Ta Da!
May52009
So we spruced the place up a bit.
Okay, a lot. Joelle Reeder of Moxie Design Studios took my incoherent visual suggestions and Mollie’s very clear web design suggestions and came up with something that was vastly better than either one of us could have imagined. So all our gratitude to Joelle and Moxie and their programmers who almost lost their minds trying to wrangle the vastness of JennyCrusie.com and Argh Ink into submission. But why, you may ask, did we tell them to? Several reasons.
One was that in the roughly fifteen years that I’ve had a website, we’d only done one upgrade, when Mollie came and in and made everything professional. Some of you may remember the first website, the one with Medea on the splash page? I did that on a program called Home Page. I was very proud of it. I was in grad school at OSU at the time and they made us learn the program, and my critique partner Val had been insisting that I get a website up before my first book was out, so I blocked out what I thought needed to be on there and typed everything in. I’d never seen a real author website before–this was before I found the crack that is the internet–so I just guessed. It was thirty pages. I loved it. Then Mollie came on board and made me give up Medea, but I got that peppy yellow and white striped diner-look that was incredibly cheerful and I loved it. Plus it was, you know, programmed well. So when Mollie came back last year and said, “We need to revamp the website,” I said, “Why? I love this website!” And she said, “Because,” and promised me that that this time it would be designed so that I could do the updates myself. That was the clincher.
Then she told me to start thinking about design, the kind of look I wanted, and sent me out to search the net to find inspiration. Which made me think: my stuff really did not fit the cheery yellow stripes any more. That probably ended with Bet Me, but possibly before. Fast Women is not a cheery-yellow-stripes book. Faking It had some fairly dark moments. And then along came Bob and the body count rose for which I am grateful. I learned a lot from old “We’re All Doomed.” For one thing, I learned I don’t really have a dark side. As I’ve said other places, compared to Bob, my dark side is more along the lines of dimly lit. But in that dimly lit place, I’ve been having a good time the past four or five years, and looking ahead to the other things I want to do, I’m not seeing the lights get Harlequin bright again.
So what I needed was something a little more . . . dimly lit. Something more quirky than cute. I told Joelle under no circumstances was there to be pink, hearts, or flowers. And if a cartoon went up there, she’d be hearing screams from Ohio. She was very patient and said, “No problem. What DO you want?” So I sent her this video of Imogen Heap singing “Goodnight and Go.” I loved the colors, I loved the mood, I loved the song. Then I gave her a list of possible images–oddly enough, I didn’t mention monkeys–and sent her a picture of the Wapakoneta Court House from my home town.
And then I braced myself because I am very, very, very picky. So when Joelle sent the first draft, took a deep breath and opened it.
It was amazing. The woman is a genius.
But you know me, it wasn’t quite right, so we went through several revisions, mostly having to do with tweaking images and the nav box, and then it was just what I wanted and we turned it over to the programmers and that’s when Argh and the website went down for a little longer than we expected. But hey, wasn’t that a fabulous splash page Joelle put up there toward the end?
And now everything’s back up and we’re looking for bugs and glitches so if you find any, definitely let us know. Not that you wouldn’t anyway. And while I am typing this blind before the blog goes back up, I’m hoping there’s a polling box to the right here because I think it would be fun to poll people on some of the things we talk about. Like the monkey. I love the monkey but some people were freaked out by him. We could do a poll on that to see how the general Argh populace feels about him. I would like to point out that he’s not the evil clown; it’s not as if I’m deliberately making your flesh creep.
So anyway, we’re back up and I have several things to talk about and I’m sure you do, too, so welcome back and here’s our new look. What do you think?
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98 Comments to 'Ta Da!'
On May 5, 2009 at 4:41 pm Joelle said...
I’m adding the poll feature as we speak.
On May 5, 2009 at 4:51 pm Thea said...
She’s back, she’s back! Yea!
And I can deal with dim. Bring it on! Dimly.
On May 5, 2009 at 5:05 pm Lou (the CB) said...
Way cool!!! I don’t get the monkey, but he doesn’t freak me out. The graphics are great – very much in keeping with your new direction (thinking Wild Ride here).
In the 3rd paragraph, did you mean to say “on no circumstances” rather than “under no circumstances?” Just curious…
Looks great – wecome back!!
On May 5, 2009 at 5:05 pm Suzette said...
Glad you’re back. Love the bluebird. Love everything, except the monkey, who reminds me of the president of Iran. Apologies to presidents. Apologies to Iran. Most of all, apologies to monkeys everywhere.
You should do something very, very nice for the folks who made this site. It really rocks. And you kept one cherry, for the good times. Lovely, just lovely.
On May 5, 2009 at 5:05 pm Lou (the CB) said...
Oh man, I’m in moderation he**.
