lurkers-guide/ftp/Usenet/jms99-02-usenet

JMS Usenet messages for February 1999.


Date: 1 Feb 1999 23:09:04 -0700
Subject: Re: Attn: JMS - Directors for Crusade

Yes, Goran has been slated for a Crusade episode.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 1 Feb 1999 23:09:04 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Star Trek style shuttle/fighter bays and TNT 

> One part of it
>that caught my attention is a reference to the shuttle and fighter bays
>being pressurized, but having them open to space, the atmosphere being
>kept in by a 'magnetic' shield or some technowizzit.

No, there is a definite (and very large) airlock door that closes after ships
enter the flight deck, so it can then be pressurized.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 1 Feb 1999 23:11:15 -0700
Subject: Re: The A Call To Arms Poster

It's a typo.  The folks who did the poster never checked with us before they
printed it.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 6 Feb 1999 18:46:49 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN jms: Sleeping in Light Novelization

> Have you ever thought of making a novelization of
>"Sleeping in Light"? Either writing it yourself or assigning it to
>another author?

No, not really.  Not sure I'd want it done that way.  Let the internal
thoughts/monologue stay internal.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 8 Feb 1999 14:46:50 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Is "War Zone" History?

>will you be reverting back to your
>original plan and air "Racing the Night" first? I ask since you stated that
>TNT
>requested you reshuffle your story and make an introductory episode, titled
>"War Zone".

No, because the season was structured in such a way as to make that impossible.
 You'll understand when you see what was done.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 8 Feb 1999 14:47:35 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: SIL Clip in B5 CD-ROM

Yeah, it was meant as a surprise, but that's the only one like it there.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 10 Feb 1999 17:06:39 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Whatcha up to now?

>I was just 
>curious how you will be spending your time during this potentially nerve-
>wracking waiting period? Will you be writing more eps for Crusade? 
>Working on your new comic (I can't wait to see it!)? Actually getting 
>some sleep for a change?
>
All that...plus working on the show, doing post production on the episodes
already in hand (CGI, music, sound, editing)...I'm actually about as busy as we
are during shooting.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 10 Feb 1999 23:39:26 -0700
Subject: Re: B5 on Drew Carey show

We worke with the folks from the DCS on this.  When they asked if they could do
it, I only asked that they use our makeup and costume folks so it was
authentic, rather than what Ellen did with 'em.  I think they did a great job
with this on Drew.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 12 Feb 1999 11:41:05 -0700
Subject: New Words

Every so often, I come up with new words for stuff...came up with a couple the
other day, thought I'd pass 'em along.

When you're talking on the phone to someone who's online in a chat or doing
email, and there's that constant pause between what you say and their
reply...that's "net-lag."

When you're making a turn in a car and there's people in the way: a flack of
pedestrians.

Tha'ts it...just a thought....

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 12 Feb 1999 22:20:20 -0700
Subject: Re: attn: JMS. Book release order?

>There seems to be some confusion arising on the UK newsgroup about which
>group of the three trilogies will be coming out next. I know a lot of us
>want the Centauri Prime trilogy next (for obvious reasons) but it sounds as
>though the Technomage trilogy is coming out first (after the Psi Corps
>trilogy is finished). So which is it? And, if the Jeanne Cavelos novels will
>be out before the Peter David ones, when can we expect Peter David's work to
>hit the book shops?
>
>
My guess (it's to some extent a matter of how fast they get it done after I
turn in the outlines) is that we'll get the next Psi Corps novel first, then a
Technomage novel, then the final Psi Corps/Bester novel, then the first
Centauri novel, the second Technomage novel, and after that your guess is as
good as mine.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 13 Feb 1999 02:07:52 -0700
Subject: Re: New Unauthorized Babylon 5 Book Out

I would appreciate it if some kind soul could send me a copy of this book
(notify me first so we don't have ten folks sending copies in, and wasting
their time), because this book apparently uses vast tracts of my internet
postings, which is a gross violation of my copyright.  I've given permission to
use my postings on other internet systems, but never to be used in a book or to
be sold for profit.  

Under my AOL agreement, and my CIS agreement, and the electronic copyright
acts, these public postings are my express property and cannot be used without
my permission.

This applies to magazines as well as books.  To anyone else thinking of
poaching -- and we had to deal with a UK publisher on this very issue lately,
and won -- the copyright to this material will be vigorously protected, so
don't even *think* about using it and selling my words for your profit.

These are freely provided, to fans, for their private and non-profit use, with
my permission.  NO permission is granted for anyone or anything else.

I fully intend to bring suit against Mr. Schuster for copyright infringement.


>A new unauthorized Babylon 5 book was released recently.  I bought it in NYC
>at
>St. Mark's Comics.  Here is the book info:
>
>An Uncensored Guide, The Unauthorized, Uncensored Guide for Fans of Babylon 5
>"Inside Babylon.


