lurkers-guide/ftp/GEnie/jms94-05-01

Babylon 5 posts by JMS on GEnie for May 1-15, 1994

This file includes a compilation of posts on GEnie by J. Michael
Straczynski in the Babylon 5 category.  The posts are copyright by
JMS (and compilation copyright is by GEnie). 


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Topic 1         Mon Oct 26, 1992
SF-MARSHALL [Dave ]          at 18:50 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - The Series  (Non-Spoiler)

Welcome to the Babylon 5 category and main topic for the new series. Here is
the place for all general information on the series. Topic 2 is the location
for SPOILERS. And please, NO STORY IDEAS are to be posted either.
772 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 505       Sun May 01, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:17 EDT

     Not to distract this thread, but the reference to power macs (also I
believe referred to as power PCs) raises a question...I'm already kinda
outgrowing the Deathstar 2000 Megasystem that I had assembled as my  primary
computer.  I'm not thinking of buying immediately, simply because I haven't
the time, and there seems to be some shakeup going on out there, but I'm
*thinking* about the Power PC/mac, mainly because I'm tired of rejigging
things ten thousand ways to find means to make my SCSI card work with my CD
rom, and the optical drive, and nothing ever seems to work together unless you
spend zillions of hours configuring your system.  The Macs all work seamlessly
together, but there's much about the PC that I like.  Is the power system the
way to go?  Does it all interface as smoothly as the mac, or does it take as
much configuring?  Simple answers please....I'm an idiot.

                                                                  jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 510       Sun May 01, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 18:55 EDT

     So lemme get this straight, though...dos text files can be read by the
PowerMac, but Dos software *won't* work?  (That seems to be the implication.)
In other words...I can't just transfer Wordstar to the machine and get it up
and running, and my macro programs; it has to be mac-based programs, yes?

                                                                jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 534       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:55 EDT

     If we get the go-ahead, there'll be a few days of frantic action, then
I'm going to want to get away for a few days or so.  It's been a LONG season,
I haven't had any kind of real break, and if I don't get some breathing space,
I'll burn out halfway through the season.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 551       Wed May 04, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:51 EDT

     Y'know, some people say Ivanova's humor is weird, off-base...and I've
always felt it was *right* for her, but putting it into words to explain it
was difficult.

     Tonight, the metaphor becomes clearer.  Today they released new papers
from the Kennedy assassination.  Leaving aside for just a moment the
terribleness of the event...one of the papers released was a letter from
Marina Oswald to some friends.  She wrote, of Oswald's growing discontent, in
her broken english, "Lee no like USA.  Lee no like Soviet Union.  Lee like
moon."

     And I just fell off the couch laughing.  It's the *perfect* example of
Russian humor, and Ivanova's humor...a shrug, a note of absolute
hopelessness...followed by a punchline.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 583       Sun May 08, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:26 EDT

     Fairly quiet couple of days here; nothing much eep an official nature to
talk about yet.

                                                              jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 606       Sun May 08, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:40 EDT

     What Peter says is essentially correct; we're not quite sure what it is,
but something about the way Ron's CGI is rendered makes it work to a limited
extent with some 3D viewers.  Not consistently, and not to best effect, but
usually just enough to be noticed.

                        jm(saying nothing officially)s
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 610       Sun May 08, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 19:50 EDT

     Could someone post for me on Internet that for some reason, the GEnie
gateway is down, and I haven't seen much of anything new since about the 3rd?
(Hence my sudden silence.)  With any luck, the gate'll open soon, and I'll
find my box stuffed with another 2,000 messages or so any day now.

     BTW, did I mention that DC is going to be doing a B5 comic?  And that one
of our own locals here on the net just may have a little something to do with
it?  And that Bill Mumy may write a bit for it, and Peter David, and me, and
some other nifty writers?

                              jm(a man of many secrets)s
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 655       Wed May 11, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:03 EDT

     I had some lengthy talks with the book's editor, a very sharp and
perceptive individual, and outlined what I thought would be a good approach to
the comic.  As a comics reader, what makes me crazy are books published as
media tie-ins that are ONLY that, just tie-ins, throwaways, unchallenging, and
restricted by the same rules that limit a TV show.  In a comic, you don't
*have* the same limitations of budget, and location, and casts.  So why lumber
a comic with those restrictions?

