brennen
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lurkers-guide

IRC chat with JMS on Thursday, January 23, 1997 at 19:00 PST (0300 UTC)on channel #Babylon5 of server irc.warnerbros.com (and connected servers)
Transcript captured and edited by Tim Eliseo <tim@quiknet.com>.  Chatter andirrelevant IRC administrivia have been deleted.  Only intro, questions,answers, and messages JMS responded to are included.  If you *really* want myraw transcript, mail me.
*** jms is B5Online@ip006.lax.primenet.com (JMS)*** Moderator is mec@cumulus.org (mec)*** BluKnight is mec@cumulus.org (Unca' Blu)*** B5Online is B5Online@ip006.lax.primenet.com (Troy Rutter)
<BluKnight> Thank you for coming to the Warner Brothers IRC servers this evening.  My<BluKnight> name is BluKnight, and I am your primary host this evening...  We are very<BluKnight> glad you stopped in, and hope you enjoy the show this evening.<BluKnight><BluKnight> As you may or may not know, the creator, executive producer, and all around<BluKnight> God of the hit television series Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski, is<BluKnight> coming here this evening, through the auspices of B5Online at Warner Bros<BluKnight> Online.<BluKnight><BluKnight> This is a moderated chat event.  Questions can be submitted through sending<BluKnight> a private message to Moderator with the text "@submit (question here)",<BluKnight> without the quotes.  On most IRC clients, the command would look like this:<BluKnight><BluKnight>   /msg Moderator @submit Why doesn't Kosh make any sense?<BluKnight><BluKnight> Please submit your question ONLY ONCE.  You will get a message when your<BluKnight> question has been recieved.  After your question is recieved, it will be put<BluKnight> in a queue to be reviewed by one of our ops.  If it is rejected (probably<BluKnight> due to story ideas, bad taste, or other "forbidden topics"), you will<BluKnight> recieve a message back saying that your question has been rejected.<BluKnight> Again, we thank you for your participation.<BluKnight> BluKnight, IRC Coordinator<BluKnight> B5Online, IRC Operator, Webmaster, babylon5.com and Babylon 5 Online host (AOL)<BluKnight> Ok...<BluKnight> Some other things:  too many nick changes, or ones to take advantage or saying rude            things, will be IMMEDIATELY /killed by an operator.
/msg StelarCom help*StelarCom* Help for JMS Chat*StelarCom* to submit questions for JMS, /msg moderator @submit <question>*StelarCom* your question will be submitted for processing.  It may be rejected*StelarCom* due to content.  (Such as story ideas, or bad taste.)  Questions will*StelarCom* be asked in the order they were recieved.  Please send your question only once.*StelarCom* The moderator will notify you when it recieves your question.  Thank you.*StelarCom* If you need help, please contact your server admins, which are listed in the server MOTD.
*** jms (B5Online@ip006.lax.primenet.com) has joined channel #babylon5<BluKnight> Ok...<BluKnight> B5Online:  are we ready?<BluKnight> B5Online:  Lets rock and roll....<jms> We don't need no stinking rules as long as everyone understands I run the universe.<jms> How come no one ever Big Bands, only Rocks and Rolls?
<Moderator> Question from War_Maker:   Now that Lyta is no longer employed by the Vorlons will we            learn about her tripp to the vorlon homeowrld?<jms> I think that's something she's averse to talking about unless she has to.  Certainly now...<jms> that the Vorlons are no longer employing her, she'll have to find ways to get along...<jms> no Vorlons, outside the Psi Corps, she's very much on her own now, and vulnerable.
<Moderator> Question from Gargoyle:   Sir, thank you for making such a wonderful show, and my            question was, would you ever write a sequel to Babylon5? (I.e. another series, or can            you confirm the movie?)<jms> Well, WB is currently negotiating for a sequel, so we'll  see...and the two TNT movies are<jms> definitely on, pending being able to make our deals with the cast and the like.
