JMS on CompuServe (Nov 06, 1998) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* (1/2)
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
Fri Nov 6 22:10:43 EST 1998
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #50112-#Season 5 in Siberia?
Sb: #50943-#Who's going to V.O.R.
Sb: #new jms comic
Sb: #50531-#new jms comic
Sb: #50551-#new jms comic
Sb: #50565-#new jms comic
Sb: #50621-new jms comic
Sb: #50623-new jms comic
Sb: #50589-Thank you
Sb: #51362-Using snips and quotes
Sb: #51121-#Another two cents....
Sb: #51297-Another two cents....
Sb: #51299-#Another two cents....
Sb: #51324-Moving Out
Sb: #51397-#<WoF> Lyta
Sb: #51448-<WoF> Lyta
#: 50112 S2/Bab 5: General
18-Oct-98 10:40:10
Sb: #Season 5 in Siberia?
Fm: KOSLOSKY
JMS,
What's with TNT relegating season 5 to Siberia? 12 o'clock mid-night for the
rest of the season? Can you shed some light on this (no pun intended
regarding the last ep)?
Respectfully,
Bob
#: 50231 S2/Bab 5: General
20-Oct-98 11:37:07
Sb: #50112-#Season 5 in Siberia?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The first new S5 ep is on next Wednesday at 10, not midnight; I don't
know what you're referring to.
jms
[ Summary: "Was Ms. Scoggins not [at VOR] because she was under contract
and not allowed to attend?" ]
#: 51084 S2/Bab 5: General
02-Nov-98 15:43:12
Sb: #50943-#Who's going to V.O.R.
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No actors were ever told they could not attend; never happened. And my
problem with the Wolf conventions and some of their organizers is their *lack*
of organization, and their refusal to honor such ideas as not using clips
without permission, and otherwise making a mess, and refusing (after promising
to make them available) to provide copies of the books to verify that the
charities they say they promote actually received any of the profits from the
con.
jms
#: 50514 S2/Bab 5: General
26-Oct-98 16:53:04
Sb: #new jms comic
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Posted this over on another system, figured I'd put it here as well.
Just thought I'd get this thread moving, though it's still a bit
early, since news has started to break in other places. Basically: I've
always loved comics (no secret there), and have always wanted to do a
title of my own, try to make it something special, as B5 was/is special.
I created the premise, went to Top Cow (my first and only choice on
this one), we met, we agreed...and now RISING STARS is set to debut next
April. I've already turned in the first script (for the preview issue),
and will be getting down to writing issues 0 and 1 shortly.
The story follows the events after the small town of Pederson,
Illinois, is struck by a mass of energy from an unknown, but non-
terrestrial source. Everyone who was in utero at the time of the flash
is affected, resulting in 113 individuals who develop abilities of a most
unusual and highly individual form. (The power is to some degree shaped
by who they are, just as they are shaped to some degree by the power.)
It is set in a realistic universe, timed to real-world events (it
covers a span of about 60 years, starting in about 1969), where there
have never been super-powered individuals before. It looks at how the
world reacts to them, and how they react to the world. We follow these
characters through their early years, into adulthood and to the ends of
their lives, mapping all the changes they go through, and how they change
the world.
It's an extremely ambitious 24 issue miniseries (with the potential
to go back and further develop any of the stories presented earlier along
the way).
#: 50531 S2/Bab 5: General
27-Oct-98 07:52:05
Sb: #50514-#new jms comic
Fm: JEFF FRANK
Sounds like an interesting premise Joe. Just, please, make sure the blasted
thing comes out somewhere near on time. I've just about given up on Bone and
Astro City since I can never count on when they'll actually hit the shelves.
And, don't forget to remind us in February when it's solicited. <s>
Jeff
Sigh Corps - Pat Tallman Division
#2 in the ARC
#: 50552 S2/Bab 5: General
27-Oct-98 13:27:00
Sb: #50531-#new jms comic
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well, they'll have the scripts in plenty of time, so I can't see any
reason why there would be any problem in schedule. I've learned in B5 how to
maintain a schedule.
jms
#: 50551 S2/Bab 5: General
27-Oct-98 13:11:03
Sb: #50514-#new jms comic
Fm: ED BRANDT
Will they be made into a graphic novel, i.e as In Valen's Name, seemed to be?
