Text 540, 237 rader
Skriven 2006-05-25 08:05:00 av Robert E Starr JR (986.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: An Open Plea to Mr St
=================================
* * * This message was from Matthew Sprange to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
            -----------------------------------------------             

@MSGID: <XeOdnVsYNuT-fu3ZRVnygg@bt.com>
@REPLY: <lMWdnTqvNuQl7fHZRVny1Q@bt.com>
Hi guys,

I was a little non-plussed to see this post here.  My original post was 
intended to answer the issues raised on this forum and attempt to 
demonstrate to fans that our motives were a little better than had been 
portrayed (perhaps the post could have had a better title, but I digress). 
However, the post was also emailed directly to Mr Straczynski, along with 
other notes for his eyes.  I find it unfortunate that he chose to reply here 
rather than privately.

The following responses are made because I have a feeling this is the only 
way Mr Straczynski will see them.  I would much prefer to do this on the 
phone or in person.  I hope you all realise that.

>> do so because Mr Straczynski has not answered any of our direct emails 
>> for
>> some time.
>
> No, that is not the case.  This is public because you have been making
> public claims about my involvement, which led fans of B5 to ask me
> about it in a public manner, to which I responded.

You have not answered any of our communications for quite some time - this 
could have been resolved, one way or another, quite some time ago if you 
had.

>> I fully understand that Mr Straczynski may be unaware of the processes
>> involved in the approval process at Warner Brothers for publishers such 
>> as
>> ourselves, particularly after the recent changes in their procedures.
>
> I have been dealing with B5 licensees for ten years.  I think I
> understand the system, which has not changed overmuch.

There have certainly been some changes on the publishing side, with the new 
system that came into operation a year or so ago.  It is also worth pointing 
out that, to my knowledge, there have not been a huge amount of Babylon 5 
licencees over the past few years.  I would have to check, but I have a 
feeling that we are the only new ones.

>> However, everything (and I mean _everything_) we publish or manufacture 
>> for
>> Babylon 5 is approved by Warner Brothers, via their Burbank offices.
>
> Curious, since on contacting some of the folks at WB licensing they
> don't seem to be aware of any recent submissions for approval.

We can go round and round on this, but until you and I can open direct 
communication and I can demonstrate just what has been happening, we are 
going to get nowhere.

However, looking at our correspondence with Warner Brothers, the last thing 
to be approved was less than a month ago - it was the cover for the Ship 
Builder's Manual.  Ten days before that, the Drakh Fact Book.  Before that, 
the GM's Screen, before that the Call to Arms Starter Set, and so on.

I am quite happy to send you a screen capture of all of this.  I am quite 
happy to take great measures to prove to you that I have not been operating 
in a dishonest manner, nor have I been lying.

> In your reply below, you do not address your statement that you had
> outlines by me.  To say that you had scripts, about also which more in
> a moment, and say "well, these are the outlines I was referring" is
> disingenuous at best.  An outline is an outline and a script is a
> script.  Unless one wishes to deliberately confuse the two to create
> the impression of involvement.

That was certainly not my intent - and your insinuation that I deliberately 
muddied the waters during a podcast interview is unneccessary, insulting and 
unfair.  However, I believe this is a prime example of mis-communication 
between us.  We are now arguing about how to use the term outline - can we 
just accept that we are using different language?

>> We have access to three scripts, which we were planning to use as the 
>> basis
>> of the first Crusade novel, and a collection of notes collated mostly 
>> from
>> things you have said yourself.
>
> So you were planning to use my scripts, without so much as informing
> me, and pillage my notes online, which are incidentally my property, as
> the basis for your novels.

I would love to have informed you - however, because we have had no 
communication between us, on account of you simply ignoring us, this was 
exceedingly difficult.

That said, we were given permission to use the scripts as the basis for a 
novel by Warner Brothers.  If this is an error, please let us know 
immediatly.

>> There has, to date, been _no_ direct
>> planning for Crusade beyond this.
>
> Which is not what you said on your website, or in the interview.

Now hang on - I was outlining the problem Crusade poses for someone trying 
to approach the B5 timeline.  What I said was what we _wanted_ to do, and 
what our intentions were.  At the moment, there are _no_ solid plans on our 
part for Crusade beyond the first novel, and at no point have I said there 
were.

> Meaning by adapting my scripts, without telling me.  Are you aware that
> when someone adapts someone else's scripts there generally has to be
> some kind of arrangement made, plus something as cordial as, oh, I
> don't know...telling the person who wrote those scripts that you're
> DOING it?

