Julie Mehta <113367.1506@compuserve.com> asks:
> Does anybody know how extensive JMS's involvement with the
> cartoon "Ghostbusters" actually was? Did he write many episodes?

I think I wrote close to 20 or so episodes for that one. I left
when they decided to make Janine into a mommy-character instead of a
strong character, then did a few more later when they realized they'd
made a mistake and wanted her pulled back again.

jms

{original post unavailable}

"JMS also had his claws into an episode or two of Captain Power:
Soldier of the Future. Perhaps the less said about that the better (the
show had issues - but it actually tried to be more than a kiddie show -
but it was gruesomely tied down to a toy that they were forced to
market for). I think JMS was just a writer - though I believe Doug
Netter was a producer (he also of B5 fame).

I was story editor on that one (wrote 11 episodes), Larry
DiTilio (also of B5 and elsewhere) wrote a bunch, Doug Netter was co-
exec producer, and John Copeland was producer, with some EFX work by
Ron Thornton and set design by John Iacovelli. It was, in many ways, a
test/launching pad for what would become B5.

jms

{original post unavailable}

Yeah, between that and the animated shows I worked on, it gave
me a real wariness toward merchandising.

jms

(blocked) asks:
> Really?<startled> I can see the beginnings of Mr Thornton's CGI
> designs, but the sets were not much like B5<G> (to many pieces of
> polystyrene rock for my taste<slightly embarrassed g>) Is this a
> reflection of the behind the scenes development rather than the
> visual elements? what actually WAS going to happen in captain
> power? I know you had said that the suits would become defective,
> and the group would be in a lot of trouble, but is it possible to
> point me at any place where i can see how the planned 3 year arc
> would have come out?

I think there's a CP site out there somewhere (try Yahoo) that
has the full message I posted about the long-term arc.

RE: the different art direction between CP and B5...it's not so
much development as choosing the right look for the right show.

jms

(blocked) asks:
> Does that explain your treatment of the shortlived "Babylon 5
> Souvenir Shop" in the Zocolo? Or could you just not resist
> "Bearbylon 5"?

That informed that story a bit, yeah....

jms

(blocked) asks:
> Really?<startled> I can see the beginnings of Mr Thornton's CGI
> designs, but the sets were not much like B5<G> (to many pieces of
> polystyrene rock for my taste<slightly embarrassed g>) Is this a
> reflection of the behind the scenes development rather than the
> visual elements? what actually WAS going to happen in captain
> power? I know you had said that the suits would become defective,
> and the group would be in a lot of trouble, but is it possible to
> point me at any place where i can see how the planned 3 year arc
> would have come out?

I think there's a CP site out there somewhere (try Yahoo) that
has the full message I posted about the long-term arc.

RE: the different art direction between CP and B5...it's not so
much development as choosing the right look for the right show.

jms

(blocked) asks:
> Does that explain your treatment of the shortlived "Babylon 5
> Souvenir Shop" in the Zocolo? Or could you just not resist
> "Bearbylon 5"?

That informed that story a bit, yeah....

jms

{original post unavailable}

"Were there merchandising issues with Ghostbusters?"

Moreso with other shows I did, like HeMan and SheRa and Jayce;
in TRGBs we just ignored whatever the toy company wanted.

"BTW: always wondered, who thought up the movie-within-the-cartoon
thing with the Ghostbusters toon? I just loved they showed scenes from
the movie in one of the episodes..."

I wrote that one. I *think* it was called "Take Two."

To this day, as a result, there are bunches of kids who *swear*
up and down that the animated series came first, THEN the movie, much
to the dismay of their siblings and parents.

jms

{original post unavailable}

"Were there merchandising issues with Ghostbusters?"

Moreso with other shows I did, like HeMan and SheRa and Jayce;
in TRGBs we just ignored whatever the toy company wanted.

"BTW: always wondered, who thought up the movie-within-the-cartoon
thing with the Ghostbusters toon? I just loved they showed scenes from
the movie in one of the episodes..."

I wrote that one. I *think* it was called "Take Two."

To this day, as a result, there are bunches of kids who *swear*
up and down that the animated series came first, THEN the movie, much
to the dismay of their siblings and parents.

jms

{original post unavailable}

"What was Jayce?"

An adventure/SF series "Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors," a dopey
concept I again hijacked in an attempt to make it into something more.

"BTW: what was the situation with that other Ghostbusters show?"

Dunno...they revived it, I heard about it, they dumbed it up,
that's all I know.

jms

{original post had no questions}

"To this day, when I am trying to explain B5 and it's attention to
detail to newbesI just show them that RGB and say "this guy is so
obsessed about details he couldn't stand not explaining why the cartoon
characters looked different and were voiced by different people.""

"Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle."

- Michelangelo

jms

{original post unavailable}

"What was Jayce?"

An adventure/SF series "Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors," a dopey
concept I again hijacked in an attempt to make it into something more.

"BTW: what was the situation with that other Ghostbusters show?"

Dunno...they revived it, I heard about it, they dumbed it up,
that's all I know.

jms

{original post had no questions}

"To this day, when I am trying to explain B5 and it's attention to
detail to newbesI just show them that RGB and say "this guy is so
obsessed about details he couldn't stand not explaining why the cartoon
characters looked different and were voiced by different people.""

"Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle."

- Michelangelo

jms

{original post unavailable}

"You seem to have a lot of exposure to cartoons and/or kids shows.
Would you ever go back?"

Only if it were my show, top to bottom, and no toy company
creative input.

jms

{original post had no questions}

"I think he meant the Filmation thing taken from the Forrest
Tucker/Larry live show that got into all the legal hassle over the
naming (I think you once said that was why you added "Real" into the
name)."

Oh, that...yeah, there was a live-action show called
Ghostbusters that those two (Larry Storch) did, which sued over the
name Ghostbusters, and won the right to do an animated series by that
name. Which is why ours was called The Real....

jms

{original post had no questions}

"Just had a really twisted thought - the only way that Joe can stop
anyone marketing a toy simply called BaBearlon (no logos or anything)
is to trademark the name."

Well, it's the only way only IF you set aside the use of certain
medeival torture instruments applied in utterly innovative and
colorful ways.

jms