Ruthsarian Layouts

Skidoo Too : Gargoyles


Donations & Wishlists

I've received some very kind e-mails from people who have found these layouts useful and said that, were I to provide a donation box or wishlist, they would gladly contribute. I very much appreciate the gesture, but I don't plan on taking anyone up on the offer. I worry that if I were to start taking money, my motivations for creating these CSS-based layouts might change. This might turn into more of a 'job' than a 'puzzle adventure' of sorts. Plus these layouts aren't perfect, and I don't want to sit here and try to sell imperfect merchandise.

However, now I am here to abuse this sentiment that others have expressed to me. At least I'm honest and upfront about it. :)

The first season of Gargoyles, an animated television from Disney, was released on DVD December 7, 2004, and I'd like you to buy a copy. It retails for US$29.99 (but it usually sells for about closer to US$20). I don't care where you buy it, or what you do with it, just as long as you buy a copy. If you want, give it to a niece or nephew, a sister or brother, a cousin, or perhaps give it a try and watch the first few episodes and maybe you'll find you enjoy it.

Gargoyles? Why do you care about Gargoyles?

Long story short, I really like the show. It's not just a kids show. It's definitely not just a kids show. It's unlike anything ever produced by Disney before or since. I don't think I could do the show justice by trying to describe it here. I think the only way to really understand how good the show is, is to watch it for yourself.

Okay, so it's a good show. Why do you want us to buy the DVD?

This is straight from sources inside Disney: they don't know how this DVD will sell. It's an experiment on Disney's part to see what will happen. If the DVD sells well, it's very likely that they will release the second season on DVD. That's something I would very much like to see.

If this DVD sells really, really well, there's a chance new material could be produced by Disney. Family Guy was a TV show that got canceled and was then released on DVD. The DVD sold so well, Fox is now producing new episodes. It is very possible that the same could happen for Gargoyles.

But to get the second season on DVD, and to possibly get new episodes produced, the DVDs need to sell really, really, really well. This is why I am here trying to sell you on buying a copy of the DVD.

I am an avid a rabid fan of the show, and I am not alone. Every year hundreds of fans gather from all over the world for an annual convention called the Gathering of the Gargoyles. The first con was in 1997 and we haven't missed a year since. This year's con, which happened this past August, had a special group of guests: a film crew from Disney who are producing a documentary on the convention which is to be included on the first season DVD. This is unlike anything to have happened before for a Disney television series, and that shows you just how strong of a following, which goes to show just how unique, and great Gargoyles is.

I still don't really care.

Fair enough. Which is why I ask that, if you are one who would be willing to contribute were I to provide a donation box for Ruthsarian Layouts, in lieu of a donation, please buy a copy of this DVD. Rather than giving me money, you at least get something for your money, and at the same time you're helping me and thousands of fans across the globe. It's something that you could give as a birthday or Christmas present, if you yourself are not interested in watching the show. It's a better use of your money than a simple donation.

$30? No way.

Then please at least spread the word. Let others know about the show. Perhaps they might be interested in buying the DVD. I have talked to many people about the show. Whenever I bring it up, it is always the same response. "Oh yeah, I remember that show. I really liked it. Whatever happened to it?" I think as word spreads on this DVD, many old fans will have their interest renewed, and perhaps find something new in an old show.

Yeah yeah... get on with it!

If you've read through this page, I thank you. It's enough that you even took the time to read what I've written down, and I appreciate it.

Now back to what you really want to hear about, the details in the implementation of this layout.

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What'd you do to make this layout?

The gory details I'll keep short. Basically I created a one-shot layout, based on skidoo lean, which I then posted about on my blog. I took the layout a step further and created version two. I clean that up a bit, worked a little on compatibility, added some colors, and had version three.

Then I created skidoo too and decided that I liked the CSS better in that version. So I ported the gargoyles oneshot version three into the layout you see on your screen right now.

Most of the tricks used in this layout have already been talked about in the previous skidoo layouts. Most of the changes made are in margin values and z-index properties in an attempt to get various boxes layering 4 or 5 deep.

Fluid columns?!

Yup. The two columns in the main content area (the one you're reading this text in, and the one to the right) have their widths defined in percentage values. And all this while using the negative-margins approach. Seems obvious and simple at first, except that you need to reserve space for the right-hand column using one percentage value (say 30%) and then add a negative margin on that right-column in a value equal to the width of the 30% reserved, but defined within a box whose width is the 70% remaining in the box. The formula for calculating out the value (42.85% in this case) is located within the comments in the stylesheet.

NN4 and IE4 Compatibility?

Compatibility isn't the right word. You can view this page in NN4 and IE4 and you'll get a very plain looking page, but the content is at least readable. However the layout structure is not preserved under these older browsers. So "functional" is probably the better term to use.

Separate stylesheet for the theme

Skidoo lean combined theme and layout into a single stylesheet. This layout breaks the theme out from the layout. It's a much more logical approach to take.

cornerLogo

The upper-left box is intended to be used for placement of a logo. It will probably give some users a bit of grief trying to get it to work right. I also suggest looking into using a transparent background image such as a PNG or GIF as it will add a bit of extra flavor to the design. You will want to look at this ALA article on how to use PNGs across multiple platforms.

Comments always welcomed

Either via email or the weblog. Thanks for reading.


Gargoyles - Season 1 on DVD

Here is a list of online stores where you will be able to purchase a copy. Note: With the exception of the Amazon.com link, none of these are "affiliate" links. I, personally, do not make any money for purchases made through these sites.

The Amazon.com link uses an affiliate link for The Gathering of the Gargoyles, an annual convention for fans of the series. All purchases made through that link go to a great cause and help support the fans and the fandom.

Here are some websites that discuss and review Gargoyles and the DVD.

Here are some other Gargoyles resources that may be of interest to you.

Don't forget to explore the list of Gargoyles fansites listed in the left-hand menu!