Re: JMS: What's new and exciting?

 Posted on 5/7/2010 by jmsatb5@aol.com to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated

On May 5, 10:58=A0am, Jan <janmschroe...@aol.com> wrote:
> JMS,
>
> Don't know if you hang out around here much lately but I was wondering wh=
at kind
> of news or updates you might have to share?
>
> How's work on Wonder Woman and Superman going? =A0Any news about Samarita=
n X and
> your other two creator-owned comics?
>
> How's pre-production on "The Flickering Light" proceeding?
>
> Any movement on the TV series front?
>
> You know...what's keeping you busy these days?
>
> Thanks,
> Jan

I've been pretty much off the grid for some time, trying to stay ahead
of the deadlines, with mixed results. I've just had to really keep my
head down, responding to only necessary emails, and generally just
staying focused.

In brief....

I've turned in the first couple of scripts on Superman and Wonder
Woman, and I'm very happy with how they've come out. The art looks
great, and I think these are going to be very good books. I've
started Samaritan X, but there's plenty of time on that one, so I'm
putting the emphasis now onto the other books.

The next draft of Lensman went in a couple of weeks ago, and I'm hip
deep on Shattered Union for Bruckheimer. There are a couple of other
feature deals on the table but I don't want to say anything until and
unless they reach fruition. I was offered a couple of production
rewrites on films about to go to camera, but had to decline due to
prior commitments. I need to honor what's on my plate before reaching
for anything else.

TV development season starts in June, and I'm warming up several
possible projects to take out. Preliminary talks have indicated that
they'd be very welcome, so I suspect I'll be able to pick up at least
one or two deals. In the past, I've kind of gone into the netwoks
from a mid-level-up position, but now I'm in a place to go in top-
down, so that'll be a help in terms of actually getting these things
produced. It's nice to have a pilot script commissioned, but I'm far
more interested in getting the damned things made, and I'm now in a
better place to do that.

The progress on Flickering Light waits now on getting actors
involved. We've gotten a good chunk of preliminary financing, but to
get the rest of the way we need some name performers. We're getting
very close to two such actors, but I'll know more about that in a week
or three. At the moment, should all go according to plan (which never
happens), the goal would be to prep in January/February and shoot in
March/April in Berlin. So far, everybody seems okay with the idea of
me directing the thing.

Other than that, it's just trying to stay ahead of the train. I'd
initially planned on not going to San Diego Comic Con this July so I
could focus on the work, but there's so much going on in that field
for me right now, plus some announcements that'll be made there, that
I really have to be there. And I'll be in Santa Ana on May 22nd
talking about writing at the convocation organized by the Orange
County Screenwriters group. (Attendence is free, in case any folks
want to wander in to hear me blather.)

Since there are always some folks who seem inordinately interested in
my tech...I gave the boot to my latest Dell desktop system (though
their Adamo laptop is okay, the last two desktops I purchased from
them sucked hugely), and have replaced it with a fully-tricked-out
Raptor from Velocity Micro. It's one of those systems that, when you
first plug it in, causes the house to levitate three inches above the
ground....

jms