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The navigational buttons above will take you to the various pages at The Zocalo Today! Please feel free to wander about. There's a lot to see.
UPDATES: I know it may be hard to find the things that have been added to the page each day, so
I'm going to try a couple of different methods. I'll use this color for all updates; information will revert to the
color of the rest of the page. Only updates will be in this color. Hopefully this will help you identify NEW items.
Please, get comfortable! Take your shoes off and stay a while.
Again, WELCOME!
A truly SAD day has arrived. The very last issue of the Official Babylon 5 magazine has hit the streets in
the UK. Yes, Issue #24 is out. I received my copy last night. My hat is off to Nick Landau, Brian Robb,
John Freeman, and others like Lou Anders who brought us this wonderful publication. It has been THE ABSOLUTE
BEST!
The transcript for the chat should be up at the TNT site soon.
Marjean Holden, the beautiful Dr. Sarah Chambers from Crusade, will be coming in for a chat -- from
Australia -- on June 17 6pm EDT/June 18 8am Australia time. We're hoping the early time will give more
fans a chance to chat with Marjean. We will be using Yahoo again. Just go to www.yahoo.com, select
chat and pick the chat from the Events Calendar.
Damian London, the absolutely unforgettable Regent of Centauri Prime, will be doing his first on-line chat with us
on June 21 at 9pm ET. Damian has been an actor for many years, working with legends like Gene Kelly, John Ford,
Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Julie Andrews. His list of films is most impressive, including Airport and Star!
To learn more about Damian, check out his website at Damian
London Site. To join the chat, log onto Yahoo at http://chat.yahoo.com and select the chat from the Events
Calendar.
Date/Time: Wednesday, June 21, at 10:15PM ET The riveting and fascinatingly complex Babylon 5 is coming to the SCI FI Channel September 25, and series creator and executive producer J. Michael Straczynski will be online to field all questions about this Byzantine-plotted and peopled series.
Babylon 5 may be his most famous creation, but Straczynski will also be chatting about Crusade, his current projects, and anything else that tickles his fancy. If you've been waiting for your opportunity to pick the brain of the great JMS, then this is one chat you absolutely must not miss.
Connect your IRC software client to events.scifi.com and join channel #auditorium to participate. Chatters with a java-capable browser may use our java chat client. WebTV users can follow this link.
Bonnie Hammer, Executive VP and General Manager of the Sci-Fi Channel, will hold a chat on June 22 at 9pm ET at the SFC site (www.scifi.com). Connect your IRC software client to events.scifi.com and join channel #auditorium to participate. Chatters with a java-capable browser may use the SFC java chat client to participate.
Even if you are not collecting the entire set, I hope you'll add your name to the petition, since I it would be wonderful to have the whole set available -- just in case you want the very one that is NOT in the collection, so far. Can you imagine NOT having a copy of SLEEPING IN LIGHT!!!!
To add your name to the petition, drop me your name and city/state to sgbruckner@aol.com. The petition can be found at Video Petition.
An old friend, John Freeman, yes, the guy who was the Editor of the Official B5 Magazine, has put together a
great new site called Virtual Zones. It is one of the first avatar-based websites around and it has a host of
services available. With his vast experience in science fiction, John is bringing together some wonderful people
to chat -- Yvonna Navarro was in last night to talk about her new novel, "That's Not My Name". Fiona Avery and
J. Michael Straczynski will also be along to chat down the road. The URL is
www.vzscifi.co.uk. It is a membership based system, so if you join, it will cost you a little money. But
there are a LOT of things incorporated in the site. Wander over and check it out.
For those who have wanted to see some new stuff from me....
I'm pleased to announce that I've signed a contract to have some of my prose work appear online at www.bookface.com, a brand new and exciting site which will make a wide range of well-known authors and best-sellers available for reading online *without charge* to readers.
These include the following items, which will be rolled out in roughly this order over the coming days and weeks....
My brand new non-B5 short story, COLD TYPE, and in a little while, a reprint of my novelette WE KILLED THEM IN THE RATINGS, which originally appeared in a major mystery anthology. COLD TYPE is a contemporary dark fantasy story in the TWILIGHT ZONE mold.
