaming starts....
jms
>Someone asks about "Joe's Comics":
I can talk more about this after next Wednesday. It kinda falls into
the "various announcements" heading....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Aye, Laddie, and perhaps it was the sound of bagpipes that drove
:PsiCorps from Mars...
Also all the cats...also anything born with ears...
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:The wording of your original message "Just a note in response to those
:who've asked ", did come off as being *beneath* you.
I don't understand how it can be beneath someone. There have been
several threads here in this newsgroup -- they're still there, you can
find them -- asking what's coming up next for me. This in addition to
the many private emails that I get with the same question.
So I began my message by acknowledging those who have asked, and shown
an interest, which I thought was the polite thing to do.
Thus I have *no* idea whence comes your statement.
jms
>The person who wrote the "insulting on so many levels" message
>replies. JMS quotes and answers.
:No insult was intended. *Sooo sorry for my thoughtlessness.
Okay. Over and done.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Then what about having fun and writing with a pseudonym?
"Dostoevsky" was taken.
jms
>Any chance there might be a series of Crusade novels, so we could
>find out what was planned? Would TNT/WB have any problem with that?
Neither WB nor TNT would have any impact on the publishing of Crusade
novels; but it's in getting a publishing company to license books for
a series that only went 13 episodes that the idea lapses. Del Rey has
shown no real interest in it, and to the best of my knowledge, no one
else has either.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I maybe mistaken, but didn't you once say you were working on a
:project about Monks during the dark ages? If so, what's the status on
:that project?
I kinda got pulled off it to do other stuff, and haven't touched it in
a while. I figure on getting back to it as soon as I can come back up
for air.
jms
>Various Announcements #1
In the new issue of WIZARD Magazine hitting the stands this Wednesday
(along with issue 6 of Rising Stars), you'll find a two page article
that may be of some interest....
Rising Stars has done *extremely* well for Top Cow, to the point where
they asked me if I'd like my own imprint. I said I'd be flattered.
They wanted to know what we should call it. I looked around at all
the other heightened titles -- Chaos, Awesome, Megadeathtech kinds of
titles designed to be impressive and massive -- and said, "How about
just...Joe's Comics?" As in, "I'd like some of Joe's Comics," or
"Read at Joe's," with a big 1950s diner clock logo. They thought it
was a great idea.
So the imprint starts this fall: mini-series, maxi-series, one shots
and the like, which I'll write and TC will print. The basic deal is:
I write whatever I want, and they publish it. It's a terrific deal,
and the TC folks are amazing to work with.
For more in depth info, see the Wizard issue.
(More announcements to come soon, including prose stuff, web stuff,
and the reason I was on a soundstage today watching my words being
filmed.)
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I was watching In the Beginning again today (my favorite). I was
:upset about the whole TNT thing afterwards--how could they destroy
:something so great? Grrrrr!
It's Chinatown, Jake.
BTW, the script for "In the Beginning" is now available at the fanclub
site, url given below.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers: (This was at the end of March)
:I found the "A Voice in the Wilderness" scripts at the fanclub, but no
:listing for "In the Beginning".
Check back, 'cause they just dropped off the 50 copies that I'm
supposed to sign, so they're definitely going to be available.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:P.S. RS#6 was wonderful! Even better than #5.
Thanks. The story now begins to heat up massively. The first 5 were
to establish the rules, and set up the characters, and now we start
cranking up the arc with this three parter.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers about other announcements:
:So...could that include a certain hamstrung B5 spin-off series
:involving a certain mile-long starship searching for a cure for a
:plague, just out of interest?
No, that belongs to WB, not to me.
:: synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
:: to reprint specifically denied to
:: SFX Magazine)
:Nice touch, but you know they'll only make something up, don't you?
And that would be different...how...?
jms
>A B5 fan club in Finland sent a message of appreciating, with a short
comment from each of a few hundred people, just after they finally got
to see "Sleeping in Light":
Wow...for all the "speechless" comments listed there, the biggest one
has to be on this side of the modem. I'm totally knocked out by the
kind words; thank you. To know the show made a difference, and will
be remembered, is the one thing that makes all the effort worthwhile.
My thanks to you again, and my best wishes to everyone in the
sfnet.viestinta.tv.babylon5 newsgroup.
