The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5
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  1. <html>
  2. <head>
  3. <title>Babylon 5 Resources: Products</title>
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  49. <p>
  50. <b>Contents:</b>
  51. <a href="#books">Books</a> -
  52. <a href="#clothing">Clothing</a> -
  53. <a href="#soundtrack">Audio</a> -
  54. <a href="#software">Software</a> -
  55. <a href="#toys">Toys/Games</a> -
  56. <a href="#video">Video</a> -
  57. <a href="#misc">Misc</a>
  58. <p>
  59. <hr>
  60. Licensing Company of America, a
  61. subsidiary of Warner Bros. handles the licensing of <cite>Babylon 5</cite>
  62. products.
  63. <p>
  64. Many of these items are carried by online stores:
  65. <ul>
  66. <li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thelurkersguidet">Amazon.com</a>
  67. <li> <a href="http://www.astralight.com/bookstore/">Astralight Book Store</a>
  68. <li> <a href="http://www.webcs.com/b5">The Collector's Trading Post</a>
  69. <li> <a href="http://www.sf-f.com/">Fantasy Emporium</a>
  70. <li> <a href="http://firebirdarts.com/2bab01.htm">Firebird Arts &amp; Music</a>
  71. <li> <a href="http://www.bookshop.co.uk/">The Internet BookShop</a> (UK)
  72. <li> <a href="http://www.moviemadness.com/">Movie Madness Merchandise</a>
  73. <li> <a href="http://members.aol.com/oriontradr/orion.htm">Orion Traders</a>
  74. <li> <a href="http://www.bab.com/pegasus/pegasus.html">Pegasus Publishing</a>
  75. <li> <a href="http://tvmerch.web2010.com/cgibin/shop/tvcart.cgi">Power Star
  76. Collectibles</a>
  77. <li> <a href="http://members.aol.com/sfcomet/b5m.htm">SFCOMET</a> (UK)
  78. <li> Uncomyn Gifts'
  79. <A HREF="http://www.halcyon.com/uncomyn/Main/Recreation_Room/Babylon-5/index.html">The Virtual Toy Store</A>
  80. <li> <a href="http://www.awit.com/index.htm">A Wrinkle in Time</a>
  81. </ul>
  82. <p>
  83. <hr>
  84. <p>
  85. <a name="books">Books/Magazines</a>
  86. <ul>
  87. <p>
  88. <li>
  89. <b>For a list of books, see the
  90. <a href="/lurk/novels/">Books/novels</a>
  91. page.</b>
  92. <p>
  93. <li>
  94. A
  95. <a href="/lurk/comic/index.html">comic-book adaptation</a>
  96. from DC Comics with all-new stories is available. The original series
  97. started in December 1994 and ended after 11 issues.
  98. A new series, started in January 1998, is in production.
  99. Softbound collections of the first and second series are available
  100. from Titan Books in the UK, ISBNs 1852866462 and 1852867353.
  101. <p>
  102. <li>
  103. Babylon 5 Magazine, an official UK magazine published by Titan Magazines, goes
  104. on sale in the UK and Ireland on July 17, 1997. It features interviews with
  105. the cast and crew and exclusive photos from the set. For subscription
  106. information, call 01536 763631.
  107. <p>
  108. <li>
  109. <a href="http://www.slowdazzle.com/babylon5/home.htm">A 1999 Babylon 5 calendar</a>
  110. is available.
  111. <p>
  112. <li>
  113. Chris Aylott produces a fan-run magazine called
  114. <a href="http://io.com/user/aylott/apainfo.html">The Babylon Project.</a>
  115. </ul>
  116. <p>
  117. <a name="clothing">Clothing</a>
  118. <ul>
  119. <p>
  120. <li>
  121. Fashion Victim has released 5
  122. <a href="http://www.UncomynGifts.com/Main/Recreation_Room/Babylon-5/T-shirts/index.html">B5 shirts,</a>
  123. with 2 more on the way.
  124. <p>
  125. <li>
  126. Some fan-produced
  127. <a href="http://www.aracnet.com/~elana/pin/pin.html">jumpgate pins</a>
  128. (with the "&lt;*&gt;" symbol you may have seen in people's Usenet signatures,
  129. representing a jumpgate) are available. The price has been sharply cut
  130. for the remainder of 1997.