Of special interest to B5 and Crusade fans...my two unproduced CRUSADE scripts that were written specifically to crank up the overall story arc: "To the Ends of the Earth," which was to be that season's arc jumper a la "The Coming of Shadows," and the *season finale* "End of the Line." These episodes were written but never filmed. For those who want to know what was planned for the rest of the season and where it was going...this is it.
AND...biggest of all....
In a few weeks, as a thank-you to all the B5 fans who've stayed with us over the years, instead of taking my new novel to auction, through Bookface I'm making it available *free* for online reading. TRIBULATIONS will be serialized on the Bookface site over a period of about a month.
So head on over...I think you'll like what you see.
There is a special mailing list to keep individuals abreast of Jerry's activities. It carries information regarding press releases upcoming personal appearances. To subscribe to Jerry's mailing list, simply send an e-mail message to doyleforcongress-subscribe@egroups.com. That is all that is necessary. If you have trouble subscribing to the group, drop a note to sgbruckner@aol.com and you can be added directly to the listing.
On sale now:
Rising Stars #0
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (P) Keu Cha (I) Jason Gorder (C) Liquid!
Find out how it all began. Top Cow is pleased to re-present the first introductory story of Rising Stars here in the acclaimed Rising Stars #0 . What if a world without heroes suddenly had 113 of them? How would the rest of humanity react? More importantly, how would those 113 souls now fit in to normal life? Written and created by acclaimed television writer J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Crusade) and drawn by the highly talented Keu Cha (Darkness/Witchblade), this special issue establishes the compelling world of Rising Stars!
Retailer Note: This special Rising Stars #0 issue will ship with an all new cover by artist Keu Cha.
FC 32 pages $2.50
On the newsstands this week:
The conclusion of the "Things Fall Apart" three-part story sets the stage for all out warfare between
various factions of the Specials, as the world looks on with horror at what they have created. Be a part
of history as the first major story arc of Rising Stars concludes here!
FC 32 pages $2.50
** If you are having a problem finding copies, let me know at sgbruckner@aol.com
Rising Stars #8
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (P) Christian Zanier (I) Livesay (C) Nelson
Available in two different editions:
Rising Stars #1/2 Signed (Christian Zanier)
Rising Stars #1/2 (unsigned)
Description: This item is not in stock yet, it is expected to arrive in July, but you can order this item now and we'll ship it as soon as it comes in.
A rising fan base is pushing Rising Stars up the top-seller chart. Now a new story revealing more information on the colorful characters of the series is on it’s way in Rising Stars 1/2! Written by series creator and writer J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by series penciler Christian Zanier, this all-new issue is solidly entrenched in the regular storyline and sheds new light on Rising Stars’ many mysteries. And as if being a new addition to this hot series weren’t enough, we’re also offering a signed version bearing the signature of Christian Zanier. This is one issue no collector of the series will want to miss!
RISING STARS #1 B&W EDITION
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (P) Keu Cha (I) Jason Gorder
Top Cow is pleased to present the next edition of the Black and White series. Revisit this epic tale written by J. Michael Straczynski that begins when a celestial event occurs in a small town that will change the inhabitants' lives forever. With beautifully rendered artwork by Keu Cha (Witchblade) and Jason Gorder.
FC 32 pages $2.50
RISING STARS #9
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (P) Christian Zanier (I) Livesay (C)Brett Evans
With cover by guest artist Gary Frank (Kin), the one year anniversary of this wildly popular comic book begins the second act of the Rising Stars story (issues 9-16). This story arc jumps ahead in time to see the effects of full-scale conflict between many of the Rising Stars. In the first act of this series, the world shaped our characters...now, our characters begin to shape the world, and the world may not be very happy about those changes.
FC 32 pages
TOP COW BOOKS SHIPPING IN AUGUST 2000
RISING STARS PRELUDE
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (P) Keu Cha
Available for the first time inked and in full color, revisit this first glimpse story of the hottest new book of 1999, RISING STARS, created and written by J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of BABYLON 5 and CRUSADE. Predating issue 1 this story features Pyre and includes a brand new cover.
FC 32 pages $2.50
RISING STARS #10
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (P) Christian Zanier (I) Livesay (C)Brett Evans
This story takes place years after the first eight issues. Many of the Specials are running rampant now, taking revenge or setting up their own little empires, while a few still try to stop them. All the normal people were afraid of what the specials might one day become. That day has arrived.