Truly, the tale is now Finnish'd.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Besides the two page article jms mentions (which I didn't read yet as
:my copy was nearly instantly borrowed), another blurb in this week's
:Wizard mentions there is to be RS action figures - which is all they
:said about them. Any further info, joe?
The first are Patriot, Chandra, and two others I've just forgotten.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:To anyone looking for some good television, I've got two words for
:you. The Sopranos
I concur 100%. It is the ONLY show that I make time for every week,
without fail, and get massively pissed if I miss an installment. The
writing is just phenomenal.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Can you explain a bit about how rights work? I understand that WB
:owns Babylon 5 and Crusade. Does this mean that you actually have to
:get their permission whenever you want to write something in those
:universes?
Yes.
:Or can/did you reserve those rights at the time you sold it to them?
Nope. Studios own series whole hog.
:What about the other authors who write the B5 novels or short stories?
Those are done under the purview of a license between the publisher and WB.
:And how do licenses fit in? Specifically regarding the B5 Magazine.
Company X pays WB Y dollars to use the B5 images/likenesses/material
in a product (magazine, book, toy, whatever) for Z years.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:In the latest B5 Magazine (US), Fiona Avery says that you want to do
:B5 Anthology books featuring different authors. Do you still plan to
:do this? It sounds like an interesting idea.
It is. The problem is in getting Del Rey to understand that.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:How far into the hammering out of the story did you come up with the
:concept to have Babylon 5 break away from Earth?
That came very early on; it seemed essential to me.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:What have been the effects of your success on Babylon 5?
Free stuff.
Mainly, the satisfaction that I've added something to popular culture
that will be around a long time after I've gone to dust.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers about SFX magazine:
:So, JMS...dish the dirt ;).
That's kinda their job. I should not encroach on their franchise.
jms
:I know it's not comics' or any writer's job to portray reality
:exactly, but I often wonder why "religious" figures are so often
:picked out by writers to serve as the heavy in these stories. And
:they are almost always given personality traits that would be closer
:to Jim Jones/David Koresh than to any spiritual leader I've ever met.
Even-handed means that one does not favor one side or the other.
It seems that your definition of even handed is to commend it when it
agrees with your side and to condemn it when it shows another
side...if I show religion in a positive way, then I'm even handed; if
I show one person who is not a nice person who is religious, then
somehow that's wrong.
Sorry, that is the *definition* of even handed: showing the two sides,
the good and the bad.
You would apparantly like us to ignore the reality of the Jimmy
Swaggarts and the Jim Bakkers and the Jerry Fallwells out there,
because if a character like that gets mentioned, well doggone it,
that's wrong, that's stereotypical. *We* didn't create those people;
those people created themselves in terms of their actions.
I'm sorry you don't like it, but your statement that it isn't reality
is itself far out of tune with reality.
It isn't saying that ALL people are like this, only SOME people.
If you want people to be even handed in their treatment of various
issues, then you have to expect some that are favorable to your
position, and some that are not. To say you want evenhandedness, then
complain when the other hand is shown, then you're being unfair and,
one might even suggest, hypocritcal.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Given your very positive portrayal of religious leaders in B5, I'm
:more than willing to give you a pass on this one, as far as
:even-handedness goes, but I do agree with Greg that the particular
:characterization you chose is rather tired, and the level of
:heavy-handed "preaching" that writers tend to use with this theme can
:get offensive.
Kinda funny since I based about 90% of it on stuff I saw one night
recently watching Trinity Broadcasting....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:You are trying to convince me that you actually saw that level of
:honesty about his real motives from a corrupt religious leader on
:Trinity? I think April fools was a couple of days ago...
No, I was addressing the preaching part of the question, the stuff in
the church.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:All of which goes to show that if you're catching it equally from both
:sides for being partisan, you're probably on the right track. :->
Absolutely.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:There is no question that most religious leaders get paid little and
:are presumably well meaning in their job. And there is no question
:that BY FAR the great majority of religious figures shown in
:entertainment (and especially in comics) are patently evil
:antagonists. Why the disparity?
To quote (sort of) Mark Twain...that is a good and noble question.
The only thing wrong with it is that it ain't so."
You say above that THE GREAT MAJORITY of religious figures in
entertainment are patently evil antagonists.
Not true.
Especially not true in TV. This is one of those tropes that gets repeated
by people but which in fact doesn't have a shred of truth to it.