On May 5, 2009 at 5:35 pm Lani said...
It’s gorgeous! I love, love, LOVE it. Wonderful work, Joelle!
On May 5, 2009 at 5:35 pm Sheri said...
Well, it’s definitely different, I will give you that. And yeah, I think it is more “you” because you’re really not the Pollyanna your last website made you out to be. There is a lot more depth here and now when you finally finish AKMG and publish Wild Ride those searching the net will have a better idea of what to expect when they find this page… Yep, this is a good place to be.
On May 5, 2009 at 5:44 pm Chelle said...
YAYYYYY!!! You’re back! The monkey is still creepy. But, he could be growing on me.
Anyway, I don’t care because you’re back!
Oh, yeah, and I like the look. Go Joelle
On May 5, 2009 at 5:45 pm Kira said...
Nice, very, very nice.
I like having the navigation box – on the previous site, I’d never found the email form, and here it is, along with your baby pictures. So I’m already happy.
(Bug: clicking on Home brought up a page without a navigation box)
The monkey is kind of creepy, the tarot cards are majorly creepy, and the cherry looks like an apple with that lighting. The total symbolism adds up to “evil queen from Snow White”. (Sorry)
On May 5, 2009 at 5:45 pm Kira said...
Forgot to say: You’re BACK, YAY!!!
On May 5, 2009 at 5:48 pm Joelle said...
Kira, on the homepage the navigation runs along the top left.
On May 5, 2009 at 6:04 pm Susanne said...
Hi Jenny,
I love, love, love it. The colours are so pleasant.
Susanne
On May 5, 2009 at 6:05 pm Karina said...
Absolutely marvelous! I’ve been waiting for this with bated breath since I first heard Joelle was doing this. I love it! (And totally up with the monkeys; I love him!) It’s unique, filled with mood, and I love the colors. Perfect!
On May 5, 2009 at 6:09 pm Susanne said...
Don’t know if it’s just me and my Mac, but I couldn’t go into the comment box to add to what I said above. I wanted to tell you that not only are the colours pleasing to my eyes, but the pictures are fabulous. Interesting. Different. Anyway, I think I should have tabbed and that might have allowed me to add my additional comment before I originally submitted it.
So happy you’re back. Breakfast wasn’t the same without my Jenny fix.
Susanne
On May 5, 2009 at 6:20 pm K.L. said...
It feels a lot more like you than your previous version. Glad you’re back up. I missed you.
On May 5, 2009 at 6:33 pm Dharmagirl said...
i just love the new website–so much great content, awesome design, easy navigation. swell!
On May 5, 2009 at 6:35 pm Susan said...
Overall, I like the new site. So far I can navigate easily, and I like the colour scheme. I’m not wild about the monkey, tarot cards, etc at the top. I agree that the cherry looks more like an apple – I think it’s because the stem is long before it bends, and blends in too well with the background. My major problem with the stuff at the top is that it really speaks ONLY to the paranormal, and doesn’t really fit with my overall impressions of your work or your voice on this blog.
That’s my two cents.
On May 5, 2009 at 6:38 pm r smith said...
My first thought was Wow, Cool. Second was – it reminds me of your collages.
I love it.
On May 5, 2009 at 6:42 pm Diane (TT) said...
Missed Argh! a lot. I love the new look – and I like the way the default avatar is a star!
I drove past Wapakoneta twice in the past five days (on the way to Amtrak in Toledo), but did not see the courthouse. Maybe next time.
Poll choices never have my options: I’m not scared of the monkey, though I agree he’s creepy, but I guess that’s the closest to my overall “I don’t care about monkeys much one way or another, but think he’s a good conveyor of mood” response, so I shall choose that. Anonymously, of course.
Congrats on the new look, good luck with any (minor, I’m sure) glitches or growing pains! And I want to hear more about what you’re working on now, since I’m not in Princeton…
On May 5, 2009 at 7:05 pm Shari S said...
So glad you are back! I am okay with the monkey, although he is definitely moody. Maybe he needs a hat or boa for days when you feel lighter.
On May 5, 2009 at 7:06 pm Laura Vivanco said...
“we’re looking for bugs and glitches so if you find any, definitely let us know”
OK, well, I was waiting for http://www.arghink.com/2007/04/09/the-glittery-hooha-an-analysis/ to come back up (can’t remember why, now, but I did have a reason last week) and now that it’s reappeared, it says there are 128 comments, but I can only see 28. Why’s that?
Still puzzled, I went off to look for your essays (because I’ve been referring to some of those, and sending people to look at the version on Google Cache) but I couldn’t find them until by a process of deduction I reached the “For Writers” page. It seems a bit unfriendly, somehow, to non-writers to put all the essays in the “For Writers” section, because some of them are about the romance genre and not specifically for writers. At least, that’s what I thought until I saw them in a “For Writers” section.
