The EBD hype Machine Challenge

So, I've started up a Myspace page ( Add me, Bitches!) and Aeron and I were trading some notes thereabouts; Why not an Eaten By Ducks myspace page? It definitely can't hurt.
I'm about halfway done with changing up the look of EBD proper; I'm going to shrink the avatars a little bit, embed links in the images, widen the template, and even add some pages- other urls- to EBD.
But here's the thing- We need a kind of coherent set of images that binds it all together. We need :

1. An avatar

2. Either a banner that isn't done in one of our signature styles, or a cool font, or really great hand-drawn lettering.

3. Some kind of background image that doesn't crowd the page. It would have to be sort of muted, basically, or it will look like a jumble, competing with our posts. We don't "need" this, but I think it could be cool.

I've got a few things up my sleeve regarding the content of EBD. One thing I plan on doing is soliciting for interviews with artists and cartoonists and what have yous that I plan on posting here. I kind of started off with that idea way back when. It's something I've always been interested in.

My hope is that EBD will kind of get to the next level, so to speak. Sean is certainly helping on that front with the in-the-works EBD zine.
( How cool will that be to have the cover image linked-to on the sidebar? )
I don't want to sound like I don't like EBD how it is.We have great, great cartoonists and artists posting here right now and I think lots of people would be into reading this blog if they only knew it existed, or if we offered some more reader-friendly content.I just think it can be more than what it is right now. It can be what's going on here now, squared.

So, my worry is that this change will be seen as sort of presumptuous on my part. It's tricky, trying to figure out what all of you are going to like,or how to negotiate any potential conflict. After all, none of us "owns" Eaten By Ducks, but we all sort of do. But I try to keep in mind that EBD is not, as far as I know, the sole internet outlet for any of us. We all do personal blogs ,it seems.
So EBD should be about something a little different. It's first and foremost for us to communicate with one another. We do that well. But we can do that on our aforementioned blogs. It needs to be about something a little more.
For some, it might be about hyping their own projects, for others, a way to participate in creating media, for others still it will remain a casual way of getting and giving feedback to like minded friends and nothing more. all of those are good motives, in my opinion, as long as it's done with the idea in mind that you're contributing to a larger organ.
Some of us are published artists, some not. But I think the common denominator is that we would all like to be, wether it's commercial work, comics or self-published books and zines. The potential for posting content to that end hasn't really been met by us, I don't think. I mentioned earlier that I plan on adding new pages to EBD; I hope to create one that features links to all of our published work, pdf zines, actual zines- all that stuff.

SO: Let me know what you think about all these changes.
If it seems like very few are interested enough to participate in the discussion, maybe I'll rethink all of it and start up something new.Maybe this just isn't the place to do all this.
If you can't actively participate in the discussion, that's okay- keep doing what you're doing- but If you really don't want any of these changes to occur, make your voice heard.If you have ideas about better ways to change it, let's talk about it.
Also, I realize this might seem even more presumptuous on my part, but there are a few members who simply do not post here anymore. I'm going to take down their links for the time being.If they want to start up again, I'll be more than happy to welcome them back, but based on their participation over the last six months or so, I think they won't even notice ( what a drag!)
Now, let's hit the comments board .