  131. <p>
  132. <li>
  133. A leather/wool jacket with the B5 logo on the front and a station picture
  134. on the back is available, though only in limited quantities. The list
  135. price is $300. See the Uncomyn Gifts page listed above for more details.
  136. <p>
  137. <li>
  138. There are some
  139. <a href="http://www.halcyon.com/uncomyn/b5/costumes/b5-mask.html">B5 character
  140. masks.</a>
  141. Currently Delenn and G'Kar are being
  142. produced; their list prices are $15.00 and $23.00 respectively.
  143. <p>
  144. <li>
  145. ALL-U Activewear has
  146. <a href="http://www-pcd.stanford.edu/mogens/babylon-5/t-shirts.html">5 shirt
  147. designs</a>
  148. available, as well as 1 cap design and
  149. some other items. 10 Vatrano Rd, Albany NY 12205; phone 800-424-2558 or
  150. 518-488-7291.
  151. <p>
  152. <li>
  153. Two T-shirt designs are now available from
  154. <a href="http://www.800-trekker.com/b5.htm">800-TREKKER</a>:
  155. the logo, and the station/season 1 cast (as seen in the TV Guide ad).
  156. $13.95 each.
  157. <p>
  158. <li>
  159. Creation Entertainment has T-shirts. They can be reached at (818) 409-0960.
  160. <p>
  161. <li>
  162. <cite>Babylon 5</cite> T-shirts should be available soon at Warner Bros.
  163. company stores.
  164. </ul>
  165. <p>
  166. <a name="soundtrack">Audio</a>
  167. <ul>
  168. <p>
  169. <li>
  170. Two soundtrack albums by Christopher Franke are available via mail order and
  171. in stores. The first, titled simply "Babylon 5," is about 55 minutes in
  172. length. Sonic Images, the publisher, has a
  173. <a href="http://www.sonicimages.com/b5/b5home.html">Web server</a>
  174. with some excerpts from the CD. There is also a fan-produced
  175. <a href="/lurk/ftp/soundtrack-index">detailed breakdown</a>
  176. of which episodes the various sections of the CD come from.
  177. <p>
  178. The second soundtrack album is called "Babylon 5: Messages from Earth," and
  179. was released January 29, 1997. See the Sonic Images
  180. <a href="http://www.sonicimages.com/b5/v2/">Web page</a>
  181. about the soundtrack for details and audio clips. There is a fan-produced
  182. <a href="/lurk/ftp/soundtrack-2-index">index</a>
  183. of this CD as well.
  184. <p>
  185. A series of unabridged
  186. <a href="http://www.sonicimages.com/b5/Episodes/">episode soundtracks</a>
  187. is available from Sonic Images, containing the music from various
  188. episodes exactly as heard on the show. Each CD runs approximately 30
  189. minutes. Episodes currently available include
  190. <a href="/lurk/guide/054.html">"Severed Dreams,"</a>
  191. <a href="/lurk/guide/057.html">"A Late Delivery from Avalon,"</a>
  192. <a href="/lurk/guide/062.html">"Walkabout,"</a>
  193. <a href="/lurk/guide/065.html">"Shadow Dancing,"</a>
  194. and
  195. <a href="/lurk/guide/066.html">"Z'ha'dum."</a>
  196. <p>
  197. Sonic Images also publishes a
  198. <a href="http://sonicimages.com/crusade/">"Crusade" soundtrack</a>
  199. featuring music by Evan H. Chen.
  200. <p>
  201. All of these CDs can be ordered direct from Sonic Images; details can be found
  202. on their Web site.
  203. <p>
  204. Some of the CDs are available for online listening at
  205. <a href="http://www.broadcast.com/jukebox/formats/soundtracks/soundtracks1.stm">broadcast.com.</a>
  206. <p>
  207. <li>
  208. Bill Mumy (Lennier) is part of
  209. <a href="http://www.rain.org/~czure/barnes/">Barnes &amp; Barnes,</a>
  210. an offbeat rock band. (In
  211. <a href="/lurk/guide/016.html">"Eyes,"</a>
  212. Lennier can be heard chanting a nonsense word from one of his albums.)
  213. His latest album is called "Dying To Be Heard."
  214. <p>
  215. <li>
  216. There is also a set of recordings by B5's conceptual consultant Harlan
  217. Ellison, who performs his works in a radio-drama-style context. The first
  218. CD release is a reading of his Hugo-award-winning story, "Paladin of the Lost
  219. Hour." The CD costs $16.50 plus $2 shipping/handling; for more information
  220. or to order, contact the Harlan Ellison Record Collection,
  221. P. O. Box 55548, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413. (Checks or money
  222. orders only, no plastic.)