In TV series, there have been many religious characters all the way
back to the Flying Nun to the more contemporary Father Dowling
Mysteries, that have been strong, positive charcters. The networks
are TERRIFIED of offending in this area. Believe me, I've seen it
first hand. On Murder, She Wrote all the religious characters who
appeared when I was involved were positive characters, and I'm pretty
sure that was the case throughout.
I'm only aware of the XFiles and Millennium where that diverged.
What you say simply isn't true. It's said and repeated because the
Christian right *must* believe that it is constantly being persecuted,
even though they hold the cards in most areas, so this kind of
nonsense is drummed up.
If I'm wrong...show me your work. Give me specifics on the hordes of
marauding priests, nuns and ministers seen in network TV.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:1) The total cop out regarding what it looks like inside Kosh's ship.
:While I appreciate it would be hard to describe except, perhaps, in
:metaphorical terms, I doubt Ivanova would've given up so easily, and I
:doubt John would have been so incapable of stringing a few words
:together.
There's an old saying: to suggest is to create, to define is to kill.
No matter how amazingly I had described Kosh's ship -- and I do happen
to know what's inside and how it looks -- it would have eliminated the
mystery of it. The way it's written, you can see anything you want, as
big as you want, and it stays mysterious. It's the "behind the door"
scenario: you hear something knocking on the other side of hte door,
and for as long as you don't open the door, it could be ANYthing. The
moment you open the door, and see that it's a six foot cockroach, you
can think, "Well, it could be worse, it could've been a ten foot
cockroach."
No matter what I would've described, somebody would have said, "Well,
it wasn't as special as *I* imagined it would be." So best to keep
the mystery intact.
:2) One thing that doesn't jive with what Joe said in Sleeping in Light
:comments. He said Ivanova had never mentioned the name of Marcus since
:he died, hence the reaction of the others at the toast (and it says
:that in the script as well, which I saw when a legal copy was
:auctioned for charity
But it wasn't said in the episode, now was it? Wasn't said in
dialogue. That was written to give the actor in question a sense of
weight for the line.
It's really only fair to hold the show to what's actually *said*.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:<grunt><mutter, mutter> With all due respect, SOD what other people
:say! It's YOUR story! If you say the interior looks like Amanda King's
:kitchen complete with floral curtains, THAT'S what it looks like!
Damn! How'd you guess?
jms
>Someone seems to think that Sheridan had some teep abilities, since
>he was able to withstand some of Lyta's mind-control powers once...
Sheridan is *definitely* not a teep.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
::Sheridan is *definitely* not a teep.
:: jms
:Prove it
One cannot prove a negative.
I can only tell you this from one perspective: having created the
character in the first place.
If you've got a better source than that, I'd like to hear it.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I can throw together a low quality item and call it a collectible to
:charge more money, too, but it doesn't make it one, fortunately. IMHO
:(which which probably differs with most) is that this isn't even close.
The scripts and bibles are exactly what we said they were: they are
exact doubles for the material we provided writers on the show. That
is the whole PURPOSE of them, to look like, and be, what we used on
the show, not a slickback published version.
Every series that sells scripts sells exactly the same thing, whether
it's Buffy or XFiles or anybody else.
jms
>About the Sci-Fi channel picking up B5:
The FCC mandates that there must be X minutes of programming per hour
or half hour program, depending on venue. There is one minimum for
syndication and cable, and a slightly higher minimum for network
shows.
This is what enables syndicators and cable operations to cut down
episodes in order to cram in more comercials.
B5 ran at the syndication/cable minimum number of minutes as mandated
by the FCC, which can be found in their regs. It cannot be cut
further unless the minimums change or have changed.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
>112+4? does this mean that "the gathering" will be split into a
>2-parter and worked into the regular rotation?
I suspect it's just a typo.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Speaking of typos, what does THIS mean? "In the deal with Warner Bros.
:Domestic Pay TV, Cable and Network Features, SCI FI also acquired the
:rights to produce four two-hour telefilms based on the show."
Someone doctored that quote along the way; the word Produce does not
appear in the line at the actual site (having just checked it out).
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I didn't make it up, nor was it taken from anywhere else. They posted
:an incorrect report and then corrected it, making me look a liar, of
:course.
