Redecorating

You may have noticed a few changes around here over the past few days as I've tinkered with a new layout. I got a little tired of the old layout, so I tried a bit of CSS coding and tinkering with the CSS options and have come up with a layout I'm happy with. Yes, there's still blood everywhere. I should really get a mop.

What prompted this? Well, creating new journals (mostly the custom header and icons parts) for the Livejournal based RP I joined. I have one for Iceman here (as cool_and_frosty) and Rockslide here (as rocking_santo). Rather pleased with the custom header I did for Santo's.

Anyway, that encouraged me to freshen up the design here, so I have an entirely new layout (well, not entirely new, I still use Expressive and the same colours) and a new top header (well, okay, newish) which hopefully reflects the origin of the name of this journal, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

There is one thing that's entirely new, however, and that's my Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead mood set, which has taken me far too long. It proved more challenging than I imagined finding good pics for 132 different moods. It turns out that if I wanted a dozen pics for "Confused" I'd be just fine. But finding one for "nerdy" or "ecstatic", for example, was a bitch. Gary Oldman and Tim Roth spend way too much of the the movie just looking blank, nervous or confused.

Credit to lothlorienbaby for the screencaps I took these from.

Anyway, hope people like the new(ish) look.

Comic sales figures for June

ICv2 have Diamond's estimated comic sales for June up, which means it's time for analysis again. It's rolled around quickly. At some point I might even finish writing up the reviews for comics I've actually been reading.

Just before we start on the floppies, a quick glance at the Trades and Graphic Novels chart reveals that returns from the Watchmen consignment program outweighed new sales, leaving Watchmen off the Top 300 Graphic Novel list. It seems that in addition to the movie flopping, DC are seeing a lot of returns of the graphic novel, which was reprinted in bulk, expected to fly off the shelves with a successful movie behind it. I guess Watchmen is the new Tank Girl.

In general it's been swings and roundabouts. While, after last month's slide, there's a recovery on dollar sales (up 6% on this time last year) in the comics market, trades are a massive 35% down. It seems like retailers aren't prepared to splash out on expensive editions which may sit gathering dust until someone wants them.

( Now onto individual titles. Runaways readers be warned. )