And I expect that having new urls for the essays will mean that where I’ve linked to them at the old url my links will be broken.
Why am I the only one on this thread who sounds like Eeyore?
Oh, one suggestion, at a lot of other blogs you can subscribe to an individual comment thread (usually at the same time as you add a comment yourself), so that when other people add to that comment thread you get emailed a copy of their comments. It’s quite convenient because it means you don’t have to keep checking back manually.
“I would like to point out that he’s not the evil clown; it’s not as if I’m deliberately making your flesh creep.”
No, but this dim lighting creates a scary atmosphere.
On May 5, 2009 at 7:07 pm Jenny said...
Kira wrote:
“The monkey is kind of creepy, the tarot cards are majorly creepy, and the cherry looks like an apple with that lighting. The total symbolism adds up to “evil queen from Snow White”. (Sorry)”
No apologies. I AM the evil queen from Snow White. Or at least I aspire to be Susan Sarandon without those awful boots.
As for the apple, they really were apples in WTT, you know. So that works, too.
I just love it. Joelle is a genius, although the poor baby is still trying to find all the glitches. Do you know how many dead links there were on that site? Fifteen years worth, that’s how many.
On May 5, 2009 at 7:21 pm Jill said...
Wow ! Very cool and very Jenny Crusie. The site is fun and it feels right. I am in the “a little scary, but sure ” group. The cherry/apple looks like the ceramic one I have in my kitchen. Dull on the bottom, shiny on the bottom.
A lot of the links on jennycrusie.com don’t work but I’m guessing it is a WIP.
Thank you Joelle !
Welcome back , Jenny.
On May 5, 2009 at 7:30 pm Jenny said...
Actually, a lot of the links on the old site were dead, so Joelle is going through them one by one. And drinking heavily, I would assume.
Laura, the essays are under Books, Etc, under Non-Fiction, too, because we figured non-writers would go there. So they’re indexed twice. The problem is, there’s such a lot of STUFF on that site that trying to keep the nav box simple made for some interesting decisions, and the essays ended up in two places on the assumption that both readers and writers might find them interesting, although I’m willing to bet that you’re the only person who’d search for them, just one more reason why I love you.
As for glitches or whatever, I’m pretty sure Joelle will be reading here, so all your catches will be noted. She is still working on the humongous job of getting all the links to work, but the blog and the site had been down for so long that she went for a soft launch, which is not announcing to the world that the site was up. We knew you guys would find it; everybody else can wait until we’ve hunted down every last glitch and dead link and nailed the suckers.
And by “we,” I mean Joelle.
Thank you all for the comments, too. We couldn’t get this sucker off the ground without you.
On May 5, 2009 at 7:52 pm Kate said...
I like it. I really like the link to the essays for writers. Thanks for that. I am looking forward to seeing more.
On May 5, 2009 at 8:04 pm Laura Vivanco said...
“the essays are under Books, Etc, under Non-Fiction, too”
At the moment when I go to http://www.jennycrusie.com/books/non-fiction/ I’m only seeing the book about Anne Rice, Flirting with P&P, and Totally Charmed.
And is Sizzle missing from the fiction page on purpose? I’m not at all sure you’re going to love me for this, but my essay in that long-planned volume about your work is Sizzle-centred.
As for the monkey, it’s reminding me of the Millennium Clock created “to commemorate the human suffering of the twentieth century, embodied and entrapped within the endless prisons of time.” At the base of it is “the animated highly decorated figure of an Egyptian monkey. The construction starts to rustle, creak and groan. Follows a seemingly chaotic whirl of wheels and chains and cogs. Did the monkey set it into motion?” And you can listen/see it in motion here.
On May 5, 2009 at 8:06 pm Jenny said...
Well, hell, the essays are supposed to be on the Books, Etc. page, too. That’s why the Etc. is there. Joelle? Didn’t we have an essays link there?
You know, I noticed Sizzle was gone, too, and I thought, “How unfortunate” and then tiptoed away before anybody noticed, and then here you come . . .
Sizzle-centered. You would.
You know, I think the cherry looks like an apple because we tweaked the color to look better on the site. I like it. Although I still think we should change the fan base to monkeys instead of cherries. There are some great sock monkey earrings out there, plus we’d have a theme song. I know, I know, it’s the cherries.
On May 5, 2009 at 8:25 pm Laura Vivanco said...
Sizzle-centered. You would.
Yup. I kind of feel the same way about Sizzle that Nina did about Fred, and Quinn did about Katie. It’s as though it looked at me, and I felt it was unloved and needed someone to care for it. Well, sort of.