     The editor and I both feel the same way...that the stories should be
challenging, and inventive, and sometimes comtroversial, and should try and
*surpass* the series.  I know they had a problem with another SF show comic,
where they were constantly being hit with rules, and you-can-do this, you
*can't* do *that*.

     What I recommended was that the book be written in three-issue story
arcs, using different writers and some different artists from time to time,
tailoring the look of the book to the story itself...so you could go from
realistic to surreal to stylized, depending on the story.  You could then open
up the book to some terrific comic and SF writers who wouldn't tie themselves
down to a whole year's worth of stories, but would be willing to do one 3-
issue arc.  And they will be given a great deal of freedom; my only
requirement is that it take place somewhere in the B5 universe, and preferably
have at least one of our characters in it, at any point in the past or present
or (depending on the story) future.  The whole point of *creating* Babylon 5
was to see what other writers would do with it, when turned loose.  That's
half the fun.  Why ride herd on them?

     DC and the editor (I'm not using the editor's name only because I don't
know if I'm supposed to at this point or not) have been nothing short of
terrific to work with.  There was a meeting out here in March, another meeting
in New York just before Icon, and we're *very* much on the same wavelength.

     I'll probably be writing the first issue, which will tie into the first
episode of Year Two of B5.  What's neat is that in the premiere of season two,
you'll see a story that references something that happens somewhere else.  The
comic will *show* that something else.  You can watch and enjoy the show just
fine without it, but reading the book will show you, for lack of a better
term, the other side of the story.

     Although I own something like 3-4,000 comics, I've never defined myself
as a *collector*...I've always been just a comics *fan*.  And as such, I
really want this to be a book I'd like to pick up as a reader.   And I think
this has a very good chance of being just such a book.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 657       Wed May 11, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:39 EDT

     I've always considered my work canon-fodder.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 673       Thu May 12, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:14 EDT

     Arne's correct.  I think it's important to match artists with
writers...some looking very stylized, some realistic, some offbeat, to match
the tone of the story.  It's more of an anthology feel to it, but set in the
B5 universe.  (I believe the working title we came up with was "Tales from
Babylon.")  If you've seen any of the Grendel books, and the Grendel Tales
stuff, you'll have some sense of what we're going for (and, as Arne mentions,
the dark knight stuff).  It's also a great way to make sure you're always on
deadline; you can have several writers working at the same time, rather than
one after the other.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 676       Thu May 12, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:46 EDT

     I'd *love* to get Matt to do an arc, if he'd be willing.  His work is
nothing short of brilliant.  (Will we ever see a MAGE followup?)

                                                           jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 684       Thu May 12, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:08 EDT

      Ah...well, now at that the news is official (at last), I can talk
 about this.

      Yes, we have been renewed.  For 22 episodes, same as this year.  And
 we will be going on the air with our second season in November.  As a
 result, we will be showing new episodes over the summer.  The November
 debut puts on the same footing as all the other series, so it'll help get
 us into TV Guide's Fall Preview, and spread the shows over the proper
 November/May sweeps period without having to stretch with a lot of reruns.

      What follows is a *tentative* schedule only.  This has NOT been
 finalized yet, but looks like it's going to be what we run with.

      (Reruns from June 1 - June 29)
      "Grail," July 6
      "Eyes," July 13
      "Legacies," July 20
      "A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 1," July 27
      "A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 2," August 3
      "Babylon Squared," August 10
      "The Quality of Mercy," August 17
      "Chrysalis," August 24

      We begin shooting season two on July 18, the day after my 40th
 birthday.

                                                              jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 705       Thu May 12, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:20 EDT

     There will be reruns, in sequence, from August 31st or so through the end
of October, so there's room to catch up.  (Also reruns from June 1 through
June 29.  The June reruns include "Parliament," "War Prayer," "Mind War",
"Sky" and "Deathwalker."  The later reruns will pick up starting with
"Believers.")

     As was also announced today, Time Trax was *not* picked up, which in case
anyone was doubting the current problem should answer that question.  Re:
WWOR...apparently Paramount is all upset at the PTEN shows being renewed, and
is trying to throw its weight around to say that NONE of the stations that
have signed on to the Paramount network should carry ANY other new programs
except those produced by Paramount.  (Which is very different from, say the
Fox network and its arrangements with its affiliates.  Hell, even network
stations have the option of carrying outside shows.)  They're apparently
getting very huffy about the whole thing.

                                                              jm
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 718       Fri May 13, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:56 EDT

     So, like...is this good or bad?

