G'Kar facial prosthetic placed in The Museum of the Moving Image
Amy Guskin
http://movingimage.us/press/pdf/2008/babylon5_mask_062008.pdf
Hi, all,
I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all.
Some of you might remember the last time Marc Zicree (writer of B5 first
season episode "Survivors") put up the G'Kar mask he owned on eBay -- this is
the one he had in a display case, mounted on a lifemask of Andreas, which
really distinguished it from the many other such items that come up for
auction from time to time. That was nearly two years ago, in fall of 2006,
and at the time, I asked for help from the fandom to group-purchase the mask
in order to eventually donate it to a museum, to keep it out of some private
collector's basement. It was soon after Andreas died, and it seemed more
important than ever to get that piece (this was about the fourth time it had
been offered for auction).
An astonishing ten of you stepped up to help. Most of the names you'll
recognize from the newsgroup in one form or other (some lurk, some use other
names here), one is Blair's wife, and one is a very dear, very old friend of
mine who has been in sf fandom and book publishing (as an editor and an
author) for many years. They are:
Amy Guskin (me!)
Neil Burton
Jan Schroeder
Blair (and Judy Emick-) Leatherwood
Iva Ferris
Caryn Dunkel
Hilary Weston
Dennis Weldy
George Brickner
Janna Silverstein
We concluded the purchase in December 2006, and the mask -- and lifemask --
arrived at my house soon after. One of the funny stories is that when it
first arrived at my home, I opened the carton, and staring up at me from the
plexiglass display box was....Andreas's face. The mask had come unglued, and
slipped off of the lifemask in transit. It was a bit of a shock at the time!
The folks at Optic Nerve were nice enough to give me some advice on how to
reattach it (I had to buy a professional theatrical glue called Pros-Aid).
Since that time, we have been attempting to place the piece with a museum.
After a disappointing near-miss with one museum, Blair happened to pay a
visit to the east coast, and stopped in at the Museum of the Moving Image, in
Astoria. He thought the piece would be a good fit there, so I went up to
talk with them. They loved the piece, and based on the other exhibits there,
it really is a perfect fit!
It's been a long process, but they have finally, officially accepted it. See
the above-referenced links to the press release, and the museum's online
collection page on it. Before anyone starts planning a visit, though, you
should note that the museum is currently in transition (new facilities are
being built on their site), so while they have in fact accepted the piece
into their collection, it is currently only in an online exhibit. But when
they have a building again, it'll be a physical exhibit. I'll be sure to
announce when that time comes.
The great thing is that they are treating the item with utmost respect (just
take a gander at that lovely, thoughtful press release!), and in fact have
started to put out some serious press. I think that what makes it an unusual
acquisition is the nature of the donors -- a group of fans who wanted to
treat a piece of the show's history with the respect it deserves. There's
already been a small item in the New York Times, and they're continuing to
send out press.
Besides being a great way to tell the world how much this show means to the
people who love it -- this show by the famous writer who penned the
Cannes-premiered "Changeling" -- I think it's also a nice tribute to Andreas,
considering it's his finest work on film.
So, thanks to all who donated -- we've tried on a bunch of collective names,
but none stuck (although I was quite fond of Neil's "Citizen G'Kar Relocation
Fund"), so I don't have any clever way to refer to us. And, thanks to JMS
for writing something that has inspired so many people over so many years.
And, thanks to this place for making us feel like normal folks, like family,
rather than geeky incomprehensible propellor-heads. :-)
Feel free to share this news, and the links, with others in the fan
community. And please do post a reply if you see this story mentioned
someplace! I'm probably not the only one in the donation group keeping tabs
on the press!
Amy
--
"In my line of work you gotta keep repeating things over and over and over
again for the truth to sink in, to kinda catapult the propaganda." - George
W. Bush, May 24, 2005
Craig
Very Very Cool Amy. Thanks for this. I only wish I had been able to
contribute.
Captain Infinity
Amy Guskin wrote:
You're missing someone from your list.
>We concluded the purchase in December 2006,
And you never contacted me for my 25 bucks. Quite unlike what I would
expect from a true Babylon 5 fan, to shun another fan.
>I think that what makes it an unusual
>acquisition is the nature of the donors -- a group of fans who wanted to
>treat a piece of the show's history with the respect it deserves.
Except the ones you couldn't be bothered to associate with.
**
Captain Infinity
Slitheen
news:0001HW.C489505A...@news.verizon.net...
> http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056
> http://movingimage.us/press/pdf/2008/babylon5_mask_062008.pdf
>
> Hi, all,
>
> I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all.
What a beautiful, inspiring and touching story - all the more so considering
Andreas' passing. Well done to you all. I hope I can get over to the states
some day and see it in the museum.
--
Slitheen.
Manchester United - Back to Back Champions 2006/07, 2007/08 & Champions of
Europe 2008.
Jan
says...
'Scuse me but it would seem apparant that you must not have read the original
post properly or your nose wouldn't be so obviously out of joint. Thanks to
Google, it wasn't hard to find:
Where you'll note that she asked for:
>I'm looking for as many fans as are willing to contribute $125 each.
and
>The only people I
>want to hear from are people who definitely can and will be able to
>immediately put $125 towards this effort.
Which isn't to say that your willingness wasn't a good thing, it simply didn't
fit the parameters that she'd set and it was her call to make as the initiator
of the effort.
So there's obviously no shunning involved so I think you owe Amy an apology. Are
you big enough to admit that you were wrong or were you just trying to throw a
wet blanket on happy news?
Jan
--
I try never to get involved in my own life. Too much trouble.
Amy Guskin
<j538641e83987pj85...@4ax.com>):
>
> You're missing someone from your list. <<
Not that I know of.
>>> We concluded the purchase in December 2006,
>
> And you never contacted me for my 25 bucks. Quite unlike what I would
> expect from a true Babylon 5 fan, to shun another fan. <<
Er, sorry, but I have no record of having received $25 from you. By what
means did you send it? I've been in contact with EVERYONE who offered me
money for nearly two years, and you have never entered my in-box. In fact,
$25 wasn't a level we discussed at all. Everyone involved gave over $100
each. Not that I would have turned you down, but since I hadn't heard from
you, there was nothing _to_ turn down.
>>> I think that what makes it an unusual
>> acquisition is the nature of the donors -- a group of fans who wanted to
>> treat a piece of the show's history with the respect it deserves.
>
> Except the ones you couldn't be bothered to associate with. <<
Oh, please. Anyone who knows me -- online or in real life -- would tell you
that this is nonsense. I'm friendly to a fault, and I have no beef with you
-- why would I have just ignored an offer to join in on this, when I was
_desperately_ trying to round up the last few dollars right up until the end
of the auction?
I'm really sorry that you missed out on being a part of this, but I can
absolutely and sincerely assure you that it wasn't because I was _ignoring_
you, or refusing to associate with you, or anything else like this.
If you can give me some more information -- dates you e-mailed me, method of
payment, anything -- I'd be happy to look into this. But I certainly did not
take your money and not include you in the press.
Amy Guskin
<j538641e83987pj85...@4ax.com>):
> Once Upon A Time,
Oh, you schmuck. I can't believe I fell for your trolling. In the
_previous_ attempt I made at buying the mask, earlier that fall, you replied
here on the newsgroup with this:
***************************************************
Captain Infinity
Aug 31 2006, 6:03 pm
Once Upon A Time Amy Guskin wrote:
- Show quoted text -
Well I'm strapped so $125 is out of the question, sorry. But I'd like
to pitch in anyway, so how's 25 bucks for, say, the left nostril?
Because GAHDAMN that's a big nose.
**
Captain Infinity
***************************************************
And no, I didn't contact you, or anyone else that time (August 2006), because
not enough people offered to chip in so I couldn't bid on it. It was the
_December 2006_ auction that resulted in a purchase, because we had enough
donors at that time. And _at that time_, you never responded to my plea for
contributions.
And besides, how the fuck was I supposed to take you seriously, if in fact
you were? You were offering money for a _nostril_, and since we weren't
planning on keeping the thing, nor cutting it up, I dismissed your comment as
nonsense.
Usually I enjoy your quips, but sometimes you're just a schmuck.
Amy Guskin
<g413i1$t8o$1...@registered.motzarella.org>):
> "Amy Guskin" <ais...@fjordstone.com> wrote in message
> news:0001HW.C489505A...@news.verizon.net...
>> http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056
>> http://movingimage.us/press/pdf/2008/babylon5_mask_062008.pdf
>>
>> Hi, all,
>>
>> I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all.
>> ......
>
> What a beautiful, inspiring and touching story - all the more so considering
> Andreas' passing. Well done to you all. I hope I can get over to the states
> some day and see it in the museum. <<
I say make it a group road trip -- maybe we can have an Oscar-watching party
in New York when JMS is up for the award! (Winking at Jan and Caryn, with
whom I had a less-than-successful NY Oscar party last year.)
