Con Report: JMS at San Diego Comic Con, July 6, 1996

Tue Jul 9 06:17:59 EDT 1996

Subject: Con Report: JMS at San Diego Comic Con, July 6, 1996
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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+  1: Jul  8, 1996: drmorris at athena.mit.edu (David R. Morrison)
*  2: Jul  9, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: drmorris at athena.mit.edu (David R. Morrison)
Lines: 475

Saturday, July 6, I attended the San Diego Comic Convention and saw
JMS's presentation.

Potential general spoilers for episodes past, and present are littered
through this report.  There's nothing more than might be in your average
news article, however the spoiler hyper-sensitive are advised to skip.
Any major spoilers for episodes unaired in the US are placed at the very
end of the article.

This report is based on memory and bunches of madly scrawled notes.
While I've taken care to be accurate, I'm sure there are few things off
here and there.  Nothing in this article has been reviewed or confirmed!

Enjoy!

Dave Morrison         **      --      **       Babylon 5 Fan Club Fan 5

---

This year we got the big room!  By my count, the room seated 2400, and
there were still people standing.  I don't know what they will do for
next year.  By comparison the Sliders panel got about 1/4th of that, and
the ST panel ("Glorious Past, Tenuous Future?") got about 150.

The show opened with the lights going down, and the monitors lighting up
with the "Requiem for the Line" video short (a John Hudgens/Z-Team
production).  It's a video montage accompanied by the Chris Franke's
"Requiem for the Line" (track 12 (US)).  Very inspiring.

The clip finished, the lights came up, and JMS was standing at the front
of the auditorium.  Half-standing applause.

JMS:  "Year 4.  We got it."

Riotous applause and cheering.  JMS looks at the audience and at that
point mostly full room.  "A funny story".  Asks how many were at Chicago
Comic Con.  Not many.  Good, he says... many of the stories are the
same.

At Marcon (Ohio), a 3 day con, JMS looked at the room they gave him for
his presentation.  It held about 300 people.  The organizers tried to
tell him it would be fine for the number of people he would get.  "You
don't understand.  My people are coming."  JMS was speaking in the lobby
with people down the stairs.  For the next day, they gave him a room
twice as big.  That should be definitely be big enough, they said.  "You
don't understand.  My people are coming."  For the last day, they got
the biggest room in the place.  1700 people.  "Packed it to the rim."

"Satisfying and wonderful to see us all."

They had to pitch the show to WB (or the PTEN executive committee, not
sure).  The committee would select 4-5 of the pitches for the fall.  The
other areas heard, and were a little miffed that a non in-house show was
pitching for their spots.  JMS asked the people, "Should I bring a bunch
of stuff?".  This being t-shirts, mugs, pictures, video, candy, etc...
"No, just the pitch is fine".  So JMS brings only a 15 second CGI clip.
Every other show brings all sorts of stuff (t-shirts, mugs, pictures,
video, candy, etc...).  JMS has to compete against that with a 15 second
clip and his personality.  While waiting, Doug Netter and he did much
pacing.  Then, while JMS was grinding his teeth, he split a molar
lengthwise.  "Crap."  He opened his mouth and when the air-conditioned
air hit it he saw colors he had never seen before.  Doug suggested doing
the pitch the next day, but JMS figured that after the committee heard 2
days/15 pitches, B5 wouldn't have much of a chance.  They got a pitcher
of ice water, and JMS filled his mouth.  He couldn't talk, "Hwi.  I wam
Jwoe."   To this day, he has no recollection of the pitch.  At the time,
he was sure he had lost, but they got the deal.

Something that has surprised him recently about B5 fandom, is how
communities have formed.  In Washington, DC someone posted, "Come to my
house for B5 ... I have a big TV with a great sound system."  He got
about 50 people.  JMS said normally one has to be a little nuts to
invite 50 strangers to your house, and perhaps totally whacked to do it
in Washington, DC.  But this is what B5 has done.  BBQs are common.

He's gotten notes from fans in the Vatican.  "The brothers and I watch
the show.  We really like it."  JMS, "If you see the pope slap him on
the back for me."  "I never heard back."  "I don't know why."

He has fans in the Pentagon.  He knows because they've called.  Some
troops are in locations where they can't get video equipment and they
want synopses.  So the Pentagon wants to know how to get the WWW pages.
"Yes, the pentagon... those people who create the things to bring about
world destruction is asking how to get something from the web."  They
use it a "force multiplier"  JMS:  "Speak english ... morale booster".

Notes from Bosnia, "We understand what you write about."

The Secret Service has sent JMS care packages.  He got a shirt [or
jacket?] from the Secret Service with "White House" on it.  He called
them and said, "Wait, it doesn't say Secret Service on it anywhere."
They responded, "Well if it said that, it wouldn't be secret, would it?"