                                                              jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 732       Fri May 13, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:28 EDT

     Story-wise, I think year two will see more personal stories along with
the action stuff; I'm not sure we really had enough opportunity to get to know
our characters outside the main crisis/storyline.  Give them some breathing
space.  And we will begin the process of moving the chairs around some more,
about who's what (taking Londo one direction, and G'Kar in another, neither
being what you might expect).

                                                                  jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 753       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:33 EDT

     Glenn, I suspect the newspaper got it wrong, in that Kung Fu was picked
up for its third season, and they might've gotten simply confused.  We've been
picked up for year two; year three will have to wait until we're more into
year two to decide.

     The Paramount boogie-man seems to have quieted down for a while; I thing
someone told them to get stuffed.  So I think we're okay for a while.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 758       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:22 EDT

     Londo and G'Kar are both married.

     Mike...calm down.  Shooting on our first season began around July 24th.
We had always planned on starting season two on July 18, even when we thought
we would still be going on in January for year two.  So nothing up-front
changes; delivery of scripts and other stuff is exactly the same as it was in
year one; if anything, we have about a week more time this round than last
season in terms of prep.  Also, bear in mind that we were finishing episodes
literally *months* before they were to air.  As I've said, I've had the final
on episode we'd originally slotted for November (prior to the schedule change)
since mid-April; in some cases, mid-March.

     The post production schedule is almost identical to season one; if
anything, because we don't have to take the time to look for a composer this
year, which kept us from scoring for a while in season one, we again have a
bit *more* time.

     Trust me, all is well.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 760       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:59 EDT

     Btw to Ron Jarrell...I suspect my Internet gateway is down again; I
haven't seen any new message in my mailbox for about two days.

                                                                jms
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Topic 2         Wed Nov 20, 1991
STARR [Arne]                 at 19:41 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! >>SPOILERS<<

Babylon 5 offically became a series on May 28 '93. There will be 22 hour eps
for season one (in addition to the pilot). Airs Wednesdays at 8PM in most
places starting Jan. 26 '94.  This is the SPOILER topic where anything goes.

593 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 477       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:03 EDT

     There isn't much I can say at this point, except...it's truly a learning
experience.  Sometimes it ain't pleasant.  That's life.  I feel I have an
obligation, and I intend to follow it.  As for the flames...hey, I've been in
story meetings with network suits.  Go ahead, try and scare me.

     Jim...some of what you ask for you will get.  Some of what you ask for
you *won't* get.  There will be an accounting.  There will be some explanation
of the people in B5.  And so on.  Not everything you ask for will you get.
This is also life.

     No, no alternate ending was *ever* considered.  That wasn't the point.
It wasn't about solving the *problem*, it was about the people.

     And it isn't tendonitis, it's carpal tunnel syndrome.  I get by.  I can
do a little better now than earlier in the season, when it got so bad that --
even with the gloves -- I had to write 20 minutes, ice down my arms for 20
minutes, write for 20, ice for 20, and so on.  It's pretty much constant pain.
(And believe me, I've heard all the advice, all the suggestions, I use the
gloves, I do the exercises...it is what it is, and I have to live with it, or
stop writing.  If I stop writing, I'll vanish in a puff of purple smoke.)

                                                                   jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 480       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:29 EDT

     Well, now, lemme defend the Internet for a second...what I find most
interesting about it is that most of the Internet stuff comes in via major
colleges, universities, research labs and the like.  So when you're dealing
with a lot of people of college age, you're going to encounter rough spots.
BUT...what you *also* get are people who are pretty sharp, have access to
research material, are academics and scientists and research students...and
lemme tell you, they keep you on your toes.

     It's easy to hang out in a room where people are generally nice to
you...and certainly relaxing; I tend to come here more with a sense of
relaxing with friends, where there is some measure of "put up the persona and
perform" on Internet...but one should be open to the tough stuff as well.
Granted, at times it makes me cranky, and I probably respond with more heat
than I'd like...but again, that's really more the exception than the rule.
There's a lot of nifty people there.

     Of course, there's more here, natch...he said, remembering where he
was...and this has been the oldest home of B5 Online, so it occupies a warm
place in my heart...if I had one....

                                                                    jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 489       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:19 EDT

     Maybe we should make it Goys in the Hood....

     Re: "I just feel that good faith gets a bit strained when one of the
parties to the negotiation has power of live and death over the others."

     Except Sinclair really doesn't have that power.  Not on a wide ranging
basis (EA is still 'way behind the rest in tech), and not on a personal level.
The Advisory Council can out-vote him.  If he chooses to exceed his personal
authority and punish somebody, Earthdome can ream his butt.  (And, from time
to time, does exactly that.)  He's not a lone agent, free to do whatever he
wants.  There's a chain of command.  Without giving too much of a spoiler, in
"By Any Means Necessary," when Earthdome isn't sensing that Sinclair is
handling the labor action properly, they send in a negotiator to handle it
*for* him.  He is on a very short leash.

     Re: the screwing-up of "The Star," I don't know what happened with that,
as it didn't happen on my watch...only that nobody's real happy about it.

                                                                jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 499       Thu May 05, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:30 EDT

     Shane, are you saying they cut the teaser?  Or do I misunderstand?   No
disclaimer at this end of the country.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 503       Thu May 05, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:44 EDT

     ...hrrrmmm...interesting.  Must look into this further.

                                                              jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 504       Thu May 05, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:06 EDT

     Since I mentioned it over on Internet (but not where it belongs), I give
y'all a little gift...Kosh's very last line of the season, in "Chrysalis."

     "You have...forgotten something."

     It's not nearly as straightforward as it looks, and that one line will
carry with it *major* repercussions.  (And no, it doesn't refer to the 24
hours.)

                                                                jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 576       Fri May 13, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:41 EDT

     Cutter went after Garibaldi only because that's who the dying worker
named as being responsible for the bomb.  (He didn't know he was dying, and
wanted to throw blame; and even if he did know, what better than to nail the
guy who'd hassled him before?)  Cutter only took advantage of the situation.

     Luis Santiago is playing it both ways, allowing more trade and certain
kinds of immigration, while preserving earth *culture*; this isn't the same
thing as a trade embargo.

                                                           jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 592       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:41 EDT

     No, no rest for the wicked.  I've got 4-5 scripts to write between now
and July 18.  (We want to have 6-8 scripts on hand the day we begin shooting,
to again continue our tradition of having *lots* of lead time to work on
episodes.)

     We're talking to all of our actors, and discussing possibilities for the
season, though one or two are wondering about other opportunities and how to
balance all that out.  So we'll talk some more, see what we can work out.

     Re: the president's bill...remember, Nixon was anti-communist, but it was
eventually Nixon who opened the door to China.

     (Not that I want to give him even two cents worth of credit for doing
what was inevitable.)

                                                              jms
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Topic 3         Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:09 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - Computer SFX Tech-Talk 

Some of the new computer EFX used in BABYLON 5 will be revolutionary, a new
approach never seen before on this scale.  It's all new tech, and this topic
will try and address the new technologies involved.
524 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 3
Message 497       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:29 EDT

     Yep.  There's some of that in places here and there on the show.

                                                                    jms
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Topic 6         Tue Nov 03, 1992
T.ORTH [Mr. Rico]            at 06:43 EST
Sub: Where is Babylon 5? TV stations... 

Babylon 5 is a cornerstone of Warner's new Prime Time Entertainment Network.
Here is where one can find and post station information.

636 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 6
Message 620       Wed May 04, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:57 EDT

     It's probably "By Any Means Necessary."  I think I got the airdates wrong
earlier.

                                                                  jms
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Category 18,  Topic 6
Message 635       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:43 EDT

     sigh...alas, such things are totally out of my control or influence.

                                                               jms
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Topic 11        Sat Nov 14, 1992
J.SHEEN1 [Leviathan]         at 18:09 EST
Sub: B5 Adrift!                         

 BABYLON 5 Topic Drift
 If you feel like talking about it, but it doesn't fit anywhere else... If its
only connection to B-5 is that you thought of it in this CAT...
 This is where to come and get it out.
443 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 11
Message 417       Mon May 02, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:58 EDT

     Eerrg...arrghh...okay, look...anyone who gets to a certain position in
the industry picks up a certain element of the prima donna; that is
inevitable, and sometimes, frankly the person may *deserve* a bit of special
treatment.  Yes, there were some eccentricities...but that would describe me
just as well as it would describe her.  I've seen her be incredibly loyal,
she's *very* bright, charming, very much of the old school which says you
treat people with dignity...and when there was one occasion when something
very hard had to be done on the show, she was the one to step forward to do it
personally, rather than through intermediaries, and I learned a great deal of
respect for her through that.  Angela's okay.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 11
Message 423       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:06 EDT

     No, no, no, no-no-no-no-*no*.  I was neither angered nor offended; I
write what I think...and when I was trying to find words, my fingers typed out
"argh...ackk" or whatever it was.  That's just the sound my brain makes when
it tries to gear up and answer a question in a certain way.  No apologies
necessary; was *not* offended or angered or anything of the kind.  My fault; I
should've been clearer.