And without wanting to seem obsessive, I can’t help but point out that on the bibliography http://www.jennycrusie.com/books/bibliography/ there’s no mention of “Jennifer Crusie on Jane Austen as the Mother of the Modern Romance Novel” in The Friendly Jane Austen: A Well-mannered Introduction to a Lady of Sense & Sensibility, edited by Natalie Tyler (New York: Viking, 1999), pp. 240-242. Maybe that’s because it’s an interview, but most of it was written by you, because the questions are short and the answers are much longer.
On that page you’ve got the Anne Rice book listed under “Essays” rather than with Flirting with P&P and Totally Charmed. That seems a little strange.
On May 5, 2009 at 8:31 pm Laura Vivanco said...
“plus we’d have a theme song”
Do you mean this?
On May 5, 2009 at 8:33 pm JulieB said...
Thank God you’re back.
Apple: I like it. I kinda bugged me at first when I went to the stripey page that the apple got lost for the cherries, but the Cherries were cool from the get-go and the cherries grew on me.
Monkey: Eh. Much better than the pedophile clown.
I did like Molly’s snazzy little preview of the comments though. Can we have that back?
Overall: cool. Looking forward to poking around. Welcome Back!
On May 5, 2009 at 8:34 pm JulieB said...
Oh — I live by the home of the sock monkeys if we need some connections.
On May 5, 2009 at 8:36 pm JulieB said...
Speaking of creepy — I had a crush on Mike Nesmith
On May 5, 2009 at 8:36 pm Slave Driver said...
I like it! The colors are so soothing, in a rough and sleepy kind of way. I hate bright and perky; Bright and perky make me gag.
Well done.
On May 5, 2009 at 8:40 pm JulieB said...
WOW! I LOVE the front page. I don’t know how my link brought me to the blog first, but I just found the Home and am sold. I’m kicking my shoes off and staying.
On May 5, 2009 at 8:59 pm AshleyA said...
I’m loving it Jenny! I like the layout and the creepy monkey. It would be great if we could somehow wrangle the Forums and the list serve under one umbrella then all my dreams would come true and I wouldn’t have to go everywhere under the sun for Crusie/Cherry fix…oh the Dream.
On May 5, 2009 at 9:29 pm jessie said...
what?/ I don’t have a website. Or am I missing something.I have been waiting impatiently for you to return. This weeks New Yorker has a great Bob cartoon. Two guys are sitting in a bar. One of them says “If life gives me lemons, I know 26 ways to kill a guy with a lemon.
On May 5, 2009 at 9:37 pm Danielle said...
Thank God! I was starting to shake like a spastic colon. Major Crusie withdrawal…
On May 5, 2009 at 9:38 pm JanLo said...
Wonderful new look. Congrats.
On May 5, 2009 at 9:48 pm RfP said...
“you’re really not the Pollyanna your last website made you out to be”
Oh, I don’t know. It was sort of like lyrical dissonance in its deceptive happiness… or do I mean demented? Or perhaps it was cheerful in its muffled rage?
The new look is very ghostly and very paranormal.
BTW, I too would miss the essays. Must! have! essays!
On May 5, 2009 at 10:30 pm Jill said...
There are some great sock monkey earrings out there, plus we’d have a theme song. I know, I know, it’s the cherries
Yeah, it is the cherries. But if you want sock monkeys–I go where you go. I am envisioning a whole Cafe Press offering of Sock Monkey t-shirts. And I love the Monkees theme song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thrRDinxWOQ
On May 5, 2009 at 11:12 pm WapakGram said...
That was the longest 60 minutes in memory. The planets are now rotating properly-Argh Ink is back!
The Monkey Bombs just doesn’t quite have the ring to it like the Cherry Bombs. Sounds more like a drink in Key West.
Joelle is awesome. Much applause!
Jill- can you still sing the Monkee theme song by heart without looking? And Pleasant Valley Sunday and and and
On May 5, 2009 at 11:41 pm Kim said...
I like the fonts and the colors just fine. Am I the only one who finds the color value gradient on the “page” distracting, though? It makes me feel a little off balance–darker under the text at the left of the line than in the middle.
On May 5, 2009 at 11:46 pm Joelle said...
Thanks for helping us catch some glitches, though I don’t know about “a lot” of dead links on jennycrusie.com, but there are a few and we’re working on it.
On May 5, 2009 at 11:47 pm Ericka said...
i love it. the colors are fantastic. i liked the bright ’cause it wasn’t you, i like this ’cause it’s closer.
and that shiny red fruit is clearly a mutant lovechild of an apple and a cherry – no apple has a stem like that… and how perfect is that?
the monkey came from the video, i presume, which was also very cool. she took the vibe of the video, added you and shook gently – very very cool. and, as much as the monkey freaks me out, now i’m just grateful it’s not a weird red-eyed toy rabbit or a puppet.
