Introduction: The Law of Seriality

The law of seriality is there are no laws.

Fig. 0.1. Collage of Star Wars promotional posters with Bea Arthur from Star Wars Holiday Special

Fig. 0.2. Star Wars Little Golden Book library

Figure 0.3. Astro Boy

Fig. 0.3. Astro Boy

Figure 0.4. Transmedia Homer

Fig. 0.4. The transmedia Homer. Clockwise from top left: a.) Athenian red-figure wine cup found in Capua, Italy, ca. 480 BCE. Helen behind Menelaos as he draws his sword against Paris as Homer describes. Deviating from the source material, Artemis—with her emblem the bow—not Aphrodite behind Paris., b.) Attic black- figure hydria, ca. 550 BCE. Thetis hands her son Achilles a wreath of victory. Behind her, a Nereid labeled Lomaia attends and Odysseus keeps guard. Neither Lomaia or Odysseus are described by Homer., c.) Athenian black-figure wine cup, ca. 550 BCE. Photograph © 2014 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Odysseus’s men are transformed into various animals by Kirkê. InThe Odyssey, all of the men are turned into swine., d.) Campanian red-figure bell-krater, ca. 330 BCE. Odysseus and Telemachus slaughter Penelope’s suitors.

Figure 0.5. Pamela

Fig. 0.5. The transmedia Pamela. (Left) Engraving of a fabricated scene by John Carwithham from The Life of Pamela, 1741; (Right) Drawing by Hubert Gravelot for his engraving of Pamela’s wedding in the octavo edition of Pamela, vol. II, 1742. (both images from Pamela in the Marketplace by Peter Sabor and Tom Keymer).

Figure 0.6. Serial

Fig. 0.6. A bulletin board at Lakes Community High School. Photo from the Wall Street Journal story “Serial Podcast Catches Fire” by Ellen Gamerman from Nov. 13, 2014.

Figure 0.7. Batman memorabilia

Fig. 0.7. Collector Ken Silva with Batman memorabilia. Photo via Guinness Book of World Records

Figure 0.8. Marvel Civil War slipcase

Fig. 0.8. Slip-cover for the 11-volume Civil War Box Set available from Marvel in March 2016.

Figure 0.9. Map of Yoknapatawpha

Fig. 0.9. Map of Jefferson and Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, 1945 drawn by William Faulkner for The Portable Faulkner (1946).

Figure 0.10. Laramie Project cast

Fig. 0.10. (Left) The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later at La Jolla Playhouse

(photo by Craig Schwartz); (Right) NYC performance given by Laramie writers, including Greg Pierotti, standing (photo courtesy of Tectonic Theater Project)

Figure 0.11. Capote Esquire cover

Fig 0.11. Truman Capote on the cover of the May 1976 issue of Esquire.

Figure 0.12. BSG premier

Fig. 0.12. Photo of Big Stone Gap world premier at the 2014 Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia.