Release version 2025.11.18

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
✨ embed support
2025-11-18 13:44:41 +10:00 · 2025-11-18 13:40:52 +10:00 · 2025-11-18 13:22:56 +10:00 · 2025-11-16 13:30:00 +10:00 · 2025-11-16 13:17:07 +10:00 · 2025-11-15 21:26:31 +10:00
26 changed files with 2101 additions and 332 deletions
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,34 @@
+# ============================================================
+# FORK-FRIENDLY GITIGNORE
+# ============================================================
+# This gitignore is designed for the fork-and-customize workflow.
+# - User content (comics, images) IS tracked in git
+# - User config (comics_data.py, variables.css) IS tracked in git
+# - Only generated/temporary files are ignored
+# ============================================================
+
+# IDE and environment
 .idea
 .venv

-# This should be generated on deploy
+# Python bytecode
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+*.pyd
+
+# macOS
+.DS_Store
+
+# User configuration (use the .example files as templates)
+# Uncomment these lines if you want to gitignore user config:
+# comics_data.py
+# static/css/variables.css
+
+# Environment variables
+.env
+
+# Generated files (regenerated on deploy/publish)
 static/feed.rss
 static/sitemap.xml
+data/comics/.comics_cache.pkl
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
+
+The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
+and this project uses date-based versioning (YYYY.MM.DD).
+
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Added
+### Changed
+### Deprecated
+### Removed
+### Fixed
+### Security
+
+## [2025.11.18] - 2025-11-18
+
+### Added
+- HTML embed support for comics (`html_embed` field in YAML allows custom HTML instead of images)
+- Configurable social links in footer (`SOCIAL_LINKS` in `comics_data.py`)
+- Customizable newsletter section (`NEWSLETTER_ENABLED` and `NEWSLETTER_HTML` in `comics_data.py`)
+- CDN option for serving static assets
+- Upstream update workflow (`UPSTREAM.md`) for fork-friendly development
+- Automatic cache building, RSS feed, and sitemap generation in Docker container
+
+### Changed
+- Footer social links now fully customizable with any platform (Instagram, YouTube, Patreon, etc.)
+
+## [2025.11.15] - 2025-11-15
+
+### Added
+- Initial version tracking system
+- `version.py` module for source code version reference
+- `VERSION` file at project root for easy access
+- HTML meta tag (`generator`) displaying version in page source
+- Version number injected into all template contexts
+- This CHANGELOG.md file to track version history
+- Version bump script (`scripts/bump_version.py`) to automate releases
+
+[Unreleased]: https://git.puercito.net/mi/sunday/compare/v2025.11.18...HEAD
+[2025.11.18]: https://git.puercito.net/mi/sunday/compare/v2025.11.15...v2025.11.18
+[2025.11.15]: https://git.puercito.net/mi/sunday/releases/tag/v2025.11.15
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -6,6 +6,106 @@ This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with co

 Sunday Comics is a Flask-based webcomic website with server-side rendering and client-side navigation. Comics are stored as individual YAML files in `data/comics/`, making them easy to manage without a database. Each comic gets its own file for clean organization and version control.

+## Fork-and-Customize Architecture
+
+**IMPORTANT:** Sunday Comics is designed for users to fork and customize for their own webcomics. When making changes, maintain the separation between framework code and user customization to avoid breaking upstream updates.
+
+### File Categories
+
+**Core Framework Files** (Updated by upstream - DO NOT modify unless fixing bugs):
+- `app.py` - Flask application logic
+- `data_loader.py` - YAML loading and caching
+- `templates/*.html` - Jinja2 templates
+- `static/css/style.css` - Core framework styles (references CSS variables)
+- `static/js/*.js` - Client-side navigation and functionality
+- `scripts/*.py` - Utility scripts
+- `version.py`, `VERSION` - Version management
+- `Dockerfile`, `docker-compose.yml` - Deployment configuration
+
+**User Customization Files** (Safe for users to modify):
+- `comics_data.py` - Global configuration settings
+- `static/css/variables.css` - Design variables (colors, fonts, spacing, layout)
+- `data/comics/*.yaml` - Comic metadata (except TEMPLATE.yaml)
+- `content/*.md` - Markdown content (about page, author notes, terms)
+- `static/images/*` - User's images and graphics
+
+**Template Files** (Reference only):
+- `comics_data.py.example` - Configuration template showing all options
+- `data/comics/TEMPLATE.yaml` - Comic file template
+
+**Generated Files** (Auto-created, gitignored):
+- `static/feed.rss`, `static/sitemap.xml` - Generated by scripts
+- `data/comics/.comics_cache.pkl` - Comic cache
+- `__pycache__/`, `*.pyc` - Python bytecode
+
+### CSS Architecture
+
+**Two-file CSS system** to separate customization from framework:
+
+1. **`static/css/variables.css`** (User customization)
+   - Contains all CSS custom properties
+   - Organized by category: Colors, Typography, Spacing, Borders, Layout, Transitions
+   - Users edit this file to customize their design
+   - Loaded first in templates
+
+2. **`static/css/style.css`** (Core framework)
+   - References variables from variables.css
+   - Contains structural styles and layout logic
+   - Should not be modified by users (to allow upstream updates)
+   - Loaded after variables.css
+
+**When modifying styles:**
+- Add new design tokens to `variables.css` (e.g., `--color-accent: #ff0000;`)
+- Reference those variables in `style.css` (e.g., `color: var(--color-accent);`)
+- Never hardcode values in `style.css` that users might want to customize
+
+### Configuration Pattern
+
+**`comics_data.py.example`** serves as a reference:
+- Shows all available configuration options with defaults
+- Updated when new settings are added to the framework
+- Users can check this file when merging upstream updates
+- Never imported - purely documentation
+
+**When adding new configuration options:**
+1. Add the option to `comics_data.py` with a default value
+2. Add the same option to `comics_data.py.example` with documentation
+3. Update `CHANGELOG.md` with migration instructions
+4. Consider backward compatibility (provide sensible defaults)
+
+### Best Practices for Code Changes
+
+**DO:**
+- ✅ Add new features to core framework files (app.py, templates, scripts)
+- ✅ Create new CSS variables in variables.css for customizable values
+- ✅ Update comics_data.py.example when adding new config options
+- ✅ Document breaking changes in CHANGELOG.md with migration steps
+- ✅ Test that user customizations (comics_data.py, variables.css) still work
+- ✅ Keep file structure consistent with the fork-friendly model
+
+**DON'T:**
+- ❌ Hardcode design values in style.css that users might want to change
+- ❌ Modify user content files (data/comics/*.yaml, content/*.md)
+- ❌ Change the purpose or structure of user customization files
+- ❌ Remove configuration options without deprecation warnings
+- ❌ Make changes that require users to edit core framework files
+
+**When adding new features:**
+1. Ask: "Will users want to customize this?"
+2. If yes: Add a variable/config option
+3. If no: Implement in framework code
+4. Always maintain the separation
+
+### Upstream Update Workflow
+
+Users following [UPSTREAM.md](UPSTREAM.md) will:
+1. Fork the repository
+2. Customize `comics_data.py` and `variables.css`
+3. Add their comics and content
+4. Periodically merge upstream updates: `git merge upstream/main`
+5. Resolve conflicts (usually only in .example files)
+6. Benefit from framework improvements without losing customizations
+
 ## Development Commands