FC 32 pages $2.95
TOP COW BOOKS SHIPPING IN SEPTEMBER 2000
RISING STARS #11
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (P) Christian Zanier (I) Livesay (C ) Brett Evans
As the saga of Rising Stars continues, the Specials are seriously raging out of control. Whatever ties they once had are being unraveled. Sides have been chosen and in their minds, this battle will not end with survivors. The safety of Earth is being jeopardized with every minute that passes.
FC 32 pages $2.50
"It's a contemporary story that doesn't really fit most categories...maybe magic realism comes closest, dark fantasy maybe...it sets some of the tropes of the dark fantasy genre against a modern setting, with a police officer on a quest to recover something taken from him, a search which shows him a side of the country usually not seen, the hidden doors and secret places only glimpsed out of the corner of the eye...."
I'm giving two or three presentations plus showing the bloopers. Those are always very enjoyable. My behind-the-scenes presentation is starting to look like some old home movies! Should be fun!
If you would like to share your work with us at The Zocalo Today, please send along a digital photo of your work and I'll begin putting the gallery together. If you do not have your work in digital format, drop me a note and we'll see what we can work out.
If you want me to pick up a copy for you, let me know now!
Claudia Christian will be doing a special signing at JumpGate, a science fiction store in Portsmouth, NH July 6-7. The signing benefits victims of domestic violence. For more information, visit Jumpgate's website at www.jumpgatelink.com. Hector Diaz is the owner and a great guy.
Bruce Boxleitner's episode of "Outer Limits" will air on June 30.
Hi Sandy,
On Thursday June 1st, CITY-TV aired "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" and I saw Reiner Schoene (Dukhat) playing one of the Elder Gods as well as Marjean Holden playing Shiva.
When TBS aired "Austin Powers: Man of Mystery", Patricia Tallman was sucker punched by Austin who said that her character was actually a man and when they cut back to the character's face, it was no longer Pat but a man wearing a wig and makeup.
Finally, the Friday June 9th edition of USA Today has an article on "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins". This direct-to-video release is done in normal cartoon style and will be on sale on August 8th. This prequel is timed to lead into the Fall 2000 television season where "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" will air in ABC's Saturday Morning lineup, as well as on UPN and in syndication. Steven Furst will provide the voice of Booster, a character that appears to be bigger than the early version of Vir Cotto, the later version of Vir Cotto, Londo and G'Kar put together. In the direct-to-video version Tim Allen once again provides the voive of Buzz Lightyear but when the series begins this Fall, Buzz will be voiced by Patrick Warburton who played Elaine's beau on "Seinfeld". The other two crime-fighting rookies with Buzz and Booster are the curvaceous Mira Nova, voiced by "MAD TV"'s Nicole Sullivan and the bespactacled XR, voiced by Larry Miller.
Take care, Charles
Here's a recent not from JMS on the subject:
As an aside to folks in general...mail to the cast should these days be sent via their respective fan clubs. As folks have scattered to the four winds, it's become increasingly difficult for the B5 fan club to track people down and get mail to them, and there are often long delays. And we don't really have the staff to handle a lot of this stuff.
JMS' mail can be sent to:
14431 Ventura Boulevard, PMB 260
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
The Fan Club has most of the back issues of the magazine over at
www.thestation.com in The Emporium. Issues #22 and #23 have been added to the listing of available issues. They also have the much sought
after Issue #1, Volume #1. So be sure to check out ISN and see what magazines you still need to complete your set.
There are a couple of regular chats that you might want to take advantage. One is over at About.com. Mike Helba has organized a weekly chat on Wednesdays at 10pm EST. http://babylon5.about.com/entertainment/babylon5/mpchat.htm.
On the first Sunday of the month, there is a chat at Groucho's Babylon 5 Calvalcade beginning at 5:30pm ET. Groucho's is a good place to drop over and chat anytime.
The Official Babylon 5 Magazine is indexed here as well. With the closure of the magazine in May, you'll want to see which magazines you have -- and which ones you will want to collect. The index may help you make a decision on which ones to choose. The Fan Club has many of the issues at thestation.com , making it very easy to complete your collection.
