JMS Appearances 2023

[sftv]

I contacted the head of programming (who I used to work for). Didn't realize the other conflicts, though. I wouldn't expect much from the B5 VS Ds9 fan panel. No idea who is on it (no participants listed) or what their fan credentials are. They're more likely to move the JMS panel since actor schedules are more complex with photo ops and signings. Having someone else bring it to their attention would be good, though. Also, the 301A room (Koenig and Christian) seats around 1400 while Joe's panel in 132ABC seats 444). With it being Friday, not likely any of the panels will be full, but with the B5 news, Joe should definitely be a draw and would impact the other panels.

[Jan]

Got an answer from Eva and they've moved JMS to 6 PM but not a larger room.

[sftv]

That should help.

FYI, a private appearance by JMS happened today that will be on a future edition of Scott Edelman's Eating the Fantastic Podcast.... Scott is in LA for the Nebula Awards weekend and got together with Joe this afternoon. https://twitter.com/scottedelman/sta...30544163000322

[Jan]

FYI, a private appearance by JMS happened today that will be on a future edition of Scott Edelman's Eating the Fantastic Podcast.... Scott is in LA for the Nebula Awards weekend and got together with Joe this afternoon. https://twitter.com/scottedelman/sta...30544163000322

Thanks for the heads up, Lee!

[Jan]

As expected, here's the official announcement that JMS is appearing at SDCC. Interesting last line (bold by me) there!

J. Michael Straczynski


J. Michael Straczynski is known for writing, producing and creating such shows as Babylon 5 and Sense8; writing Clint Eastwood’s Changeling as well as working on the first Thor movie, World War Z, and Underworld Awakening; and writing hundreds of comics for Marvel (Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, Supreme Power), Image (Midnight Nation), and DC (Superman Earth One). His brand-new BABYLON 5 animated movie is slated to make its worldwide debut at Comic-Con alongside a ton of other announcements in comics, novels, and other media.

This one isn't in a funny vein like they usually are.

[sftv]

That's what I was expecting at San Diego, a screening of the whole thing like WB Animation usually does with new DC releases. Likely on Thursday night with a possible additional screening Sunday afternoon based on previous screenings.

[Jan]

That's what I was expecting at San Diego, a screening of the whole thing like WB Animation usually does with new DC releases. Likely on Thursday night with a possible additional screening Sunday afternoon based on previous screenings.

Thanks, Lee, that's good to know. Do you happen to know if the screening is likely to be at the convention center or an outside theater (based on past events)?

[sftv]

The WB Animation screenings are usually held in one of the convention center rooms, not offsite.

[Jan]

The WB Animation screenings are usually held in one of the convention center rooms, not offsite.

Please, Universe - NOT Hall H!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pretty please with sprinkles!

[Jan]

Here I am in Phoenix and all checked in to my hotel. About to head off to the convention center and begin the Frolic-ing! Already there's news, though. See the Comics Forum for news of JMS taking over the Captain America title, beginning in September.

(as always, pardon any typos while I'm on my laptop. I hate normal keyboards, especially small ones!!)

[Jan]

JMS Spotlight report. Sorry not to have posted this last night but the trip wiped me out.

As always, it was a lot of fun. JMS had meant to have his Sizzle Real but the Video Guy was no place to be found. So he opened with with explaining that he wasn't consulted on the title of the panel, "Explaining the Inexplicable" So he riffed by telling a few jokes and a 'prayer' that he not screw it up. Also an interesting theory about the nature of universes and meaning.

Video guy showed up with a laptop and hooked it up and the latest version of the reel played after some hilarity getting the lights off. This one plays to the tune of "Wake Me Up When It's All Over" It's similar to the one that's been posted before but had some fun teases of things to come.

WB wouldn't allow JMS to bring the trailer but he was allowed to bring a few images from The Road Home. JMS spoke of bringing in actors to play the roles of the actors who've passed on and said that before this started, he'd sent out an email asking the remaining cast if they were okay with his doing that. If even one had said no, JMS explained, he wouldn't have don it. They all signed on.

The first image he showed was of Franklin, much as we saw him in SiL, with grey hair. In the story, Sheridan is traveling back and forth in time and alternate times and when he see's Franklin, he's popped into his own future for a moment and Franklin knows something at that point that Sheridan doesn''t.

The next image is of Lennier, Delenn and Sheridan, probably about the time they left B5 for the new Alliance headquarters on Minbar. Let me just say that these are ALL really, really good. But the image of Delenn is just stunningly beauriful. JMS talked about the animators rally working to capture the essence of the characters and I think they've succeeded.

The final image was - Zathras! Looking an awful lot like one of the Zathri but the slide wasn't up long enough to figure out which one.

While waiting for the Video Guy to pull up the image files, JMS showed the first cover for his first Captain America issue coming in (iirc) September.