  223. <p>
  224. <li>
  225. A series of recordings of radio shows written by
  226. <a href="http://www.lodestone-media.com/">Norman Corwin</a>
  227. is available. Norman Corwin is JMS's favorite writer;
  228. <a href="/lurk/search.html?KEY=norman+corwin&go=Search&USENET=1&GENIE=1&COMPUSERVE=1&THE=0">here's what Joe has to say about him.</a>
  229. </ul>
  230. <p>
  231. <a name="software">Software</a>
  232. <ul>
  233. <p>
  234. <li>
  235. <a href="http://www.sierra.com/">Sierra Online</a>
  236. was working on a B5 computer game
  237. featuring first-person space combat, but it was
  238. <a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/990921/wa_sierra__1.html">cancelled</a>
  239. on September 21, 1999.
  240. <p>
  241. Some articles about the game are available on various sites:
  242. <ul>
  243. <li> A September 1998
  244. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/19990116223026/http://www.ogr.com/previews/babylon5_1.phtml">preview</a>
  245. of the game
  246. <li> A September 1998
  247. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/19981201204440/http://www.next-generation.com/jsmid/news/4466.html">interview</a>
  248. with designers Marc Hudgins and Randy Littlejohn
  249. </ul>
  250. <p>
  251. The game was first shown publicly on May 29, 1998 at the E3 conference in
  252. Atlanta, GA.
  253. <p>
  254. <li>
  255. Several fan-produced B5 games are available. Among them:
  256. <ul>
  257. <p>
  258. <li>
  259. <a href="http://www.firstones.com/">I've Found Her,</a>
  260. a space combat simulation written from scratch.
  261. <p>
  262. <li>
  263. <a href="http://www.3dactionplanet.com/hlp/hosted/babylon/index.shtml">The Babylon Project</a>
  264. is another space combat simulation based on the Freespace 2
  265. engine (though that game is not required to play.)
  266. </ul>
  267. <p>
  268. <li>
  269. Sierra produces a B5 CD-ROM encyclopedia, "The Official Guide to J.
  270. Michael Straczynski's 'Babylon 5,'" created in cooperation with Babylonian
  271. Productions. It was released November 17, 1997, and can be ordered online from
  272. <a href="http://www.sierra.com/titles/babylon5/">Sierra's Web site.</a>
  273. More details:
  274. <ul>
  275. <p>
  276. <li>
  277. Sierra On-Line (Oakhurst, CA), in
  278. conjunction with Babylonian Productions and Sonic Images, is releasing
  279. the ultimate Babylon 5 reference product. It will be hitting stores the
  280. first week of November and contains 2 CDs. Both CDs are hybrid PC and
  281. MAC.
  282. <p>
  283. The first CD (created by Babylonian Productions) is the reference guide.
  284. This has gobs of specs and information on ships, weapons, governments,
  285. people, and places to go on the ship. One of the most impressive
  286. things, is the incredible amount of video clips and still images taken
  287. from the show. This is a very special CD due to its unique design and
  288. depth of information.
  289. <p>
  290. The second CD (created by Sonic Images and Sierra) is "The Best of
  291. Babylon 5". This is an enhanced music CD that has 15 tracks taken from
  292. Christopher Franke's 7 existing Babylon 5 CDs (Vol.1, Vol.2, and the 5
  293. Episodic CDs), plus 2 tracks created for Sierra's upcoming game. Play
  294. the music just like any music CD, or put it in a PC or MAC and choose to
  295. see any of the 8 interviews, a Bio, or a trailer for Sierra's upcoming
  296. game.
  297. <p>
  298. As an added bonus, there will be an exclusive trading card.
  299. </ul>
  300. <p>
  301. Comments from JMS:
  302. <ul>
  303. <p>
  304. <li>
  305. The first thing out the gate is going to be the B5 guide CDrom,
  306. which will be out next month or so. It was done in-house by us, and
  307. Sierra is distributing it. It's the authoritative guide to the races,
  308. weapons, ships, and the world of B5 itself, the locations, other
  309. stuff...with a LOT of video from the show, and your choice of three
  310. different guides.