                                                              jms
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Category 18,  Topic 11
Message 438       Sun May 08, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 19:47 EDT

     Publication of the next newsletter was held back pending news about a
second season.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 11
Message 442       Wed May 11, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:04 EDT

     Thanks.  Christy Marx, the editor of the newsletter, can give you the
full information on that one (she's here online).  Glad you're enjoying the
show; there's some nifty stuff coming down the road, and some exciting times.

                                                             jms
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Topic 12        Wed Nov 18, 1992
B.WIST [Brad]                at 18:12 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 Sightings                

Post here when you've spotted Babylon 5, whether it be on Television,
Magazine, or somewhere else.  Let us know where we can find it/see it, too.
563 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 12
Message 554       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:22 EDT

     Yeah, over in LitForum on CI$, they've made me one of the writers of the
month, to answer questions on writing for TV/film...and natch, what I'm mainly
getting are qeustions about Star Trek.

                                                           jms
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Category 18,  Topic 12
Message 562       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:44 EDT

     And it contains pretty much what I expected after we initiated a parting
of the ways with Richard.

                                                               jms
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Topic 13        Mon Nov 23, 1992
T.ORTH [Mr. Rico]            at 21:00 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - Science & Technology   

Jump gates, nanotech, high-tech weapons, starship drives, sound in space, and
other subjects of science and technology in Babylon 5.
336 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 13
Message 322       Sun May 01, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:26 EDT

     The Earth Alliance funded the first few attempts exclusively; after
they'd dumped all their money into B4, they needed outside funding to get B5
going, and the Minbari were first to contribute money as a show of good faith.
Then the Centauri added additional funding.  Those are the only two other
races that've contributed significantly.

     The world B5 orbits is Epsilon 3.

     PPG = Phased Plasma Gun.

                                                      jms
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Category 18,  Topic 13
Message 335       Wed May 04, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:54 EDT

     We shot two guys fighting against black.  No blue screen was used.
Digitally removed them, shrunk them down to size (Kevin Kutchaver and his
Miracle Mac to the rescue), and put them into the shot.  Worked real well.
Y'know, there may be something to this digital stuff....

                                                               jms
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Topic 15        Thu Dec 31, 1992
J.ROY18 [Jonathan]           at 21:29 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - Alien Races            

Aliens races in Babylon 5... their politics, abilties, technology, history,
and any other discussion specificly about non-humans.

282 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 15
Message 263       Sun May 08, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:30 EDT

     The Drazi are a very violent, ill-tempered species; they were the ones
who first showed up in "Deathwalker" in a Sunhawk to threaten the station;
they beat up the guy in "The War Prayer;" they show up here in "Survivors;"
there's an episode about a form of martial arts among the aliens that has a
Drazi going at it...if there's a fight around, you can often find a Drazi at
the center of it or at least nearby.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 15
Message 272       Tue May 10, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:01 EDT

     Peter...Von Braun...the V1 and V2...the Star Wars defense system....

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 15
Message 277       Tue May 10, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:58 EDT

     I think you're taking what I said to the extreme; I didn't say they were
bloodthirsty savages, only that they had a predilection toward violence, and
were generally very cranky.  And not all great thinkers have to sit around in
elizabethan garb, delicate flowers watching the skies rotate.  Aggressive
people can be good thinkers; it needn't be one or the other.

                                                               jms
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Topic 17        Tue Jan 19, 1993
C.STOBBE [Colin]             at 21:02 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - Merchandising          

A place to discuss all the neat Babylon 5 merchandising coming out (hopefully)
soon
568 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 517       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:31 EDT

     I'd rather hold off on that until we have some more meetings with the
friendly folks at Compton's, so that we lock it down, and we don't compromise
any of the nifty stuff we're cooking up that no one's done yet.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 521       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:24 EDT

     My copies are transferred directly from the D2 master to SVHS.  And since
we're so far ahead of schedule, I can watch November's episodes  whenever I
like....