On May 5, 2009 at 11:50 pm Joelle said...
Re: Sizzle and the essays: everything I did was based on the sitemap I was given. We can make some adjustments and we’re still adding content. Thanks!
I appreciate all your kind words.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:08 am orangehands said...
I like the new site very much, though the book covers for your book list like Bet Me look weird as they’re very bright and colorful and this is…not.
Still looks like a cherry to me, but then, my mind just goes there anyways. And I like the monkey and tarot cards and the lady on the homepage, but I do agree with Susan that this is very centered on certain books and not your whole body of work. (And what a body!)
Essays are essential. I link to one all the time. Must not lose those.
Excellent work, Joelle.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:19 am Kenzie said...
Love the new site! =)
I find the monkey a little creepy, but only because I remember Monkey Shines. I think they had one like that on the movie poster/book cover.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:21 am Deanna Nelle said...
I love it. I think that the supernatural elements could be tweaked if there was ever a need to do so, but I like that it’s a little creepy-nostalgic, and that there’s more going on than you might at first realize. I want somethig creepy to happen when I click on the monkey though. I think he should flip over so he’d be right side up, drop to the bottom of the header and dance-dance-clang his way across the page. Easy peasy, right?
On May 6, 2009 at 12:31 am Jenny said...
On the double listing of the essays, Mollie and I were, uh, discussing it heatedly at one point. I thought I won. I’m often wrong about things like that. Joelle should not be blamed.
I don’t know what happened to Sizzle, but I’m expecting it to show up on Laura’s blog because it sounds like it followed her home. Feel free to claim it as yours, Laura. Really. Oh and the Austen interview/essay? I forgot I’d done it. There’s a reason why Mollie runs my life. She has asked me over and over again if I have any other essays out there and I was so sure I’d given them all to her. Thank God for Laura, that’s what I say.
Anne Rice should be on the non-fiction page with the books, and then the essays listed under essays. I feel fairly sure this is my fault since I was the one who picked the fight.
I like “cheerful in its muffled rage”, RfP. It’s so . . . me. As is this site, I think. The whole “Jenny Crusie writes chick lit” was never quite right–not that there’s anything wrong with chick lit. Except I don’t know for sure what it is. But this feels good plus it’s restful on the eyes and kind of bent which is always good. Well, as I said, Joelle’s a genius.
I even like that gorgeous “submit” button. There’s something elegant and yet kinky about it. Plus the leaf dingbat. Such a nice touch. And I love the search box at the bottom of the page, with the slightly threatening “Looking for something?” Punk? And did you notice the “you are here” on the nav box? Genius, I tell you.
Love the idea of the monkey doing something creepy when you click on him. That banging sound you’re hearing is Joelle beating her head against her keyboard, so probably not. But big points for creativity!
On May 6, 2009 at 12:38 am Moth said...
RE: Glitches
I clicked on the books link and looked at “Faking It”. And instead of “Faking It”‘s info there was all the Bet Me stuff.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:40 am Jenny said...
Meant to add:
LOVE the lemons joke. It’s very Bob.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:45 am WapakGram said...
Just a couple of spacing typos in the Jenny Info.
“On the banks ofthe Auglaize” needs a space and yes, I am humming the alma mater.
Also in paragraph 4, myth – ology seems to have too much space. Yeah, I know, this AWESOME site, and someone is space picky. But we do know the lady likes perfection, so in that spirit……..
On May 6, 2009 at 12:50 am Moth said...
Any plans to put pics of the other writing collages up? I LOVE looking at the collages.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:55 am Moth said...
Re: Another Glitch
Under “For Writers” I clicked through to the Critiques tab and all it has is the “Critiques” header and this:
“This is where your critique copy goes. I was not provided copy to insert here.”
On May 6, 2009 at 12:55 am Jenny said...
Hmmm. I’m here and it says 52 comments and I can only see two, which seems to be the same problem Laura was having with the GHH post comments.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:56 am Jenny said...
Wait, does something happen to the comments when they roll over 100? That’ll never work.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:57 am Jenny said...
Moth, the critiques page is something we were going to experiment with that I never gave Joelle the copy for. Because I’m trying to drive her crazy, that’s why.
On May 6, 2009 at 1:26 am Marilyn Brant said...
REALLY love the new look!!
.
I’m having a similar problem reading comments, though. I can see your last 3 comments, Jenny, and the 3 before…but that’s it.
Of course, the monkey makes up for most everything
On May 6, 2009 at 1:27 am ArkansasCyndi said...
It reads “56 comments” but I only see six.
BUT, it has nice look. Easy on my eyes to read
On May 6, 2009 at 4:45 am Reb said...
Welcome back!! Nice site, and nice and fast to load too. And I reckon the creepy monkey’ll help with the I’m-not-writing-a-romance effort, which has to be good for Wild Ride. It’s the teeth.