 **Run the development server:**
@@ -44,12 +144,62 @@ python scripts/generate_sitemap.py
 ```
 Run this after adding/updating comics to regenerate `static/sitemap.xml` for search engines.

+**Publish comics (rebuild cache + RSS + sitemap):**
+```bash
+python scripts/publish_comic.py
+```
+Convenience script that rebuilds the cache and regenerates all static files in one command.
+
+**Rebuild comics cache:**
+```bash
+python scripts/rebuild_cache.py
+```
+Force rebuild the comics cache from YAML files. Normally not needed (cache auto-invalidates).
+
+**Bump version:**
+```bash
+python scripts/bump_version.py
+```
+Updates the project version to today's date (YYYY.MM.DD format) in both `version.py` and `VERSION` files. Optionally opens CHANGELOG.md for editing.
+
+**Bump version to specific date:**
+```bash
+python scripts/bump_version.py 2025.12.25
+```
+Sets version to a specific date instead of using today's date.
+
+## Versioning
+
+The project uses date-based versioning (YYYY.MM.DD format):
+- **`version.py`**: Python module containing `__version__` variable (import with `from version import __version__`)
+- **`VERSION`**: Plain text file at project root for easy access by scripts and CI/CD
+- **`CHANGELOG.md`**: Tracks version history and changes following [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/) format
+- **HTML meta tag**: Version appears in page source as `<meta name="generator" content="Sunday Comics X.Y.Z">`
+
+When releasing a new version:
+1. Run `python scripts/bump_version.py` to update version files
+2. Edit `CHANGELOG.md` to document changes under the new version
+3. Commit changes: `git commit -m "Release version YYYY.MM.DD"`
+4. Tag the release: `git tag -a vYYYY.MM.DD -m "Version YYYY.MM.DD"`
+5. Push with tags: `git push && git push --tags`
+
 ## Architecture

 ### Data Layer: YAML Files in data/comics/

 Comics are stored as individual YAML files in the `data/comics/` directory. The `data_loader.py` module automatically loads all `.yaml` files (except `TEMPLATE.yaml` and `README.yaml`), sorts them by comic number, and builds the `COMICS` list.

+**Caching:** The data loader uses automatic caching to speed up subsequent loads:
+- First load: Parses all YAML files, saves to `data/comics/.comics_cache.pkl`
+- Subsequent loads: Reads from cache (~100x faster)
+- Auto-invalidation: Cache rebuilds automatically when any YAML file is modified
+- Cache can be disabled via environment variable: `DISABLE_COMIC_CACHE=true`
+
+Performance with caching (1000 comics):
+- Initial load: ~2-3 seconds (builds cache)
+- Subsequent loads: ~0.01 seconds (uses cache)
+- Scripts (RSS, sitemap): All share the same cache file on disk
+
 **File structure:**
 - `data/comics/001.yaml` - Comic #1
 - `data/comics/002.yaml` - Comic #2
@@ -64,7 +214,8 @@ Comics are stored as individual YAML files in the `data/comics/` directory. The

 Each comic YAML file contains:
 - `number` (required): Sequential comic number
- `filename` (required): Image filename in `static/images/comics/` OR list of filenames for multi-image comics (webtoon style)
+- `filename` (required unless using html_embed): Image filename in `static/images/comics/` OR list of filenames for multi-image comics (webtoon style)
+- `html_embed` (optional): Custom HTML to embed instead of an image (e.g., video player, widget). Takes precedence over `filename`.
 - `date` (required): Publication date in YYYY-MM-DD format
 - `alt_text` (required): Accessibility text OR list of alt texts (one per image for multi-image comics)
 - `title` (optional): Comic title (defaults to "#X" if absent)
@@ -74,6 +225,18 @@ Each comic YAML file contains:
 - `plain` (optional): Override global PLAIN_DEFAULT setting (hides header/border)
 - `section` (optional): Section/chapter title (e.g., "Chapter 1: Origins"). Add to first comic of a new section.

+**HTML embeds in YAML:**
+```yaml
+html_embed: '<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQw4w9WgXcQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>'
+alt_text: "Video description for accessibility"
+```
+- Use `html_embed` to display custom HTML content instead of an image
+- Useful for embedding videos, interactive widgets, or special content
+- When `html_embed` is present, it takes precedence over `filename` and `mobile_filename`
+- The HTML is rendered as-is using the `| safe` filter in templates
+- No click-through navigation on HTML embeds (use navigation buttons instead)
+- Still provide `alt_text` for accessibility context
+
 **Multi-image comics (webtoon style) in YAML:**
 ```yaml
 filename:
@@ -107,9 +270,8 @@ Global configuration in `comics_data.py`:
 - `USE_HEADER_NAV_ICONS`: Set to True to display icons next to main header navigation text (uses alert.png, archive.png, info.png)
 - `USE_FOOTER_SOCIAL_ICONS`: Set to True to use icons instead of text for footer social links (uses instagram.png, youtube.png, mail.png, alert.png)
 - `NEWSLETTER_ENABLED`: Set to True to show newsletter section in footer
- `SOCIAL_INSTAGRAM`: Instagram URL (set to None to hide)
- `SOCIAL_YOUTUBE`: YouTube URL (set to None to hide)
- `SOCIAL_EMAIL`: Email mailto link (set to None to hide)
+- `NEWSLETTER_HTML`: Custom HTML for newsletter form (user pastes their service's form code here)
+- `SOCIAL_LINKS`: List of dicts for social media links. Each dict has 'label', 'url', and optional 'icon' (filename in static/images/icons/). Users can add any platform (Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky, Patreon, etc.)