If you have magazines that have featured Babylon 5 or Crusade that are not listed, send along their issue number and a note to indicate what the article was about. It would be nice to have a fairly comprehensive listing of Babylon 5 publications here.
OFFICIAL BABYLON 5 MAGAZINE - Issue #23 . Claudia Christian talks about her current projects and her
life as Susan Ivanova. Fiona Avery has an original short story entitled "True Seeker" and Joe Nazzaro continues
his "Making of Babylon 5" -- looking at season four! Endgame is the episode included in this month's Station Log
and Lou Anders finishes up the JPL Connection. Don't forget the wonderful Babylon 5 Chronology. There are another
15 pages in this issue!
There have been a number of TV doctors - Stephen Franklin, Sarah Chambers, Leonard McCoy, Marcus Welby, Dr. Kildare, etc. What do you think is the main purpose of having a doctor on the ship? Are they there solely to treat the wounded and care for the sick?
Send in your responses to either TheZocalo@aol.com or b5web@aol.com.. You can also post your comments on the message board at www.isnnews.net/board. To see what other readers have posted on this and other topics, follow this link to Current Discussion Topic page.
June Birthdays:
Jeffrey Willerth - June 5
Donovan Brown (Optic Nerve) - June 6
Ann Bruice Aling - June 8
Mark Walters - June 10
Susan Norkin (Post) - June 10
June 11 - Adrienne Barbeau (Amanda Carter)
Mike Vejar - June 25
To follow Babylon 5/Crusade history, visit the new
History Page for all significant dates in June! This is an extract from Terry Jones' wonderful
Babylon 5 Chronology.
The Antioch Calendar for 1999 is awesome. Yes, we know that it’s a
1999 calendar, but it carries a serial number – making it a collectible!
The pictures are perfect for framing once you have the autograph in place! You can
use this link for the
Antioch Calendar or go the 'collectibles' portion of the Emporium.
Order any of the four sets of Autoghraphed Magazines and receive the calendar FREE!
Second – Season 5 Cast Poster. The Club made available to members a wonderful poster for season
5.
The poster , signed by the cast members, would make a wonderful remembrance of the show – not to mention a fantastic
collector’s item. It is located in the 'merchandise' portion of the Emporium.
Third –
Season 5 Fan Club Photo &
"Season 4 Fan Club Photo – These marvelous photos created for members of the Club are available for your enjoyment. They are
$4.99 each with the purchase of $10.00 or more. Available in the 'merchandise' portion on the Emporium.
Babylon 5 Bible -- The original Season One Babylon 5 Writer's Bible. This massive tome weighs in at over 60 pages with comprehensive
backgrounds on all characters and story arc; as well as guidelines for writing SF for TV. This document is peppered
with original (color and B&W) illustrations by Peter Ledger. Use this link to place an order
Babylon 5 Writer's Bible.
Babylon 5 Series Treatment -- This beautifully bound original Babylon 5 Series Treatment written in September 1988, was used to sell the series.
It contains different characters than were ever seen in the show. This treatment was ONLY given to Network/Studio
heads. This document is peppered with original color illustrations by Peter Ledger. Use this link to order your
copy from the Emporium
Babylon 5 Series Treatment.
Ordering Information: There are a number of ways to order merchandise from the Club:
Credit card purchases can be made on-line, by mail, or by fax. The Fax number is 1-818-771-1677.
FOR PHONE ORDERS: Here are the numbers to use: 1-888-777-8517 or 1-818-623-1198 . Phone lines are open Monday thru Friday, 10-6pm PST. If no one answers the phone, please leave your credit card information on the voicemail. Val and Tony do process orders based on the time-stamped voicemail messages. Be sure to leave your phone number as well, just in case they have any questions.
You can send a check or money order for merchandise -- made payable to Babylon 5 Fan Club -- to Official Babylon 5 Fan Club, P.O. Box 856, North Hollywood, CA 91603.
** For all orders done by mail, it's best to send in an order form with your check or money order. Use this link to get a copy of the Order Form. There is a new reference list as well, so that you can check to see what merchandise is still available. Ref List.
