Memories from Chicago Comicon (includes question for JMS)

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: Memories from Chicago Comicon (includes question for JMS)
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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+  1: Jun 27, 1996: tal at plts.org (Tom Limoncelli)
*  2: Jun 28, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: tal at plts.org (Tom Limoncelli)
Lines: 84

Last weekend was one of the best times I've had in a while.  I flew in
to Chicago with my fiance to see my sister in her first Equity musical
("The House of Martin Guerre" at The Goodman Theater) and then we were
off to Chicago Comicon where I got to meet JMS, Walter and Harlan!

The B5 sessions were PACKED.  We tried to attend the panel before the
B5 session so that we could jockey for good seats.

I was disappointed by the fact that JMS couldn't bring a full episode
(darn lawyers!), but the clips were excellent!  I can't say anything we
saw was a spoiler (unless you think there isn't going to be a lot of
space battles soon) but they were close enough to be teasers that will
drive me nuts until October.

I waited around the signing line to talk with JMS and get a picture
with him.  I wanted to ask him about Ivoniva's bisexuality without the
usual "special interest... please please have her come out" question
but when I finally got to talking with him I flubbed it and the
question came out exactly the way I was trying to avoid.  As a bisexual
that feels we're completely ignored by the gay community, and shunned
by the straight community, B5 is out "last best hope" for visibility.
However, I don't want to see the arc changed just for us; but it would
be nice to find out at least if Ivoniva is a "either/or bisexual" or a
"both/and bisexual".  (a both/and bisexual prefers two relationships
simultaniously: one with a man and one with a woman; a either/or
bisexual prefers a single relationship at a time but is interested in
both when single and dating).

Neither my partner or I are into comic books, so it was weird being
there for the "non-comics events".  It wasn't until Sunday that I
figured out what CBG is :-)    Also, I usually go to gay/les/bi-run
cons so it was wierd to be in a place with such a lack of diversity.  I
think it was my first commercial con, so now I know what fen talk about
when they discuss the difference between a fan-fun con and a
commerically run con.  I don't think one is better than the other, they
are just different.

I got to see Mike Kelly (from this newsgroup) which was nice since I
haven't seen him since we were in undergrad together.  He's shaved his
head, or maybe that's a sideeffect from the particle physics he's doing :-)
Too bad there wasn't a MST3K-style B5 gathering this year.  I was hoping
for a repeat since I wasn't at Chicago last year.


Walter Koenig was absolutely hillarious!  On the B5 panel he kept
making jokes (and had to force his way to get an word in edge wise
since he was sharing the stage with JMS and Harlan).

Someone asked, "What other guest stars will we see in Season 4?" and
Walter interrupted to say [paraphrased], "Uh, uh, uh, there will be
OTHER guest stars?  Mike, how could you???"   JMS promised (joked) that
they would only be playing second to Bester... Bester's secretary,
Bester's masseur (sp?).  Harlan blurted out, "The new show will be The
Hanna-Barbarra Bester Hour!"

When discussing that Turner bought the rights to show the re-runs of B5
when the series is over, we were warned that Turner edits out 1-2
minutes to fit more commercials.  Harlan pointed out that the cutting
won't be too extreme... the usual show is about 52 minutes and it might
become 42 minutes... of commercials.  "The 12 best minutes of each
episode!!!"   Walter broke in, "The 12 BESTER minutes???"


Having read JMS's posts on the net for years and now having seen him
talk in person, I have heard probably hundreds of anecdotes from him
about his life, his career, growing up, getting the show on the air,
and managing the cast/crew to keep it going.  It dawned on me last
weekend that many of these stories are quite similar to the example
stories that one finds in a book on self-esteem, self-motivation, and
management books (the ones about how to get the most out of your
employees by making sure they enjoy working for you).  JMS:  Have you
ever considered writing these down into a book about your
philosophy/motivation/etc?   I think it would be great reading!


--tal

-- 
             Tom Limoncelli -- http://mars.superlink.net/user/tal
            tal at plts.org (home)  --  tal at dnrc.bell-labs.com (work)
Okay, we've seen Franklin with no shirt, Garibaldi with no shirt, and Sheridan
   with no shirt.  When do you get some shirtless screentime with Marcus???



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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 32

"Having read JMS's posts on the net for years and now having seen him talk
in person, I have heard probably hundreds of anecdotes from him about his
life, his career, growing up, getting the show on the air, and managing
the cast/crew to keep it going.  It dawned on me last weekend that many of
these stories are quite similar to the example stories that one finds in a
book on self-esteem, self-motivation, and management books (the ones about
how to get the most out of your employees by making sure they enjoy
working for you).  JMS:  Have you ever considered writing these down into
a book about your philosophy/ motivation/etc?   I think it would be great
reading!"

I think it would be an absolutely hideous waste of several dozen
old-growth trees.

It would be the height of stupidity and arrogance on my part (your
suggestion was well-intentioned and sincere, don't confuse the two) to
even consider the notion.  I have nothing to teach *anybody* in these
areas.  I don't have any answers, only questions.  And my experiences are
generally so idiosyncratic, so much the product of just falling on my face
a thousand times until one day I figured out a way so that I didn't *have*
to fall on my face anymore, that I can't imagine they'd be of much use to
anyone, and their entertainment value is mainly either anecdotal or for
humorous effect.

A book about the trials and tribulations in making the show...sure, maybe.
 A book of my philosophy about this sort of thing, with anecdotes?  I
can't imagine anything that could be more boring and self-serving.\

 jms



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