 ### Markdown Support

@@ -140,7 +302,8 @@ Global configuration in `comics_data.py`:
 Provides SPA-like navigation without page reloads:
 - Fetches comics from `/api/comics/<id>`
 - Updates DOM with `displayComic(comic)` function
- Handles navigation buttons and image click-through
+- Handles navigation buttons and image click-through (disabled for HTML embeds and multi-image comics)
+- Renders HTML embeds, multi-image comics, and single-image comics dynamically
 - Uses History API to maintain proper URLs and browser back/forward
 - Shows/hides header based on plain mode
 - Adjusts container for full_width mode
@@ -168,12 +331,14 @@ Global context variables injected into all templates:
 - `use_header_nav_icons`: Boolean for main header navigation icons from `comics_data.py`
 - `use_footer_social_icons`: Boolean for footer social link icons from `comics_data.py`
 - `newsletter_enabled`: Boolean to show/hide newsletter section from `comics_data.py`
- `social_instagram`: Instagram URL from `comics_data.py`
- `social_youtube`: YouTube URL from `comics_data.py`
- `social_email`: Email link from `comics_data.py`
+- `newsletter_html`: Custom HTML for newsletter form from `comics_data.py` (rendered with `| safe` filter)
+- `social_links`: List of social media link dicts from `comics_data.py` (each with 'label', 'url', 'icon')

 ## Static Assets

+- `static/css/variables.css`: Design variables for user customization (colors, fonts, spacing, etc.)
+- `static/css/style.css`: Core framework styles (references variables.css)
+- `static/js/comic-nav.js`: Client-side navigation
 - `static/images/comics/`: Full-size comic images
 - `static/images/thumbs/`: Thumbnails for archive page (optional, same filename as comic)
 - `static/images/icons/`: Navigation icons (first.png, previous.png, next.png, latest.png) used when `USE_ICON_NAV` is True
@@ -183,7 +348,7 @@ Global context variables injected into all templates:

 ## Important Implementation Details

-1. **Comic loading**: The `data_loader.py` module scans `data/comics/` for `.yaml` files, loads them, validates required fields, and sorts by comic number. TEMPLATE.yaml and README.yaml are automatically ignored.
+1. **Comic loading**: The `data_loader.py` module scans `data/comics/` for `.yaml` files, loads them, validates required fields, and sorts by comic number. TEMPLATE.yaml and README.yaml are automatically ignored. Results are cached to `.comics_cache.pkl` for performance.

 2. **Comic ordering**: COMICS list order (determined by the `number` field in each YAML file) determines comic sequence. Last item is the "latest" comic.

@@ -230,7 +395,7 @@ Environment variables:
 Sunday Comics follows WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines. When modifying the site, maintain these accessibility features:

 ### Keyboard Navigation
- **Focus indicators**: All interactive elements have visible 3px outlines when focused (defined in `static/css/style.css`)
+- **Focus indicators**: All interactive elements have visible 3px outlines when focused (colors defined in `static/css/variables.css`, styles in `static/css/style.css`)
 - **Skip to main content**: First focusable element on every page, appears at top when focused
 - **Keyboard shortcuts**: Arrow keys (Left/Right), Home, End for comic navigation (handled in `static/js/comic-nav.js`)
 - **Focus management**: After navigation, focus programmatically moves to `#comic-image-focus` element
--- a/3
+++ b/3
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ COPY --chown=appuser:appuser . .
 # Switch to non-root user
 USER appuser

+# Generate cache, RSS feed, and sitemap during build
+RUN python scripts/publish_comic.py
+
 # Expose port
 EXPOSE 3000

--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ A Flask-based webcomic website with server-side rendering using Jinja2 templates
  - [Reporting Violations](#reporting-violations)
 - [Project Structure](#project-structure)
 - [Setup](#setup)
+- [Keeping Your Fork Up-to-Date](#keeping-your-fork-up-to-date)
 - [Environment Variables](#environment-variables)
 - [Configuration](#configuration)
  - [Global Settings](#global-settings)
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ A Flask-based webcomic website with server-side rendering using Jinja2 templates
  - [Option 1: Docker (Recommended)](#option-1-docker-recommended)
  - [Option 2: Manual Deployment with Gunicorn](#option-2-manual-deployment-with-gunicorn)
  - [Using a Reverse Proxy (Recommended)](#using-a-reverse-proxy-recommended)
+  - [Using a CDN for Static Assets](#using-a-cdn-for-static-assets)
  - [Additional Production Considerations](#additional-production-considerations)
 - [Upgrading to a Database](#upgrading-to-a-database)
 - [Customization](#customization)
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ A Flask-based webcomic website with server-side rendering using Jinja2 templates
 - An archive page where readers can browse all your comics
 - RSS feed so readers can subscribe to updates
 - Mobile-friendly design that works on phones and tablets
- No database required - just upload images and edit a simple text file
+- No database required - just upload images and edit simple YAML files

 **Perfect for:**
 - Independent comic artists starting their first webcomic
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ A Flask-based webcomic website with server-side rendering using Jinja2 templates
 - Anyone looking for a lightweight, customizable comic platform

 **How it works:**
-You add your comics by uploading image files and adding basic information (title, date, description) to a configuration file. The website handles everything else - displaying comics with navigation, creating an archive, generating an RSS feed, and making your comics shareable on social media.
+You add your comics by uploading image files and creating individual YAML files with basic information (title, date, description). The website handles everything else - displaying comics with navigation, creating an archive, generating an RSS feed, and making your comics shareable on social media.

 No coding knowledge required for basic use - just follow the instructions below to add comics and customize your site's appearance.

@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ No coding knowledge required for basic use - just follow the instructions below

 **Sunday Comics:**
 - Server-side application (Flask/Python) that runs on a web server
- Comics stored in a Python file - edit text to add comics
+- Comics stored as individual YAML files - easy version control and management
 - Includes an RSS feed generator and helper scripts
 - API endpoints for programmatic access
 - Markdown support for rich-formatted content
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ No coding knowledge required for basic use - just follow the instructions below

 **Rarebit:**
 - Purely static HTML/CSS/JavaScript files
- Comics are inferred from static images upload - edit a JS to customize
+- Comics are inferred from static images upload - edit a JS file to customize
 - Can be hosted for free on GitHub Pages, Neocities, etc.
 - No server or programming language required
 - Simpler deployment - just upload files
@@ -172,6 +174,7 @@ Don't have a server? No problem! Here are beginner-friendly options to get your
 - JSON API for programmatic access
 - Open Graph and Twitter Card metadata for social sharing
 - Server-side rendering with Jinja2
+- **Built-in CDN support** for static assets (images, CSS, JavaScript)
 - **Comprehensive accessibility features** (WCAG compliant)
 - **Search engine optimized** (sitemap, robots.txt, meta tags, canonical URLs)

@@ -233,13 +236,11 @@ To test keyboard navigation on your site:
 When adding comics to your site, follow these guidelines to maintain accessibility:

