I’m seeking opinions and advice regarding the appearance of this blog. I seem to be having a difficult time finding a theme that I like.
- What do I want my blog to do?
- A blog: First and foremost, I want it to be a place for me to post about my hobbies, cool things I find on the web (articles, movie trailers, etc.), and whatever’s going on that I feel like writing about.
- A branch: I want it to look like an extension of my main site, which may or may not look something like this in the future.
- A hub: I’d like to link to my various social networking profiles via sidebar buttons (most likely using a text widget).
- A billboard: I want to be able to monetize this blog using AdSense, affiliate links, etc. I’m not looking to quit my day job – it’d just be nice to make a few extra bucks while I rant and rave about the latest comic book and movie news.
What am I looking for in a theme?
The theme this blog is currently using is called “mimbo,” and I’m in the process of re-styling its appearance. I like the magazine-style look because it seems to be a good fit for the ‘whatever-the hell-I-feel-like-posting-about’ approach I’m taking with this blog, and I really like how it automatically pulls thumbnail images from the post to display on the home page. However, I would like to be able to set specific thumbnail images for certain posts, especially those that feature video clips.
Theme candidates so far:
Arthemia theme
I’ve used this theme before. It’s clean and pretty easy to re-style. I also like the 1 or 2-column sidebar option. Thumbnail images are not automatic, and it can get to be monotonous updating categories all the time for “Headlines” and “Features.” Plus, the fact that I’ve used it already, is weighing things towards the ‘no’ column.
Hybrid News theme
This theme is especially nice. From the looks of it, I’ll only have to change some colors and insert some widgets to get it to look more ‘customized’.
Indomagz Theme
There is much to like about this one, and if you click on the link above, you’ll see a list of features. I’ve never used the TimThumb Image Resizer – any recommendations for or against?
Wordpress Magazine theme
Wordpress Magazine
I like this one for its simplicity, advertisement areas, and mini columns.
W2 Black theme
W2 Black
I like the simple, modern layout of this one. There are a few stylistic elements I don’t like, but I’d imagine they wouldn’t be too troublesome to change using CSS.
Box Tube theme
Box Tube
The iPhone/gadget look isn’t exactly what I’m looking, but I figure I’ll style that stuff out. What I do like is the ad-friendliness it seems to have, as well as the overall little things like post rating, Share This, page numbering, etc.
Those are the themes I’m currently trying to choose from in order to have an attractive framework for my musings here, as well as posts to come. Any thoughts, comments, or opinions would be greatly appreciated (especially if it helps me make a decision :p).