#: 50553 S2/Bab 5: General
27-Oct-98 13:27:00
Sb: #50551-#new jms comic
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Probably, but that's down the road a bit.
jms
[ Summary: "I need a bigger store. Your People are coming." ]
#: 50583 S2/Bab 5: General
27-Oct-98 23:07:02
Sb: #50565-#new jms comic
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks...what's great is that I've already heard from a number of folks
who don't generally buy comics, but will do so for this particular title, so
given B5's coverage, it may mean a good influx of new people to discover the
comics world.
jms
#: 50621 S2/Bab 5: General
28-Oct-98 14:38:01
Sb: #50583-#new jms comic
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA
I'm looking forward to the comic too, Joe --the premise sounds interesting,
pretty cool even, but I just hope I can find it in one of the stores.
Is there any possibility that we'll be able to purchase it from the
Emporium?
BTW, when are they going to update the Emporium? When I was there last week I
noticed that the B5 episode tapes still aren't available, and they still have
the old sign up advertising them as going on sale there starting way back on
August 25th. What's the deal with that?
Thanks.
#: 50644 S2/Bab 5: General
28-Oct-98 20:32:00
Sb: #50621-new jms comic
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
There's been some problems with the company providing the web site, and
we're working to address that.
jms
[ Summary: Thanks JMS for everything he's done. ]
#: 50650 S2/Bab 5: General
28-Oct-98 23:03:04
Sb: #50589-Thank you
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, thank *you* for the kind words, and for being part of the family.
jms
#: 51362 S2/Bab 5: General
05-Nov-98 09:04:01
Sb: #Using snips and quotes
Fm: JANETCH
Joe,
I have a question about not just B5, but about movies and television shows in
general. I often see snippets of old movies or newsreels used for effect in a
movie or TV show. You did it once (I forget the episode) when you used 2 small
snippets from Daffy Duck cartoons to make a subtle point about what was going
on with Garibaldi (and the "implanted" personality traits Bester gave him). I
have also seen instances where a small clip from an old movie (especially B&W
"noir" films) includes dialogue that "responds" to or "emphasizes" something
said or shown in the current movie/show.
How is this accomplished? Is there some giant archive somewhere where people
can type in key words and get a list of movies where that word/phrase is used?
Are there experts who just know all this stuff? It seems like finding a
character saying exactly the right sentence out of the thousands of movies in
existence would be a difficult and laborious task.
Cheers,
Janet Christian
#: 51380 S2/Bab 5: General
05-Nov-98 11:53:01
Sb: #51362-Using snips and quotes
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"How is this accomplished? Is there some giant archive somewhere where people
can type in key words and get a list of movies where that word/phrase is used?
Are there experts who just know all this stuff? It seems like finding a
character saying exactly the right sentence out of the thousands of movies in
existence would be a difficult and laborious task."
No, none that I'm aware of. You just happen to know something, and if
you can license that snip, you acquire the rights to use it. The DD stuff was
just stuff that I knew 'cause I'm a cartoon nut.
jms
[ Summary: (See below.) ]
#: 51295 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
04-Nov-98 15:18:12
Sb: #51121-#Another two cents....
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
1. Heard that Jeri Taylor left Star Trek, any chance that she'll come and
work with you on Crusade?
No, she's hoping to move to Northern California and enter
semi-retirement with her husband, also a friend of mine. After X-number of
years in the business, we're all entitled to escape.
2. Any chance that you will work with Angela Landsbury on Crusade? I think
she's pretty cool.
I don't think she does cable episodic.
3. Do you know what a vacation is?
Does it have fur?
4. Have you ever owned, been owned by or currently residing with any cats and
if so, got any good stories for us? (you write about them as if you know them
well)
Yes, but the cat cabal is very chary of its secrets, and if I betray
them they will come after me.
5. I know that you plan on pulling back regarding your online presence. Is
that just on the 'Net or here as well?
Mainly pulling back on the newsgroups, somewhat here.
6. Is there anyone in the business (actor, director, writer, etc) that you
haven't yet worked with, but would like to?
Yeah, but it wouldn't be fair to name folks.
jms
[ Summary: "Noticed that Harlan is going to be at the next I-Con.