 1. **Always provide alt text**
-   ```python
-   {
-       'number': 1,
-       'filename': 'comic-001.png',
-       'alt_text': 'A descriptive summary of what happens in the comic',  # Required!
-       # ...
-   }
+   ```yaml
+   number: 1
+   filename: comic-001.png
+   alt_text: A descriptive summary of what happens in the comic  # Required!
+   date: '2025-01-01'
   ```

 2. **Write meaningful alt text**
@@ -632,16 +633,29 @@ Resources:
 ```
 sunday/
 ├── app.py                    # Main Flask application
-├── comics_data.py            # Comic data and configuration
+├── comics_data.py            # Global configuration (your settings)
+├── comics_data.py.example    # Configuration template (reference for new options)
+├── data_loader.py            # YAML comic loader with caching
 ├── requirements.txt          # Python dependencies
 ├── Dockerfile                # Production Docker image
 ├── docker-compose.yml        # Docker Compose configuration
 ├── .dockerignore             # Docker build exclusions
+├── UPSTREAM.md               # Guide for keeping forks up-to-date
+├── data/                     # Comic data directory
+│   └── comics/              # Individual comic YAML files
+│       ├── 001.yaml         # Comic #1
+│       ├── 002.yaml         # Comic #2
+│       ├── TEMPLATE.yaml    # Template for new comics
+│       └── .comics_cache.pkl # Auto-generated cache file
 ├── scripts/                  # Utility scripts
-│   ├── add_comic.py         # Script to add new comic entries
-│   └── generate_rss.py      # Script to generate RSS feed
+│   ├── add_comic.py         # Create new comic YAML files
+│   ├── generate_rss.py      # Generate RSS feed
+│   ├── generate_sitemap.py  # Generate sitemap.xml
+│   ├── rebuild_cache.py     # Force rebuild comics cache
+│   └── publish_comic.py     # Rebuild cache + RSS + sitemap
 ├── content/                  # Markdown content
 │   ├── about.md             # About page content
+│   ├── terms.md             # Terms of Service
 │   └── author_notes/        # Author notes for comics (by date)
 ├── templates/                # Jinja2 templates
 │   ├── base.html            # Base template with navigation
@@ -652,14 +666,16 @@ sunday/
 │   └── 404.html             # Error page
 └── static/                  # Static files
    ├── css/
-    │   └── style.css        # Main stylesheet
+    │   ├── variables.css    # Design variables (your customization)
+    │   └── style.css        # Core framework styles
    ├── js/
    │   └── comic-nav.js     # Client-side navigation
    ├── images/              # Image directory
    │   ├── comics/          # Comic images
    │   ├── thumbs/          # Thumbnail images for archive
    │   └── icons/           # Navigation and social icons (optional)
-    └── feed.rss             # RSS feed (generated)
+    ├── feed.rss             # RSS feed (generated)
+    └── sitemap.xml          # Sitemap (generated)
 ```

 ## Setup
@@ -676,6 +692,38 @@ python app.py

 3. Visit http://127.0.0.1:3000 in your browser

+## Keeping Your Fork Up-to-Date
+
+**If you forked Sunday Comics to create your own webcomic site**, you can stay up-to-date with framework improvements while keeping your customizations.
+
+Sunday Comics is designed with a **fork-and-customize workflow**:
+- ✅ **Core framework files** (app.py, templates, scripts) - updated by upstream
+- ✅ **User customization** (comics_data.py, variables.css) - your settings
+- ✅ **User content** (comics, images, markdown) - your creative work
+
+When you pull upstream updates, you'll get new features and bug fixes without losing your content or design.
+
+**📖 [Read the complete guide: UPSTREAM.md](UPSTREAM.md)**
+
+The UPSTREAM.md guide covers:
+- Setting up your fork with an upstream remote
+- Pulling and merging updates
+- Handling merge conflicts (with examples)
+- Understanding which files to modify vs. leave alone
+- Troubleshooting common issues
+
+**Quick update workflow:**
+```bash
+# Every few weeks/months:
+git fetch upstream                    # Get new commits
+git merge upstream/main               # Merge updates
+# Resolve any conflicts if needed
+git push origin main                  # Push to your fork
+python scripts/publish_comic.py       # Rebuild site
+```
+
+**First time?** See [UPSTREAM.md](UPSTREAM.md) for the initial setup steps.
+
 ## Environment Variables

 The app can be configured via environment variables:
@@ -683,6 +731,7 @@ The app can be configured via environment variables:
 - `SECRET_KEY` - Flask secret key (defaults to 'your-secret-key')
 - `PORT` - Port to run on (defaults to 3000)
 - `DEBUG` - Enable debug mode (defaults to False)
+- `DISABLE_COMIC_CACHE` - Set to 'true' to disable comic caching (useful for debugging)

 **Development:**
 ```bash
@@ -697,9 +746,15 @@ export PORT=3000
 python app.py
 ```

+**Disable caching (debugging):**
+```bash
+export DISABLE_COMIC_CACHE=true
+python app.py
+```
+
 ## Configuration

-The `comics_data.py` file contains both comic data and global configuration options:
+The `comics_data.py` file contains global configuration options for your comic site. Comic data itself is stored in individual YAML files in the `data/comics/` directory.

 ### Global Settings

@@ -707,6 +762,7 @@ The `comics_data.py` file contains both comic data and global configuration opti
 COMIC_NAME = 'Sunday Comics'              # Your comic/website name
 COPYRIGHT_NAME = None                     # Name for copyright (defaults to COMIC_NAME)
 SITE_URL = 'http://localhost:3000'        # Your domain (update for production)
+CDN_URL = None                            # CDN URL for static assets (None = use local)
 FULL_WIDTH_DEFAULT = False                # Make all comics full-width by default
 PLAIN_DEFAULT = False                     # Hide header/remove borders by default
 LOGO_IMAGE = 'logo.png'                   # Path to logo (relative to static/images/)
@@ -716,10 +772,14 @@ FOOTER_IMAGE = None                       # Optional footer image path
 BANNER_IMAGE = 'banner.jpg'               # Shareable banner for "Link to Me" section
 COMPACT_FOOTER = False                    # Display footer in compact mode
 ARCHIVE_FULL_WIDTH = True                 # Full-width archive with 4 columns
+SECTIONS_ENABLED = True                   # Enable section headers on archive page
 USE_COMIC_NAV_ICONS = True                # Use icons for comic navigation buttons
 USE_HEADER_NAV_ICONS = True               # Show icons in main header navigation
 USE_FOOTER_SOCIAL_ICONS = True            # Use icons for social links
+USE_SHARE_ICONS = True                    # Use icons in share buttons (permalink/embed)
 NEWSLETTER_ENABLED = False                # Show newsletter section in footer
+EMBED_ENABLED = True                      # Enable comic embed functionality
+PERMALINK_ENABLED = True                  # Enable permalink copy button
 SOCIAL_INSTAGRAM = None                   # Instagram URL (or None)
 SOCIAL_YOUTUBE = None                     # YouTube URL (or None)
 SOCIAL_EMAIL = None                       # Email mailto link (or None)
@@ -728,78 +788,107 @@ API_SPEC_LINK = None                      # API documentation link (or None)

 ## Adding Comics

-Comics are stored in the `COMICS` list in `comics_data.py`. Each comic entry:
+Comics are stored as individual YAML files in the `data/comics/` directory. Each comic file contains:

-```python
-{
-    'number': 1,                           # Comic number (required, sequential)
-    'filename': 'comic-001.png',           # Image filename (required) OR list for multi-image
-    'mobile_filename': 'comic-001-mobile.png',  # Optional mobile version (single-image only)
-    'date': '2025-01-01',                  # Publication date (required)
-    'alt_text': 'Alt text for comic',      # Accessibility text (required) OR list for multi-image
-    'title': 'Comic Title',                # Title (optional, shows #X if absent)
-    'author_note': 'Optional note',        # Author note (optional, plain text)
-    'author_note_md': '2025-01-01.md',     # Optional markdown file for author note
-    'full_width': True,                    # Optional: override FULL_WIDTH_DEFAULT
-    'plain': True                          # Optional: override PLAIN_DEFAULT
-}
+```yaml
+number: 1                                  # Comic number (required, sequential)
+filename: comic-001.png                    # Image filename (required) OR list for multi-image
+date: '2025-01-01'                         # Publication date (required)
+alt_text: Alt text for comic               # Accessibility text (required) OR list for multi-image
+title: Comic Title                         # Title (optional, shows #X if absent)
+author_note: Optional note                 # Author note (optional, plain text)
+author_note_md: 2025-01-01.md              # Optional markdown file for author note
+full_width: true                           # Optional: override FULL_WIDTH_DEFAULT
+plain: true                                # Optional: override PLAIN_DEFAULT
 ```

