ATT JMS: B5 in April '97 MacUser

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATT JMS: B5 in April '97 MacUser
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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s  1: Feb 25, 1997: tjs at xylogics.com (Tom Stoodley)
*  2: Feb 25, 1997: George Johnsen <ndeiprod at earthlink.net>

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From: tjs at xylogics.com (Tom Stoodley)
Lines: 65




JMS,

B5 received a very good mention in this month's MacUser, courtesy of 
columnist Andy Ihnatko (who, to add extra merit to the compliment, once 
told me he greatly disliked B5; my only minor gripse with an otherwise 
insanely cool columnist):

"I opened this column with a _Star Trek_ reference.  I'll end it with a 
comparison to another SF show, _Babylon 5_.  It's so much more satisfying 
than _Star Trek_ in every way.  In _Trek_, there are little events that 
never really add up to much and never change any of the fundamentals of 
the show.  If someone gets shot or gets taken over by a malevolent alien 
entity, or if the entire crew is turned into marmosets, not to worry:  
things will be fine and forgotten by the start of next week's episode, 
which is why it's impossible to tell a second-season episode from a 
seventh-season one.  _Babylon 5_'s creator, J. Michael Straczynski, has a 
different attitude.  We, the show's viewers, are allowed our moments of 
happiness and security, but just when we've become happy watching JMS 
pull rabbits out of hats, he pulls out a snapping, hissing crocodile and 
forces us to cuddle it.  Just when the unstoppable, ungodly, and hitherto 
unseen ancient menace our heroes have been preparing to battle for three 
seasons appears poised to strike its final blow against the galaxy, it 
invites Babylon 5's commander over for tea to explain its side of the 
story, and it begins to appear that B5's unstoppable, godly, and hard-won 
ancient ally isn't fighting on the side of Good so much as Self-Interest.

It's called Change.  Change sucks, but as your dad told you just after 
declaring that you were old enough to get a job during summer vacation, 
Change leads to Growth."

- Quoted text written by Andy Ihnatko, from MacUser magazine, April 1997 
(Vol. 13, Number 4)

It's not the first time B5's been mentioned in the Macintosh press, 
either- the excellent fiends over at MacAddict magazine toss in several 
references monthly, including this little blurb:

"[...]  The most-used phrase in these letters was 'What Babylon 5
plug-in?' This plug-in doesn't contain the whole universe, but it does
have the Vorlons.  At this point, you probably don't want the Vorlons
messing with your planets, especially if they've been visited by Shadows. 

But we digress..."

- from "Spoilers", MacAddict magazine, March 1997 (Volume 2, Issue 3)


JMS, just thought you'd like to know that, despite your *ahem* contrary 
choice of computing platform, you've got lots of support in the Macintosh 
community.

(I could draw a Windows/Mac, Trek/B5 analogy, but I'm stronger and better 
than that.  *grin*)



Be seeing you,

Tom Stoodley




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From: George Johnsen <ndeiprod at earthlink.net>
Lines: 21

Hey Tom!

Even though the Joe uses "another" platform, the show actually uses
many!  Macs have been essential to the creation of the show from the
beginning.  Even farther back, the Amiga and the Newtek Toaster were
employed.  

Currently we use Pentiums and Alphas for animation, Macs for Editing,
Matte paintings and Compositing, and SGI's for Compositing and titling. 
If that isn't platform independent, I don't know what is!

So, Andy can continue to like the show, AND be true to the magazine he
works for!

George Johnsen
CoProducer, B5


(and Mac user since the 128!)


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