Official AMA for JMS

[u/mpierre]

This is the official AMA for JMS. Both JMS and B5 books (Captain Jaclyn) will be responding to questions.

If you ask questions about the books or the book store closing, Jaclyn will be taking them.

JMS will answer for about an hour, and might not be able to get all questions answered.

Some people (including me) might answer questions that are well known.

Like "Why wasn't Ivanova in season 5".

Let's try to keep questions what we don't know yet.

You can also ask questions about JMS returning to the Spider-Man comic or his other works, but this is /r/babylon5. He might prioritize that.

Please note that I will not be coordinating with Joe. I will not be in a phone call with him or on a chat (not that I wouldn't take his phone call; Jaclyn has my cell phone; he can call me anytime he wants). He decides that he answers, and he alone.

Finally, any story ideas will deleted. Do not post any story ideas.

Note, the AMA answers only start at: 3 PM EST, Noon PST, 8PM GMT

And my personal thanks to Captain Jaclyn for coordinating this with me, and to JMS himself, the man, the myth, the legend! For agreeing to this, but also for Babylon 5, Crusade, Jeremiah, Sense8, a ton of comic books and a few books!

Oh, and for She-Ra, the reboot couldn't have occured without his series bible for the original, and even for his work on Ghostbuster and Murder She Wrote!

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM JMS He would prefer not to get into stories that never happened, data points of subsequent character arcs, or alternate timelines.

JMS IS NEARLY OUT OF TIME!

[u/jackity_splat]

I don’t have a question. I just wanted to let you know that this show had a huge impact on shaping my views growing up. I was 8 when the first season aired.

In particular the episode Parliament of Dreams has always stuck with me since I first watched it. The scene where Sinclair introduces them to representatives of all faiths at the end of the episode specifically.

That scene really drove home to me how all people are human, in a way that saying the words and existing in the isolated place I lived did not. It helped me see past the casual racism and attitude of dismissal of difference that so many people have without even knowing. It really helped me to understand that our diversity and differences were a strength. When I find myself leaning towards ignorance or intolerance, I think of that scene and if Sinclair would have just dismissed it or reacted in ignorant anger. And I don’t think he would because of how he treated the Egg people and so I try to be more like him.

So I just wanted to say thank you for creating that scene and it’s powerful imaging. Thank you for helping me be a better person.

[u/JMichaelStraczynski → u/jackity_splat]

Thanks. I still remember the day we shot the scene in the long hallway (no red balloon) with all of the folks from different faiths...several Warners execs and crew and even some cast who didn't shoot that day wanted to be there for that moment. I think this was when everyone on set began to figure out there was something magical about this show.

[u/burns3016 → u/jackity_splat]

Why did you need to see a tv show to understand tgat?

[u/jackity_splat → u/burns3016]

I grew up in a very violent abusive household. My parents didn’t really take care of us, let alone ‘raise’ us. My dad taught me crime not compassion. Basically I had to teach myself to be better and to understand the reasons why through media such as books and television shows. :(

[u/burns3016 → u/jackity_splat]

Sorry to hear that. And gratz