There's a show biz softball league, in which they play.  The Jerseys all
have 5 on them.  (Apparently there's a rule that all shirts have to have
to be numbered... but no rule which says they have to be numbered differently.)
The other teams complained.  They responded, "Well we had shirts with
all 4's but they all vanished."  "They didn't get it."

They played Star Trek: Voyager, where they lost.  Then they played Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine.  JMS sent them out with instructions, "If you
lose don't come back."  They won.

They have a loose set.  There have been many practical jokes.

About 4-5 months ago, a good one happened to Jason Carter.  The idea
came up to make him think that his character dies in the next episode,
"Grey 17 is Missing".  Bill Mumy was going to deliver the news.  JMS
thought that Bill would just do a little 5 minute thing.  BM goes to JC,
very solemnly, "Listen, I heard what happened...  Don't feel bad...  This
thing happens in the industry..."  BM keeps hamming it up.  When JC
tries to protest, BM says, "Oh...You don't know...", gets all ashen
faced, and puts his hands over his mouth.  JC, "They can't do that...I
have a contract."  BM, "You have options."  BM goes on for 1.5 hours.
This has really gotten to JC at this point.  He goes on the set.  He
asks Claudia Christian if he really dies in the next script.  CC, "Yup,
you're toast."  He asks Bruce Boxleitner, and gets, "Well, they replaced
Sinclair."  JMS, meanwhile knows none of this.  JC goes to JMS's office,
but JMS is out.  A script is out, and as it happens, at the bottom of
the page is "he leans back to give the death blow to Marcus".  JMS, "How
can I describe his state right now."  Someone comes to JMS, "I think
there's something wrong with Jason."  Jason's lower lip is losing its
muscle control.  JMS finally explains it to him.  At the hospital, JMS
writes Jason a note.  "Dear Jason, I will never kill you again.  Signed,
Joe."  Jason sent a copy to agent.  JC, "Now I have a contract."

JMS, "This is how we work on the show."

The work on the new year begins August 26.  New episodes will show in
October.  The UK will see the final five before the US.  Crowd grumbles
and sighs.  "You will 9 in a row in the fall."

JMS wanted to show an episode at the convention.  But then lawyers got
into it (hisses from the audience).  Then WB got into it (more hisses).
The WB lawyers (majors hissing).  He went to them saying that he wanted
to show this ep.  They asked, "How many in the room?"  Stupidly he told
the the truth (a thousand or so).  "Screeches... pterodactyl noises came
out".  "That's a theatrical exhibition... unions could come after us...
200,000 damages...impossible."  JMS, "Come on, that would never happen."
But there was no relenting.  

A voice from the crowd says, "Show it - we won't tell."  JMS, "How many
in this room are on usenet?"  Many hands go up.  "One of you will."

Weird things happen.  In San Francisco, he was having breakfast with Pat
Tallman.  She had her child with her.  She has to leave for a bit.  The
waiter came up to him, and says what a great kid he has.  Joe politely
accents.  "He looks just like you."  Joe has dazed look.

Next he showed a music video with clips from the last 5 episodes.  Per
lawyers (hisses), it has a message at the front where B5 can be seen in
San Diego and telling others to check local listings.  There's also a
disclaimer.  What's in the clip contains some big honking spoilers, so
check at the end for details.  {personally, I don't think they were so
big, but someone is going to think they are big and honking}

JMS: "From what you've just seen, things pick up a little."

JMS then describes the plot areas covered in the last 5 eps.  Again, see
the end for the spoilers.

It now likes like we need a bigger room.  People are standing along the
walls.

JMS also brought along 5 clips of scenes from the last 5 episodes.  The
lawyers (more hisses) said the scenes could only contain our regular
cast.  The clips roll.  See the spoiler section for a description of the
clips.

Questions and answers:

Q: Where the shadows at the battle of the line?
A: Negative.

Q: Will we find out what happened Franklin's father?
A: eventually {I read - not this season, but maybe later}

Q: (a comment and thanks - audience member says JMS's original essays
and work were the inspiration for him to write a book, which he holds up
for JMS)
A: This has happened a lot.  He gets email about people who changed
their jobs, moved, done better, inspired by his work.  "I am both
gratified and worried."  Discussion about a compuserve thread (which I
didn't quite hear).  Story about the San Francisco auction ($3000 went
for a business card with 4 plot points and a tour of the studio).  It's
great if the show can "Elevate and ennoble as well as entertain."

Q: If the forces of light in the White Star captured a shadow vessel,
and were able to commandeer it for their own uses, would it be called
the "White Shadow"?