  311. <p>
  312. <li>
  313. The other game is still being developed, and it's too early to
  314. get into the details yet. Christy Marx is involved, though.
  315. <p>
  316. RE: the guides...in the informational CD rom, you arrive by
  317. shuttle at the station, and at customs you can choose from three
  318. different guides: the official station tour guide (rather stuffy,
  319. formal, only encourages you to go to the nice places), a rather shady
  320. character who knows all the best (worst) places, and a Gaim. The
  321. commentaries on the places you go vary from guide to guide.
  322. <p>
  323. <li>
  324. Yes, the fan club will also carry a limited number of the
  325. CDroms.
  326. <p>
  327. <li>
  328. <em>Will the CD contain information about future events?</em><br>
  329. No, this was something we couldn't work into this
  330. version...though there is one little extra hidden in the disk
  331. somewhere...sort of an easter egg, something that won't come around for
  332. almost a year in the show.
  333. <p>
  334. <li>
  335. <em>About the name</em><br>
  336. I was very iffy on that...I am getting this vague sense that I'm
  337. becoming a brand name, and I'm suspicious of that sort of thing. At
  338. first they wanted it in a proprietary sense, "J. Michael Straczynski's
  339. Guide to the Babylon 5 Universe," but I vetoed that because Jason
  340. Brezhinski did 90% of the actual work on the thing, researching every
  341. smallest detail shown in the series, and if anyone should get that
  342. credit, it's him. The final title only came about through a lot of
  343. haggling.
  344. </ul>
  345. <p>
  346. PC Magazine has a
  347. <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/netbuyer/reviews/pcmg/1711/314001.htm">review</a>
  348. of the CD.
  349. <p>
  350. <li>
  351. <a href="http://www.soundsourceinteractive.com/bab5/bab5.htm">Babylon 5:
  352. Shadow War</a>
  353. is the second B5 screensaver package from Sound Source Interactive. It contains
  354. images from seasons three and four as well as a B5 videogame.
  355. <p>
  356. <li>
  357. The first B5 screen saver by Sound Source Interactive is currently
  358. out of print. A note from JMS about installation:
  359. <blockquote>
  360. Oh...speaking of eye-popping, I've gotten a copy of the B5 Screen
  361. Saver/Limited Edition Entertainment CD Rom, and it's nifty. I suggest it
  362. to everyone, with a caveat: if you're not a computer neep-neep kind of
  363. person, have someone help you install the thing. It took me several
  364. passes to figure everything out. And once you DO install it, even though
  365. it says "do you want all the images?" and you say yes, it doesn't put them
  366. all on. Once you've finished -- and I'm putting this here because as far
  367. as I can tell this isn't documented *anywhere* -- go to the setup menu,
  368. and hit install. Make sure your CDrom is in the drive. Go to the
  369. Images subdirectory on the CDrom, and you'll suddenly see 150 or so
  370. images that were *not* installed. Highlight all of them, copy them over
  371. to the pdesk/images subdirectory on your hard disk, then add them, and
  372. select them. Most neeps out there could probably figure this out, but I
  373. couldn't, so I pass this along for those who are as computerchip
  374. challenged as I am. Once it's all *there*, and actually even before that,
  375. it's gorgeous...the images are crisp and brilliant, the full-motion video
  376. stuff is terrific, there's music and sounds and other stuff...I can't
  377. commend it highly enough.
  378. </blockquote>
  379. </ul>
  380. <p>
  381. <a name="toys">Toys/Games</a>
  382. <ul>
  383. <p>
  384. <li>
  385. Mongoose Publishing has a very detailed
  386. <a href="http://mongoosepublishing.com/rpg/series.php?qsSeries=11">B5
  387. roleplaying game</a> that includes material from Crusade.
  388. <p>
  389. <li>
  390. A B5 game is available from
  391. <a href="http://www.c-g-s.com/">Component Game Systems.</a>
  392. It's a strategy game played with cards. Starter kits are US$12.95 each. A
  393. core set with the complete set of cards is US$29.95.
  394. <p>
  395. <li>
  396. Precedence Publishing produced a B5 collectible card game
  397. which was released in November 1997.
