Subject: Big Bang Con: Refunds Date: 1 Apr 1995 02:06:27 -0500 I'm wondering if the "tell us WHY you're requesting a refund" is to try and set up B5 for a lawsuit.... jms Subject: Re: Continuity between variou Date: 1 Apr 1995 05:03:19 -0500 It is nowhere stated that the messages to Garibaldi or Delenn is the first communication they've had from Sinclair; only the first that WE've seen. jms Subject: Fear of flying? Date: 1 Apr 1995 20:36:18 -0500 It's Ray Bradbury who hates to fly. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Uploading the arc? Date: 2 Apr 1995 22:01:34 -0400 My notes, alas, are very free-form, jumping back and forth; so you can't just peel off the year 1-2 notes without substantial editing. I.e., "Have Kosh say X because we'll need this in year 2 when X does Y." jms Subject: JMS: UK C4 ratings Date: 3 Apr 1995 05:37:11 -0400 Yeah, I'd love to see the C4 ratings; if you think it'd be better email, that's fine, or public, either way. I understand we're doing VERY well at C4, one of their higher-rated American shows, but I haven't been given the hard-and-crunchies by WB International. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Point about bloopers Date: 3 Apr 1995 05:23:13 -0400 Bloopers still use the likenesses of the actors, ARE the actors, shot on our sets, using our costumes...one can't take that and sell it around town without giving something back to the actors, I think. If we should end up ever selling the blooper, or scripts, we would find some formula to give back to those involved. I'd expect to hear more on the CD Rom after the 3rd year pickup. Valen willing. jms Subject: Attn: JMS - "Only decent SF on Date: 3 Apr 1995 21:37:25 -0400 I slipped the reference to B5 into OtherSyde to see if it would become a self-fulfilling prophecy or just a fictional reference. Just for fun. My books are out of print because I guess I haven't actively pursued keeping them IN print. When I finish my next novel, I'll probably be able to get them back into print, but that won't be until B5 is done, since the next book -- a contemporary dark fantasy -- is targeted at about 1,000 manuscript pages, and I won't really be able to get into it until then. jms Subject: New to list Date: 4 Apr 1995 19:02:19 -0400 Thanks for joining the ranks, Steve. jms Subject: From JMS re: Poster Request Date: 5 Apr 1995 00:57:32 -0400 As has been noted, a number of items were sold at Vulkon in Cleveland that should not have been sold. We're trying to acquire some of the posters that were being sold at the Big Bang table, specifically the ones marked that they were to benefit Project Starfury. If you have one, and would like to let it go, we'll trade you either an official B5 crew cap, or an autographed copy of our very first script for the B5 series, "Midnight on the Firing Line." If you're so inclined, drop me a note in email and I'll get you the address. Thanks. jms Subject: What's up with Mojo??? Date: 6 Apr 1995 04:51:08 -0400 The Lightwave software is being exported to DOS platforms, so that's the reason for the change-over. BTW, Ron's gotten in some *very* nifty new software, and has come up with some new tricks that I hope we can incorporate before the end of this season, all again blurring the line between physical models, CGI and Real Stuff. jms Subject: favorite scene so far... Date: 6 Apr 1995 04:56:52 -0400 Re: the shadow vessels flying overhead as Londo looks up...that was me. If my name's on a script, and you see something there as a story point, it was in the script. That particular image is very striking, and I think part of that comes from its origins: I've had dreams with just that sort of image. There's something that just *gets* to you on a very subconscious, almost cellular level, when you see that scene...I don't know why, but it does. jms Subject: A possibly nasty metaphor Date: 6 Apr 1995 05:01:53 -0400 David: you hit it *exactly* on the head. Again, as you point out, stuff here operates on a lot of different levels. I try, where I can, to make a given scene do more than one thing. The hall argument is a good example of this. The script stipulated a human being stuck between G'Kar and Londo. Not any other race. Had to be a human. Because that becomes emblematic of how we're stuck between the two sides in the war, something which is *very* strongly brought home in the next batch of episodes. Obviously, the first most important thing in that scene is just the gag, the humor. It has to work on that level, and that's how it came to me first: just the gag. Then, when it came time to write it, that's when I start poking at things to see if I can layer on another level of meaning, and I saw a way to do a little (very little) visual foreshadowing of stuff to come. Didn't matter if anybody ever noticed it or not; it was never really intended to be of much note, just a little item that becomes a nice bit of irony later. jms Subject: Attn: JMS - Are there churches Date: 6 Apr 1995 04:59:53 -0400 There isn't sufficient room in B5 to accommodate a variety of plaes (places) of worship; hence, some rooms are set aside for use by different people as needed and as available. The sanctuary is often used for this, as is the rotunda. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: How Much Surround? Date: 6 Apr 1995 02:40:58 -0400 The amount of surround that goes into a show depends on the nature of the show. For instance, there was some very good use of surround in "A Race Through Dark Places," "And the Sky Full of Stars," "Mind War" and "The Long Dark." If it's just a casual Zocalo scene, there ain't much you can do with it. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS, Why Only 22 Episode Date: 8 Apr 1995 21:47:59 -0400 All PTEN series are 22 eps per season. Season three (PTEN willing) would start in November. jms Subject: How Were Shadows Defeated Firs Date: 8 Apr 1995 22:05:40 -0400 All the questions you asked here, Mike, will be answered in the very next batch of new eps, airing in May. jms Subject: JMS: Thanks Date: 8 Apr 1995 22:18:39 -0400 Thanks; it's been fun, that's for sure. jms Subject: > Attn: JMS - Who is Douglas N Date: 8 Apr 1995 22:40:37 -0400 Doug Netter is my business partner in Babylon 5, and co-owner of Babylonian Productions, along with me. A lot of what he does is the behind the scenes business stuff, sometimes liaisoning (?) with Warner Bros. on those conversations when it's considered too dangerous to let me talk to them directly, and sitting in on casting, that sort of thing. A lot of what he does is mollifying execs when I make them nuts; he tends to get a lot of phone calls that begin with, "Do you KNOW what he's done NOW?" jms Subject: B5-Micromachines observation Date: 8 Apr 1995 22:42:37 -0400 As it happens, I just had some new prototypes of MicroMacs from B5 come through my office for approval. Some nifty stuff, including the atmospheric shuttle, a Narn heavy cruiser, the awful purple Centauri liner, and the President's Earthforce One, which is REALLY nifty.... jms Subject: Can Starfuries fly in atmosphe Date: 10 Apr 1995 00:18:03 -0400 As established in "A Voice in the Wilderness," season one, starfuries cannot function within an atmosphere environment. jms Subject: tCoS: Londo's Dream Date: 10 Apr 1995 00:18:44 -0400 Londo, in his vision, sees the shadow vessels, but he does not know (in his present tense version) that that's what they are. He's had this particular dream for years now, long before meeting Morden. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: show renewal? Date: 10 Apr 1995 03:04:49 -0400 We'll know by the end of the month. jms Subject: Re: What's up with Babcom 95 ? Date: 11 Apr 1995 03:21:35 -0400 The problem, of course, is that fan cons usually operate very close to the financial edge, because they're *not* about making money. Which is good on one level, on several actually...but the problem you run into is when you then have to bring in guests from overseas. Traveling from the US to the UK costs a LOT of money, plus hotel, food, on and on. Most of the smaller fan-run cons can't afford to do that in general, or for only one person; a profit con really represents the only chance most people will ever have to see several people from a given show, though Wolf 359 is doing a bit more in that area. jms Subject: Ship designs reflect on '2010' Date: 11 Apr 1995 03:22:04 -0400 The ships on 2010 and Babylon 5 operate out of the necessity of traveling without standard SF artificial gravity. These designs have been discussed among scientists (in general) for ages; so there's no intention to be close to 2010, but when both are based upon the same scientific principles, there will be echoes. Form follows function. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Date: 11 Apr 1995 04:25:50 -0400 Jeff: that would be a fair assumption based on what the technomages said, yes. Keep an eye out for "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum" for more. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH! Date: 11 Apr 1995 20:35:32 -0400 It's certainly my hope that Warners will rerun the first season at the conclusion of this season. jms Subject: Re: What's up with Babcom 95 ? Date: 11 Apr 1995 20:33:12 -0400 As it happens, I've had occasion to have several long talks with the Babcom organizers, and have nudged them more in the direction of doing more of the things one might expect at a fan-con: more interaction, more personalization, breaking down the walls a bit. Some of the things now under discussion: a more relaxed social situation, close to an ice cream social sort of thing, so it isn't all just a presentation; a personal Q&A session about breaking into TV; Peter has spoken to them about letting folks watch as the Optic Nerve people make him up into Londo; and others. Again, these are still in the conversation stage, but my sense to try and encourage them toward a more personalized and fan-responsive format. jms Subject: Re: Atheism (was "New Age" jms Date: 11 Apr 1995 20:52:21 -0400 The notion that if one says, "I do not believe in God," that one is making "a positive religious claim" and thus is religius is, of course, eminently silly. If I do not believe in green penguins at the north pole, am I now a believer in non-green-penguinism? If I were to sit down and itemize all the things I don't believe in, then by your statment these are now beliefs, and there are an infinite number of beliefs because there are potentially an infinite number of things I don't believe in, and I'm not sure I can sustain that many beliefs without imploding. The first rule of debate and sophistry is to redefine the terms of the argument in terms favorable to your position. This is what's being done in the "if you don't believe, you therefore believe" argument. jms Subject: speculations about confessios Date: 12 Apr 1995 02:10:44 -0400 Note: the original message in this thread goes beyond speculation based based on what's presented to portraying an entirely new story idea. To avoid further complications, I might recommend moving on. jms Subject: B5 MicroMachine news (maybe) Date: 12 Apr 1995 03:01:24 -0400 The MicroMachines *are* out, they *have* been purchased, and more are being commissioned. (Several new prototypes came through my office for approval last week, including a Narn heavy cruiser and Earthforce 1.) I can only conclude that some dealers, who didn't know or think to orde them, are saying they're not coming out just to cover their own butts. jms Subject: READ comic 5 Date: 13 Apr 1995 01:57:48 -0400 I have to say I'm very pleased with issue #5. It came out very well, and nicely captures both the look, feel and dialogue of the show. There were some bumps along the way in issues 2-4, so I didn't say much, but THIS one I can highly recommend. jms Subject: Big Bang: ATTN JMS Date: 13 Apr 1995 01:58:24 -0400 Faramarz: after I went to Chicago to check out how the con was going to be run (before this we only had what we'd been told over the phone), I came away with the terrible belief that this convention was not going to be run properly, was incapable of being fixed (after providing several chances for the organizers to show they could do so), and had to make a hard decision: back away, or endorse a convention that I don't believe in, which I believed was systemically flawed, and the hell with the fans who get burned. It's a crummy decision to have to make, and I didn't like having to make it. But there *is* no middle ground on this. If you want to book passage on the Titanic, and I keep suggesting that maybe that might not be a good idea...am I being unfair to the passengers? jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Speculation vs Story Date: 13 Apr 1995 04:25:49 -0400 I didn't read much of that thread (since I already know who jms is going to kill next), but nothing of what I saw crossed any lines into story ideas. It's when new scenarios are painted in detail ("And then Sheridan met the great cosmic space moose, who gave him the Golden Wazoo of the Minbari, which was actually the alien healing device with a mustache")...that any trouble emerges. jm(who can now no longer do this story)s Subject: ATTN JMS: Re: Atheism (was "Ne Date: 13 Apr 1995 04:54:07 -0400 If I say to you, "Did you lock the car door when you parked it?" and you say, "I believe so," is that a belief that is equal to, say, the tenets of Judaism? Is that equal to the theses Martin Luther nailed to the church door? Are you now a believer in Locked-Doorism? If you define any belief as reliion, then you diminish and trivialize religion. (Oops, typo above.) Words mean what they mean, not what we want them to mean when it is convenient for us. The Oxford American Dictionary defines religion as "belief in the existence of a superhuman power, especially of gods or gods, usually expressed in worship; a particular system of faith and worship." "Belief" is not the key word in the preceding sentence; it's the phrase "belief IN the EXISTENCE of a superhuman power." It's what the belief is IN. If it does not contain the belief IN the existence of a superhuman power/god, then it is NOT religion. Period. This is just one more offshoot of the whole (and boy, do I hate to even mention this) evolution/creation thing, where schools said, "No, we cannot teach creation, we teach science, not religion." So the creationists decided to come back with "Oh, but evolution IS a religion, so why them and not us, huh? Huh?" It's an attempt to redefine terms for advantage. Me, I stick with the Oxford Dictionary. jms Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Re: Atheism NOW Date: 14 Apr 1995 01:01:13 -0400 If the question is "Which is the greater good, self sacrifice or honesty within the B5 universe," I'd have to for a third option. Both of those are behaviors in service to a given cause. And it's the selection of the greater *cause* that is most important; is it a constructive cause, or a destructive one? Are you helping humanity step forward, or step back? This isn't situational ethics, because the ethics going in have to be the same: building the future, helping those who cannot help themselves, spreading hope, fighting repression and pushing for freedom and responsibility as linked concepts. Our characters in B5 are flawed; sometimes they fall short of their own goals. The Minbari don't generally lie; but the often tell only part of the truth. If G'Kar has gotten away with something in the pilot, and can't be brought to standard justice, some other way of meting out justice will be found, even if that means fibbing to him about a transmitter he's swallowed...i.e., lying. But even Sinclair said it: everybody lies. Everybody means everybody. Even if it's only a case of, "Listen, I tried to make it to the party, but traffic was just a mess, I got up late, the dog ate my homework." I make some distinction between this and my own personal view; the work of the author does not always represent what the author believes on a 1-1 basis. (If it did, there'd be NO religion in B5.) Personally, I think I put loyalty and honesty at the top of my pantheon. I've worked very hard to maintain a certain reputation, and it means a lot to me. And anyone here who knows me knows that if you try and go after someone I consider a friend, you will have to go through me first. The problem with putting self-sacrifice at the tippy top of your own personal Maslow's Pyramid of Self-Actualization is that it only functions as a subset of something else. Self-sacrifice...to do *what*? You are willing to die for a cause. Is that cause right? Are you too easily and readily prepared to sacrifice? The other, less terminal form of self-sacrifice is giving to other people, working to make life better, but I don't tend to believe that's sacrifice as much as simple personal responsibility. We should do it as freely and as easily as we breathe. jms Subject: So JMS won't spend the money e Date: 14 Apr 1995 01:02:09 -0400 Babylonian Productions does not skimp or hold back money for publicity because BP does not have ANY money for publicity or promotion. Period. Warner Bros. Publicity handles all PR for Babylon 5; we have zero control over that area, but a little influence, that's all. Nor can we simply decide, out of the blue, to produce a 23rd episode of the show. Warners and the stations making up PTEN make an executive decision on the pickup and number of episodes. It is not within our purview to violate that. Further, that would mean coming in under budget over the season in an amount equal to the price of one episode, which we have never done, and never will. Each season, we come in just a smidge under budget. And I do mean just a *smidge*. Pocket change, compared to the overall cost of the show. The small under-budget from year one was invested into new sets and costumes and to get a leg-up on CGI for year two. The small year two underage will likely be put toward the production on year three, assuming we're renewed. Neither Doug nor I take a dime of that. Recently, Warners did a spot audit, as they do for any series. They showed up at 9 a.m., saying they'd be here for a few days. A few hours later, they said they might be able to finish by the end of the day. By lunchtime, they were finished, and said that this was the best set of books they'd ever seen. So the line about maybe someday putting the profits back into the series, we've been doing that since day one, insofar as the under-budget. As for profits...there aren't any that we get. Our contract with WB gives us a percentage of the NET. Now, anyone who works in Hollywood knows there's no such thing as net profit. It takes a VERY long time for a TV series to ever show anything. Once the series is finished, and no more shows are being produced, and the series enters long-term syndication, lessening the expenditures, then there may finally be some small profit, but at that point the show's done. jms Subject: ATTN JMS!:WAS SHERIDAN AT THE Date: 14 Apr 1995 01:03:11 -0400 Sheridan was not at the Line, no; the Minbari hit big at a number of outer EA systems, then unexpectedly leapfrogged *everything* at once right into Earth. Several of our bigger ships were still en route. jm Subject: "Casting Couch" Date: 14 Apr 1995 01:12:20 -0400 We're very fortunate in that the casting couch has been less of a problem in the Industry over the last ten-twenty years than it has been in the past. The CC was most in play when studios were run by one or two individuals who could dictate to their producers and directors who to use in a movie. Over time, as power within studios and networks got more widely spread among other executives, directors, producers, you name it, there isn't any one person any longer who has that clout. Does it still go on? I believe it does, at a much reduced level, and mainly in the film arena, where again there's more individual discretion. That kind of discretion is less readily present in TV, so there isn't the power to fuel the temptation. For instance, on B5, our casting sessions include: casting director Mary Jo Slater, me, Doug Netter, John Copeland, Larry (if it's his episode, otherwise not), the director of that episode, a reader to work opposite the actor, and sometimes, if the role is crucial opposite a regular performer, that performer is there. That's as many as 8 people, as opposed to one big studio guy sitting behind a desk, smoking a stogie and eyeing whoever's opposite him. jms Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Re: Atheism (was Date: 14 Apr 1995 02:03:50 -0400 "Religion is the belief ABOUT the existence of a superhuman power." (As opposed to IN the existence of a superhuman power.) No, it's not. By your definition, if I'm a Protestant, and I don't believe in Thor, by virtue of that belief about Thor, now I'm a beliegver (believer) in Norse mythology. That's simply silly. There is a difference between saying, "I believe there is no god," and "I do not have within me the belief in the existence of a god." The latter is not a belief in, or about, any kind of power; it is the total absence of belief. You cannot turn that into a religion, no matter how many times you repeat your thesis. jms Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Re: Atheism (was Date: 14 Apr 1995 02:13:44 -0400 Sorry, Kristin, I won't be put into your box. You say some comparative religion studies include Dianetics. A professor can choose to include or exclude anything he or she wants. What's it to me? And yes, parts of Shinto don't involve god, but parts do. Most significantly, howver, ALL the examples you cite to me DO believe in a superhuman power...specifically, a soul, which is reborn in one way or another in all the beliefs you named. So the definition still applies. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Question about "Accu Date: 15 Apr 1995 02:51:32 -0400 The books are canon in broad terms, in that the events generally did happen, but the details can vary given that you've got diverse hands doing the work (including the comics). I try to work with them both in as much detail as I can...I read the novel manuscripts preperatory to being typeset, and same for the comics, making suggestions and changes as necessary. (In one comic issue I added a change to one panel that should send some shockwaves out here and there...just two words that might raise some neck-hairs.) jms Subject: Yes, I *have* gone insane Date: 15 Apr 1995 02:51:38 -0400 Bed rest. Plenty of fluids. Aspirin every 6 hours. And one very heavy mallet-whack every two hours. You'll get better, I promise. jms* (*who wonders if suggesting mallet-whacking is really such a good idea, what with the whole Jocelyn Elders thing....) Subject: ATTN: JMS - Future of B5? Date: 15 Apr 1995 02:51:44 -0400 We'll know by the end of the month. We continue to be cautiously optimistic. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Link question Date: 15 Apr 1995 02:54:53 -0400 The Links are individually coded; when someone says, "Garibaldi to Sheridan," the Link system (tied into the B5 central computer, which can also provide research and other data) dials up the code for Sheridan's link, and breeps. The transmitters are *very* powerful, and are usually boosted by systems inside B5. If a Link were stolen, it could be detected instantly upon being used. jms Subject: JMS: Silly Question Date: 15 Apr 1995 02:54:59 -0400 I would think that Londo and G'Kar might actually find something in common in appreciation of Gilbert and Sullivan. In fact, G'Kar's "little fishie" song in "Parliament of Dreams" was intended to be a bit G&S in nature. jms Subject: JMS: How are we doing? Date: 15 Apr 1995 03:07:24 -0400 I'd say that overall the nets, collectively, have done very good at picking up on what's going on in the show. I think the larger themes have been missed in places, but I think that in many ways that's because the larger pieces haven't yet been inserted into the jigsaw puzzle so that others can see what's going on. The greatest errors, I think, come in looking too closely for parallels to other fiction. "Oh, I get it, it's just like X." That line will lead you only into error. In any work of fiction, there are two primary elements: theme and plot. Plot are the incidents, theme is what it's *about* on a very core level. Plot has been well analyzed; themes not necessarily. To tie this paragraph and the one preceding, for instance, a number of folks considered that the events in "Acts of Sacrifice" with the Lumati were a shot at the Prime Directive/non-interference. Nothing could have been further from the truth, and it wasn't until this was mentioned here that it even occured to me. Take a look at Washington DC these days, and the larger culture. People being warehoused, other people who *should* be in homes shoved out onto the streets to fend for themselves, a general callousness that seems to be creeping into the bones of a society that was born on the premise that we should be at minimum kind to one another. I figured that one would get a lot of discussion going on the degree to which society is, or should be responsive to the least of its citizens. Darwinism vs. charity. And some of that did emerge. But a fair measure of it got siphoned off into comparisons with ST. That, however, is really the exception rather than the rule. I very frequently find myself surprised at the depth of analysis that goes on here, and the toughtfulness behind it. Quite a few have Gotten It. Some are still backing up far enough to see the whole picture. And maybe at times I'm not being sufficiently craftworthy in my work to make those elements sufficiently clear. But the deeper we go, the more there is to get, and the more folks *do* seem to be nailing it. jms Subject: Re: READ comic 5 Date: 15 Apr 1995 03:33:12 -0400 About the new paper and price...I did the first issue, and while the pencils were quite good, and the inks okay, when they put the coloring in the paper just absorbed the hell out of it and it looked like crap, from my POV. (And I'm not speaking out of school; I said much the same to DC.) Parts were nice, but other parts...yikes. I felt, strongly, that we needed a better quality of paper, otherwise a lot of the good work that was being done was going to be lost. It would cost more, but finally DC -- which, to be fair, has only been VASTLY supportive of B5, and the comic and their only intention is to make it as good as possible -- decided to go with the better quality paper. The main question was whether or not there was enough of a reader base to warrant it; there was, and they did. I've overall been quite happy with how the book is being handled. jms Subject: Notes from jms Date: 15 Apr 1995 04:04:58 -0400 Just some quick random thoughts.... For those who've been nudging other folks to try out B5, you may want to tell them that this coming batch of eps is probably the best time to dive in. In particular, our second new show (airing the first week of May) is designed in part to help new viewers coming to the show to catch up on background. (No, not a clip show, or anything like that...I think you'll like it.) I also *strongly* recommend that you videotape this episode, entitled "And Now For a Word." There's something in there just (or primarily) for the videotapers. Consider this a heads-up from the inside. You'll know what it is when you sorta see it.) For those who've asked...yes, I'll be doing another cycle of the B5 comic, a 4-issue arc that'll probably hit the newsstands about the time our second season (PTEN willing) goes on the air. I've decided that tat (at) this stage it'll follow a Ranger, bringing us into contact with lots of different parts of the B5 universe, and may also use it as a kind of bridge between seasons 2 and 3. We should know officially about the fate of our third season by the end of this month. We continue to be cautiously optimistic. For all the bitching I've done about Creation, I have to say that I'm very pleased by something that just came through my office for approval: a B5 jacket with the silhouette of the station embroidered on the back, and the B5 symbol in front. It's *very* nicely done. The B5 trading cards, originally to come from Cardz, will now be coming out from Fleer, and I'm actually quite pleased by that, since I really like a lot of the work Fleer has done on their comics-related stuff. Unrelated to B5: I just picked up the laserdisk for the letterboxed version of "The Haunting (of Hill House)" and it's amazing. I've never seen it in that format, only the version altered for conventional TV aspect ratio. There's stuff going on in the edges of this film that are brilliant. Just seeing ALL of Hill House, vast against the night, rather than the one dark clump in the center of the frame, is worth the price of admission. (An example: just as the lead character stands in the hallway, thinking aloud that the house seems to be reaching for her, you see in the letterbox a spider-plant just past her shoulder that does indeed, from the way its' shot, seem to be grasping at her, something you can't see in the regular version.) The film is *full* of stuff like this, and I feel as though I've seen the movie for the first time, even though I've watched the prior version literally dozens of times. (Yes, along with "Seconds," it's one of my favorite films.) If you have a laserdisk player, pick this one up. It's nifty. On Monday we begin our last week of filming. We're going for an eight-day shoot this one time, rather than our usual seven-day shoot, because of the extraordinary EFX requirements to pull off the finale. It should be a doozy. jms Subject: Re: JMS: alt.tv.ab-fab Date: 16 Apr 1995 05:08:50 -0400 I think AbFab is sick and twisted and *very* funny.... jms Subject: Names Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:19:41 -0400 Yes, there are other Narn names with the G' prefix. There's a city, G'Kamazad, which we hear about in "And Now for a Word," and another character named G'Sten whom we meet in "The Long, Twilight Struggle," among others. jms Subject: Station slot changes - one man Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:19:48 -0400 There are no guarantees this side of the grave. But the end of this story will be told, no matter what. At this moment, things look very good for year three, and we'll know by month's end. If we continue to add viewers, as we're doing, there shouldn't be a problem seeing it through. jms Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: CRASHED Vorlon S Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:21:25 -0400 The picture is just something Ron cobbled together for a magazine cover; no B5 meaning at all. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Thanks a LOT! Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:48:16 -0400 You're most definitely and profoundly welcome. jms Subject: Why B5 races are at the same l Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:48:27 -0400 Except, of course, they're *not* all at the same level. The Minbari are well ahead of Earth and the Centauri and the Narns; the Narns are slightly ahead of Earth, and the Centauri are ahead of both; the Vorlons and the Shadows are both head and shoulders above all the rest; the Drazi are probably a bit less than Earth. jms Subject: Re: So JMS won't spend the mon Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:50:24 -0400 "Who gets the fees and royalties from Babylon 5 licensed merchandise?" Warner Bros. This income is cross-collatoralized against costs of production and distribution in determining net profit. Translation: no net profit. I do not get a creator's fee from the comic or the novels. All income goes to Warners, which then puts it against costs. "Who gets the fees from personal appearances?" The person making the appearance. I do not get any money from actors' appearances. I do get small fees for my own apperances, but the problem is that because of my height, I generally need to fly first. Most cons can afford to pay for either coach or business. So I make up the difference, which in many cases means I end up either breaking even, or losing a bit. "Who gets the royalties from Babylon 5 publications?" Warner Bros. See above. "Are these fees and royalties plowed back into the series production?" No. Warners collects those fees and puts them into an account marked INCOME. Costs associated with the creation of the show are marked DEBITS. The job of ALL of the studios is to make sure that, on paper, the INCOME never gets higher than the DEBITS line. Re: the production costs...we tell Warners what we think it will cost to make the show at its best level. That is what they give us. And that is what we use to make the show. This is how all TV shows work, particularly at the syndication level. Hugely rated network shows can use the leverage to re-negotiate and change the profit formula slightly to redefine "net" and remove such things as distribution fees and the like. That's not the case with B5. And now for the one personal observation...you have now hit a new low, Theron. You can't find anything else to attack, your claims are consistent bullshit, so now you start throwing around the suspicion that maybe someone (viz: me) is making huge amounts of profit on B5 and short-shrifting the production. Have you no shame at *all*? jms Subject: "The One" (Sinclair & Delenn) Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:48:35 -0400 "So who IS the One? Some of the evidence points to Sinclair, but other bits seem to indicate Delenn. Yet neither seems to fit all the facts above." Exactly. What you have here in your message are two pieces of the puzzle. You're confounded by the fact that somehow they don't quite seem to fit into one another. That's because there's one last piece missing in this part of the picture, which fits in between them. The intent is to put this piece into clear view in year three, probably between episodes 8 and 11 approximately. At that point, the question of the One will be fully answered. jms Subject: Actors and why movies/TV are m Date: 16 Apr 1995 18:48:43 -0400 If only attractive people are picked to become stars, then someone PLEASE explain Jim Belushi to me. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: JMS Date: 16 Apr 1995 19:05:39 -0400 When out amongst real folk, I just answer to Joe. Actually, I'll answer to just about anything, but Joe is probably most expedient. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: An offer re: B-5 Mod Date: 18 Apr 1995 02:39:27 -0400 The only way models can be made is if they're licensed through Warner Bros., so you'll have to go through them on this. jms Subject: ATTN JMS:Does Sheridan wear al Date: 18 Apr 1995 21:01:00 -0400 Yes, Sheridan wears all his medals (absent those too big or showy for chest-display). As for Andreas, we're putting him up for an Emmy for his work (also other cast members), and can only hope the Academy recognizes the fine work he's done. Beyond that, there's nothing the fans can do but hope.... jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Re: So JMS won't spe Date: 18 Apr 1995 21:05:58 -0400 Yes, what I said was what I intended. Do the studios profit from their series/movies? Of course. But many of the contracts with their people -- actors, writers, producers, directors -- stipulate that they get a piece of any net profit. Consequently, the studios do all they can to make sure that *on paper* it looks as if they've never had a profit. There have been many cases of stars who, twenty years after their shows entered syndication, asked where the heck their profit is, and were told that the show is still in the red. Does anyone believe this? Of course not. But getting into their books for audits is hard; ask Art Buchwald. jms Subject: Pardon me, but... Date: 18 Apr 1995 21:06:25 -0400 Yes, that was me, and the info is correct. jms Subject: Shelved/Unused scripts Date: 18 Apr 1995 21:06:57 -0400 Insofar as I can recall, there are no unusued *scripts*. There were a few abandoned outlines, and some stories that I wanted to get around to writing, which I decided to shelve for one reason or another long before they were written down in any form. jms Subject: JMS: Bisexuality thread Date: 18 Apr 1995 21:10:55 -0400 I thought we had adopted "don't ask, don't tell" as our national policy regarding this issue. jms Subject: Ivanova's sex scene Date: 18 Apr 1995 21:34:45 -0400 Judelon: bingo. When I scripted that scene, that's exactly what was intended; it goes from the pickup line "come here often? yes, I do" to "dinner, drinks, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss GRAB!" then asking how it is for the other person, then "I slept with you the other night, you didn't call, you didn't write, I think you do it just for spite!" In a way, the way it's written, it IS sex human style, in that it has all the elements in, say, about 30 seconds (which is also about right in some cases). From meeting through bed to breakup.... jms Subject: JMS: What does it take? Date: 18 Apr 1995 22:26:51 -0400 A lot of notes are amusing, or interesting, but don't seem to require a direct response. I have to be fairly stringent in determining the extent of replying, or I'd be doing nothing else. Basically, if a thread seems to meander after a while, I'll generally bail out after a few days. jms Subject: sm ... an observation Date: 20 Apr 1995 03:12:01 -0400 What Londo loves doing is yanking G'Kar's chain. That's all the line should be taken to imply. (The headache comes from stuff he doesn't understand.) jms Subject: Re: JMS' unusual typing speed Date: 20 Apr 1995 03:12:30 -0400 I use a standard keyboard, and it's only 120 wpm, not 140, and only when I'm at fever pitch. I usually coast along at between 90 and 100. jms Subject: Re: J*S - the magic initials? Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:49:57 -0400 It would've been very difficult for the lead character in Captain Power to have my initials since his name was Jonathan Power. jms Subject: JMS: What would you have done Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:50:05 -0400 If we'd only had models to work with, then we would've found some way to make the models work. I think a lot of the difficulty with TV EFX is just not thinking things through, and doing everything last-minute. We don't generally have that problem. One of the options we discussed at the time was shooting model EFX sequences in a slightly different way. Because I know the story for each year ahead of time, we could've ganged all the EFX shots together. I.e., you know you're going to have battle scenes in episodes 3 and 7 between the same two races, same kinds of ships. So you double up your cameras for different angles, and basically shoot both at once, then isolate the different pieces for either of the two episodes. We also would've had a second unit shooting 2 days per week as a visual EFX unit. Either way, it would've been done. We're quite happy that CGI came along when it did, but we would've found some way to do it regardless. The history of this series is that of determination despite whatever obstacles are thrown at us. Once we set our minds to the course, nothing stops us. Patience, determination, direction and strength. jms Subject: Re: Babylon 5 contest in May! Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:50:13 -0400 I've been told what's going to be offered as main prize(s) (five) for the B5 contest...and man, lemme tell you, if I could, *I'd* enter. Way cool. jms Subject: Could B5 (the series) be made Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:53:45 -0400 Robert: you're onto something here. Just so you know. jms Subject: Re: B5 CD Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:53:55 -0400 Actually, to correct this, the last track in the European version has more *perussion* and fewer strings, whereas the American version has more strings and less percussion (this in the longer, reorchestrated suite of the Requiem for the Line). This was because Chris sent me the tape with the last track for my approval. I listened to it, and thought it was great...but for me, what really makes the RftL theme so beautiful and moving and tragic and powerful are the strings in counterpoint to the rest of the rhythm. Here they were missing. So I called, and said, "It really needs the strings." By this point they were already pressing the European edition, and it was too late to do anything about it. It was subsequently revised for the American release. So now there are two versions floating around out there; the percussive version is nice for the driving aspect of it, it hits you hard in the gut; the string version hits you in the heart and breaks it. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS BIG BANG CON! Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:54:04 -0400 P.S. Yes, I tentatively do plan to be at Chicago ComicCon a week or so later. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS BIG BANG CON! Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:54:14 -0400 Some of our cast members have decided to risk what all believe is a potentially troublesome situation and go to Big Bang, despite the problems we've had with them, because it was learned subsequent to the initial decision not to take part in it that many folks had bought non-refundable airline tickets, and may not get ticket refunds. They're determined not to see the fans burned by this. Babylonian Productions, Warners nor I can endorse or support the con in any way; we've been burned enough. Thus I can't go. But I must commend our cast for rising above the problems presented to us at the other end, and risking more problems by taking part. For their sake, and the fans, it is my hope that this somehow comes out okay. Suffice to say we're going to be watching *very* carefully. jms Subject: another reason jms hates filk Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:54:23 -0400 Dear Mr. Thiesen: I recommend having someone else start your car for you for the next, oh, fifteen years or so.... jms Subject: JMS: Thoughts on Relationships Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:54:35 -0400 I'll have more of a response on this after the end of this season. Trust me. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Life expectancy Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:54:57 -0400 In "Soul Hunter," Franklin notes that the average human life span is now about a hundred years. It's quite a bit longer for the other races; G'Kar is about 70 or more, but is considered mid-range, equal to a human in early 40s, among Narns. Delenn is in about the same position, equal to 30s-40s in her terms, but in years a bit older. They are a pretty long lived people. Centauri aren't quite as long-lived, but they do a bit better than the Narns. The Vorlons......are. jms Subject: appearing in bookstores near y Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:55:08 -0400 Yes, the reporter/writer was given permission to quote liberally from my prior posts. jms Subject: Re: So JMS won't spend the mon Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:55:24 -0400 Kevin: I'm paid a salary per episode produced, a creator's royalty of a few hundred bucks per ep, and the script fee for any script I write. By conventional standards, as compared to truly worthwhile jobs, like teaching, it's a good chunk of change; compared to what you get on a network show, it's basically chump-change. But I ain't really in this to make a gazillion bucks; I want to tell this story. jms Subject: JMS: "And Now For a Word" Infl Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:55:36 -0400 Where it came from, in part, was oddly enough, a theatrical exercise. There's a thing you do in theater training where you're told to talk about a subject, never use the word "I" ...but in the end wind up telling us more about *you* than the subject you're speaking about. So I began to wonder if I could apply this exercise, in a limited way, to an episode of the show. I can't say more than that without spoiling things, but suffice to say you learn a lot about all kinds of people, and the way you learn it says a lot about those involved. It's a *very* subversive and tricky episode, and I *very* much suggest taping it, so you can go back and check something out later. You'll know what. If you don't, you'll kick yourself later. jms Subject: Okay, I'll try it Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:55:50 -0400 Watch the eps between the end of April and the last one in the end of May. If these don't get you, nothing will. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: All Alone in the Nig Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:56:22 -0400 Re: Ramirez being "a pretty uncommon name." Not in LA it isn't. jms Subject: Re: So JMS won't spend the mon Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:56:33 -0400 Neil: on actors getting a piece of their merchandise...roll this one around for a bit...the majority of ST actors (excluding Nimoy, Kelley and Shatner) have each gotten, roughly, $16,000 as their share of profit sharing/merchandising over the 25 years of ST history. Ain't life funny? jms Subject: ATTN:JMS What if both sides wa Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:56:45 -0400 Both sides can hire their own teeps (telepaths), or jointly hire the same one, who is adjudged neutral. jms Subject: JMS: The Signal?M Date: 20 Apr 1995 06:56:56 -0400 The pattern was supposed to change a bit more than it did on screen; call it a bit of interpretation of notes between me and Foundation. It has not happened again. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Significance of meta Date: 20 Apr 1995 21:08:37 -0400 The strip indicates branch of military; this is explained in some detail in "There All the Honor Lies." jms Subject: ATTN: JMS Publishing the Arc Date: 20 Apr 1995 21:31:15 -0400 I just don't know if my notes would be in sufficient shape and coherence to publish; they jump all over the place over several hundred years of history, including backstory. We'll see. jms Subject: Re: JMS' unusual typing speed Date: 20 Apr 1995 22:04:11 -0400 Oddly enough, the new keyboard I use at work *does* come with optional foot controls (which I didn't get). It's a Kinesis ergonomic keyboard, with the keys in recessed wells. The footpads handle control codes and other stuff. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Kudos from Old Hicko Date: 20 Apr 1995 22:04:59 -0400 Many thanks.... jms Subject: JMS: done writing, then? Date: 20 Apr 1995 22:05:26 -0400 Bob: pfthpft........ jms Subject: Background noise. Date: 20 Apr 1995 22:16:14 -0400 It was probably the Centauri translation. jms Subject: JMS: Recording B5 from TV Date: 20 Apr 1995 22:18:55 -0400 I really have no idea about the British taping laws; certainly one should always obey one's local ordinances. jms Subject: Re: So JMS won't spend the mon Date: 20 Apr 1995 22:29:26 -0400 It was always clear that we'd go with either 22, 24 or 25 episodes per season, so that was accommodated in the early structure. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS...San Diego ComicCon Date: 21 Apr 1995 17:18:55 -0400 I *always* go to San Diego Comic Con...it's my one big trip ever year. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Buttons? Date: 21 Apr 1995 17:19:24 -0400 Your friend is correct. While people are treated equally in the EA, it seems not contradictory to have certain fashion aspects continue on into the future, such as the reversal of buttons. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS INCOME=DEBTS? Date: 21 Apr 1995 09:24:25 -0400 I do not hold the copyright for B5. The copyright for ALL shows is in the hands of the studios. Roddenberry, for instance, did not own (and his estate does not own) Star Trek. Paramount does. Look at any of the ST merchandise: (c) (year) Paramount Television. Warner Bros./PTEN holds the copyright for B5. Thus, if they license it to a comics company, it's between the company and the "creator" for legal purposes...Warner Bros. Ditto for the novels. Why do I thus get involved anyway? Because they're based on my show, and I have a personal interest in making sure they're done right. And as stated, the goal is to keep income below debits *on paper*, not in reality. Because all studios know that if they can show no net income, they never have to pay profit participation. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Kosh CGI Question Date: 21 Apr 1995 09:24:35 -0400 What we have in mind for Kosh is going to tax our capabilities to the limit. It will be a mix of prosthetics, CGI, compositing, wardrobe, an unusual kind of matte, different exposure techniques, on and on and on; the visual effects meeting on just this one sequence was the biggest one we've ever had, drawing in every department (also practical effects, visual effects, rotoscope, and others). The sequence exists in lots of different pieces which will take us months to assemble, so I haven't seen the final product yet, but if we've done this right, it should be a real doozy. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Kosh CGI Question Date: 21 Apr 1995 09:24:53 -0400 PS...as an aside on EFX...we constantly slip EFX in and a lot of folks don't even notice it, because we don't point to it or make a big deal out of it. It's just *there*. One example of this I mentioned was the sanctuary in "Coming of Shadows," a virtual set that doesn't exist in reality. Here's another one. In "Soul Mates," and in the main title, you'll see the shot of the bazaar. It's a wide shot, showing the two levels of the bazaar, with people walking on either side of the second floor, looking down into the main area. Secret revealed: there IS no second floor. Doesn't exist. We made the second level digitally. To the best of my knowledge (though I might have missed something), I don't think anyone noticed this as being a CGI/ composite effect. It's just there. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS - B5 Renewed says WW Date: 21 Apr 1995 09:25:07 -0400 Well, it's certainly encouraging, but we still haven't been given the formal notification about a pickup. jms Subject: Re: ATTN: JMS INCOME=DEBTS? Date: 21 Apr 1995 09:25:16 -0400 You have to understand in all this that the studios agenda is always to guarantee maximum return for the studio and its stockholders, and the minimum or nothing for those who create the product. This is the modus operandi for *all* studios. Example: I worked on MURDER, SHE WROTE as a writer/producer for two years. It's a highly-rated top ten network series. The shows air two or three times on network, then are taken off. Such programs usually go into syndication, where the studio receives a per-episode fee from the syndicator. In syndication, you get a straight residual, which for a third/fourth run (now the first syndicated run) would be a couple/three grand. Not bad. But more and more, shows like M,SW are sold to *cable* like USA Network, where the formula is different. There you, the writer, get a percentage of the gross price paid per episode by the cable network. Okay, so far so good, right? Except one day, some smart executive at Universal realized that the studio is also part owner of USA Network, and that by selling the episodes at market price, they were charging themselves an arm and a leg. So why not charge the *bare minimum* to themselves, and sell the show cheap to their own branch? So a show that would normally be sold to another cable network for, say, a couple hundred grand, one time, they turn around and sell instead to a cable network they own, where it can run indefinitely, and sell it for a couple hundred dollars...knowing full well that all the talent involved get a percentage of the purchase fee. Result: the third/fourth run of one of my M,SW episodes (the first on USA) which, anywhere else, would bring in 2 or 3 grand brings in a grand total of....$28. You know that old joke about the (ethnic group) actress who was so dumb she slept with the writer? There's a reason...because she'd heard that in LA, *everyone* screws the writer. jms Subject: More Ellison bullshit! Date: 21 Apr 1995 19:20:24 -0400 So your response to perceived intolerance from Harlan for the views of others it to hope he's taken off the air, and drops dead. Tolerance is a double-edged sword. jms Subject: regarding Babylon 5's ratings Date: 21 Apr 1995 20:01:16 -0400 Bear in mind you're comparing apples and oranges. The top 20 shows in syndication include mainly game shows and talk shows. You have to do what the studios do, and separate out the dramas from the rest of the pack. And among dramas we do *very* well, particularly in our demographics. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: "Watch it cold" Date: 22 Apr 1995 01:30:33 -0400 If there were three episodes I'd say should be watched as cold as possible, I'd say..."In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," "The Fall of Night," and "The Long, Twilight Struggle." (To some extent, I'd also inclulde [include] "Confessions and Lamentations," and "Divided Loyalties.") Unfortunately, that's the bulk of the remaining episodes, as opposed to CoS, which was a one-off situation. Hell, in some ways, when compared with "Struggle," "The Coming of Shadows" is a light comedy in which nothing much happens. Remember, the deeper we go into the story, the more we're going to start cranking things. Each new batch starts off with a lighter, "let's get acquainted" episode, but they turn fast. So I don't know what can really be done about spoilers and stuff, except to hope for the best. "Confessions" isn't per se a wham episode, for instance, but it does have some very sharp turns, and it's an extremely intense episode on a par with "Believers." It makes no compromises and takes no prisoners, and I imagine it'll stir up about as much debate as did "Believers," if not more. When we did playback after doing the audio mix a few days ago, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. So while it isn't a whammer, it's an *emotional* episode, and you should come to it as unprepared as possible. jms Subject: There All The Honor Lies -- SP Date: 22 Apr 1995 21:34:15 -0400 So after I'd read Peter's script, and decided to go with it, he asked about Ivanova's line, "This isn't some kind of Deep Space franchise, this place is ABOUT something." "Are you really going to use that?" he asked. "Absolutely," I said. "It's fall-down funny." Long