Yeah, that sort of thing happens sometimes. The peculiar thing is
that most of the copy is word for word the same as on the SFC site
*except* for the "produce" thing...so clearly someone there muffed it
or tried to make it a bigger story than it was in that respect.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:This is such great news!!!
Yes, it is. I'd heard about a week ago that they were in negotiations
with WB to pick up the series reruns, but didn't want to say anything
for fear of jinxing things or screwing up the negotiations.
Suffice to say that I'm most pleased, and am looking forward to seeing
the show finally get a good timeslot and the kind of support that SFC
can give.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:What about cutting up the episodes to fit more commercials in? I don't
:know about Sci-Fi but FX is notorious for hacking shows. Just a
:thought. How detailed is the agreement between WB and Sci-Fi?
I believe that B5 was at the legal maximum under FCC regs for commercials.
:Last question: Does this sitiuation help the chances of Crusade being shown?
Way, way, way too early for that to even be discussed.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I have to wonder if there's any point to this. If Skiffy (SciFi
:channel) is running it, would TNT be running it at all, even at 7am?
:Or are they giving up their rights to it at all?
Apparently, they're going to run the show from May until the rights go
to SFC in late September...M-F at...6 a.m.
Scorched earth, anyone?
jms
>Various Announcements #2
As I write this, we are finishing production on a new MURDER, SHE
WROTE TV movie (I'm on as producer and writer), which is tentatively
slated to air May 18th on CBS. The TV movie is entitled "A Story to
Die For," and co-stars Richard Crenna and a lot of other folks
including, in a strong supporting role, Daniel Dae Kim.
Kinda nice to be back at a network again.
More announcements as I'm able to make them.
jms
>Someone asks permission to quote JMS's newsgroup postings in a small
>magazine in Finland:
Sure, if you can actually make any of it make sense, then feel free.
jms
>Someone posted a URL for a Finnish school:
>http://www.oulu.fi/medbioch/common.html
Pretty damn funny....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Just wondering what your opinion of the LOTR pre-trailer that just
:came out. Any comments on how ambitious Peter Jackson is at
:attempting to make this trilogy?
Dunno...I went to the LoTR website just today in fact to check it out,
but when I got to the part about choosing what size, after I chose,
nothing happened....
jms
>About normals resisting teeps:
We've established several times in the series that mundanes can,
briefly, hold their own against a mid-level teep for a little bit. We
even had the guy who tried to shoot Garibaldi fighting Lyta for a
moment.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Knowing how fond you are of your earlier work, I thought you might
:like to know that the Odyssey Network has acquired the airing rights
:for He-Man and She-Ra.
....shoot me, shoot me now....
jms
>The June 2000 double issue of Cinefantastique is around 2/3rds devoted
>to B5. How did this come about at this late date?
There had apparently been plans to do this issue previously, but one
thing or another kept getting in the way, logistical problems and the
like. It's a good piece. A few errors here and there, but nothing
really major.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I wonder if there are any producers/writers who look at Joe as an
:influence.
Or under the influence.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I have often wondered why Delenn got so criticized for "keeping
:secrets", "being manipulative", etc., when *all* the major male
:characters - even our great heroes - did this.
Yup.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:besides the centauri and techno mage trillogy to come what other
:adventures can we expect from dell?
It's Del Rey, actually...and I've no idea at this point. Nothing has
been set beyond these three trilogies.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I disagree. JMS has said that it is way too early to get into the
:Crusade issue now. The time to ask SciFi to back Crusade (IMHO, of
:course) is AFTER the B5 reruns become successful on SciFi (assuming
:they do) and make SciFi lots of money.
I get the sense from some folks at SFC that they wanted to make the B5
deal its own thing, without diluting it, and that they might well come
back next year to pick up the Crusade reruns as another kind of event
to spike the B5 reruns a bit.
Note: I'm not saying that's what's going to happen, only my sense of
what will *probably* happen, given some recent conversations.
Everything in TV has its time; shows are acquired at specific points
and in specific ways. That's why, for instance, the project Chris
Carter and I had in development has to wait until July/August before I
can take it out again; development season runs from about that time
through October, then the door's shut.
To that point, as an aside, since people have emailed and asked what is
involved in development in terms of my side of things....
In the case of the project I was doing with Chris, you don't simply
jump over a broom on the floor and say "Okay, we're now in
development." (Taxi fans will get that one.) Contracts are signed
and deals made BEFORE you get into development and before you pitch it
to anyone.