  398. <p>
  399. Three action figures (Lennier, Marcus, and Vir) are available from
  400. <a href="http://www.diamondcomics.com/toychest/bab5/babylon5.html">Diamond
  401. Comics.</a>
  402. <p>
  403. <li>
  404. <a href="http://www.agentsofgaming.com/">Agents of Gaming</a>
  405. produces a B5 space combat wargame called
  406. <a href="http://www.agentsofgaming.com/b5wstock.htm">Babylon 5 Wars.</a>
  407. <p>
  408. <li>
  409. Chameleon Eclectic Entertainment produces a B5 roleplaying game.
  410. It's set in the years between the end of the
  411. Earth-Minbari War and the start of the series. The game will apparently not
  412. be available in the UK until a publisher can be found there.
  413. <p>
  414. <li>
  415. Revell/Monogram produces licensed models of Babylon 5 and the
  416. Starfury fighter. Here's what
  417. JMS had to say on December 17, 1997, referring to the Starfury model:
  418. <blockquote>
  419. The finished model just came in this week, with full shrink wrap, box, pieces,
  420. everything...very nice. There were some delays that came from our side, as we
  421. worked to make it more authentic and more in keeping with how they look on
  422. screen. Revell was happy to cooperate, even if it delayed things a bit...with
  423. the result that it's a better product. (Among the things we asked for: to
  424. reposition the forward guns, alter the tilt of the engines, texture under the
  425. wings as well as on top, that sort of thing.)
  426. <p>
  427. Basically, I'd rather have it *right* than have it Tuesday.
  428. </blockquote>
  429. <p>
  430. The Starfury model comes with decals to make it look like Ivanova's Starfury,
  431. the Black Omega squadron, a Presidential escort, or the "Sea Witch."
  432. <p>
  433. <li>
  434. Micro Games of America makes a couple handheld electronic B5 games with
  435. LCD displays.
  436. <p>
  437. <li>
  438. Galoob's Babylon 5
  439. <a href="http://www.galoob.com/MMSPtop.html">Micro-Machines</a>
  440. are available at toy stores like Toys R Us, as well as stores like Wal-Mart,
  441. K-Mart, and Target. There are six sets of three ships, each set costing
  442. about five to six dollars.
  443. <p>
  444. Sets 5 and 6 are packaged as part of the Space Collection, which includes
  445. 24 3-vehicle packs per box: 22 Star Wars and Star Trek packs, and both B5
  446. packs. Galoob apparently no longer has the license
  447. to make additional B5 sets, but the initial six should still be out there.
  448. <p>
  449. <li>
  450. Bubble bottle necklaces. Each bottle is a futuristic
  451. container with one of the ships on top (the handle of the bubble
  452. blower).
  453. </ul>
  454. <p>
  455. <a name="video">Video</a>
  456. <ul>
  457. <p>
  458. <li>
  459. Warner Home Video has released the B5 pilot movies
  460. <a href="/lurk/guide/000.html">"The Gathering"</a>
  461. and
  462. <a href="/lurk/guide/111.html">"In the Beginning"</a>
  463. on DVD. A boxed-set release is expected in fall 2002, with commentaries
  464. by JMS.
  465. <a href="/lurk/misc/dvd.html">The latest information.</a>
  466. <p>
  467. <li>
  468. VHS videotapes of season-one B5 episodes are available in the US from
  469. <a href="http://www.columbiahouse.com/">Columbia House.</a>
  470. The first videotape is $4.95 with a subscription; subsequent tapes (2
  471. episodes each) are $19.95 each and arrive every four to six weeks.
  472. Columbia House can be reached at (800) 457-0866.
  473. <p>
  474. Videotapes of season two and beyond (and possibly season one as well) will
  475. be released in 1998 by Warner Home Video. Here's the announcement from
  476. JMS:
  477. <blockquote>
  478. Victories come in all sizes; in some ways, this is a small one,
  479. in other ways this is a big one.
  480. <p>
  481. For four years, we bugged Warner Bros. Home Video about
  482. releasing B5 on videocassette in retail outlets. But WB has never
  483. released a series before on tape, it's not something they *do*, not
  484. sufficiently prestige when compared with their big movies. Eventually
  485. they were persuaded to let Columbia House try it for mail-order, for
  486. the first season.
