From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Subject: Big Bang URGENT from jms
To: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Date: 8/14/1995 9:37:00 AM
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Message 1 in thread
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If I have seemed a bit easily annoyed lately, there is a reason for
it. Addressing that reason will require some assistance from some of you
reading this.
After, and during the Big Bang incident, word began to filter back to
me that Tom Christofferson was engaging in a smear campaign against many
of those involved in B5. This includes me, Claudia, Michael O'Hare and
others. This on top of never paying the balance of Michael's fee, not
paying Mark Hamill, not paying (I'm told) the photographers, or security,
or travel agents....
So I have been biding my time, waiting and collecting reports as they
have come back to me. Several have confirmed Tom's comments, in an attempt
to discredit my comments about BB, that I had been "thrown out of the
Writers Guild," plus other aspersions on my career. Other comments about
Claudia's personal life have been logged.
Over the last few days, some more aspects of this have come to light
that have pushed this entire situation over the edge, to the point where
we are now going to have to take serious action, because people are being
hurt.
Here is a brief quote from a letter that arrived by mail from
someone reliable, and involved with the Visions convention. Two quick
prefaces: 1) Michael O'Hare had been contacted by Visions about doing a
convention for them; that discussion suddenly and mysteriously stopped a
little while ago, and 2) For those who were there, and know, at the Chicago
Comic Con, when Michael O'Hare was stiffed for $5,000 by Tom Christofferson
and Big Bang, I conducted the one and only fundraiser I've ever done, to
make up the difference, and show what fandom was *really* about. It was a
shining moment for all involved.
Now the quotes. (The source has asked for public anonymity for the
time being, even though we in-house know who this person is.)
"One of the things that REALLY disturbed me is the following
malicious rumor. Supposedly, the "real" reason JMS had to hold the
script auction at Chicago Comic Con was 9$?Bnot because Michael O'Hare
wasn't paid by CMC, but because "he has a bad cocaine habit" and therefore
"never has any money." Apparently JMS supports this particular abuse
by raising money to help him out. Normally, I'd ignore this sort of
thing, but people on the Visions convention staff believe it enough to
not want MOH coming to the convention this year."
Enough is enough. This is flatly and totally untrue, and is put out
only to try and disguise the truth, that CMC did not pay Michael th
balance of his fee. There has to be some excuse cooked up, and this is it,
one whose side effect could be to help destroy someone's career, and ruin
convention appearances.
Those involved in this slander -- and that is *exactly* what it is,
not to mention several other charges -- have had enough rope, and now we
intend to reel it in.
Over the next several days, I will be contacting legal counsel in
Illinois, including the DA's office, and coordinating with others who
have been harmed in this way to bring serious charges against those
involved. I think a $50 million lawsuit would be a good place to start.
We will also investigate the question of possible criminal charges to be
filed. We will seek to include Hamill's bad checks, and O'Hare's
situation, and others who have not been paid as well, to broaden out the
charges.
That to save face for their actions, certain individuals would be
willing to destroy someone's career, to spread false and malicious
rumors, against me, and Michael, and Claudia, and others, is something
that should rightfully inflame every person reading this.
Those behind this are *not* nice people. And they have had a
tendency to run their mouths. (Those at Visions who may have been
involved in spreading this malicious slander should also consider
themselves put on notice, and I suggest that they be forthcoming in this
matter to us to avoid legal entanglements.)
I know that many folks here have had conversations with Tom C.
in which he has laid out some of his lines. Some have felt, in their
messages to me, unsure about repeating what he said because it's like
snitching. It's not. What we are looking at are harmful lies that will
hurt people, have already hurt Michael, and have the potential to do so
in future. This must be addressed, severely, and firmly, and within the
parameters of a court of law.
If you have been privy to these or other baseless allegations, and
wish to help Michael and myself and others involved in Babylon 5 by
fighting this, please send me a private note containing your best
recollection of what you were told, and when, and if you are wiling to
restate this under oath. The more people we have who confirm some of the
hateful things being represented, the more surely this can be
prosecuted.
Michael O'Hare has been harmed enough by the loss, by the lies, by
the failure to meet a promised payment by CMC; Mark Hamill is out well
over $20,000 from various areas, others have been hurt; to have certain
individuals out there alleging drug abuse when none exists, trying to
destroy someone's career on top of everything else to cover their own
incompetence and deception, cannot and must not be tolerated.
Once again, I extend a request for help to everyone out there who
has had contact with Visions and CMC and Tom Christofferson, on behalf
of the fans, and B5 personnel, who have been harmed. If you can help us
to close this down, please do so.
jms |
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From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Subject: Re: Big Bang URGENT from jms
To: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Date: 8/17/1995 8:02:00 PM
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Message 2 in thread
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Mike: the other thing that's so annoying in the note you critiqued,
the "wealthy actors" bit, is that in syndication in particular, ain't
NObody getting wealthy. Right across the board, the rates for actors,
writers and producers are roughly HALF what they are at the network
level. Whereas a network hour script gets about $25,000 or more, the
going rate for syndication is $14,000. Actors also have a very different
scale for syndication vs. network. (This is one of the inequities that
I think needs to be addressed in light of the growth of syndication; the
rates were originally given to help syndication get a leg up; well, it's
GOT its leg up...also the other leg, both arms and a head.)
(Which is why I also find it amusing when someone snipes at me for
the money I'm making on B5...I was making more as a lowly co-producer on
MURDER, SHE WROTE than I'm making NOW as Executive Producer of B5 on a
per-episode salary basis. But I left M,SW *anyway* to do this because,
frankly, it's more important to me than just about anything.)
We make this show for UNDER $1 million per episode, as compared to
DS9, which goes for $1.4 to $1.6 million per episode. And we put it all
on-screen. So believe me, ain't NObody getting rich off this show.
jms
(Which is a long way of saying...I agree with you, you're right.) |
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From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Subject: Re: Big Bang URGENT from jms
To: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Date: 8/17/1995 8:06:00 PM
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Message 3 in thread
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Laura: suffice to say I've had a very good conversation with the
Visions people, who seem to basically be good folks who got stuck in a
bad situation, and we're having some very positive, constructive
discussions, they're being quite forthright and helpful.
jms |
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