J Michael Straczynski: The Julius Schwartz Lecture
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- Опубликовано: 30 ноя 2024
- The second annual Julius Schwartz Lecture brings J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of the cult science fiction hit Babylon 5. The Julius Schwartz Lecture is an annual event held to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to the culture, creativity and community of comics and popular entertainment.
The lecture is hosted by the Comparative Media Studies program at MIT and was founded to honor the memory of longtime DC Comics editor Julius “Julie” Schwartz, whose contributions to our culture include co-founding the first science fiction fanzine in 1932, the first science fiction literary agency in 1934, and the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939. Schwartz went on to launch a career in comics that would last for well over 42 years, during which time he helped launch the Silver Age of Comics, introduced the idea of parallel universes, and had a hand in the reinvention of such characters as Batman, Superman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Atom.
The event is typically structured as a short lecture presented by the honored speaker, followed by a question-and-answer discussion between the speaker and the head of the Comparative Media Studies program, media scholar Henry Jenkins III. This will be followed by an open question-and-answer session between the lecturer and the audience. The inaugural speaker for the series was New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.
Such a genuine humble and kind human being. Been reading his autobiography and I truly think this should be a mandatory read for anyone who believes that their choices don't matter, that they have no power and themselves don't matter.
Read it, re-read it... Still schocking. But now you can see where a lot of jms ideas come from. That book has a very special place on my extensive bookshelf.
Just bought it on the basis of this talk and your comment! Thanks for the tip.
Are you referring to J. Michael Straczynski's autobiography or Julius Scwartz's?
JMS really touched home with me when he mentioned that writing was something he had to do, mainly out of utter enjoyment. I can relate with that statement, JMS -- and then some!
I also love the way he thinks. He puts himself in the shoes of another when he writes, picking up small, barely perceptible nuances in personalities and social situations and brings them to the forefront of our thoughts, which is why the characters on his pages breathe. He's smart enough to understand that if he thinks things are a certain way with life, others probably do as well, so why not expound on such ideas and situations.
Another thing I really love about his writing is that he tries to teach us about what really matters, although he does this vicariously through his characters. What a great way the learn such things, folks. Actually, humanity has been using stories to teach for a very, very long time, and he knows this without pause or any form of mental delay -- it's instinctive.
His best lines in writing (to me) were in Babylon 5, when Delin said, "We're star stuff. We are the universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out." Totally brilliant. May your pen never, ever run out of ink, JMS!
I came across this video while watching Babylon 5 clips which I absolutely love. Many of the things JMS said resonated with me, and I would affirm as well. I spent 30 years putting together and writing a 7 book saga which I waited for all the novels to be completed before publishing any of them. It was never really work to me or felt hard because I had fun writing it and mostly was doing it for myself only as a hobby. And even though, especially early on, I thought I might never finish the series, I did mostly because I didn't really care what people would think of it or like it (or in other words, not afraid to fail as JMS said). All I knew is that I was having fun writing it, and I enjoyed it.
As to the steal vs borrow analogy mentioned, since we all indeed do stand on the shoulders of giants, I believe one way to make a distinction is similar to what JMS said by having humility and giving reference credit as an homage to other creators. Which, it made me a bit sad that JMS downplayed Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, as I did name one of my characters Jayce in homage of that series.
I also immensely appreciated the references to making a long-planned out series like Babylon 5 which enables lots of back and forth references and foreshadowing, which is absolutely one of my favorite things to do in stories. And this is exactly why I waited until all 7 novels were done before publishing them in one day together. I get this is a luxury most people and situations can't afford, but since it was never my "actual" job nor was I ever doing it for money, fame, or even acknowledgement, I did it for myself and very glad I did.
"So" ($1), in summary, I would say to anyone that has a story in their head that you, personally, really like, regardless of whether other people will like or not like it, I say do it. At least you will be happy you did when you finished even if no one else is.
Straczynski was nearing legend status when I first heard of him many years ago. He is one fellow I would go waaaaay out of my way to meet. There aren't many others.