<Moderator> Question from DocSane:   <When all is said and done, and the series ends either this            year or next, will you finally let us in on what the original story structure was            going to be?><jms> A painter begins a painting.  As he goes along, he makes modifications, decides that B is...<jms> better than A in terms of serving the purpose of the art...would it be appropriate to...<jms> skin back the layers of paint and see what steps the artist went through to get to where...<jms> he finally ended up believing was the right place?  In this case, I think that the B5...<jms> story is best just being what it *is* rather than what it *isn't*.<jms> (The question also proceeds from the assumption it changed a lot...it didn't, not that much)
<B5Online> We have temporarily lost the moderator... so... JMS, you said you are holding out on           the title of season 4 until episode 15 or 16...<B5Online> Can you let us in on when we might find out the 3 ages of mankind?<jms> You'll get the info on the 3 ages in the next batch of new eps; and I'm not holding off...<jms> on the title of S4 until 15 or 16, the title *is* episode 15.  And much as it annoys me...<jms> that this was broken outside because I trusted a reporter with the info (who then...<jms> promptly printed it in the UK)...the S4 title *is* "No Surrender, No Retreat."
<Moderator> Question from Rathenn:   Are the Minbari particularly 'obligated' to side one way or            the other in the onslaught of the Vorlons?<jms> Well, for the time being they're certainly aligned with Entil'zha, which would be Delenn.
<Moderator> Question from Jkay:   you use a 'painter' analogy, and I would agree .. but it            certainly would be FUN to see what the 5 year plan looked like when you submitted it            to WB, all the same :)<jms> WB never saw the full 5 year plan...I wouldn't show it to anyone except a very few...<jms> carefully chosen people; not even Doug knew how it would all come out.  And yeah...<jms> I can see how it'd be fun on one level...but it's also kinda like the magician showing you..<jms> which sleeve he used to hide the rabbit he removed from his hat.
<Moderator> Question from Reese:   Sir, what gave you the idea for Babylon 5?<jms> People almost always assume there is one thing that gives you the idea for something...<jms> I could say, "what gave you the idea for your marriage?"  It's much the same thing; it's a..<jms> process, no one single thing, that cumulatively comes together.  With B5, it came...<jms> from wanting to do an SF show responsibly, and trying to figure out how I'd do that...<jms> which led me to a space station notion..and I always wanted to do a big SF saga, but I...<jms> thought those were two different stories, until one day in the shower they just collided...<jms> and I realized they were the same story, and it went on from there.
<B5Online> Rabbit? Sleeve?  My whole life is ruined now.<jms> Troy, That happened long before I logged on.<B5Online> Oh thanks. :D
<Moderator> Question from Scorp666:   If you could classify the Babylon 5 Universe in one word,            what would it be?<jms> AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!<jms> (Next question?)<jms> (And yes, that *was* the word.)
<Moderator> Question from Zack:   First, I would like to thank you for answering my questions            last time at www.thestation.com Secondly, I apreciate the series, and I was wondering            if the relationship between Babylon5 and Earth will get worse.<jms> not a prob<jms> (smiles evilly) ....oh....I'd say so.....
<Moderator> Question from MrSpark:   [truncated at start of chat, re-asking] is the character of            Zack Allan more than a minor player?<jms> Well, he certainly becomes more important in this next batch of episodes, moving to...<jms> the foreground in some very important ways, developing and changing the nature of some...<jms> relationships, and so on. I've kind of kept him in my back pocket until now.
<Moderator> Question from ^Lorien^:   Will you continue into season 5 or end it all in season 4?<jms> We'll know that when Warner Bros. tells us; we have still not heard definitive word.
<Moderator> Question from Innfinity:   Any plan to overdub Ivanova's "Nook-you-ler" mistake in            HoTW?<jms> No, mainly because 99% of the time a dub *sounds* like a dub, and it brings...<jms> you out of the scene, and for one word it ain't worth it.  You also have to then change...<jms> all the international versions, the domestic broadcast tapes, int'l tapes...<jms> it's hideously expensive just for one word.
<Moderator> Question from Tykers:   JMS: What were some of your reasons for allowing ppl to make            their own B5 pages, and not go after them like Viacom is going after Star Trek pages?<jms> I talked to WB about it, and our sense, which WB agreed with, was that if fans cared..<jms> enough about the show to want to expend that kind of effort to support it, it would be...<jms> monumentally rude of us to go after them AS LONG AS the sites contained the correct...<jms> copyright information on our images and the like.  It just seemed the sensible approach.
<Moderator> Question from GaiusXVII:   Compared to the first season, how much has the per show            budget gone up in this past season?<jms> It goes up a few percentage points each season...the overall increase from season one...<jms> to now has been about $150,000 per episode total over 4 years.
<Moderator> Question from Eagle^1:   Will any B5 episodes ever make it to the Museum of Radio            and Television?<jms> That's kind of up to the Museum of Radio and TV.<B5Online> Sounds like a letter-writing campaign... ;>
<Moderator> Question from Keffer:   Why are the Vorlons so upset?<jms> They think they know how everyone should behave, how things should run, and we're...<jms> not doing it right fo starters, and the shadows continue to take the diametrically opposite.<jms> approach, and now they see a chance to shut down the opposition...<jms> and they're taking it.  I'm not sure that "upset" is the word...more like "determined."
<Moderator> Question from uzun:   The plan to forcefully eject Kosh2 seemed more to be the            premeditated murder of Kosh2, while Kosh2 attempted to flee.  Is Lorien more a            malevolent force on Sheridan than we now realize?<jms> We'll see soon on Lorien.  But understand that Kosh2 had refused to leave, had assaulted...<jms> and injured a security team; his continued presence would jeapordize the mission to save...<jms> several billion people's lives, and he would've turned to kill them in that hall if he had..<jms> the chance to do so (as he tried lashing at Delenn).  He was given a chance to leave in...<jms> peace, he declined, so he left in pieces.  He only tried to run with Kosh1 came out.
<Moderator> Question from ZogLite:   Is Franke signed to submit work for the TNT movies and            Crusades?<jms> He hasn't been signed yet because we don't have a deal for the series yet, but we have...<jms> every intention of using him no both the movies and the series.<jms> ON both, that is.
<Moderator> Question from Shadows:   what i was wondering about if the good guys will ever have            to ally with the shadows... excuse me if the question sounds lame but... i would just            like to know<jms> That would require telling you how the story goes...but bear in mind also that we're not...<jms> necessarily dealing in good vs. evil, as order vs. chaos, and you can find men and women...<jms> of good and bad virtues on either side of that line.
<Moderator> Question from NarnBoy:   Dreams and prophecy are useful instruments in telling the B5            story. Have you had any personal experience with these, such as a clairvoyant friend            or precognitive dreams?<jms> Nope.  And as an atheist, I don't believe in those things.  I don't need to...<jms> believe in Minbari to write about them, or Shadows (though they do live under my bed).
<Valen> Troy:  didn't you say you were clairvoyant?<Valen> :)<B5Online> Heh. I said I was psychotic.<Valen> oh<Valen> Psychotic, psychic, I gte them mixed up<Valen> :)<jms> "And suddenly the conversation took an ugly turn..."
<Moderator> Question from Mo:   Will it still 'end in fire' or has that all been averted by            Sinclair's time travel?<jms> If you're referring to the Emperor's question...he/we didn't define what "it" is...for his..<jms> homeworld, as we saw in WWE2, a lot of Centauri Prime *does* end in fire.  And that...<jms> will still take place.  That appointment is now firmly on the books.
<Moderator> Question from WildMan:   are the TNT moives going to be on any other networks?<jms> Not that I'm aware of, no.
<Moderator> Question from ^Lorien^:   When are you comming to Australia? :)<jms> As soon as you get rid of all those great big rats with the pouches....<jms> Eventually, I'm sure, when there's an invite to a good sized convention.