[groans from audience]

Q: Will he bring back General Smits?  (the general in "Point of No
Return" who tells Sheridan to respect the chain of command)
A: eventually maybe

The Robert Foxworth story was told.  Foxworth had a contract to do B5,
booked months in advance.  JMS gets a call, now he can't do the jobs,
because he's "accidentally" been double booked.  What's the other show?
DS9.  "So I killed him...(the character, not the actor!)"

Q: Will we see any more of Epsilon 3?
A: Not this season, will next.  He loves Zathras (much cheering).  He's
just nuts.  JMS is toying with the idea of Zathras having 10 brothers,
all of whom are identical, and named Mathras, Bathras, Dathras, etc.
They could all be played by the same actor.  "Zathras was the quiet
one."  The could be named alphabetically, and a character would ask,
"Why would use English letters for aliens?"  No one is much amused.
JMS, "Testing material just for the hell of it."  Guess not (the
alphabetical part, I think he's serious about the brothers).

Q: When Minbari say Sinclair... (long convoluted question continues with
bits of "Valen" "Minbari soul" "Human soul" "returning" "combining") 
A: That's a very good question.  Did everyone get the question?  "No!
[loudly from all over audience]"  Good.  Next question.

Q: What about Bureau 13?
A: There was a role playing game by the same name.  So we figured that
these organization change their name a lot.  They don't have a listing
in the phone book...

Q: What's the status on action figures and merchandise, especially the
bear?
A: Has everyone heard the story of the bear?  (About half of the people
haven't).  Bear story (see "There All the Honor Lies" jms speaks notes):

JMS hates cute.  Peter David (writer of "There All the Honor Lies")
sends him a teddy bear with JS on the front, and Ba-bear-lon 5 on the
back.  JMS calls PD:

JMS:  I'm going to get you.
PD:  What are _you_ going to do?
JMS:  Fuck with your script.

PD strikes back.  He has his own show, _Space Cases_, and on it a Teddy
Bear is found floating in space.  "What kind of *monster* would space a
teddy bear?" a character asks.  Apparently the bear was sent out into
space the an evil race, named the "Straczin".  They are a race out to
conquer the galaxy but don't have the budget for it.

JMS tried to get back recently, but apparently it didn't work.  It's
still his serve.  "This will go on for years."  See also Peter David
tells the "real story" of the bear.

There will be new CD soundtrack soon (November?).  Currently, they are
discussion what to put on it.  There's a possibility of some vocals
("inspired by the show"?), and discussion of whether to do this or not
is taking place.

There's also a role playing game from Chameleon.
A new set of trading cards is coming out in August.

JMS's philosophy though is to make the show first.  (cheers)

Q: (involved question about Talia Winters, whether she will be back and
proposes some explanations)
A:  I thought I was convoluted ... No.

Jerry Doyle raises his hand with a question...then comes up to the front
of the stage.

JMS:  For four years I try to get you to come here.  Suddenly you do
"Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys" and you're here?  Why now?
JD:  Margaritas.
JMS: That can be arranged.  How was the presentation?
JD:  Was good.

Someone asks JD, "Do you have a contract or do you have options?"  He
says, options.  The title of Episode 2/Season 4 is revealed to him (see
spoilers).  Gets an amused look.  JMS says, yes it really is.  JD gets a
more concerned look.

JD has been traveling through Europe.  It's very nice to have off 3
months a year, especially when you have a job to come back to.  Says the
"turnout is amazing - you guys are unbelievable".

(now some stuff I didn't quite get about Garibaldi or Jerry doing show
tunes, Claudia Christian on stage in London doing some X rated
pornographic french stuff under a pseudonym - really - I don't know!)

He and his wife got food poisoning in London.  It wasn't pretty.  

JMS also introduces Caitlin Brown.

Gag real is fired up.  The season 3 version with clips up to December.
Done to Talking Heads, "Burning Down the House."  Most amusing, but hard
to hear since everyone was laughing so much.  My personal favorite was
Peter Jurasik coming out from stage smoke, saying, "Are you smoking more
and enjoying it less?"

JMS says thanks, and his final farewell for the afternoon.  (much more
eloquently, of course!) 

THE END

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Other bits:

On JMS's badge, Straczynski was spelled correctly, but Babylon was not
(Babalon).

Peter David tells the "real story" of the bear:

Peter David had his own panel for "Space Cases" in which he showed two
episodes (apparently he has cooler lawyers).  He's an animated
individual and want to make sure that we knew the true story of what
happened.  "I don't know what that other guy told you..."

My wife wanted to give Joe some sort of thanks for accepting his 2nd
script.  I didn't know Joe had a violent aversion to cute.  My wife
asked if this bear would be good.  Sure, ok.  I get a call from Joe:

JMS: I'm not into cute.
PD:  Oh.
JMS: I'm going to get you.
PD:  Oh.  How?
JMS: You'll see.

