So after many, many, many months of searching for a new blog template, I’ve finally found the one I think is going to compliment the webcomic PERFECTLY. Not that there’s anything webcomicky, per se, about the new design, but what I wanted and frankly needed was a design that was:
- Modern and filled with wundyful CSS3 magic
- A template that could act as the face for KILLING THE GRIZZLY comics, which it will also be, showcasing THE DESERT PEACH WEBCOMIC, A WASTE OF TIME Webcomix, the upcoming ARMAGEDDONQUEST Webcomic, and the western gothic manga sensation HOPELESS, alongside the GILLIAN’S HEART Webcomic. So it’s got to be semi-corporate, able to manage a “company” branding as well as be an obvious home base for GILLIAN’S HEART and my own personal ramblings.
- Something I actually like. Dammit.
Especially considering that third requirement, it was a LOT harder to find a new design that I originally thought it’d be. Still, it’s all good now. The new design template has been found, and it should be unleahsed/unveiled shortly before or directly alongside the webcomic when it hits. And because god forbid you’re not interested, I thought I’d share all the runners up for new blog design:
I truly dug the layout on this one, clean and yet there’s a lot going on, plus that header which seems tailor-made to hold real ART (as in comic art) rather than just an abstract design. This one was the closest runner up, and would have likely been one that I attmepted to customize, but the creator and the webiste where you go to download it seem to have both disappeared rather recently. So…that was one decision made for me. Sigh… If it ever comes back, I highly recommend it. Me likey.
This one I adored because, ideally, I wanted to stick with the “Pink” aethetic of the current blog design. It’s rare for a straight masculine (I have a thick Tom Sellick moustache, that’s MANLY, by damn) male to freely spearhead a bright pink site simply because it suits the fact that the webcomic it eventually will be seen to tie in to is a sort-of pink themed comic (it’s actually in b&w, but *shrug* it’s called GILLIAN’S HEART, whad’you gonna do?). So I wanted to keep my pseudo-individuality and keep the blog pink. But alas, Beauty Magazine refused to release a PSD version of the design so I could actually make it look like it belonged to my comic and not beauty products. Le sigh… I probably could have slaved to create custom fucking everything and made it work, but why do that when OTHER sites give away their PSDs? Hmmm? Yeah, it wasn’t happening, I’m a busy man, etc, etc. So BM was BM’d out (if you take my meaning, which I think you do oh yes, oh yes, a horse is a horse oh yes, of course).
ANDROIDA
This one was the very first I was seriously considering. I ADORE the homepage, with its scrolling java appearance. But alas, aside from the nifty homepage, the rest of the blog wasn’t the most navigable, user freindly, designer friendly, or flexible. In short, beneath the clever veneer, there wasn’t much I could really DO with the damn thing. Still head on over HERE to see a functioning sample version. It’s the bees knees in a lot of ways, no matter that I ultimately ditched it.
And that’s that. Pretty nifty themes, but the WINNER is somehting I’m tremendously happy with. Can’t wait to parade it around! Few more months, then webcomic and new blog deisgn glory shall be mine! (and farewell my pink concubine…sniff…unless I can get real clever with the PSD of the winning template…hmmm…*thinks girlish thoughts…tee hee*….)
All re-posted from the KILLING THE GRIZZLY webcomic THE DESERT PEACH, re-presenting the entire classic comic series by Donna Barr!
A little over a year ago I saw THIS BLOG POST on a little unpublished graphic novel titled FAR ARDEN. Actually, “unpublished” is a bit of a misnomer – the artist had shelled out money for an intensely limited 100-copy print run of the book, to hand out to press and possible industry folks to help garner interest in a possible bigger release. By the time I stumbled upon the GN’s existence, Kevin Cannon had already given so many away for free he was then charging for evey copy – no matter what – so he could break even on the printing costs. Honestly, the book looked SO bloody interested I paid $20 just to nab a review copy (and Kevin was kind enough to sign it and put a custom sketch inside, which is arguably worth $20 in and of itself).
I wrote THIS TWO-PART INTER-REVIEW (a review and interview in one! PART ONE. PART TWO.) to help FAR ARDEN get a little notice. Well, yee-haw, it’s been picked up by TOP SHELF. I feel so proud. As with any decently-done visual entertainment, words fail, so here’s a sneak peak:
In his search for the mythic arctic paradise Far Arden, Army Shanks fights off numerous obstacles such as the half polar bear man in this preview of Far Arden by Kevin Cannon. The book will be released by Top Shelf on May 29.
Sylvan Migdal is not a name I’m familiar with, but I stumbled across his killer comic(s) this weekend, and simply must share:
Head on over to SPORK and you’ll find a dropdown menu to navigate to any of Sylvan’s many, many online projects, such as WHERE THE TYPOS OG, RHO
More THE DESERT PEACH #1, this time Pages 8-13 (of 31). Click on the images for larger, readable viewing.
[/caption][caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="The Desert Peach #1, Page 10"]
Reported from PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY:
Revenue at Quebecor World tumbled 25.8% in the first quarter ended March 31, to $752.1 million, and the printer reported a net loss of $125.9 million compared to a loss of $190 million in the first quarter of 2008. The company attributed the loss to the recession which cut orders in almost all segments. Quebecor said it is continuing to look for ways to lower costs and has recently introduced a new plan to save $100 million that includes a reduction in wages and benefits for all employees.
Despite the weak quarter, Quebecor said its plans to exit…
As originally posted at THE DESERT PEACH WEBCOMIC.
The Desert Peach #1, Page 6
The Desert Peach #1, Page 7
Okay, holy jesus christ on a marry chain cross – I had never heard of this comic/site/interactive experience/thing, but now I have, and….wow. That’s all I can say.
NAWLZ – Wow. Interactive Reading Experience like none other.