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 528       Thu May 05, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:45 EDT

     I am *not* teasing.

     Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch "Chrysalis" again.

                                 jm(live dangerous, die young)s
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 548       Tue May 10, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:17 EDT

     Cardz will be doing B5 trading cards.  Also, Creation Entertainment has
expanded its B5 line to include several kinds of t-shirts, a black shirt with
the B5 logo embroidered on it, and some rather nifty looking B5 mugs, black
with a blue Babylon and a metallic silver 5 behind it, very nice.

      (I'm told they want to put me on one of the trading cards...I'm not yet
entirely sure how I feel about this, though I've said okay.  I keep hearing
kids' voices in my head, "Trade you three jms cards for a Riker card.")

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 551       Wed May 11, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:06 EDT

     I think Creation does some mail order; and their conventions are
nationwide.  I understand that the B5 shirts and stuff were among the bigger
sellers at the San Diego Creation Con, last weekend.

                                                             jms
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 560       Thu May 12, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:19 EDT

     Yeah, I hear the value of ST #16 is edging up a bit because of the B5
crossover element (and the ONLY time I will ever be involved with ST).  Don't
know about the card's value, though I have one.

     I'll have to check on the date of the Cardz B5 set; my guess would be
this fall.  Lee, let me know what you find out re: Starland stuff.

     Noticed on (I believe) another service a great exchange where someone was
explaining the difference between TNG and B5: Go ahead, imagine Sinclair,
Garibaldi and Ivanova being changed into children in this series.

     Good point.

                                                                 jms
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Topic 25        Fri Mar 12, 1993
S.SHELLENBAR [>> SHANE <<]   at 08:47 EST
Sub: J. Michael Straczynski Speaks in Public

This is the place to find out where and when JMS will be appearing next.  JMS
has honed his skills as a public speaker and is taking his act on the road.
468 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 25
Message 462       Fri May 13, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:43 EDT

     Nothing we can do about VO's, alas.

     Still plan to be in Chicago.

                                                                  jms
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Topic 3         Sat Oct 16, 1993
STARR [Arne]                 at 10:43 EDT
Sub: The Gathering -- the pilot film    

This topic is for discussion of the 2 hour pilot film.

115 message(s) total.
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Category 19,  Topic 3
Message 109       Tue May 10, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:54 EDT

     No indication now about any reruns of the pilot; but may have some good
news soonish about the rerun schedule.

                                                           jms
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Topic 7         Sat Oct 16, 1993
STARR [Arne]                 at 10:51 EDT
Sub: Believers   (#105)                 

by David Gerrold. Religion comes into play aboard Babylon-5.
156 message(s) total.
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Category 19,  Topic 7
Message 53        Sun May 01, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:11 EDT

     About every couple of months, the question is raised about whether or not
the starfuries fall correctly.  Everybody does the math, we go back and forth,
and it ends up that yes, they fall correctly.

                                          jms
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Category 19,  Topic 7
Message 57        Sun May 01, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:15 EDT

     Johanna: because it wouldn't have worked.  As Dr. Hernandez noted, the
growth is *massive* and *rooted*.  It had to be cut from the surrounding
tissue, and *extracted*.

                                                                   jms
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Topic 13        Sun Oct 17, 1993
STARR [Arne]                 at 15:15 EDT
Sub: Mind War   (#110)                  

by JMS. Co-Starring Walter Koenig.
213 message(s) total.
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Category 19,  Topic 13
Message 209       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:18 EDT

          Sigh...okay, okay, okay...it's just stupid, that's all, and it's as
     much my fault for not seeing it as it is Foundation's for making it.
It's
     one of those little glitches that -- like a typo in a manuscript -- you
     never see, even though you've looked at it a thousand times, until the
day
     you ship it off to the publisher, and BAM! there it is.

          So...the day after we deliver the episode, I'm looking at it for the
     ten zillionth time...and suddenly my head explodes and I rush into John
     Copeland's office and yell "C'MERETAKEALOOKATTHISOHCRAP."

          And I show him the shot where Jason Ironheart's ship eclipses a
star.
     "So?" says he.  "Watch the star," sez I.  And sure enough, you can
     see the star THROUGH his ship.  "Oops," sez he.  "Oops," sez I.

          So we've replaced that shot, but couldn't do so before it aired
     the first time.

