We are the Extratextuals.
Welcome. As we launch this blog, it’s perhaps important thatwe explain what it is, what we hope it would be, and hence what you can expectfrom us.
This is a blog about the media. However, with other blogs ontelevision, film, and the media in general, we wanted to carve out a specificniche. So our blog will focus primarily on the extratextuals that surround themedia. By this, we mean everything but the show itself: previews,merchandising, industry buzz, branding, interviews, posters, spatial context, temporalcontext, related websites, ARGs, spinoffs, spoilers, schedules, bonusmaterials, transmedia extras, games, YouTube clips, etc. But we’re interestedin these things not to be arcane or eccentric; rather, we believe that theextratextuals often make the show whatit is. Hence this blog is about the mediation of media.
At times we’ll cheat and talk about programs, films,computer games, comics, books, etc. themselves. But this isn’t a game ofScrabble or Risk, so cheating’s allowed.
It is also a group blog. “We” are Ivan Askwith, JonathanGray, and Derek Johnson. To study the extratextuals as important is to decenterthe show itself as the necessary object of discussion, and by writing as agroup, we hope to decenter any one of us as being the show itself. We’llcertainly disagree with each other, and engage in discussion, and hope you getinvolved too.
At times we’ll wax academic, at times we’ll justenthusiastically post about things we’ve seen and recommend, and at times we’llpost off the cuff. We invite you to do the same in responding.
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