So the B5 episode rolls where the bear is spaced.  When your wife has
been dissed on national TV, retaliation is in order.

So he does the "Space Cases" episode with the race of the "Evil
Straczin", who have ambitious dreams of conquest, but a low budget.  He
made a replica for the show.  The bear has survived is now in the Space
Cases ship safe from the Straczin. 

Joe has vowed to get back.  Let him try.

There was no confirmation to the rumor that his wife is working on
another stuffed toy animal, a "Minbeari".

----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG SPOILERS (including the title of episode 22!)

The B5 video montage of the final 5 episodes to music has shots of
(incomplete list):

Vorlon ship arriving at B5
BB walking outside B5 looking at the Vorlon ship
A new Vorlon arriving at B5
The Narn ship at B5
Minbari religious people arriving on B5
The White Star fighting the shadows
Vir get captured and dragged by his own people
A shadow cruiser trapped by an energy beam
A homeworld, looks like Narn
A kiss between Delenn and Sheridan
Buttloads of ships (look like League and B5 ships) 
A major battle involving the above and shadows.
The scene where Delenn drops the snow scene ball.
Shadow cruisers at B5

What happens in the final 5 episodes:

Walkabout:

Franklin faces the stim problem - title comes from the Aborigine
tradition of leaving everything behind and going for a walkabout

The forces of light believe they have a weapon (from Ship of Tears).
They need to test their hypothesis.  Sheridan sends Lyta out to do it
(Lyta - you try this out - I'll be over there).

Grey 17 is missing:

An entire floor of B5 goes missing.  Garibaldi story.

Now that Sinclair has level, they need a replacement for Ranger 1.
Delenn's name has come up.  This doesn't help the schism between the
religious and warrior castes.  Having people chosen by prophesy in
charge of massive military power is not necessarily a good idea.

And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place:

Marks the possible passing of at least 1 character (not Marcus).  This
is the character who asked, "Did I do something wrong?"  "No you were
great!  Which is why I had to kill you."

Shadow Dancing:

The stim addiction comes to a head.

The major nasty battle scenes are from here.  Thing escalate to war.
Things go wrong.  If it can go wrong... it does.

Episode 22:

In the final 5 episodes, we get to see more Minbari homeworld, we see
the Narn homeworld for first time, we see some of Earth, and in the last
episode we see one other... Z'ha'dum (the implication is that is the
title of the episode). 

In the final 5, the CG remarkable is remarkable.  It's like that in
Severed Dreams but more.

SEASON 4

The Hour of the Wolf:

Title comes from that hour of the night when everything is terrifying.
The hour when someone would take a big shot of vodka to get through.

What Ever Happened to Mister Garibaldi?:

Now Jerry's going to be nervous.  "He has options."

Scenes from the final 5 of season 3:

JMS: "These are raw footage.  When you see these for real you'll see the
difference that sound and music make."

First Scene:
 A vorlon ship comes through the jumpgate.  JS is walking outside the
  station on the zero-g cargo section.  The Vorlon ship is docking, but
  on approach it stops, and comes up to meet JS.

Second Scene:
 G'kar and Garibaldi arguing about the Narn cruiser from The Fall of
  Night.  Apparently the cruiser has returned and was hiding out for the
  last year because it was afraid to be destroyed by the forces of
  dark.  Garibaldi says that hiding out and sheltering resources doesn't
  cut it for the battle they need to fight.

Third Scene:
 Delenn and Sheridan in the war room.  Sheridan has spent the last day
  or more in the war room trying to figure out what the shadows are up
  to.  Delenn comes in and tries to get him to go to dinner.

Fourth Scene:
 Ivanova and Marcus are on the White Star.  Marcus is getting off his
  Minbari bed to go on watch.  Ivanova is getting off.  Marcus professes
  some feelings for Ivanova in a language she doesn't understand.  He
  suggests she learn it.

Fifth Scene:
 Delenn and Sheridan (I forget where)
   Delenn says its time they sleep together.  A Minbari tradition at
   this point in a relationship is for the man to sleep while the woman
   watches.  A man's true face is revealed while he sleeps.  If she
   likes what she sees, she can stay future nights.  If she doesn't like
   it and the man insists she stay, while he sleeps she cuts off ... her
   ties with him.

--
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another fine service       submissions to:  b5-info at callisto.pas.rochester.edu
of ISN mars bureau    comments to:  b5-info-request at callisto.pas.rochester.edu

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 9

Well...suddenly I don't have anything to say at conventions, since all my
best gags have been listed...sigh....oh, well.

 jms

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