                                                          jms

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Category 19,  Topic 13
Message 210       Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:19 EDT

     Excuse the glitches in the above; I got bumped while trying to leave the
prior note, got back on, edited what was still in my program's memory, and
thought it was okay.

                                                                jms
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Category 19,  Topic 13
Message 213       Sun May 15, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:27 EDT

                                 ...sigh...

                                                                 jms
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Topic 14        Sun Oct 17, 1993
SF-MARSHALL [Dave ]          at 15:15 EDT
Sub: Deathwalker (#113)                 

by Larry DiTillio. Co-starring Sarah Douglas and Robin Curtis.

190 message(s) total.
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Category 19,  Topic 14
Message 159       Sun May 01, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:13 EDT

     No, *you* may think there was no dramatic reason.  Only the writer can
make that choice.  You have to look at how it feels best.  Maybe you wouldn't
have written it that way.  That doesn't invalidate it.  Sorry.

                                                                 jms
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Category 19,  Topic 14
Message 166       Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:53 EDT

     I believe G'Kar is about 50-60 in Earth terms, which is early middle age
for Narns.

                                                               jms
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Topic 15        Sun Oct 17, 1993
SF-MARSHALL [Dave ]          at 15:15 EDT
Sub: Survivors  (#111)                  

by Marc Scott Zicree.

94 message(s) total.
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Category 19,  Topic 15
Message 7         Tue May 03, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:23 EDT

     Yeah, I love the shot of Earthforce One...and the cobra bay area where
they're working on the starfuries is also nicely done.  I think Jerry did a
great job with this one.

                                                                 jms
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Category 19,  Topic 15
Message 22        Thu May 05, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:41 EDT

     Earthforce One can't fit in the docking bay; never did.  The shuttle
bringing the president is shown leaving EF1, and the VO comments on the
presidential shuttle being launched at the same time.  So no, it would never
fit.

     The capital/center of the Earth Alliance is Earthdome, for anyone who's
interested.

                                                           jms

     (Oh, nearly forgot...it's located in Geneva.)
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Category 19,  Topic 15
Message 48        Sat May 07, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 18:40 EDT

     I never said it was an isolationist president.  The reporter doing the
commentary at the election talked about preserving earth culture in the face
of growing alien influences, which isn't quite the same thing as cutting off
trade agreements.

                                                                  jms
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Category 19,  Topic 15
Message 53        Sun May 08, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:25 EDT

     Yes, the cobra bay shots were all CG, and in the last shot, only Lianna
and *part* of the ladder are real; the rest is a virtual set.  And yes, we do
plan to do more of this.  (And so far, in hundreds of messages, here and
elsewhere, NO ONE else has noticed this.)

                                                              jms
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Category 19,  Topic 15
Message 69        Sun May 08, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 19:44 EDT

     I have come up with a new name for nitpickers.

     Skrrt-chasers.

                                                   jm*skrrt*
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Category 19,  Topic 15
Message 92        Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:02 EDT

     Actually, to give credit where credit is due, SeaQuest has begun doing
some stuff with virtual sets, including a shot in the "alien ship at the
bottom of the sea" episode.

                                                             jms
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Topic 16        Sun Apr 17, 1994
STARR [Arne]                 at 23:42 EDT
Sub: Signs and Portents (#116)          

by JMS. Directed by Janet Greek.  Co-starring Gerrit Graham.
26 message(s) total.
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Category 19,  Topic 16
Message 12        Fri May 13, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:24 EDT

     The other wing is Zeta wing.

     Since the episode has now been downlinked, folks who saw it at ICON can
now jump into things.

                                                                  jms
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Category 19,  Topic 16
Message 19        Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:19 EDT

     Just as a note, that wasn't any kind of tribute to Galactica; that's
simply how ack-ack guns or anti-aircraft (or spacecraft) guns work in terms of
tracking a target.  BG probably based its actions on those same principles as
well.

                                                                jms
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Category 19,  Topic 16
Message 21        Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:17 EDT

     If that is true, and I wasn't told, Mojo is going to have his tongue
ripped out and served to him with french fries.  Lots of salt.