Slitheen
>>> On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:00:32 -0400, thus spake Slitheen (in article
> <g413i1$t8o$1...@registered.motzarella.org>):
>
>> "Amy Guskin" <ais...@fjordstone.com> wrote in message
>> news:0001HW.C489505A...@news.verizon.net...
>>> http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056
>>> http://movingimage.us/press/pdf/2008/babylon5_mask_062008.pdf
>>>
>>> Hi, all,
>>>
>>> I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all.
>>> ......
>>
>> What a beautiful, inspiring and touching story - all the more so
>> considering
>> Andreas' passing. Well done to you all. I hope I can get over to the
>> states
>> some day and see it in the museum. <<
>
> I say make it a group road trip -- maybe we can have an Oscar-watching
> party
> in New York when JMS is up for the award! (Winking at Jan and Caryn, with
> whom I had a less-than-successful NY Oscar party last year.)
>
Yay, I'm in! ;)
Actually, I've got a few grand of disposable income burning a hole in my
pocket at the moment....and that sounds just great. Now we only need JMS to
get his award!
--
Slitheen.
"I've searched the phrase 'I shall walk the Earth and my hunger shall know
no bounds', but I keep getting redirected to Weight Watchers!"
Ianto Jones, Torchwood.
Captain Infinity
The offer was genuine, the nostril bit was a joke.
In any event, congratulations on placing the mask in a museum. I can dream
that some day I might visit and see it.
>Usually I enjoy your quips,
Thank you.
>but sometimes you're just a schmuck.
No question about it.
**
Captain Infinity
Amy Guskin
<j668649midk0b3tcf...@4ax.com>):
> Once Upon A Time,
> Amy Guskin wrote:
>
>
> The offer was genuine, the nostril bit was a joke. <<
GAH! And how was I supposed to know that, in a text medium, with no
emoticons, and with the general tone of your posts being snarky and sarcastic
and often demeaning?
> > In any event, congratulations on placing the mask in a museum. I can dream
> that some day I might visit and see it. <<
Thank you. And I do hope you can get to see it, too. The detail up close is
_incredible_.
Dupa T. Parrot
> http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056
> http://movingimage.us/press/pdf/2008/babylon5_mask_062008.pdf
>
> Hi, all,
>
> I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all.
>
>
> Amy
Huzzah!
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dupa T. Parrot <dupa_t...@dupanet.com>
Bartlett, IL, USA http://www.dupanet.com
Wes Struebing
wrote:
>http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056
>http://movingimage.us/press/pdf/2008/babylon5_mask_062008.pdf
>
>Hi, all,
>
>I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all.
>
<snip>
>on the press!
>
>Amy
Good news! And kudos you all!
--
Wes Struebing
Jan. 20, 2009 - the end of an error
Methuselah Jones
Guskin of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated make plain:
> So, thanks to all who donated -- we've tried on a bunch of collective
> names, but none stuck (although I was quite fond of Neil's "Citizen
> G'Kar Relocation Fund"), so I don't have any clever way to refer to
> us.
Narn Buying Squad?
--
Methuselah
"You are 87% water; the other 13% keeps you from drowning."
-- P. E. Morris
Paul Hahn
> There's
> already been a small item in the New York Times, and they're continuing to
> send out press.
Here's another place it's turned up:
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=4&id=56810
--
--pH <many...@wustl.edu> http://library.wustl.edu/~manynote
We need a voting system that avoids vote-splitting, reduces the
incentive to compromise, and encourages the growth of third parties!
See http://cgi.stanford.edu/~pflueger/condorcet/index.php
Nicole Massey
> someplace! I'm probably not the only one in the donation group keeping
> tabs
> on the press!
SciFi Wire had a story on this this morning, and as I ran past the item in
my journal (thank the goddess for RSS) I thought about this group and
especially you, Amy, as it mentioned the group of fans who donated the mask.
Looks like my instincts were dead on. Nicely done.
Amy Guskin
<Pine.GSO.4.58.08...@eclipse.wustl.edu>):
> On Thu, 26 Jun 2008, Amy Guskin wrote:
>> There's
>> already been a small item in the New York Times, and they're continuing to
>> send out press.
>
> Here's another place it's turned up:
>
> http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=4&id=56810 <<
Thanks! That was fast work -- I only sent them the press release yesterday
afternoon.
Amy Guskin
<7g59k.81$4J.21@trnddc05>):
Thanks, Nicole! As much as we here might malign the channel itself, the
SciFi Wire people have always been extremely cooperative, and just good
people (this isn't my first experience with them!).