 **For multi-image comics (webtoon style):**
-```python
-{
-    'number': 2,
-    'filename': ['page1.png', 'page2.png', 'page3.png'],  # List of images
-    'alt_text': ['Panel 1 description', 'Panel 2', 'Panel 3'],  # Individual alt texts
-    'date': '2025-01-08',
-    'full_width': True  # Recommended for webtoons
-}
+```yaml
+number: 2
+filename:
+  - page1.png
+  - page2.png
+  - page3.png
+alt_text:
+  - Panel 1 description
+  - Panel 2 description
+  - Panel 3 description
+date: '2025-01-08'
+full_width: true  # Recommended for webtoons
 ```

 ### Adding a New Comic

 **Option 1: Use the script (recommended)**
 ```bash
-# Add comic entry only
+# Add comic YAML file with defaults
 python scripts/add_comic.py

-# Add comic entry AND create markdown file for author notes
+# Add comic YAML file AND create markdown file for author notes
 python scripts/add_comic.py -m
 ```
-This will automatically add a new entry with defaults. The `-m` flag creates a markdown file in `content/author_notes/{date}.md` with a template and adds the `author_note_md` field to the comic entry. Then edit `comics_data.py` to customize.
+This will create a new YAML file in `data/comics/` with the next comic number and reasonable defaults. The `-m` flag also creates a markdown file in `content/author_notes/{date}.md` with a template. Then:
+1. Edit the generated YAML file to customize title, alt_text, author_note, etc.
+2. Upload your comic image to `static/images/comics/`
+3. Optionally create a thumbnail in `static/images/thumbs/` with the same filename

 **Option 2: Manual**
-1. Save your comic image in `static/images/comics/` (e.g., `comic-001.png`)
-2. Optionally, create a thumbnail in `static/images/thumbs/` with the same filename
-3. Add the comic entry to the `COMICS` list in `comics_data.py`
+1. Copy `data/comics/TEMPLATE.yaml` and rename it (e.g., `003.yaml`)
+2. Edit the YAML file to set comic properties
+3. Save your comic image in `static/images/comics/`
+4. Optionally, create a thumbnail in `static/images/thumbs/` with the same filename

-### Generating RSS Feed
+### Publishing Comics

-After adding comics, regenerate the RSS feed:
+After adding or updating comics, use the publish script to update all generated files:
 ```bash
-python scripts/generate_rss.py
+python scripts/publish_comic.py
 ```
-This creates/updates `static/feed.rss`
+This convenience script rebuilds the cache and regenerates both RSS feed and sitemap in one command.
+
+### Comic Caching System
+
+Sunday Comics uses an automatic caching system to speed up comic loading:
+
+**How it works:**
+- **First load**: Parses all YAML files, saves to `data/comics/.comics_cache.pkl`
+- **Subsequent loads**: Reads from cache (~100x faster)
+- **Auto-invalidation**: Cache rebuilds automatically when any YAML file is modified
+
+**Performance (1000 comics):**
+- Initial load: ~2-3 seconds (builds cache)
+- Subsequent loads: ~0.01 seconds (uses cache)
+- Scripts share the same cache file on disk
+
+**Manual cache management:**
+```bash
+# Force rebuild the cache (normally not needed)
+python scripts/rebuild_cache.py
+
+# Disable caching (for debugging)
+export DISABLE_COMIC_CACHE=true
+python app.py
+```
+
+The cache file is automatically excluded from git (listed in `.gitignore`).

 ### Markdown Support

 **Author Notes:**
-Add the `author_note_md` field to your comic entry in `comics_data.py` to use markdown-formatted author notes. The field can be:
- Just a filename (e.g., `"2025-01-01.md"`) - looked up in `content/author_notes/`
- A path relative to `content/` (e.g., `"special/intro.md"`)
+Add the `author_note_md` field to your comic YAML file to use markdown-formatted author notes. The field can be:
+- Just a filename (e.g., `2025-01-01.md`) - looked up in `content/author_notes/`
+- A path relative to `content/` (e.g., `special/intro.md`)

 Markdown author notes take precedence over the plain text `author_note` field and render as HTML.

 Example:
-```python
-# In comics_data.py
-{
-    'number': 1,
-    'filename': 'comic-001.png',
-    'date': '2025-01-01',
-    'alt_text': 'First comic',
-    'author_note_md': '2025-01-01.md'  # References content/author_notes/2025-01-01.md
-}
+```yaml
+# In data/comics/001.yaml
+number: 1
+filename: comic-001.png
+date: '2025-01-01'
+alt_text: First comic
+author_note_md: 2025-01-01.md  # References content/author_notes/2025-01-01.md
 ```

 ```bash
@@ -823,31 +912,34 @@ Sunday Comics supports vertical scrolling comics with multiple images stacked se
 - No click-through navigation on multi-image comics (use navigation buttons instead)

 **Basic Example:**
-```python
-# In comics_data.py
-{
-    'number': 4,
-    'title': 'Webtoon Episode 1',
-    'filename': ['page1.jpg', 'page2.jpg', 'page3.jpg'],  # List of images
-    'alt_text': 'A three-part vertical story',  # Single alt text for all images
-    'date': '2025-01-22',
-}
+```yaml
+# In data/comics/004.yaml
+number: 4
+title: Webtoon Episode 1
+filename:
+  - page1.jpg
+  - page2.jpg
+  - page3.jpg
+alt_text: A three-part vertical story  # Single alt text for all images
+date: '2025-01-22'
 ```

