More Nips, Tucks, and Thoughts

I've consolidated almost all of the category and series links in the sidebar under one gigantic expandable features button. I resisted creating the various subcategories and sub- subcategories under it, but I may end up going back that route, especially since some more series will begin this year.

In Liu of multiple "deals" posts, I have opted to add text headings to referral links in the sidebar. The first I've added is "worth pre-ordering". This will revolve, as will the "already available" section, which will include three or four topically relevant things to get, based on post and podcast content. I'll be adding a dedicated Amazon referral store link to the sidebar as well. I want to make sure that the top level buttons are as few in number as possible.

Another thing that I've given thought to is actually using the Tumblr account that shares a name with this site. It would mostly be a way for people who live on Tumblr to follow this site in the way that they follow everything on Tumblr (through excerpted posts). I would occasionally post things that only appear on the Tumblr, too. For example, I would never put an animated GIF on this site, but that's what Tumblr was born to host. Well, it was made for that and Doctor Who slashfic.

The New Logo

Unless you've never visited before, you noticed a new logo on the site as of this morning (see right). I like it so much that I'm ashamed I didn't spend a couple of hours making it years ago.

I didn't use an external service or hire a friend. I bought Pixelmator for $30, warmed up my old graphic design muscles, and executed a cocktail napkin sketch I drew almost three years ago. The old, "generic four-hole off-kilter film reel" icon was low-res, fuzzy, and awful, buoyed by garbage kerning and…well, everything. Better than nothing doesn't mean good.

What I wanted (which I ended up with) was something that could play a little trick on your eyes and be three different things: a film reel in profile, a dead-on POV of a six-bullet revolver chamber, and a fancy boot spur.

I also narrowed these text fields by about 200px. I like them better this way, and the revised color schema site-wide feels more at home. Hope you all like the changes and upgrades. Feedback is welcome as always.

A Hint of the Blues

I wanted to operate the site on the rules of black & white cinema (those two colors and shades of grey only) from launch until I started tweaking things in a focused way. I wanted to get the thing up and running and clean, albeit unideal and not as pretty as I would like. The time for refinement has come, and it will see a new logo/masthead alongside other things sprinkled in over the coming weeks.

As unspectacular and un-custom as this site has been thus far, you would never assume I used to be a web developer. Looking at current standards, that was the literal dark ages of web development. Back in those days, you were really daring if your links were a color other than primary blue. Blue text on a website still means "link" to me, and I hate underlining, the Cro magnon to italicized text's Homo sapiens. Hence, all-new, all-blue links (and therefore post headings).

I'm always interested in feedback as to what you respond to as readers. Based on my metrics, more people come here looking for a way to watch import Blu-rays than literally anything else I write about. The increased output this week has felt good, and I have a lot of things in the cooker, so to speak.