Another toon from Todd Brugman.I'm moving some cartoons from Todd and Tye over to a new page so that you can enjoy them longer than just a week. Check out the new Toons Page!
Artist John Cook has some interesting toons at ToonZone .
Do you have a punchline for the Cartagia toon? Visit Toon Zone and submit your ideas.
Got toons? Want to share them? Drop me a line at sgbruckner@aol.com and
let's chat!
So far, we have clubs listed from France, Germany and Italy! That's fantastic. Let's hear from others -- even those in the U.S.!!!
Dan Johnson
4200 Highway 29 North #332
Greensboro, NC 27405
If you have a newsletter you'd like to have listed at The Zocalo Today, send the information along.
As a special Expo bonus, Ms Christian and Mr Krimmer will perform the very funny comedy "Hate Mail". (performed Saturday evening at 7:30pm after the convention closes) A portion of the ticket sales will benefit Operation Christmas Child. OCC provides gifts to children who have no toys. In a time where we celebrate collecting toys, its nice to ensure that children around the world will receive their very first present. Advance tickets are $19.95. If any tickets remain, they will be higher at the door. Come see what these guys do best, ACT, and for what Robert Krimmer calls, "a hilarious evening of silliness". Also we will be hosting the Southwest Regional Championship tournament for the Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game on Saturday with players from all over the region coming to play. In addition, we will be having demos of the B5CCG on Sunday for anyone who wants to give it a try but never has.
AGAMEMCON
Going to the convention and have an extra day or so to spend in the area? Jeff Miller (Agamemcon programming & webmaster) is wondering who would like to go out to Disney in a group!!! If you are interested, contact Jeff at shadocat@primenet.com.
Are you attending one of the conventions on the calendar? Or another one perhaps? Do you want to see who else might be there? Drop your e-mail address to TheZocalo@aol.com. We've begun an attendance page so that perhaps we can get together while enjoying the activities of the convention. Convention Attendance .
CONVENTION REPORTS
Robin Atkin Downes sent along a couple of photos from FedCon.
There are some great shots of Jerry Doyle and Jeff Conaway at the Star Trek Grand Slam convention in Pasadena, March 31-April 2 on the Creation Entertainment web site.
New photos of Peter Woodward at the Pittsburgh ComiCon! Thanks Ranger Mac for sending them along.
Ranger Teri has sent along some photos of Claudia at the Vulkon convention in Florida. Pop over to the Photo Gallery and have a look-see.
If you have experiences you'd like to share -- or photos -- send them along. We'd love to see/read them.
UPCOMING EVENTS
AgamemCon IV
June 23-25, 2000; Burbank CA
Place: Hilton Burbank Airport
Guest: Tracy Scoggins, Stephen Furst, Jeff, Conaway, Maggie Egan, Bear Burge, Alan Kobayashi,
Chris Nagle, Lisa Getto, Jerry Doyle, John Copeland, Peter Woodward, Evan Chen, Tim Earls, Michael
Colbert, Scott MacDonald, J. Gregory Keyes, Bill Blair
For more information, visit their web site at:
http://www.agamemcon.org.
People thought a Pen Pal page was a good idea. If you would like to meet people who you could chat with or share your opinions of the show with, send along your e-mail or snail-mail address The Zocalo. It will be incorporated on the new Pen Page Page.
Tuesday 6/13/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - Chrysalis
Wednesday 6/14/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - Points of Departure
Thursday 6/15/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - Revelations
Friday 6/15/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - The Geometry of Shadows
Saturday 6/16/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - A Distant Star
Monday 6/19/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - The Long Dark
Tuesday 6/20/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - Spider in the Web
Wednesday 6/21/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - Soul Mates
Thursday 6/22/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - A Race Through Dark Places
Friday 6/23/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - The Coming of Shadows
Saturday 6/24/00
6:00am TNT Babylon 5 - Gropos
Take care and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
The Zocalo Today
http://zocalo.isnnews.net
Your web site, "The Zocalo Today", has been chosen to receive the BABYLON 5 UK TOP FLIGHT award !
Your coverage of the J. Michael Straczynski universe of Babylon 5 and Crusade is top flight ! Late breaking news,
books, merchandise, cast & crew tid bits and humor, The Zocalo Today seems to be a one stop fan resource.