He is absolutely right. A long time ago I decided to learn another language and the way I approached it was by trying to use it all the time, well it worked and I can get around in another language. Nothing ventured nothing gained. now I want to right a book, and im going to try to do it. who knows, all I can do is fail, nothing worse.
@MIT - Thanks for sharing that great talk with us.
Michael Straczynski kicks ass at informal speeches. This interview should be spread as much as possible. It's marvel.
That man and woman who ramble towards the end are simply insane.
If you haven't read his memoir Becoming Superman, I highly recommend it. Fair warning, some of the things he discloses are brutally honest, but it's pure truth and inspiring.
Brilliant. That’s much of what you need to know to find your way around that scary, cruel but also sometimes rewarding thing called life.
I wouldn't exactly call Babylon 5 "cult science fiction". It was very important science fiction that uplifted episodic fantasy/sci-fi TV from the monster/alien of the week to seasons long arcs which emotionally invested viewers with the characters and their fates. Without a Babylon 5 on TV, there would never have been a BSG or GoT on TV.
B5 elevated TV. No doubt about that. Many writers gained the confidence to switch from episodic storytelling to serial because of B5.
On needing to embrace failure, it is in essence: "the master has failed more times than the novice has tried".
2:21:00 to the artist guy, it would be a good idea if he read Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner.
great video should have more views
43:44 I came here for this.
One can still see the pain in the man's face and hear it in the sigh.
2:09:03
About this 'merging' of internet and TV, did he just describe CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) as TV, like that Netflix Black Mirror episode? He's only a year off...
I know that Joe talked about doing a B5 movie about 15 years ago, but many cast members have died and Joe is against recasting, which narrows the stories possible now.
Not neccesarrily. The story can take place between the end of the Shadow War and the destruction of Babylon 5, with an entirely new cast. Of course, all those departed for the rim are sorely missed and I make it a point to watch their obituaries at least once a year.
A road trip movie with Zathras, Zathras, Zathras, Zathras and Zathras would be epic. It would be worth the price of admission just to hear Zathras say Winnebego.
"You have to be honest." -- JMS. I wish that this one truth could be understood by everyone, beyond just writers. We may disagree with another person, but try to give them the benefit of the doubt and presume that their intentions are decent. That is the basis of civil society. For if we do not then that civil society may well devolve into civil war.
JMS comes on at 2:48 for those who'd like to skip the other dude
I thought J. Michael was a good Speaker
When JMS was talking about collaring that thief at the convention, I was so sure he was going to say something about his motivation for doing it was to save his uncle Ben.
Good video...but I noticed people cared more about his comics than anything else. The man does more than comics.
May the Schwartz be with you.
No one reminded him of the Superman story! What the heck people?
I enjoyed the first ninety minutes - after that... sheesh.
JMS is bullying that little chap, not cool.
You mean at 2.00.00? I think he's got as good as he gave. I love jms, but he is still human, we nerds love to laugh at each other's expense.
I guess no one told JMS that Mark Twain isn't that popular any longer because "racism".
He's still popular. Bans aside.
By today's standard everyone from the 19th century is racist, so people like JMS study them for what they bring to the table, and more than likely look at them in context of when they were created.
He writes good Science fiction but is not good at public speaking
Don't ever attend a Science Fiction Convention. Most people don't write the way they speak.
heh Babylon 5 is already mostly forgotten.
Mac Smith Not so. I just finished watching Babylon 5 again after 20 years.
No, u r forgotten lolzlz
Babylon 5 is now on HBO Max. Not forgotten. Remembered fondly. Still relevant today. Maybe even more so.
It gets so frustrating when you're in a chat group geeking out to Bab 5 and there's one little white knight chiming in to defend the fact that someone else in the group is just watching things for the first time and to not drop spoilers. It's been out forever and I'm glad it's appeal is constantly on the rise, but c'mon; we're here to talk about B5, I get that spoilers are ruinous but go watch it and come back to us. Why do they do that, it's so grrrrrrrrr