<Moderator> Question from Lorien:   Is the third Age about Humans, Mimbari, and the younger            races developing their own sense of purpose, away from the guidance of the Shadows            and Vorlons?<jms> Could be something like that...we'll see shortly.
<Moderator> Question from JamesC:   Are human telepaths capable of precognition, limited or            otherwise?<jms> Nope, that's one facet we didn't get.
<Moderator> Question from Grond:   Anything new on the spin-off series?<jms> There are intense negotiations going on, and it's now all a question of making the deal...<jms> with all the parties involved; they want to do it, now we have to make the deal work
<Moderator> Question from CrazyLrry:   I really loved Othersyde and Demon Night, do you plan to            write any more novels? And if so what do you want to write about??<jms> I'm actually in the early stages of my next novel right now, which is a nifty SF concept...<jms> contemporary setting, can't say much more about it.  I'd like to continue to do...<jms> a wide range of stuff: SF, dark fantasy, horror, nonfiction, the whole thing.
<Moderator> Question from Dave:   So, we're not going to find out what Lyta's errands were?<jms> You want to go interrogate the vorlons, go ahead, I don't want to annoy them.
<Moderator> Question from Delenn:   Will Vir himself end up killing Cartagia? (it has symmetry)<jms> Who can say?<jms> General note: if you ask me "will X happen" or "when will Y happen" you will almost always..<jms> get an evasive answer; if I were going to just tell y'all I wouldn't make the show.
<Moderator> Question from Redag:   Having just seen the promo for The Long Night: Why doesn't            Harlan design some more weapons?  A *lot* more weapons?:)<jms> Because he might decide to start *using* them, and the world would tremble.
<Moderator> Question from Dalenn:   Can we expect alot of big surprises in the next batch of            episodes?<jms> No.  I think that surprises are a bad idea.  I think that having the shows as dull and...<jms> unpredictable as possible is the way to go.  I don't want to startle anybody.  (sigh...<jms> well, what can one expect from someone who spells it Dalenn...?)  So yes, we will.<jms> (sigh2...that should've been dull and predictable above...I'm such a meroon...)<B5Online> I believe the nick Delenn was taken and thats why it was spelled that way. :)
<Moderator> Question from EUHese:   when did you first decide to write B5  ?<jms> 5 minutes after I saw the whole story explode in my head in the shower, I decided that...<jms> this story *would* get told, it *would* get made, and we'd tell it all.  That was 1986/87.<jms> (Okay, then the Delenn thing isn't that person's fault...it's the universe's sense of humor.<jms> hat I would gig somebody on spelling and then screw up the sentence I write...<jms> and people wonder where I get this weird sense of humor; the universe considers me its..<jms> personal cat toy.)<jms> (You have ANY idea what it's like to go through life covered in cosmic cat spit?)
<Moderator> Question from ge:   is babylon5 is going to decay after the 5th season(i would like            to think it wont)(if the 5th season will even be) or will it become more?<jms> well, since B5 can't *go* beyond 5 years, that's a moot question.
<Moderator> Question from GaiusXVII:   When you get ideas for a plot or episode, what is the            wierdest or funniest thing or inspiration you have had...<jms> I think that would have to be Londo's six genitalia; I was working out that script where...<jms> it was first introduced, and I was writing in bed because I had a 104+ temperature, on a..<jms> notebook computer, and I came up with this, and I just started laughing...and...<jms> laughing...and I started coughing and laughing so hard I literally fell out of bed.
<Moderator> Question from Greyleaf:   What will become of you and B5 after the 5 year arc?<B5Online> I think we answered that, didnt we?
<Moderator> Question from DarkJedi:   Are the episode ever gonna be put into book or novel form...<jms> That's a question for some years from now; right now my main obsession is getting it all...<jms> done and out in video form.  The idea of telling the whole story again, in novel form, is...<jms> enough to send me into a coma.