Now we really are going round in circles - if you take the time to reply 
when we try to talk to you, I will keep you as informed as you like.  If you 
put a wall up, we cannot get through.

>> I believe I am right in saying that the quote was made with regards to
>> Babylon 5 projects as a whole, rather than the novels specifically.
>
> No, actually, you are wrong, because the question was asked of you
> concerning the novels, not the B5 projects as a whole.  You again
> dissembled, just as you are attempting to do here.

Then I'll put it another way - the greater part of B5 projects was the 
question I answered.  If I mis-heard the presenter or mis-spoke thereafter, 
I apologise.

>> I believe we could have resolved all of this a long time ago if there had
>> simply been better communication and understanding on both sides.
>
> Such as, for instance, informing me that you were rummaging through my
> scripts and online posts for your material without telling me...?

Funnily enough, yes.  If we were able to talk to you without getting 
ignored, no doubt this would have come up.  As it was, we had to default to 
Warner Brothers - there was no other choice.

>> I can understand how the situation must seem to you
>
> I rather doubt that.

Actually, I can very easily see it.  The problem, Mr Straczynski, is that, 
in terms of our motives and some of the things we have done, you are wrong. 
Flat wrong.  I acknowledge that there have been some issues arising from 
things we have said, but you have taken this too far.  Let us _talk_ to you, 
and we can still resolve this to everyone's benefit.

Looking back, I dearly wish that, once we first told you about novels, you 
had simply said 'talk to my agent'.  It may have saved a great deal of this.

> My involvement with the so-called B5 novels from Mongoose has been
> mis-stated and misrepresented, and the conduct of pillaging my scripts
> and posts without my knowledge or permission is dubious at best,
> dishonorable at worst.

For the former, I apologise for making you feel that way but it was never 
our intention, and if you look at what I have actually said in a light that 
does not presume we are scum of the earth, I hope you will see that.

As for the scripts, we need to talk about that now because Warner Brothers 
has currently given us permission.

> Second, and most important of all...this is about what drove the
> creation of Babylon 5 in the first place: an attempt to ensure a
> certain quality of storytelling within the framework of a consistent
> universe.  The first Dell books were not what they should have been

This is what we do, as a company - we create consistent frameworks of 
different universes.  How we do as a company rests on this above all else, 
and we have proved the point to several licensors since we started.  We are 
good at what we do.

> You have also stated that these books are "100% canon."  No, they are
> not.  Because for something to be canon means not that they have been

Now, here I can shed some light.  We started talking to Warner Brothers 
about the use of the word canon earlier this year.  Their first answer was 
that everything we were producing could be called canon and we were free to 
say so - this came straight from their legal team.  Hence my comments.

Last week, I received another call from Warner Brothers.  This time they 
said that they were hesitant about the legal language of the word canon, and 
that we were now instead to use the word official.

So, that is what is happening - however, I do not believe this is something 
we can actually be blamed for. . .

Certainly, I could have jumped on this forum the moment I got the phone 
call.  But I was hoping to talk to you first, Mr Straczynski.

> researched, but that the events described therein will be referenced
> elsewhere, that they will be viewed as "having happened" in the B5
> universe...as the Del Rey novels, and my own short B5 stories, are
> canon.  Things referenced in those stories can show up in any future B5
> films or TV projects because they *happened* in our story, in this
> universe.

It is worth pointing out here that we strive to make all our works 
internally consistent with one another, and take great pride in doing so.

> The events in the Mongoose books do not fit this criteria.  They are
> licensed B5 fan fiction, nothing more, nothing less.  And lots of folks
> like that stuff, and that's all to the good.

Fan fiction is written by amateurs.  We use professional writers.

> And I have no desire to become involved with these novels, and will not
> endorse them.  It ain't the money, it ain't the Deal...I am for rent,
> but I am not for sale, because I have an obligation to the viewers of
> this show to be consistent and to always work for the utmost quality in
> our storytelling within the framework of a consistent universe.

If you allow us, we can demonstrate that we can meet all those requirements 
and, indeed, that we are nice guys to work with.  There is no ego at 
Mongoose, nor are there any hidden agendas.  We are as upfront as we can be.

Finally;

>> From our perspective, there is nothing we would like
>> better than to be on speaking terms with Mr Straczynski, whose work we 
>> have
>> the deepest admiration for and, indeed, we have been immersed within for 
>> the
>> past four years.
>
>Funny way of showing it.

Then don't listen to what I say.  Look at what we have done with Babylon 5 
over the past three years.

Matthew Sprange
Mongoose Publishing
                                  
--- SBBSecho 2.11-Win32
 * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)