  487. <p>
  488. And CH was *swamped* with orders. Phones rang off the hook, and
  489. tapes were back-ordered to try and fill the demand.
  490. <p>
  491. And Warner Bros...noticed.
  492. <p>
  493. And this month, they made a big announcement about the coming
  494. release of Babylon 5 on video through retail outlets all over the
  495. country. I've seen the cover designs for the first batch, and they're
  496. extremely good looking montages, each specifically designed for that
  497. tape. They're putting a lot of thought and effort and time into this,
  498. and a big campaign. I believe the first batch hits the stands in July
  499. or August, somewhere in there.
  500. <p>
  501. This is a big victory for us. On a grand scale, it may seem
  502. minor, but it's the most direct statement of "you were right" we've
  503. ever had from WB, and they were sufficiently mensches to say so, and
  504. act on it.
  505. <p>
  506. If these go well, they're also talking laserdisks and DVDs down
  507. the road, and should THAT happen, I'm going to push like hell to have
  508. them release the widescreen versions.
  509. <p>
  510. But that's the next campaign. For now, this is a big victory
  511. for us, and we're mighty pleased.
  512. </blockquote>
  513. <p>
  514. JMS warns of pirate videos and asks for help tracking down the source:
  515. <blockquote>
  516. A number of folks have been spammed by a series of notes from a group called
  517. VulcanEntr@aol.com offering tapes of B5 bloopers and rarities. Under any
  518. circumstances, NO ONE has been licensed or authorized to sell ANY B5 bloopers,
  519. extracts, excerpts or interviews, anywhere on the planet. (And this goes for
  520. the B5 electronic press kit, which is specifically denoted as freeware and
  521. it's illegal to sell them.) If you see these tapes for sale ANYwhere, be
  522. advised that you are dealing with stolen goods.
  523. <p>
  524. Back to VulcanEntr...it was brought to their attention by a fan that they did
  525. not have the rights to sell these tapes...they replied to the fan that they
  526. DID have the rights, and had verified this with the B5 production office; even
  527. had a convention organizer send a similar note, both threatening the fan
  528. slander suits for such statements (that they were bootleggers). The
  529. convention organizer, Jon Bernam, of JD Productions, said that he had received
  530. a copy of a letter from B5 to Vulcan Entr. giving them the rights to sell this
  531. material.
  532. <p>
  533. All this was forwarded on to me...and I then contacted them and in very short
  534. order, VulcanEntr said that they never, ever at any time had any B5 tapes,
  535. that a couple of part-time employees had misused their account to put out
  536. these notes offering these items for sale...although Bernam stated that these
  537. tapes had been on a table at his convention....
  538. <p>
  539. VulcanEntr said they never had any knowledge of any of this, so how then did
  540. Bernam get a copy of a letter supposedly authorizing this?
  541. <p>
  542. I think the operative phrase here is, "duck and cover." You'd think they would
  543. at least get their stories straight.
  544. <p>
  545. So consider this a fact-finding and weasel-hunting expedition. If you ordered
  546. a tape from VulcanEntr, and that check has been cashed, then if Vulcan Entr.
  547. is correct and these tapes never existed...that's mail fraud. If you DID get
  548. a copy of these tapes, it's piracy and in the purview of the FBI.
  549. <p>
  550. Obviously, I would prefer to continue going straight to the source for my
  551. answers here, but overnight BOTH parties canceled their AOL accounts and have
  552. vanished from sight.
  553. <p>
  554. Suffice to say that any information on this situation will be very much
  555. appreciated. So that we can arrive at all the facts. Meanwhile, the moral is
  556. to stay clear of video pirates and bootleggers.
  557. </blockquote>
  558. <p>
  559. <li>
  560. <a href="http://www.image-entertainment.com/">Image Entertaniment</a>
  561. is releasing B5
  562. <a href="http://www.image-entertainment.com/preview/798/bab5.html">episodes
  563. and TV-movies</a>
  564. on laserdisc.
  565. <p>
  566. <li>
  567. In Europe, Australia, Japan, and other markets, the Babylon 5 pilot movie has
  568. been released on home video (and on laserdisc in Japan), as has
  569. <a href="/lurk/guide/018.html">"A Voice in the Wilderness"</a>
  570. (both parts, spliced together into a movie.) In Australia and New Zealand,
  571. the tape of
  572. <a href="/lurk/guide/000.html">"The Gathering"</a>
  573. is instead titled "Universe on the Brink of Destruction."