<Moderator> Question from lar1:   how lnog does it take to write a scrips?<jms> Depends.  When it's a white-heat situation, when it's all Right There in my head, I can...<jms> write the whole thing in 2 days.  (And oddly enough, those are almost always the best ones..<jms> the ones I work on for 2 weeks are never quite as good.)  The average is 7 days.
<Moderator> Question from NarnBoy:   Thank you Mr. S for such a fascinating story as is B5.  It            brings out the writer in some of us.  Do you have any advice for those that now have            the inspiration to write since being touched by B5?<jms> I'll give you the best advice I ever got: "Never let anyone stop you from telling the...<jms> story you want to tell.  And cut every third adjective."  Write from passion, write...<jms> what moves you, don't worry about formulas, just *write*.  (I have a whole book...<jms> out on this, btw..."The Complete Book of Scriptwriting," available from Writer's Digest...<jms> Books, or via www.amazon.com.)
<Moderator> Question from uzun:   The unnamed first ones that Ivanova contacted a year or so            ago, are they of the same race as Lorien?<jms> No, younger.  But you'll see them again soonish.
<Moderator> Question from Innfinity:   Who does the closed-captioning? Lately on cc I've seen            the intro-voiceovers attributed, but to all the wrong people.<jms> A company contracted by WB.  We provide them with scripts, and they take it from there...<jms> so it ain't our call.
<Moderator> Question from MarkChase:   How much did HP Lovecraft influance the story line?<jms> Only in the sense that his work contained hints of ancient mysteries, beings billions of...<jms> years older than us, these vast, cyclopean places and things...it's that kind of...<jms> ambiance more than anything else.
<Moderator> Question from Antony:   <Are th evorlons truly the evil ones?><jms> Again, this ain't about good or evil.  You're also putting human notions on aliens who...<jms> don't think as we do.  The Vorlons think they're doing the right thing, as do the shadows...<jms> But what may be right for them, may be wrong for us.
<Moderator> Question from MrTim:   We know the Walkers didn't think highly of the Vorlons. Does            that mean they agree with the Shadows?<jms> Not necessarily.  I may dislike Troy, that doesn't mean I automatically like Blu.  Or...<jms> vice versa.  The vorlons are just an annoying race to some of them.<B5Online> Ill try to figure out if thats good or bad for me.<jms> Yes.<jms> (to Troy)
<Moderator> Question from Misty:   with the sequal you were just talking about, does this mean            anything about season 5?<jms> No, the sequel would either follow a final year 4, or be simultaneous with season 5, which..<jms> would enable crossovers.  It can go either way.
<Moderator> Question from Mo:   Will we ever find out who built the Great Machine?<jms> Probably not.  Not all mysteries have answers.  And if I said, "A guy named Bob...<jms> built the machine," does that add to or diminish the mystery?  (I think it would diminish...<jms> the mystery of the machine, but on reflection add to the mystery of Bob.)
<BluKnight> JMS:  do you want to continue, or stop here?  We just lost the moderator due to            massive use.<jms> Just to add a thought or two, since we just seem to have lost our question ability...<jms> the new episodes start next week, which signal a major change in the show and the war and<jms> many of our characters and how they relate to one another.  The February sweeps will also...<jms> be crucial to determining the year 4/5 question.  As well as the B5 WB site, there is also..<jms> the B5 fan club site, btw, which is at www.thestation.com, and a fun place.<jms> One way or another, this story will be finished, and the episodes we have in hand now are...<jms> some of the best we've ever done.  One suggestion: watch "Into the Fire" with a friend who..<jms> owns a REALLY cool video/sound system, as this is a real blow-out.<jms> Anyway, I'm told that this is about it...I just wanted to close by thanking everyone for...<jms> coming and for supporting the show; you will never know how much the support has meant to...<jms> those of us working on the show, and continues to mean.  It's because of you that this..<jms> show has stayed on the air, and we never forget that.<jms> Thanks again, and g'night all.<BluKnight> JMS:  Thank you, on behalf of all of the ops and regulars of irc.warnerbros.com for            coming.