Why?
Because let's say you DON'T sign a deal in advance. You take the
project to a network. They want it. The writer can then hold up the
studio for exorbitant monies because he knows the network wants the
show. Studios will NEVER put themselves in that vulnerable a
position. (On the flip side, a writer wants to make sure his or her
position on the show is guaranteed in advance.)
So in the case of THE WORLD ON FIRE, once I'd pitched it to Frank and
Chris, and they liked it, before any development work could commence
we had to strike a deal between me, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox
Studios. Negotiations took about 2 or 3 weeks, if I recall.
In that deal, signed around July/August last year, Fox agreed that I
would exec produce the series if it were picked up. Chris and Frank
would also be EPs.
Even though the show didn't get picked up because of the Harsh Realm
situation, what's significant is that a) the negotiation and deal,
which is now a matter of record at Fox, put my salary quote at nearly
double what it had been at B5 (this is important because all new deals
are based on your last deal), and b) it proved what I'd believed: that
having run B5 for five years, keeping it on budget, on schedule, and
making it hugely profitable for WB, was a hell of a lot more important
to the studios than the Crusade situation. Shows get dropped all the
time, sometimes in contentious circumstances.
What mattered to Fox and Ten Thirteen (and all this is a matter of
record, I couldn't say this stuff if it weren't true or Fox would nail
my ass to the wall) was what was done with B5. I don't think they
were even *aware* of Crusade, to be honest.
So when the next development season comes around in July/August, we'll
see what happens. In general I'd prefer to run my own show than come
in on someone else's show (show runners for new and returning series
get hired May/June). I've had some nice offers, including a project
with Joe Dante that I'm very strongly considering, but in general I'm
holding out for something *cool*, whether it's my own show or someone
else's.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:So, it would seem that now *would* be a good time for the fans to let
:the Sci-Fi Channel that they are happy that Sc-Fi picked up the
:Babylon 5 reruns, and that we also want Crusade.
I'm suggesting that they probably don't need much in the way of
encouragement in terms of picking up the 13 Crusades. So I'd go light
on this.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:So, it would seem that now *would* be a good time for the fans to let
:the Sci-Fi Channel that they are happy that Sc-Fi picked up the
:Babylon 5 reruns, and that we also want Crusade.
One thing I forgot to mention in my prior post was that thus far SFC
has been just terrific and very excited about bringing on B5. They've
stayed in touch with me pretty much every since the announcement, and
we're working out what can be done to promote the show, how to best
feature it, that sort of thing.
There have been a couple of ideas expressed that are VERY cool, but
it's still way too early to talk about them. I'll be meeting with
Craig Engler from the SFC web site and Sci Fi Wire in about 2 weeks to
continue the discussions about what can be done on that side as well.
It's nice to have a situation of respectful give and take rather than
having dictates handed down.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:This leaves the question - would you be forced to once again take a
:serious pay cut, if you wanted do more Crusade?
Cart, horse. Horse, cart.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Have you, perchance, held any (impromptu/unofficial or otherwise)
:conversations with the people at the comics company concerning, ummm,
:some potential "directives"...and "massaging"...that the nimnuls over
:at TNT Corporate are very likely to incorporate if they view this as a
:franchise property?
We've talked a bit here and there....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:When I used to babysit, all the kids loved He-Man. One of the kids
:wondered about the characters, though, asking questions like "Why
:doesn't Orko have any feet?" Okay, Joe, why *doesn't* Orko have any
:feet? :)
I chewed them off.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Isn't your statement below pretty much the same thing that was said
:when TNT picked up B5?
Yes, because then we were dealing with TNT Los Angeles. TNT Atlanta
didn't get into the situation until after episode 5 was shot.
:Do the people you're working with at SFC have to report to other
:management who could make it the same sort of two headed monster TNT
:was?
No, as far as I know, it's one business, not a two-headed operation.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
>Joe, this spikes a question in my mind ... Speaking strictly
>hypothetically, if SFC were to come to you and ask you to pitch a new
>series set in the B5 universe -- not an extension of "B5", not a
>revival of "Crusade", but a new show -- would you be interested?
It would all depend on the circumstances.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:if i only bought one, the series treatment or the season 1 guide,
:which should i buy?