pause. "You people really ARE dangerous over there, aren't you?" jms Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Buttons? Date: 22 Apr 1995 21:34:35 -0400 Ah! Yes, the reversal of buttons was a conscious decision. Our costume designer asked which way I wanted to go with it, and I said yes, let's continue that tradition into the future. jms Subject: Re: B5 CD Date: 23 Apr 1995 05:20:37 -0400 For track 12, Christopher did a much longer, full-length version of The Battle of the Line sequence, adding a lot of depth and letting it play out fully. So yes, parts of it echo what's on the disk earlier, but in a better, extended-play version. For me, it's one of the best tracks on the disk (though I somewhat prefer the American version over the European version, due to the strings). jms Subject: ATTN JMS: SitW SD CGI?? Date: 23 Apr 1995 05:40:50 -0400 The San Diego shots are models. We're trying, in different episodes, models vs. CGI. Next season, PTEN willing, we're going to try some new stuff in planetary models interlocked with CGI for cities and stuff, to help us further broaden out the series. jms Subject: Attn. JMS: Larry DiTillio no l Date: 23 Apr 1995 05:42:42 -0400 The information is essentially correct. This year, I wrote 15 out of 22 episodes. Larry provided an additional 3. That leaves 4 freelance scripts, and in all four of those cases, I did pretty much all of the rewriting on them. Consequently, Larry spent a lot of his time more or less cooling his heels. There really wasn't that much for him to do. Next season, I'll probably write 17 or 18, so again, there's not really enough for a story editor to *do*. A story editor rewrites. Also, this is the kind of show where I've set the parameters from day one (actually from 1987), and Larry's strength is in world-building and determining the direction of a show. There isn't much room for that. So overall, it seemed to make sense to free him up to go after shows where he can have more influence, do more rewrites and more original scripts; let him make his mark. He has great strenths in areas not being utilized, particularly as a script doctor. And there are several very interesting opportunities out there for him. So while we're still allocating a budget for a story editor for next season, just in case I get swamped, right now there are no plans for any one new in that position. It's just not something that fits into the unusual way that B5 operates, we've found. (A story editor also works in generating stories or listening to pitches...and, again, those are all pretty much worked out ahead of time; all but one of the freelance scripts this season were based on assigned premises from me, based on my notes for this season). Look for him soon in other projects where he can mold the direction in interesting and unique areas. jms Subject: Re: So JMS won't spend the mon Date: 23 Apr 1995 05:47:41 -0400 Yeah, maybe it wasn't a direct shot this time, but you have to understand how Theron works. It works something like this.... T: "That's a nice haircut." S: "Thank you." "It shows your profile to best effect." "Thank you." "Good sculpting on the back." "Umm, hmm." "So overall, it's a very nice haircut." "Thank you." "Well, for an axe murderer...." After a while, y'know...why wait? jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Pak'Ma'Ra ! RA! RA! Date: 23 Apr 1995 05:54:45 -0400 The pak'ma'ra are indeed tech scavengers; the tentacles move (we do this via remote control), and are used in securing their food and moving it into the mouth cavity; their "teeth" are more like beaks in structure; their whole culture is based on the notion that they're basically superior to everyone else, which is why they eat carrion in part, to demonstrate their superiority over all others (they don't eat their own kind); they do breathe oxygen, but because of the shape of their mouths, cannot form human words, and thus rely on translation devices. jms Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Kosh CGI Questio Date: 23 Apr 1995 05:54:57 -0400 All episodes will be done on time. On the best of days, it takes 52 days from start of filming to delivery; this one will take a bit longer, but still be delivered on time. jms Subject: att JMS wowee Date: 23 Apr 1995 06:16:21 -0400 "...just saw your picture on the web page. You are a cutie pie!!!" Actually, that picture is of Horatio P. Farquar, an explorer who was lost while pursuing stories of the Yeti far in the Himalayan mountains, and whose picture I used shamelessly for my own purposes. In truth, I am two-headed (the other one only goes by the name Bob) and am frequently trotted out for the annual Cat Frightening Festival in La Mesa. jms Subject: Attn JMS: Minbari Questions Date: 23 Apr 1995 06:16:36 -0400 The Minbari do have magneto-gravitational control in limited ways. The ships are mainly cool shapes they came up with, in line with their particular aesthetic. The Minbari mainly dislike Sheridan for HOW he won his battle, as well as for the fact that he did it at all. You'll get more on this in the next ep. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Significance of "twi Date: 23 Apr 1995 06:18:27 -0400 Yes; work it out as you have, but take it further...we start with a point of departure...then after some revelations, examine the geometry of shadows, then begin to more forward, a race through dark plces. We come toward the long dark, our past a distant star. We carry the motif of a world getting dark. The coming of shadows that darkens into the long twilight struggle, the last period between day and night...and we end the season on...the fall of night. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS - Influencing the fu Date: 23 Apr 1995 06:23:18 -0400 Nothing more the fans can do now but wait; time will now tell. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: favorite sf shows Date: 23 Apr 1995 18:31:44 -0400 Unfortunately, because of the demands of making B5, I don't generally get to watch a lot of TV. I try to catch the X-Files whenever I can, and I'd have to say that's probably my personal favorite of what's out there right now. (Fittingly, in my office, I don't have a B5 cup on my desk, I have an X-Files mug.) I like MST3K enormously, and we had kind of an exchange program going; they sent me a picture personally autographed by all the main guys on the show, and we sent them a bunch of B5 caps. They mentioned our show recently on their series, and now I have to find some way to repay the favor. I've only seen a couple of VR5's and am thus far having a hard time getting into it. That may change with more viewings. I gave up on Earth 2 and SeaQuest some time ago, though some folks have been trying to get me to take another look on E2, saying it's improved, so I'll try to give it another shot when I get some free time. My favorite shows generally tend to be ones from a while back, like the Prisoner, the original Star Trek, Outer Limits, Thriller, Twilight Zone, Blake's 7 and a few others. jms Subject: JMS: What can a cellist do? Date: 23 Apr 1995 18:32:09 -0400 That's terrific. I've printed it up and will pass it on to Mira when I see her next. jms Subject: Real Life Aliens and B5 Date: 24 Apr 1995 00:01:53 -0400 "I feel that B5 is the most likely candidate I have yet seen for the clandestine involvement of real aliens." Note to myself: increase security. jms Subject: JMS: Cheers and boos on the la Date: 24 Apr 1995 04:31:33 -0400 "I presume they are selling Londo dolls and the ones used in the show were samples." Nope. There are no Londo dolls. No G'Kar dolls. No dolls of any kind. No B5 clocks or starfuries (minus the MicroMachines) or frisbees or postcards or the like. There's *very* little out there. Which is how we like it. jms Subject: Re: Attn. JMS: Teddy Bear