 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 16 Feb 1999 15:19:56 -0700
Subject: Re: attn.JMS.UK appearances

There's nothing currently scheduled for the UK.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 16 Feb 1999 16:04:08 -0700
Subject: Re: New Unauthorized Babylon 5 Book Out

As noted in another thread, the situation has been resolved, and Mr. Schuster
has agreed to remove the copyrighted material from all future copies of the
book.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 16 Feb 1999 16:04:08 -0700
Subject: Re: Schuster's unauthorized book

I've communicated with Mr. Schuster, and he has agreed to remove from future
copies of the book all of the material taken from my internet postings.

That doesn't affect the copies already on stands, but all copies produced
henceforth (it's a self published operation, with limited numbers made at any
time) will be done without that copyrighted material.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 19 Feb 1999 12:06:22 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Next con appearance?

I'll be at Megacon in Orlando, Florida the weekend of March 5th.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 20 Feb 1999 18:40:48 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Sifl and Olly

>In the latest B5 magazine, it says that you may be voicing one of the
>puppets on an upcoming Sifl and Olly episode.  Will this still be
>happening?
>
>

Haven't heard back.  Liam said they wanted to make me into a sock puppet for
the show.  I said it would be redundent, but they were welcome to go for it. 
So we'll see....

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 21 Feb 1999 22:44:24 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS:  Does cast/crew get paid?

It depends on the department and the position within that department.  Some
folks can get holding money, some go on the union roster for day-work elsewhere
until the dust settles.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 22 Feb 1999 18:44:26 -0700
Subject: Re: Attn. JMS:  Writer Ageism/60 Minutes

>Is or was there any writer ageism present in your experience writing B5 and
>elsewhere?  60 Minutes did an interesting piece on older writers having
>trouble working?  What's your take on this issue?  I think a good writer
>regardless of age with a good story can sell it.

I haven't personally experienced it, but only because I'm still in my middle
40s (44).  However I know a number of people who *have* been affected by it,
and it's a genuine problem.  The irony is that many of the shows that say "we
want mid-twenties writers only" are being run by guys in their fifties...so if
they can create it and write for it, why can't somebody else in that age range?

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 26 Feb 1999 14:07:43 -0700
Subject: from jms re: Crusade

Bottom line:

The reason we've been waiting so long for news is that the SciFi Channel has
been crunching numbers for weeks, trying to make the deal work with WB, and
doing their level best.  The programming folks there loved the show (and
special thanks has to go to Programming Head Tom Vitale at SFC who worked
hardest to make this work).

The problem is simply this: the money to fund a series is a BIG chunk of
change.  SFC had already allocated its budget for the year as of January 1st,
and there simply wasn't enough left in this year's budget to pull it off. 
Also, the emphasis now is on spending money on shows where one owns a piece of
it, and Crusade is owned entirely by WB.  

At the end of they day, they just couldn't make the dollars work, though they
tried their damndest, and are only to be thanked.

I'm told that if the ratings are good on the 13 which TNT will still air, all
the eps made so far will be shown, there may be a second season, but we'll see.

Meanwhile, I'm taking the day off.  There have been seven offers for overall
deals and multiple network pilot deals with both networks per se and studios on
my desk for about a year now, ever since B5 ended, which I've been putting off
to do Crusade.  Now I'll pick one of those deals and make it.  So the next
thing from me you see will almost certainly be on one of the major networks. 
I'm going back into the deep water again....

Meanwhile, my thanks to all those who emailed and wrote and called and
supported.  It's a good show, as will be seen when the shows are aired, and I'd
rather lose a show I believed in than keep one I didn't believe in.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 27 Feb 1999 22:24:30 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS & ALL: Do NOT despair.

What you have to understand at this point is that there's really no time left. 
It takes a large amount of money to hold a cast and crew together while other
options are being sought, and even then options on varoius cast members and
others begin to expire fast.

WB can't keep spending holding money while they're seeking another prospect. 
It's a business decision, but a sensible one, given the large amounts of money
involved.  Their approach now is to believe in the show enough to get it on the
air, let the ratings speak for themselves, and see what happens.

My only regret is for the cast, who are all uniformly terrific, and who are
caught out in all this.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 27 Feb 1999 22:24:37 -0700
Subject: Re: Attn JMS:  Are you still going to Megacon

Yup, I'll be there.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com





Date: 27 Feb 1999 22:25:16 -0700
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Network projects!

>So what sort of offers have you recieved? I'm just curious...anything
>sci-fi-ish, or a drama? 

It's a number of things; to run some network shows, to create others (blind
pilot deals, meaning I write it, they buy it)...one network called late Friday
as word got out and asked if I'd do a non-SF TV movie for them while the rest
is in discussion (I said sure)...I can't talk about it much until the dust
settles and I decide where to land.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com