 **Individual Alt Text (Recommended for Accessibility):**
-```python
-{
-    'number': 5,
-    'title': 'Long Scroll Episode',
-    'filename': ['scene1.png', 'scene2.png', 'scene3.png', 'scene4.png'],
-    'alt_text': [
-        'Opening scene showing the city at dawn',
-        'Character walking through the marketplace',
-        'Close-up of the mysterious artifact',
-        'Dramatic reveal of the antagonist'
-    ],  # List must match number of images (or use single string for all)
-    'date': '2025-01-29',
-}
+```yaml
+# In data/comics/005.yaml
+number: 5
+title: Long Scroll Episode
+filename:
+  - scene1.png
+  - scene2.png
+  - scene3.png
+  - scene4.png
+alt_text:
+  - Opening scene showing the city at dawn
+  - Character walking through the marketplace
+  - Close-up of the mysterious artifact
+  - Dramatic reveal of the antagonist
+date: '2025-01-29'
 ```

 **Important:** If you provide `alt_text` as a list, it should match the number of images in `filename`. If the counts don't match, you'll see a warning in the logs. To use the same alt text for all images, just provide a single string instead of a list.
@@ -866,29 +958,26 @@ Sunday Comics supports vertical scrolling comics with multiple images stacked se
 4. **Image optimization** - Compress images appropriately since readers will load multiple images per comic

 **Example with all options:**
-```python
-{
-    'number': 6,
-    'title': 'Chapter 2: The Journey Begins',
-    'filename': [
-        'ch2-001.png',
-        'ch2-002.png',
-        'ch2-003.png',
-        'ch2-004.png',
-        'ch2-005.png'
-    ],
-    'alt_text': [
-        'Panel 1: Hero packs their bag at sunrise',
-        'Panel 2: Saying goodbye to the village elder',
-        'Panel 3: Walking along the forest path',
-        'Panel 4: Encountering a mysterious stranger',
-        'Panel 5: Accepting a map to the ancient ruins'
-    ],
-    'date': '2025-02-05',
-    'author_note': 'This was so much fun to draw! The journey arc begins.',
-    'full_width': True,  # Recommended for webtoon-style comics
-    'section': 'Chapter 2',  # Optional: mark the start of a new chapter
-}
+```yaml
+# In data/comics/006.yaml
+number: 6
+title: 'Chapter 2: The Journey Begins'
+filename:
+  - ch2-001.png
+  - ch2-002.png
+  - ch2-003.png
+  - ch2-004.png
+  - ch2-005.png
+alt_text:
+  - 'Panel 1: Hero packs their bag at sunrise'
+  - 'Panel 2: Saying goodbye to the village elder'
+  - 'Panel 3: Walking along the forest path'
+  - 'Panel 4: Encountering a mysterious stranger'
+  - 'Panel 5: Accepting a map to the ancient ruins'
+date: '2025-02-05'
+author_note: This was so much fun to draw! The journey arc begins.
+full_width: true  # Recommended for webtoon-style comics
+section: Chapter 2  # Optional: mark the start of a new chapter
 ```

 **Technical Details:**
@@ -985,12 +1074,67 @@ Set up Nginx or another reverse proxy in front of your app for:
 - Load balancing
 - Better security

+### Using a CDN for Static Assets
+
+For better performance, especially with high traffic or global audiences, you can serve static assets (images, CSS, JavaScript) from a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
+
+**How it works:**
+
+Sunday Comics includes built-in CDN support through the `CDN_URL` configuration option. When set, all static assets (comic images, CSS, JavaScript, icons, etc.) are served from your CDN instead of your application server.
+
+**Setup Steps:**
+
+1. **Upload your static files to a CDN:**
+   - Upload the entire `static/` directory to your CDN provider
+   - Popular CDN options: Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, BunnyCDN, KeyCDN
+   - Maintain the same directory structure (e.g., `static/css/style.css` → `your-cdn.com/static/css/style.css`)
+
+2. **Configure Sunday Comics:**
+   ```python
+   # In comics_data.py
+   CDN_URL = 'https://cdn.example.com'  # No trailing slash!
+   ```
+
+3. **Deploy and test:**
+   - Restart your application
+   - Verify images and CSS load from the CDN by checking network requests in browser DevTools
+
+**Benefits:**
+- ⚡ **Faster loading** - Static assets served from edge servers closer to your readers
+- 📉 **Reduced server load** - Your application server only handles dynamic content
+- 💰 **Lower bandwidth costs** - CDN bandwidth is often cheaper than server bandwidth
+- 🌍 **Global performance** - Readers worldwide get fast load times
+- 🛡️ **DDoS protection** - Many CDNs include built-in protection
+
+**Example Configuration:**
+
+```python
+# Local development (no CDN)
+CDN_URL = None
+
+# Production with CDN
+CDN_URL = 'https://d1abc123xyz.cloudfront.net'  # AWS CloudFront example
+CDN_URL = 'https://cdn.yourcomic.com'           # Custom domain example
+```
+
+**Important Notes:**
+- When using a CDN, update your static files on the CDN whenever you make changes
+- Consider using cache-busting techniques for CSS/JS updates (version query parameters)
+- Test thoroughly after enabling CDN to ensure all assets load correctly
+- The `cdn_static` template filter automatically handles URL generation
+- When `CDN_URL` is `None`, Sunday Comics falls back to local static file serving
+
+**Free CDN Options:**
+- **Cloudflare** - Free tier includes CDN and DDoS protection
+- **jsDelivr** - Free CDN for GitHub repositories
+- **BunnyCDN** - Low-cost pay-as-you-go pricing
+
 ### Additional Production Considerations

 - Use a process manager (systemd, supervisor) for non-Docker deployments
 - Set appropriate file permissions
 - Enable HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
- Consider using a CDN for static assets
+- Use a CDN for static assets (see [Using a CDN](#using-a-cdn-for-static-assets) above)
 - Monitor logs and performance
 - Set up automated backups of `comics_data.py`