On May 6, 2009 at 5:11 am Chelle said...
The cherry is an apple? Huh.
Just a suggestion, because Joelle obviously needs no help, but maybe put the search bar higher up? When we get rolling in the comments someone could have to scroll for days to get to it at the bottom of the blog page. You know, since we have been known to, ummm, comment. A lot.
Oh, and LOVE the stars!
BTW, how do I get my thumbnail to show instead of a star??? (Jill, love the harley pic!!)
On May 6, 2009 at 5:44 am Laura Vivanco said...
Another non-fiction item that’s missing from the book page and the bibliography is Coffee at Luke’s.
And in the fiction, under collaborative works, you could add I’d Kill For That. Even if you don’t want to have it on the main fiction page, for the sake of completeness it might be worth adding it to the bibliography.
On the bibliography you’ve got a heading spelled “Novelas” and I was wondering if it should be “Novellas.” I’m never quite sure about spellings, though, because there are so many US/UK differences.
On May 6, 2009 at 6:41 am Diane said...
Fabulous spruce-up. I love the chick on the broomstick, holding the cherry, and the carousel on the side. Love the tarot cards and the old typewriter. I could easily get sucked in and read all night, but I have things to do and words to edit.
On May 6, 2009 at 6:44 am Kieran said...
About switching from the Cherries to something to do with monkeys–
You know how chimps go, “Hoo hoo hah hah?” (At least my brother-in-law does when all the kids ask him to act like a monkey). And there’s the legendary glittery hoo-hah theme from way back…you could combine the two and, um, call the Cherries not the Monkey-Somethings but the Hoo-Hahs! Or the Hoo-Hoo-Hah-Hahs!
I actually love that idea.
I’m not kidding. :>)
You could even get all secret code-ish and call it the 4-H Club…for the 4 H’s in the Hoo Hoo Hah Hahs.
On May 6, 2009 at 7:47 am Deb said...
Very glad to see you’re back! Coffee in the morning just hasn’t been the same. I love the new look. It’s fun, interesting and you’re stuff is easy to find. This is one of the easiest on the eyes website/blog. Thanks very much for that. Really makes a difference.
I’m glad you kept the cheeky monkey!
On May 6, 2009 at 7:48 am Liz said...
I love the dangling cherry and the stars and the tarot cards. The monkey, though, is creeping me out a tad. It’s the teeth. It looks like the monkey’s going to eat my flesh for a snack. Which, you know, that’s cool.
Laura Vivanco: I didn’t even have to click your link. Now I have “hey, hey we’re the Monkeys” stuck in my head. Thanks.
As for glitches, if you click out of the comment box for whatever reason and then go to add more the cursor hies on off to the Website (URL) box. You have to tab back down to the comment box and then use the arrows to navigate within it rather than just using the mouse to position the cursor. Basically, the comment box does not like you doing anything with the mouse. And for reference I’m using a Dell.
On May 6, 2009 at 8:07 am JulieB said...
You probably know this, but all the comments are now visible again. Mollie, sorry I spelled your name wrong.
On May 6, 2009 at 8:41 am Pat G. said...
GAWJUSS! I love everything about it, especially writing on this aged scroll. Is it a metaphor? For getting old? Because I’m really into it and I’m getting old.
Uh-oh, a flaw. You can’t edit a sentence by mousing up to the mistake; that takes you up to “Website (URL)” again, and then you have to tab down to this here white box to get to your mistake. Fix that.
But OTHERWISE, this is one classy, eye-pleasing site. Thanks for all the hard work.
P.S. I always loved Medea.
On May 6, 2009 at 8:49 am McB said...
Very very cool. Good job Joelle, Mollie and Jenny. I like the look of the new site very much. It says “here’s someone who has a lot to say.” It makes me think “ye olde curiosity shop.” I want to explore and find hidden treasures. Small glitch … It keeps sending my cursor to the Website(URL) box when I want to be here in the comment box. Clearly I can get to the comment box since, hey, here I am, but … oh, I see Liz has already addressed that quirk.
Maybe we could give the monkey cherry earrings?
On May 6, 2009 at 9:01 am Mary Stella said...
There’s a lot to like on the new design although the overall atmosphere speaks to me of dark, heavy supernatural.
I do, however, like the monkey.
Overall, it could have been the website equivalent of a brown paper bag and I’d still visit every day simply to read whatever you write. *g*
On May 6, 2009 at 9:03 am colognegrrl said...
What a good thing that I found you before your website was changed. Not that I didn’t appreciate the design (kudos to Joelle!!), but in comparison to the previous, it seems very dark and dangerous. Not like books I’d like to read.
On May 6, 2009 at 9:04 am Mary Stella said...