  574. <p>
  575. <li>
  576. A UK video release of the series started in May 1995. The tapes are
  577. distributed by Beyond Vision Serial Sci-Fi and cost &pound;10.99 each.
  578. Some have two episodes per tape, some three. They're also available as
  579. boxed sets, with each season priced at &pound;65.
  580. <p>
  581. The
  582. <a href="http://www.musicshop.co.uk/36755623/videos/viSCI_B.HTM">Internet
  583. Music Shop</a>
  584. in the UK has the videos available for purchase over the net. (The UK
  585. videos are in PAL format, which won't play back on most US video equipment;
  586. keep that in mind if you decide to order.)
  587. <p>
  588. For more information on the European videos:
  589. <ul>
  590. <li>
  591. <a href="http://www.hascoll.dk/Stud/Studpers/S930225/b5/MAIN.HTM">The Storm
  592. Guide to Babylon 5</a>
  593. <li>
  594. <a href="http://www.nvc.com.br/~red34/">Sector Red 34</a>
  595. </ul>
  596. <p>
  597. <li>
  598. All of the first- and second-season episodes are available on tape in Australia.
  599. The tapes are marketed by Warner Bros. and cost $19.95 each.
  600. Season three tapes began appearing in February 1998 at the same price, and
  601. will likely appear in batches of three every three months.
  602. <p>
  603. <li>
  604. In Singapore, B5 is available on Video CD (two episodes per CD) from Warner
  605. Home Video.
  606. <p>
  607. <li>
  608. Ron Thornton (B5 special effects coordinator) has a series of
  609. <a href="http://www.desktopimages.com/desktop/thornton.htm">instructional
  610. videos</a>
  611. about creating spacecraft with 3-D computer graphics.
  612. </ul>
  613. <p>
  614. <a name="misc">Miscellaneous</a>
  615. <ul>
  616. <p>
  617. <li>
  618. <a href="http://www.hughfleming.com.au/index.htm">Hugh Fleming Illustration</a>
  619. produces a limited-edition B5 poster in the style of a movie poster.
  620. <p>
  621. <li>
  622. <a href="http://www.mania.com/">Mania</a>
  623. has a limited-edition
  624. <a href="http://www.mania.com/store/browse/sku.asp?x_sku=FG.B5G">G'Kar sculpture</a>
  625. designed by the artist who did the original makeup work.
  626. <p>
  627. <li>
  628. Creation has licensed several products in addition to the shirts mentioned
  629. above, including mugs and photos. They can be reached at (818) 409-0960.
  630. <p>
  631. <li>
  632. <a href="http://www.webpress.net/skybox/index.html">Fleer</a>
  633. has a set of 120 trading cards, including some holograms. The
  634. <a href="http://www.halcyon.com/uncomyn/b5/fleer/b5cards.html">Uncomyn Gifts</a>
  635. trading-card page has more information about the available cards.
  636. <a href="/lurk/ftp/Pictures/Misc/fleerfr.jpg">Front</a>
  637. and
  638. <a href="/lurk/ftp/Pictures/Misc/fleerbk.jpg">back</a>
  639. views of a promotional card are available.
  640. <p>
  641. <note role=warning>
  642. <em>Warning!</em>
  643. Be sure not to accept a box of cards that has had the shrinkwrap removed.
  644. That may be a sign that someone (perhaps the dealer or a distributor) has
  645. gone through the box looking for the valuable "chaser" cards. It is
  646. possible for someone to tell which packs contain such cards without actually
  647. opening the packs up.
  648. </note>
  649. <p>
  650. <a href="http://www.webpress.net/skybox/news/pages/nonsport/aug2996.html">A
  651. second set of cards</a>
  652. was released in October 1996. Some
  653. <a href="http://www.halcyon.com/uncomyn/b5/fleer/SeriesII.html">samples</a>
  654. from the set are available.