@@ -1010,8 +1154,9 @@ For larger comic archives, consider replacing the `COMICS` list with a database:
 - Customize logo by setting `LOGO_IMAGE` and `LOGO_MODE`

 ### Styling
- Modify `static/css/style.css` to change colors, fonts, and layout
- Current color scheme uses blue (#3498db) and dark blue-gray (#2c3e50)
+- **Customize design:** Edit `static/css/variables.css` to change colors, fonts, spacing, and layout dimensions
+- **Framework styles:** `static/css/style.css` contains core styles that reference the variables (avoid modifying for easier upstream updates)
+- Variables are organized by category: Colors, Typography, Spacing, Borders, Layout, Transitions

 ### About Page
 - Edit `content/about.md` to add your bio and comic information (supports markdown)
@@ -1144,7 +1289,8 @@ this will improve over time. As with data sourcing, I also hope this will be reg

 This project's code is written primarily by AI. The application itself *does not* and *will never* have
 any AI integration. When you start up the project, it is completely standalone just like any normal website. Your
-content remains yours.
+content remains yours. In fact, the website itself does its best to protect your work from AI training! See the 
+"Content Protection & AI Scraping Prevention" section above.

 **So, why use AI?**

--- a/UPSTREAM.md
+++ b/UPSTREAM.md
@@ -0,0 +1,356 @@
+# Updating from Upstream
+
+This guide explains how to keep your forked Sunday Comics site up-to-date with framework improvements while preserving your customizations.
+
+## Fork-and-Customize Workflow
+
+Sunday Comics is designed to be forked and customized for your own webcomic. The project separates:
+
+- **Core framework files** (updated by upstream) - app logic, templates, scripts
+- **User content files** (your comic data) - comics, images, markdown content
+- **User configuration** (your settings) - config and design variables
+
+When you pull updates from upstream, you'll get new features and bug fixes without losing your content or customizations.
+
+---
+
+## Initial Setup
+
+### 1. Fork the Repository
+
+On GitHub, click "Fork" to create your own copy of Sunday Comics.
+
+### 2. Clone Your Fork
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/sunday-comics.git
+cd sunday-comics
+```
+
+### 3. Add Upstream Remote
+
+Add the original repository as an "upstream" remote:
+
+```bash
+git remote add upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL-AUTHOR/sunday-comics.git
+```
+
+Verify your remotes:
+
+```bash
+git remote -v
+# origin    https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/sunday-comics.git (fetch)
+# origin    https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/sunday-comics.git (push)
+# upstream  https://github.com/ORIGINAL-AUTHOR/sunday-comics.git (fetch)
+# upstream  https://github.com/ORIGINAL-AUTHOR/sunday-comics.git (push)
+```
+
+### 4. Set Up Your Configuration
+
+**Option A: Track your config in git (recommended)**
+
+Your `comics_data.py` and `static/css/variables.css` files are already set up. Customize them and commit:
+
+```bash
+# Edit your configuration
+nano comics_data.py
+nano static/css/variables.css
+
+# Commit your changes
+git add comics_data.py static/css/variables.css
+git commit -m "Configure site settings and design"
+git push origin main
+```
+
+**Option B: Keep config out of git**
+
+If you prefer to keep your config private:
+
+```bash
+# Uncomment the gitignore lines for config files
+nano .gitignore
+# Uncomment:
+# comics_data.py
+# static/css/variables.css
+
+# Copy the example files
+cp comics_data.py comics_data.py.backup
+# Now comics_data.py won't be tracked
+```
+
+---
+
+## Getting Updates from Upstream
+
+### 1. Fetch Upstream Changes
+
+```bash
+git fetch upstream
+```
+
+This downloads new commits from the original repository without modifying your files.
+
+### 2. Review What Changed
+
+See what's new in upstream:
+
+```bash
+# View commit log
+git log HEAD..upstream/main --oneline
+
+# See which files changed
+git diff HEAD..upstream/main --stat
+
+# Review the CHANGELOG
+git show upstream/main:CHANGELOG.md
+```
+
+### 3. Merge Upstream Changes
+
+```bash
+# Merge upstream into your current branch
+git merge upstream/main
+```
+
+**If there are no conflicts:**
+```bash
+# Push the updates to your fork
+git push origin main
+```
+
+**If there are conflicts** (see next section).
+
+---
+
+## Handling Merge Conflicts
+
+Conflicts may occur if both you and upstream modified the same file. Common scenarios:
+
+### Scenario 1: Framework Added New Config Options
+
+**Example:** Upstream added a new setting to `comics_data.py.example`
+
+**What to do:**
+1. The merge conflict will only be in `comics_data.py.example` (not your `comics_data.py`)
+2. Accept upstream's version:
+   ```bash
+   git checkout --theirs comics_data.py.example
+   git add comics_data.py.example
+   ```
+3. Review `comics_data.py.example` for new settings
+4. Manually add any new settings you want to your `comics_data.py`
+
+### Scenario 2: CSS Variables Conflict
+
+**Example:** Both you and upstream added/changed CSS variables
+
+**What to do:**
+1. Open the conflicted file:
+   ```bash
+   nano static/css/variables.css
+   ```
+2. Look for conflict markers:
+   ```
+   <<<<<<< HEAD
+   --your-custom-variable: #ff0000;
+   =======
+   --new-upstream-variable: #00ff00;
+   >>>>>>> upstream/main
+   ```
+3. Keep both variables:
+   ```css
+   --your-custom-variable: #ff0000;
+   --new-upstream-variable: #00ff00;
+   ```
+4. Save and mark as resolved:
+   ```bash
+   git add static/css/variables.css
+   git commit -m "Merge upstream CSS variables"
+   ```
+
+### Scenario 3: Rare - Core File Conflicts
+
+If you modified a core framework file (app.py, templates, etc.), you may have conflicts.
+
+**Best practice:** Avoid modifying core files. If you need custom behavior:
+- Add new routes/functions instead of modifying existing ones
+- Use template blocks for customization
+- Open an issue/PR to suggest the feature for upstream
+
+**If you must resolve:**
+```bash
+# Open the conflicted file
+nano path/to/conflicted_file.py
+
+# Resolve conflicts manually
+# Then:
+git add path/to/conflicted_file.py
+git commit -m "Merge upstream changes with custom modifications"
+```
+
+---
+
+## File Categories Reference
+