Adding on to my previous comment, I meant the overall atmosphere of the blog page. The home page of the website has a sort of retro elegance and I don’t get the supernatural feel as much.
On May 6, 2009 at 9:22 am Rene said...
I like the graphics a lot, but I find the writing a little hard to read? Kind of dim and hard on the eyes?
On May 6, 2009 at 9:31 am Kate said...
Jenny, I LOVE the new look, very surreal and dreamlike. The monkey is a teeny bit creepy but only because he’s showing his teeth. I really like the “old” feel, the dark teal with stars (reminds me vaguely of the gazebo ceiling in Agnes and the Hitman: “very neoclassical”), plus it still has the cherry, which is good for those of us who’ve been following you FOREVER. I also like the very sassy picture (cute!) of you on the home page and the random birds.
Plus, as someone who generally reads a lot of dry, science stuff online, it gives me a chance to feel like I’m also a creative person, which I don’t always get…
Congrats!
On May 6, 2009 at 10:16 am Brussel Sprout said...
It is beautiful – the monkey reminds me of Delicatessen, which is one of my favourite movies – so creepy but in a good way. Love the colours. Isn’t it marvellous having a new websiye to play with! My sister-in-law just redesigned my website and playing with it is so cool!!
On May 6, 2009 at 10:19 am Jenny said...
Rene, if you hit “Command +” the font size should get bigger. At least it does on a Mac. Is it the same for a PC?
On May 6, 2009 at 11:00 am Bethany (cherry clawed) said...
So happy the essays are still up. I love those and had one bookmarked as inspiration for when I got down in the dumps about ever having enough talent to write anything that wasn’t about how to help cats and dogs (sometimes bunnies and gerbils).
Thank you!!!
On May 6, 2009 at 11:26 am Susan D said...
Ahhh…. feeling at home again. Only, it’s a whole new home. Lovely.
As soon as I saw the red fruit at the top, I found myself saying, “It’s a cherry….it’s an apple…cherry…apple.” Then I recalled once holding a hardcover copy of WTT, and mentioning the cherry on the cover to another reader who was looking at her paperback edition and saying, “But it’s an apple.”
It’s a cherry….AND an apple!
On May 6, 2009 at 11:29 am Marcia in OK said...
Love the colors. And I especially like that every other comment box is shaded differently. It is easier for me to follow.
I’m having the same problem as Rene – comment font size is too small for me. But, the blog itself and the comment type box are fine for me. (I’m working on a 19″ monitor and normal display stuff is sufficienlty “large” for me. And, I’m on a PC with XP – so I dunno about comment + but, I’ll investigate.)
Any Jenny blog is better that the VOID we’ve lately. Glad you’re back.
On May 6, 2009 at 11:32 am Susan D said...
Now that I’ve seen the red fruit at jennycruisie.com, I see the difference. Cherry at the website: long curved stem. Apple at the blog: hanging down straight on a string, just like the apple being dipped into the poison in Disney’s Snow White.
On May 6, 2009 at 11:55 am Ellie said...
Glad you’re back! Off to explore. Looks awesome so far.
Have I mentioned I’m glad you’re back?
On May 6, 2009 at 12:13 pm robena grant said...
Wow! Glad to have you back, I’d gotten used to reading your blog while having breakfast. My day is back to normal again. Thank you!
The new site has sort of a Goth feel. Maybe just because I’m researching for writing a Gothic. But it does to me anyway, and I love it. Even like the monkey.
On May 6, 2009 at 3:09 pm Joelle said...
I just adjusted the font size on the comments, y’all.
Should be better now. We’re also looking into the weird “jump to the URL field” thing in the comment box. I noticed this last night, too. Thanks!
On May 6, 2009 at 3:18 pm Joelle said...
To those who wish to customize their avatar, visit http://gravatar.com. If you set up an account with them and assign images to your email addresses, wherever you comment online that has gravatars (Globally Recognized Avatars) enabled, your image will appear. This applies to most WordPress and WordPress.com sites by default.
On May 6, 2009 at 7:08 pm Karen Templeton said...
Overall, love it. A lot. Monkey and all. Very Tim Burton. Am getting Johnny Depp vibes, which is never a bad thing.
One tee-ninsy nitpick however — I’m finding reading the comments on the grayed lavender background wearing after a while (like, oh, 80-something comments). Any way to brighten that JUST a tad and not compromise the design’s integrity?
On May 6, 2009 at 7:36 pm Joelle said...
@ WapakGram Your “nitpicks” have been noted and fixed.
Thank you!
@ Susan D Actually, it’s the same cherry.
Just a slightly different graphic treatment.
To everyone who commented about the “tab issue” in Safari, we’re working on it — it seems to be only happening in Safari, but please let me know if you see it happening in another browser. Thank you!
