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). ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 718 Fri May 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:56 EDT So, like...is this good or bad? jms ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 503 Thu May 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EDT ...hrrrmmm...interesting. Must look into this further. jms ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 213 Sun May 15, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EDT ...sigh... jms ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ Topic 15 Sun Oct 17, 1993 SF-MARSHALL [Dave ] at 15:15 EDT Sub: Survivors (#111) by Marc Scott Zicree. 94 message(s) total. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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.) ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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* ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ ************ 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. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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 ------------ 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.) ------------ 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.) ------------