Probably the B5 season 1 bible; it's the better buy for the money,
given the sheer size of the thing.
jms
>JMS makes a request:
A previous lead didn't pan out...can someone out there who really
knows his/her stuff point me in the direction of the best lawyer in
the field of internet litigation out there? Just like to ask someone
a few questions....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I just received my In the Beginning script & noticed something I
:never noticed before. Early on, Londo is talking to General Lefcourt
:& an aide, & he asks how the president is doing. When the aide
:responds, he refers to the president as male. Later, in the version
:broadcast, the president is female, but in the script, the president
:is still male. What's up with that?
We cast a female actor. When I'm not sure which gender we're going to
use, I just write he, since it's simpler and one letter less to type
every time. Then we open up the casting to whoever walks in the room
and is best at the role.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Considering all the writing you do, do you have any plans to write you
:own B5 novel?
I did that in B5 itself. Any further actual published novels will be
in other areas.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:The new original one you've already done and are shopping around is a
:supernatural thriller, isn't it, like your eariler two?
The first two were nominally horror novels, with the supernatural
aspect right at the core of the story; this one isn't. It's a
contemporary mystery thriller with a slight supernatural aspect to it.
:Do you still have interest in SF? Any plans for a new SF novel, your
:first in prose?
The SF book market is SO screwed up right now, with so many changes in
management and scheduling and editors, that I'm kinda steering clear.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I'm not an expert on the current market, but I've sort of noticed the
:lack of good SF titles in the bookstores over the past year or two. Is
:this something cyclic or is there a some sturctural problem in the
:publishing end of things.
Too many publishing companies are now owned by too few corporations,
leading to the Hollywoodization of Publishing: total emphasis on
blockbusters, the eradication of the midlist, the production of cookie
cutter books, the mass proliferation of generic fantasy titles,
shrinking advances and marketing support, and an environment that
makes it harder for new or midlist writers to survive, and even more
difficult for ANY writer to get something new or challenging onto the
marketplace in deference to safe choices.
Other than that, it's copacetic.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I had one cow-orker in the early 80's who
A cow-orker?
Did it give milk and live in Mordor?
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Well, Joe, you gave me the answer as to why I get so frustrated every
:time I try to find an interesting book in the SF-section. I decided
:recently to read Dune instead. I had never read it before--it's
:fantastic! I had been looking for a book that was a huge story, like
:B5, & Dune is it!
I'd also commend to you the Foundation trilogy, and Childhood's End.
jms
>This is what The Dalai Lama has to say on the millennium.
I N S T R U C T I O N S F O R L I F E
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve
great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
Respect for self
Respect for others and
Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful
stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to
correct it.
8. Spend some time alone in silence every day.
9. Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think
back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current
situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for
each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
>JMS responds:
Most cool....
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
>I was watching CNN's Showbiz Today, and in the middle of a report on
>ageism in Hollywood, Angela Lansbury appeared in character as Jessica
>Fletcher. Sitting pool side with her black laptop she utters "Oh, too
>much eagerness on the part of one person to solve the crime, is
>usually a sign of the killer himself" to some unseen person.
Yup, that's from my movie.
And Daniel Dae Kim's doing a great job, btw. We actually expanded his
part to accommodate the quality of his work.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:: Your argument seems to require that two contradictory things be true:
:: a) everybody in Africa listens to the Pope and avoids condoms,
:: and
:: b) everybody in Africa ignores the Pope, engaging in sexual acts
:: he disapproves of.
:: Do you really believe both of these things simultaneously? If so, how?
So you're saying you always did EVERYTHING your father told you to do
because he disapproved? Or did you do some things and not others?
Because if the former, then I'm pretty sure you're the first person on
the planet in all of history who can make that claim.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I was just wondering what were your thoughts on their overall Episode
:ratings. Also with only two episodes rating less than two stars,
:Infection *, and TKO at * 1/2 (both of which I thought were quite
:good) B5 had a lot of episodes rated at *** or **** which just shows
:how good the writing was.
I found that, overall, I pretty much agreed with the ratings. They
seemed reasoned and well considered. (And I was pleased to see just
how well S5 did.)
jms
>About the B5 bible and series treatment:
The B5 bible and treatment are made *exactly* as the original
documents were made. They're not converted to typeset stuff or
prettied up, they're the *working documents* as handed out to writers
for the show(s).