Dan Dassow
> >> On Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:43:47 -0400, thus spake Nicole Massey (in article
>
> <7g59k.81$4J.21@trnddc05>):
>
>
>
> >news:0001HW.C489505A...@news.verizon.net...
> > community. And please do post a reply if you see this story mentioned
> >> someplace! I'm probably not the only one in the donation group keeping
> >> tabs
> >> on the press!
>
> > SciFi Wire had a story on this this morning, and as I ran past the item in
> > my journal (thank the goddess for RSS) I thought about this group and
> > especially you, Amy, as it mentioned the group of fans who donated the mask.
> > Looks like my instincts were dead on. Nicely done. <<
>
> Thanks, Nicole! As much as we here might malign the channel itself, the
> SciFi Wire people have always been extremely cooperative, and just good
> people (this isn't my first experience with them!).
>
Amy, et al,
Congratulations! Here is another article.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/52ja2m or
http://www.cinemablend.com/technology/Babylon-5-s-G-kar-Preserved-In-A-Museum-11014.html
Cinema Blend
Babylon 5's G'kar Preserved In A Museum
By Rafe Telsch: 2008-06-26 18:22:28
If you’ve read Cinema Blend articles for long enough, you know there’s
an undying love and appreciation for Andreas Katsulas’s portayal of
G’kar on Babylon 5. For many people, any hope of resurrecting the show
in any form died when Katsulas tragically passed away a few years ago.
His character and performance has always been a highlight of Babylon 5
and a representation of the best of television programming.
= = =
Dan Dassow
Amy Guskin
<b2b44663-419d-43ad...@k13g2000hse.googlegroups.com>):
>
> Congratulations! Here is another article.
>
> http://preview.tinyurl.com/52ja2m or
>
http://www.cinemablend.com/technology/Babylon-5-s-G-kar-Preserved-In-A-Museum-
> 11014.html
>
> Cinema Blend
> Babylon 5's G'kar Preserved In A Museum
> By Rafe Telsch: 2008-06-26 18:22:28 <<
Thanks, Dan. I saw that one earlier today, and dropped the author a quick
note to thank him. I thought it was one of the nicer treatments of the
story, and the fact that he didn't just parrot back the press release tells
me that he is probably a fan.
Dan Dassow
http://foenix.livejournal.com/1588827.html
Jason Grey (foenix) wrote,
@ 2008-06-28 00:14:00
G'Karrying on
Eleven fans banded together to buy a prosthetic mask used to turn the
late Andreas Katsulas into G'Kar, and then they donated it to a
museum.
I love seeing fans from all over the world coming together to pull
this off, and putting it some place where it will be taken care of,
and for others to enjoy, hopefully for generations to come.
J
Amy Guskin
<3329683b-8162-4515...@c65g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>):
> Congratulations! Here is blog entry.
>
> http://foenix.livejournal.com/1588827.html <<
Thanks, Dan! Here are a few more:
http://eguide-online.de/babylon5/index.php?seite=news&show=detail&get=4293
(Even if you speak German, run this one through Babelfish; some of it is
quite hysterical.)
http://www.treknews.de/treknews/newspro-treknews/static/121463794898162.php
Giovanni Wassen
> http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056
> http://movingimage.us/press/pdf/2008/babylon5_mask_062008.pdf
>
> Hi, all,
>
> I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all.
Exciting it is, congratulations for this achievement. Loved to read about
this. G'kar was one of the greatest characters ever in a sf-show, this is a
great way to show apprecation for the great actor who depicted him.
--
Gio
http://blog.watkijkikoptv.info
http://myanimelist.net/profile/extatix
Josh Hill
wrote:
>One of the funny stories is that when it
>first arrived at my home, I opened the carton, and staring up at me from the
>plexiglass display box was....Andreas's face. The mask had come unglued, and
>slipped off of the lifemask in transit. It was a bit of a shock at the time!
That's not the scary part. Usually, people are shocked when Andreas's
mask falls off, to reveal the life mask of a narn.
--
Josh
"My name is not Strangelove. I don't know about Strangelove. I'm not
interested in Strangelove. What else can I say? . . . Look, say it
three times more, and I throw you out of this office."
--Edward Teller
Dan Dassow
I just came across a French language Babylon 5 site that has an
article this.
http://www.unificationfrance.com/spip.php?article4691
Babylon 5 : Sauvé par des fans, G’kar se retrouve au Musée
Dan Dassow