On May 6, 2009 at 7:59 pm CrankyOtter said...
I feel like the tarot-ish cards across the top should have actionable links to your other pages. Glad you’re back.
On May 6, 2009 at 10:41 pm Ellie said...
Joelle, thank you for the avatar link!
On May 6, 2009 at 11:23 pm Micki said...
Wow, I really like that search box at the end of the page — great thing to have if there’s more than 30 or 40 comments!
And I love the fact that if you don’t have an Avatar, you get a star, instead of those creepy unisex faces.
And the “old scroll” look is rich and textur-y, but doesn’t have the disadvantages of being crumbly in your hands (-:.
I really like the header, too, except I’m wondering if Argh is now too angsty. Before, you had the cheerful graphics, and this little touch of “Argh!” to give it some edge. Now, you’ve got the out-on-the-fringe graphics, and the Argh seems too much like howling. (-: Maybe you need a sunshine and light name for the blog now that you have the powerful visuals, just to give it balance.
But it’s all just window dressing (although it’s extremely fun to have good window dressing). When is Wild Ride coming out again?
On May 7, 2009 at 12:34 am Jenny said...
Wild Ride is out sometime between January and April of 2010.
And will somebody tell me how 2010 became NEXT YEAR? I’m still getting used to the whole 200x thing and now we’re rolling over?
I know. Next thing you know I’ll be yelling, “You kids get off of my lawn!”
On May 7, 2009 at 1:35 am Melissa Blue said...
Next thing you know I’ll be yelling, “You kids get off of my lawn!”
At least you won’t be the creepy cat lady. You have too many dogs for that one to work.
And, can I just say I missed you and the Argh people. I lurk more than I comment, but man, the absence was killing me. No it doesn’t make you stronger, but ODD.
On May 7, 2009 at 2:00 am Marta said...
Thank God You’re Back!!!
I loved Medea. The diner site was great, very brightly lit guided tour style. This is more like exploring the spook house at night with a flashlight, after the park has closed, and the first thing you see is a sign saying “Welcome to Jenny’s Brain. Enter at Your Own Risk”. So far, I’m loving it.
Those tarot cards need to do something. They’re sitting up there like file tabs. I don’t have a problem with the monkey, but wouldn’t want to change the fan base because, well, before ‘pussy’ there was ‘monkey’.
Now, I’m goning back to exploring the spook house.
Well, I was until I previewed my comment, and instead of “Marta says” I got “Undefined says”. What’s up with that?
On May 7, 2009 at 8:02 am RfP said...
So after a couple of days of clicking, I confess: I like the header on the main jennycrusie.com page, but the subpages like this one seem extra-dark. Still lots of quirk but less *fun*. And on jc.com, having an offbeat woman at the center of it is nice.
One more nitpick: clicking the banner at the top of this page takes me to the main Argh page. Clicking “HOME” in the righthand column is the only way to get to jennycrusie.com. I normally expect the top banner to go “home” to the top site.
On May 7, 2009 at 10:37 pm Caro said...
I’m a bit late to the party, but I am so so glad you’re back up. (Glad enough that I’m even de-lurking to mention it — it’s been a hard several days without argh glibness.)
For what it’s worth, I do like the new site(s) and the feel. Joelle’s done a beautiful and rock solid job. My quibbles: I also expected the tarot cards to do something and I find the sister site links’ location at the bottom to be counter intuitive (and didn’t find them until I saw the mention upstream).
I like both the ‘new’ Crusie and the ‘old’ — and I appreciate knowing what to expect. I don’t find the monkey creepy (and I love the bluebird), and I like the sort of Buffy-verse feel, but I also sort of miss the quirky not-your-mama’s-romance thing. I’ll take whatever you put out there and like it, though.
On May 8, 2009 at 8:04 am Micki said...
Thanks (-:. Wish the book were coming out sooner, but I’ll live.
Yeah, 2010. We never really did anything cool and funky with those double-ohs (except for the prom kids with their James Bond-themed dances). Unlike in the 1900s, when they were talking about being in the class of ought-nine (or was that naught-nine?). And now it’s too late.
We live in rigid times (-:. Twenty-ten is going to be pretty easy for us old folks, but the young teens might find it hard to get used to, after a decade of In The Year Of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Whatever Single Digit. A thirteen-old remembers nothing else.
On May 8, 2009 at 10:45 am Joelle said...
The comment ‘jumping’ issue in Safari has been resolved, for those who mentioned it. Thanks for your feedback!
On June 2, 2009 at 8:11 am Zie said...
The last one was functional but this one is functional plus artsy-fartsy. Love it! I am loving your blog, too!
On July 17, 2009 at 7:12 am Jessica Week said...
I love your ArghInk site. Just mysterious and foreboding and playful at the same time…really great.