J. Michael Straczynski

J. Michael Straczynski is a fan, a prolific writer, and a producer. He is the creator of Babylon 5. He has also worked on many other fannish shows such as The Real Ghostbusters "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" - JMS and "Ghostbusters" (6/22/1998) , as well as writing comics, novels, and plays. 
Straczynski is often referred to as JMS, and sometimes "The Great Maker" (the latter a nod to the supreme deity on Babylon 5).
He has been online since 1984"I've been online since 1984, 16 years now, logging in at 300bps on a Kaypro II." - JMS, September 25, 2000, posted to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. Accessed November 22, 2009. and is known for being extremely accessible to fans online. JMS made many posts about upcoming or ongoing projects and answered fans' questions. Fans often used the phrase ATTN: JMS in the subject lines in hopes of getting his attention. 
Many fans enjoyed the close company, the ability to communicate with JMS (with the hope that their comments could sway characterization and plot in future episodes), and the feeling of being cozy with the source of their admiration. 
But other fans disliked it, saying that JMS' presence hindered honest opinion, stifled their creativity and communication, and was an intrusion on their private spaces. JMS' own personality and comments created both positive and negative feelings about the man himself, and this trickled down to opinions about the show and its fandom. 
JMS' very frequent presence on USEnet also meant that not only were discussions of fanfic prohibited, but fans' discussion of "scenes they'd like to see on the show" was not allowed. 
Acafan Henry Jenkins commented in 1998: 
==Ban on Fanworks While the Show Was on the Air==
JMS asked fans not to create fanworks for Babylon 5 while the show was on the air.
Some fans obeyed (and policed each other) and were scrupulous about keeping fanfic out of JMS's view.
Other fans formed an active but almost totally underground fanfic community while the show was airing. 
See Babylon 5 Fandom and The Powers That Be for much more.
==JMS: The Fan==
J. Michael Straczynski planned to be at MediaWest*Con in 1992, just over a year before Babylon 5 aired as a test movie in 1993. According to the program book, Straczynski was to have been one of the five fans on two panels: "Computers: reach out and touch a fan - bulletin board systems" and the Ghostbusters panel. It is unknown if Straczynski attending this con. A fan in 1994 wrote: 
Regarding his place as a showrunner and fan, Straczynski wrote in 1996: 
=="Why Am I Here?"== 
In June 1995, JMS explained why he was online communicating with fans. See Why are you here?.
An excerpt from this lengthy explanation, and rant:
==Fan Comments: JMS's Online Interaction==
===1995===
 
 
===1996===
==Online Archives==
During the 1990s, The Zocalo email newsletter had a section called "JMS Speaks" which reprinted various posts JMS made to Babylon 5 newsgroups, and it is an archive of every post JMS has ever made since November 1991 (earlier posts appear to be lost) is at JMS News. 
See The Worlds of JMS and another link: .
==Meta/Further Reading==
* ATTN: JMS (glossary term)
* Okay...I'm about to lose my temper,... by JMS (July 14, 1994)
* DO NOT POST STORY IDEAS! (August 25, 1994) 
* Rangers Unite! (was Re: Clearing the air.) (1995)
* JMS:Do you enjoy talking to us by JMS (February 14, 1995)
* Ok, a status report on what's going on (1995)
* Yo Theron by JMS and others (Mar 12, 1995)
* Ellison TREK Book! (from jms) by JMS and others (Aug 9, 1995)
* Abuse of this newsgroup by JMS by JMS and others (Aug 14, 1995)
* jms resigns rastb5 by JMS (November 27, 1995)
* from jms: benedictions by JMS (December 1, 1995)
* A message from JMS by Jay Denebeim and others (Mar 27, 1996)
* How does JMS feel about fan fiction? (1996)
* How did JMS come to be here in the first place (1998)
* An Auteur in the Age of the Internet: JMS, Babylon 5, and the Net by Alan Wexelblat (2002)
* The Babylon 5 Quotient by J. Michael Straczynski, a post on CompuServ in which he describes the show, and essentially accuses Warner Bros. and other PTB of ripping off his ideas to use in Deep Space Nine (January 2002)
* Icon maybe appropriate: fanfic and creator's wishes; archive page 1, archive page 2, archive page 3, archive page 4, survey and four pages of comments regarding opinion about pro-canon creators' and fanworks opinions about: Robin Hobb, Anne Rice, J. Michael Straczynski, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey, J.K. Rowling, and others (2007)
* The Great War of Rastb5: How a cabal of trolls in the Babylon 5 newsgroup led the show’s creator to flouncing from the newsgroup, ultimately causing the most responded to RFD in Usenet history and the creation of a 2nd Babylon 5 newsgroup by 3eyedgiraffe (2021)
== Resources ==
 
* Fans of J. Michael Straczynski, JMS's official Facebook page, where he interacts with fans.
* JMS on Twitter
* JMS News, an archive of posts by JMS to various online forums (GEnie, Usenet, etc.) - to date, it's archived nearly 18,000 messages. The site also includes active forums, a contest, links to other JMS-related pages, and an info page on JMS.
* Worlds of JMS, a fan site dedicated to the works of JMS
== References ==
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