  655. <p>
  656. Some packs of the second set of cards contain posters; for some reason, the
  657. posters aren't listed in the card checklist. They are:
  658. <ol>
  659. <li> Together Against the Shadows (To Stand Against the Dark or Perish)
  660. <li> Recycle: Keep Babylon 5 Clean
  661. <li> Babylon 5 Earth's Best Hope
  662. <li> Narn poster #1 (3 mirrored images)
  663. <li> Earth's Last Best Hope Babylon 5
  664. <li> Alien poster (2 mirrored images)
  665. <li> Narn poster #2 (2 mirrored images)
  666. <li> Night Watch
  667. <li> Narn poster #3 (G'Kar and ship)
  668. <li> Ministry of Peace
  669. </ol>
  670. <p>
  671. A special-edition card series was released on June 25, 1997. Fleer
  672. had the following to say about it.
  673. <blockquote>
  674. FLEER/SKYBOX will release a new line of BABYLON 5 Special
  675. Edition trading cards this June. The common cards in the set
  676. include a 72-card retrospective of the show's pilot episode,
  677. as well as cards themed after Ships of the Earth Alliance,
  678. Ships of the Shadow War, and BABYLON 5 Perspectives. The
  679. boxes will also feature numerous rare cards in certain
  680. packs, including 36 B5 trivia cards (1 in every 1 pack), 18
  681. costume cards (1:2), 8 Worlds of B5 (1:6), 4 faces of
  682. Delenn (1:12), 1 Hugo Award card (1:36), one B5 sculpted
  683. hologram card (1:180), and one Mira Furlann (Delenn)
  684. autographed card (1:720). The B5 cards come in packs of 8,
  685. for a suggested $1.49.
  686. </blockquote>
  687. <p>
  688. In January 1998, Fleer will release a third regular set, covering season four,
  689. with the following cards:
  690. <ul>
  691. <li> 81 standard cards covering season 4, character bios, and an
  692. in-depth look at Sheridan.
  693. <li> 81 alien language parallel cards (1 per pack.)
  694. <li> 12 season one retrospective cards (1 per 4 packs.)
  695. <li> 9 Starfury art cards (1 per 8 packs.)
  696. <li> 6 Fleet of the First Ones cards (1 per 6 packs.)
  697. <li> 3 <a href="/lurk/guide/111.html">"In the Beginning"</a> cards
  698. (1 per 36 packs.)
  699. <li> 6 SkyMotion Space Action cards (1 per 90 packs.)
  700. <li> Autographed cards from Richard Biggs, Jeff Conaway, Stephen Furst,
  701. Peter Jurasik, Andreas Katsulas, Bill Mumy, and Patricia Tallman
  702. (1 per 180 packs.)
  703. </ul>
  704. <p>
  705. JMS had the following to say about the season-four cards on January 25, 1998:
  706. <blockquote>
  707. Just a general FYI...the Fleer S4 card set has just come in, and
  708. should be appearing soon at stores. They're gorgeous cards, with not
  709. only the pictures on one side, but also on the same side, a line of
  710. dialogue associated with that character that can only be seen if you
  711. tilt the card; plus some nice (but not excessive in number) chase
  712. cards...real nice.
  713. </blockquote>
  714. <p>
  715. Jay Morris runs a
  716. <a href="http://www.epsilon3.com/b5cards.html">trading post</a>
  717. for people who want to trade cards.
  718. <p>
  719. <li>
  720. <a href="http://www.antioch.com/">Antioch Publishing</a>
  721. makes a variety of licensed B5 products, including bookplates and bookmarks,
  722. wallet ID cards, journals, magnets, and a Kosh doorknob hanger. They will
  723. also be producing the 1998 B5 calendar.
  724. <p>
  725. <li>
  726. A stamper set, consisting of two rubber stamps with a ship outline, a
  727. stamp pad, and a B5 notepad. There are 4 different sets.
  728. <p>
  729. <li>
  730. Keychains made using the Galoob MicroMachine ship figures.
  731. <p>
  732. <li>
  733. Photographer RL Dietz is selling prints of several of his pictures used as
  734. set dressings in crewmembers' quarters on B5. More details can be found on his
  735. <a href="http://www.TheBarrens.com/">Web site.</a>
  736. <p>
  737. <li>
  738. See the
  739. <a href="fans.html">Fans</a>
  740. page for a list of
  741. <a href="fans.html#fanclubs">fan clubs.</a>
  742. </ul>
  743. <pre>
  744. </pre>
  745. <p nowrap>
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  762. <h5>
  763. Last update:
  764. December 5, 2005
  765. </h5>
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