                                                             jms
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Topic 17        Sun Apr 17, 1994
STARR [Arne]                 at 23:45 EDT
Sub: By Any Means Necessary  (#114)     

by Kathryn M. Drennan.
 Directed by Jim Johnston. Co-Stars John Snyder and Katy Boyer.
47 message(s) total.
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Category 19,  Topic 17
Message 4         Sat May 07, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 18:46 EDT

     The Rush Act only refers to unions, for the most part; it's not a wide-
ranging law.  It was developed during the Earth/Minbari war to deal quickly
and effectively with corporations or unions which were being difficult and
otherwise holding up the war effort.  (The air traffic controllers union would
be a good example of the government doing whatever it felt necessary to
resolve the situation.)  The law grants extraordinary power to resolve any
kind of strike or union action which endangers the operation of a military
base or other military operation, as Zento states.
 It applies only to that area, and remains on the books, though (as is also
pointed out) it hasn't been used in a while.

     Sinclair's decision is legal...but not politic, and it will come back as
one of many decisions to haunt him in "Eyes."

                                                               jms
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Category 19,  Topic 17
Message 9         Tue May 10, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:45 EDT

     On the topic of "constructive criticism," Jose...there is a difference
between "bad" and "I didn't like it."  A *lot* of people liked "Survivors,"
and many who've seen "By Any Means" also liked it.  Something like, say, "Plan
9" is simply bad...and those who like it admit that it's bad, and that's half
the fun.  Many people really enjoy Fred Astaire musicals; much as I like the
music from that period, I simply can't get into it.  That doesn't make it
"bad."  When you dismiss something that many people like as "bad," you are
basically calling them idiots.  Our opinions do not set us at the center of
the universe.

     Constructive criticism vs. name-calling.

     Would be curious to know, though, what you found didn't work about the
resolution to the G'Kar/Londo situation.  What I liked about it is that it's a
genuine science-oriented solution to a story problem, working out the
distance, vs. the speed of light, and finding a smart solution to the problem.
It's airtight, as near as I can see.

                                                                jms
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Category 19,  Topic 17
Message 16        Wed May 11, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:38 EDT

     No, actually, I agree..."great" and "bad" fall into the same category as
discussed above.  There are shows that I love intensely, which others can't
*abide*.

     As for happy endings...you want some variety, I think; we had a tough
ending in "Believers," a bittersweet ending in "Survivors," and here things
worked out for G'Kar and Connoly, but in a way did *not* work out for
Sinclair.  He's going to be hearing about this decision of his again, in the
not too distant future.  He's getting further and further behind the eight-
ball with some of these decisions, and he's going to get hammered about it.

     As for "Signs and Portents," I don't quite know *how* to characterize the
ending on that one.  Someone gets what they wanted, but this may or may not be
a good thing.  I'd say basically it has an ominous ending.  We do try to keep
it a mixed bag...one person may achieve a niceness, but somebody else pays the
price, or gets nailed.

                                                              jms
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Category 19,  Topic 17
Message 34        Fri May 13, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 02:36 EDT

     Before this gets too far...the Oxford American Dictionary defines pagan
as heathen...and heathen as someone not belonging to a respected, established,
or major religion, or as someone lacking in cultured moral and ethical
principles.

                                                            jms

     (A pagan is somebody who subscribes to somebody else's religion.)
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Category 19,  Topic 17
Message 44        Sat May 14, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 17:29 EDT

     I dunno...I think it was Asimov who said that SF "is whatever I point to
and say, 'That's SF.'"  It takes place in the future, 250 years from now, on a
space station, with laws that don't exist at this time, in a context not quite
the present.  To use your form of categorization, then there are many stories
in, for instance, "The Martian Chronicles" that don't qualify as SF.  Also,
the solution to the G'Kar/Londo problem is a science-oriented solution that
can *only* work in space, using lightspeed as an aspect of the solution.

     Anyway, I've always thought that the discussion of what was or wasn't SF
was kind of silly at the heart of it; like arguing over how many angels can
dance on the head of a pin (the answer to which, by the way, is "As many as
want to).  Serling created the Twilight Zone, and Roddenberry created Trek, to
tell good stories that people could relate to.  Some were more SF than others.
In some cases they simply changed the background of the characters from
minorities to aliens.  The obligation of a writer is to tell a good story,
first and foremost, and let others worry abou whether or not it fits the
"rules" they have assembled for what is or is not SF...rules that will vary
from person to person to person.

                                                                   jms

     (Who just remembered that the other definition of SF is speculative
fiction...and speculating about the future of unions, and labor laws, and
government, and finance, is as legitimate as reversing the tachyon field to
better differentiate the hyperdrive system diagnostics.)
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