There are some pretty good reviews of them over on the babylon 5
section of about.com if you want an objective analysis.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:I was rewatching the Crusade episode "Each Night I Dream of Home", and
:I caught the ship announcement where there would be an "Evan Chen
:recital" on board later that day. I had to rewind it to verify what I
:thought I had heard (that is what I heard, isn't it?). I thought it
:was pretty cool. Makes me wonder how much little stuff I missed in B5.
Little things got slipped in from time to time; a Harlan Ellison
reading in Grey Sector, that kind of thing. It's on PA's and buried
in the surround channels.
jms
>Apparently, JMS and Larry DiTillio once worked on "Jayce and the
>Wheeled Warriors". Someone asked how JMS and Larry wound up there:
:BTW - jms, how'd you (and Larry) end up on the show. IIRC neither of
:you were in the credits of the first batch of episodes.
We had single writing credits per episode, but not as staffers. We
went over to DIC after leaving Filmation when we weren't given the
story editor credits we had earned by working as story editors.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:A bit odd, since you wrote about one fifth of the series episodes. How
:much creative control did the story editors exert over the series?
They could rewrite if they chose to.
We convinced them otherwise.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:1) Around September you were quoted as saying that Warner Bros. had
:told you that a DVD release was scheduled, first in the U.K. (early
:2000) and a few months later in the U.S. Is this quote accurate?
I actually can't recall now where I heard it, I've been kind of
scattered of late, but what I do recall hearing was that they were
going to release some in the UK and if they did well, they would
consider releasing them in the US. But that was the full extent of
what I'd heard, and it certainly isn't binding on anybody.
:2) I remember seeing an interview with Doug Netter in which he seemed
:to imply that hi-def widescreen masters for all the episodes and
:movies *had already been produced* by Warner Technical Operations in
:anticipation of eventual syndication or cable deals involving HDTV
:transmission. Is this information correct? If so, could you sketch
:out a map of the Warner Bros. studios showing how to get from the WHV
:building to WTO? I'd like to send it along with a compass, a canteen
:and a few granola bars to Mike Finnegan.
This I *can* speak to with authority, because I've SEEN the widescreen
versions. We worked hand in hand with the guys at WB's technology
office to help handle the transfer to widescreen. Not only that, but
at one point we sat down at Laser Pacific here in LA with a bunch of
guys from WB, LP, and our team (Flinn, me, Copeland, others) to view
an ep in widescreen to examine ways in which we could take greater
advantage of the wide frame while still protecting for current aspect
ratios (i.e., don't shoot everything dead center, have it off-center a
little more or bleed off the side, because it'll all come back again
once you retelecine back to the original widescreen, that sort of thing).
What WB says, repeatedly, is that there is no such critter. Which is
true and not true. There is no such critter in NTSC format. The
widescreen versions were made for foreign release, in PAL format only.
So there is no NTSC format widescreen. But you can HAVE an NTSC
format widescreen by just transferring the PAL digibeta tapes to NTSC.
It costs about $1,500 per episode to do this, because it has to be
carefully tweaked to avoid digital artifacting and line trading and
the like. (See how much tech stuff you learn being an exec producer?)
WB has been unwilling to pony up the dough for that transfer. ($1500
x 110 episodes + the 5 movies is a good chunk of change.)
So widescreen versions DO exist. I've seen them, others in the B5
team have seen them, and some of the movies have been released in wide
in the UK.
One can only hope that, in time, they can be persuaded to expend the
effort.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:The pilot was 4:3 ratio, so that's only 4 movies. Still more than I
:could afford (hell, right now I couldn't afford to transfer a single
:ep) but there it is.
Oops, you're right, I misspoke; the other 4 were in wide, and I just
lumped in the pilot with those.
jms
>JMS quotes and answers:
:Okay. Used my trusty calculator to calculate and came up with $180
:000. Now, if we took up a collection... I'm sure there are at least
:180 000 B5 fans out there that would be glad to part with a buck... I
:could stick a donation box out back...
No, I think that would be an unfair exploitation of B5 fans. The
reality is that, sooner or later, it *will* be done, because they're
marketable commodities and WB has never missed the chance to make a
buck, though in some areas it just takes 'em a while to figure things
out.
jms
--
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Dirk A. Loedding <*> ju...@america.net |
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