After the Video Guy restored the lights (ouch) and left, JMS talked about how for many years there was one person at WB who wouldn't allow anything to be done with the show but virtually the day afer that person was gone, the CW approached WB about doing the reboot/reimagining. Soon after, WB Animation contacted JMS about doing The Road Home. B5 is one of only a few franchises that hasn't gotten new attention recently so it's now quite attractive. In both cases, JMS was given a free hand to write what he wanted without interference. The result is that we'll be able to see things we'd heard about but never saw in the show with images being improved and more interesting. JMS said it's the most authentically B5 thing since the original show.

JMS talked about doing the commentary with Bruce Boxleitner (who hadn't seen the finished movie) not long ago and Bruce asked him seriously to say how JMS thought it was and JMS assured him that it was as if no time had passed at all. When the film started, Bruce kept getting caught up with it and forgot to talk!

Regarding the reimagining, JMS said that it took 3-4 months to get the rights back from the CW after the CW sale. The started taking it out to buyers and there was some interst but then the Writer's Strike happened so it's on hold for now. JMS has a good feeling that it will end up happening.

JMS talked about taking over the Captain America title for Marvel. One thing about that character is that there's nothing said about the period between when his mother died and his becoming a soldier/Captan Rogers. Apparently he wa living on the streets during those formative years. That was the period when the American Bund was active and that was besically the Nazi party in the US. There was a huge rally in Madison Square Garden, for instance. So we'll see that effect on Steve Rogers in a flashback story along with current events. This will be an ongoing series, not a mini.

At that point JMS started taking questions. I'll review that part of the tape later on. A couple of othere folks from here were there and if I've missed something or they'd like to chime it, I'd love for that to happen.

ETA: I did try to take some pics of the images but I'm not 100% sure that I should share them. I'll try to clarify with JMS today.

[Ubik]

Cheers for the detailed update Jan. It is so nice to see B5 being a going concern again, and all it took was one exec departing from WB!

[Jan]

Some items from the audience questions part of yesterday's panel:

Somebody mentioned noticing many diversity points in the show years after it aired. JMS replied in part:
" The human condition is filled with variety and always has been. And there are things that we've been conditioned to think that aren't necessarily the right way....I think the human race is mad stronger, not weaker by diversity....I'm in love with the human race. It's an often disappointing love affair...but there's nobility in it. Strength. And there's gemstones amid the gravel."

To a question about the writer's strike and what JMS thinks the entertainment landscape will look like after it's settled:
" I'm guessing [it'll last] no less than three months and maybe as long as six. There are things about the strike that I do not agree with and I'd rather not go down that road right now 'cause I don't want to get in trouble."

JMS confirmed for a fan that he's taking over the current run of Captain America and the artist is Jesus Saiz, whith whom JMS had worked on the "Brave and the Bold" books. He said how his stories live ro dies on being able to see emotions on the character's faces and that that's a major strength of Saiz.

To a question about JMS ever wanting to return to Midnight Nation, JMS replied that he doesn't want to do another volume, a it was done right the first time. But he did spec out the first six scripts for a television series but everybody who looked at it said that it was too depressing.

More later....

[sftv]

I think you got most of it Jan. Joe did mention that this was the first con appearance he'd done since before the pandemic, so he was a little nervous (and the video issue didn't help), but once he got going he was in pretty standard JMS mode. The room for the spotlight panel was over half full (and seats 400). Joe mentioned in the writer's workshop panel that he had suggested they schedule the workshop on Friday with the spotlight panel on Saturday, but they did it the other way. The writing workshop was pretty full in a space that seats around 150, if I remember right). Moving the Friday panel to 6 pm did give the B5 fans a chance to catch the Walter Koenig and Claudia Christian panels. A lot of the fan questions for Walter were B5 related. Walter did talk about how he was originally going to do the one-off role, but couldn't because of his heart attack. He really liked playing Bester and was disappointed that the Crusade episode he was going to do didn't happen. He also talked about the time that Joe had him come in to film a scene with Michael O'Hare (between the pilot and the series, I think) to get Michael riled up and showing some anger so that the PTEN members who were skeptical about Michael having the range to lead the series could see him showing more range that was seen in the pilot. For Claudia's panel, the interviewer focused more on her other, more recent activities, and when the B5 animated movie was discussed, Claudia didn't want to say much about it so that she wouldn't get in trouble with Joe. When I saw Claudia Saturday morning, I told her that Joe had show some images of characters from the film and she was happy that we got to see that and she was really happy with it.

[JasonDavis]

Walter did talk about how he was originally going to do the one-off role, but couldn't because of his heart attack.

Walter Koenig was originally intended to play Knight Two in "And the Sky Full of Stars" (106), and that character was intended to recur in the original version of "Chrysalis" (112). "Sky" was delayed seven days, "Believers" (105) being brought forward in production, but it had to go before the cameras as 106 because "The War Prayer" (107) was still undergoing revisions. Thus Christopher Neame was cast as Knight Two and the role of the Psi Cop in "Mind War" (110)--to be filmed after the fall hiatus--was allocated to Koenig and became a recurring role.

Either way, Walter Koenig would have had multiple appearances, but I think things worked out for the--wait for it!--Bester. I'll get my coat...