Have they asked you yet?" ]
#: 51308 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
04-Nov-98 17:31:08
Sb: #51297-Another two cents....
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I don't believe anyone has spoken to me about Icon yet...as for other
shows, I'm kinda spoiled...I don't like to have my words mucked about with,
and on somebody else's show, that's inevitable.
jms
[ Summary: Didn't know that cats were that well organized. ]
#: 51309 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
04-Nov-98 17:31:09
Sb: #51299-#Another two cents....
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Organized? If they had an opposable thumb and could hold a screwdriver,
we'd all be doomed.
jms
[ Summary: "I agree that such a real show should have a real ending - that
is, not really an ending at all, but another beginning." ]
#: 51332 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
04-Nov-98 23:34:07
Sb: #51324-Moving Out
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
That's a good way of looking at it.
jms
#: 51397 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Nov-98 13:37:01
Sb: #<WoF> Lyta
Fm: REBECCA COSTELLO
Man, has Lyta ever changed. It seemed like Byron had brought her to a happy
medium: aware of how people used her, but not bitter. His death really sent
her over the edge. We saw a little of her ruthlessness when she killed the
Drazi by forcing him to shoot himself, but her coldness, how uncaring she is
now, had never been demonstrated before this episode.
The Lyta who wanted to please everyone all the time has been turned into
someone who cares about nothing but helping her people--which seems to get
translated for her as destroying the Psicorps. Can we interpret from this that
teeps in general aren't her people; just those who aren't willingly Corps?
Admittedly, it's an uncomfortable thing for me to see. Lyta isn't a "nice
girl" anymore; it's rather frightening to watch. But she does have a lot to be
angry about.
As for her power--I always wondered why the Vorlons took her to tinker with
even more, and now we know. They didn't just want a secretary and go-between
for Kosh, who was a little bit enhanced to do chores for them. They saw her as
a malleable and willing telepath whom they could make into a really nasty
weapon should they ever need it. Lyta has always struck me as a powerless
person--the kind of woman batterers and users look for, and the Vorlons found
her. Now that she realizes the power she commands, she's done a full 180...
Rebecca
#: 51416 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Nov-98 16:27:04
Sb: #51397-#<WoF> Lyta
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
This is, of course, the key to the whole reason for the Byron thing. If
it had not gone on as long as it had, had not had the impact it had on her,
she would not be where she is now in the storyline. You really needed
something *major* to bring her to this point, and that was it. Some couldn't
figure why the emphasis...well, now they know.
Everything points somewhere.
jms
#: 51448 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Nov-98 20:42:09
Sb: #51416-#<WoF> Lyta
Fm: REBECCA COSTELLO
>>This is, of course, the key to the whole reason for the Byron thing. If it
had not gone on as long as it had, had not had the impact it had on her, she
would not be where she is now in the storyline. You really needed something
*major* to bring her to this point, and that was it. Some couldn't figure why
the emphasis...well, now they know.<<
I can see that now (of course!): the whole Byron thing was a real crisis point
for her. The season name "Wheel of Fire" is becoming clearer too...it feels
like everyone has new roles, and those are being forged in the fire. Byron of
course took it rather literally, but Lyta, Sheridan, Garibaldi--all of them
are adjusting to new situations while being expected to carry off some really
huge things.
>>Everything points somewhere.<<
Unfortunately, I never see the arrows in the first place <sigh> But when it
does come it just leaves me shaking my head that it all fits together so well.
These shows are turning out to be wowzahs, for lack of a more appropriate
word.
Rebecca
#: 51450 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Nov-98 22:25:07
Sb: #51448-<WoF> Lyta
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
If you saw the arrows initially, then they would have been 'way too
obvious.
And yeah, the wheel of fire visually has spokes proceeding out from a
central flame; the center burns outward. And several of the fires smoldering
lately have done that; with Byron it was a literal flame that has now gone out
along the spokes and had substantial repercussions, with more to come years
down the road.
It's also a Shakespeare quote, "I am bound upon a wheel of fire, that
mine own tears do scald like molten lead." Which tends to describe Londo's
situation as well. (King Lear)
jms
[ Continued in next section -- BB ]
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