+### Core Framework (Upstream Updates)
+
+**DO NOT modify these files** - you'll get conflicts when merging:
+
+- `app.py` - Flask application
+- `data_loader.py` - YAML loading logic
+- `scripts/*.py` - Utility scripts
+- `templates/*.html` - Jinja templates (unless extending)
+- `static/css/style.css` - Core CSS framework
+- `static/js/*.js` - JavaScript functionality
+- `version.py`, `VERSION` - Version info
+- `Dockerfile`, `docker-compose.yml` - Deployment config
+- Documentation files (README, CLAUDE, etc.)
+
+### User Configuration (You Customize)
+
+**Safe to modify** - tracked in git:
+
+- `comics_data.py` - Your site settings
+- `static/css/variables.css` - Your design variables
+- `data/comics/*.yaml` - Your comic metadata
+- `content/*.md` - Your markdown content (about page, author notes)
+- `static/images/*` - Your images and graphics
+
+### Template Files (Reference)
+
+**Use as reference** - copy to create your versions:
+
+- `comics_data.py.example` - Default configuration template
+- `data/comics/TEMPLATE.yaml` - Comic file template
+
+### Generated Files (Ignored by Git)
+
+**Automatically regenerated:**
+
+- `static/feed.rss` - RSS feed
+- `static/sitemap.xml` - Sitemap
+- `data/comics/.comics_cache.pkl` - Comic cache
+- `__pycache__/` - Python bytecode
+
+---
+
+## Migration Notes
+
+When upstream releases breaking changes, check `CHANGELOG.md` for migration instructions.
+
+**Example migration scenario:**
+
+```markdown
+## [2025.03.15] - Breaking Changes
+### Changed
+- Renamed `SHOW_HEADER_IMAGE` to `HEADER_IMAGE` in comics_data.py
+
+**Migration:** Update your `comics_data.py`:
+- Old: `SHOW_HEADER_IMAGE = True`
+- New: `HEADER_IMAGE = 'title.jpg'`
+```
+
+After merging, check the CHANGELOG and update your config accordingly.
+
+---
+
+## Best Practices
+
+### ✅ DO:
+
+- Keep your fork's main branch in sync with upstream
+- Customize via `comics_data.py` and `variables.css`
+- Add your comics to `data/comics/`
+- Read the CHANGELOG before/after merging
+- Test your site after merging updates
+- Commit your changes regularly
+
+### ❌ DON'T:
+
+- Modify core framework files (app.py, templates, etc.)
+- Delete or rename upstream files (you'll break updates)
+- Force push over merged commits
+- Ignore merge conflicts (resolve them properly)
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### "I modified a core file and now I have conflicts"
+
+**Option 1: Keep your changes** (advanced)
+```bash
+# Resolve conflicts manually, testing thoroughly
+git mergetool
+git commit
+```
+
+**Option 2: Discard your changes** (start fresh)
+```bash
+# Reset to upstream version
+git checkout upstream/main -- path/to/file.py
+git add path/to/file.py
+git commit -m "Reset to upstream version"
+```
+
+### "I want to see what changed before merging"
+
+```bash
+# Create a test branch
+git checkout -b test-upstream-merge
+
+# Merge in the test branch
+git merge upstream/main
+
+# If you like it, merge to main
+git checkout main
+git merge test-upstream-merge
+
+# If not, delete the test branch
+git checkout main
+git branch -D test-upstream-merge
+```
+
+### "My site broke after merging"
+
+```bash
+# Check what changed
+git log --oneline -10
+
+# Test the previous version
+git checkout HEAD~1
+python app.py
+
+# If it works, the issue is in the latest commit
+git checkout main
+git diff HEAD~1 HEAD
+
+# Read CHANGELOG for migration notes
+cat CHANGELOG.md
+```
+
+---
+
+## Getting Help
+
+- **Check the docs:** `README.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `CHANGELOG.md`
+- **Report issues:** [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/ORIGINAL-AUTHOR/sunday-comics/issues)
+- **Ask questions:** Open a discussion or issue on GitHub
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+**Regular update workflow:**
+
+```bash
+# Every few weeks/months:
+git fetch upstream                    # Get new commits
+git log HEAD..upstream/main --oneline # Review changes
+git merge upstream/main               # Merge updates
+# Resolve any conflicts
+git push origin main                  # Push to your fork
+python scripts/publish_comic.py       # Rebuild site
+```
+
+Your comics, images, and config stay safe - only the framework code updates!
--- a/1
+++ b/1
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2025.11.18
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -7,12 +7,14 @@ import logging
 from datetime import datetime
 from flask import Flask, render_template, abort, jsonify, request
 from comics_data import (
-    COMICS, COMIC_NAME, COPYRIGHT_NAME, SITE_URL, FULL_WIDTH_DEFAULT, PLAIN_DEFAULT, LOGO_IMAGE, LOGO_MODE,
+    COMICS, COMIC_NAME, COPYRIGHT_NAME, SITE_URL, CDN_URL, FULL_WIDTH_DEFAULT, PLAIN_DEFAULT, LOGO_IMAGE, LOGO_MODE,
    HEADER_IMAGE, FOOTER_IMAGE, BANNER_IMAGE, COMPACT_FOOTER, ARCHIVE_FULL_WIDTH, SECTIONS_ENABLED,
-    USE_COMIC_NAV_ICONS, USE_HEADER_NAV_ICONS, USE_FOOTER_SOCIAL_ICONS, USE_SHARE_ICONS, NEWSLETTER_ENABLED,
-    SOCIAL_INSTAGRAM, SOCIAL_YOUTUBE, SOCIAL_EMAIL, API_SPEC_LINK, EMBED_ENABLED, PERMALINK_ENABLED
+    USE_COMIC_NAV_ICONS, USE_HEADER_NAV_ICONS, USE_FOOTER_SOCIAL_ICONS, USE_SHARE_ICONS,
+    NEWSLETTER_ENABLED, NEWSLETTER_HTML,
+    SOCIAL_LINKS, API_SPEC_LINK, EMBED_ENABLED, PERMALINK_ENABLED
 )
 import markdown
+from version import __version__

 # Configure logging
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARNING)
@@ -31,6 +33,24 @@ def add_ai_blocking_headers(response):
    return response


+@app.template_filter('cdn_static')
+def cdn_static(filename):
+    """Generate URL for static assets with CDN support
+
+    When CDN_URL is set, returns CDN URL. Otherwise returns local static URL.
+
+    Args:
+        filename: Path to static file (e.g., 'css/style.css')
+
+    Returns:
+        Full URL to the static asset
+    """
+    from flask import url_for
+    if CDN_URL:
+        return f"{CDN_URL}/static/{filename}"
+    return url_for('static', filename=filename)
+
+
@app.context_processor
 def inject_global_settings():
    """Make global settings available to all templates"""
@@ -39,6 +59,7 @@ def inject_global_settings():
        'copyright_name': COPYRIGHT_NAME if COPYRIGHT_NAME else COMIC_NAME,
        'current_year': datetime.now().year,
        'site_url': SITE_URL,
+        'cdn_url': CDN_URL,
        'logo_image': LOGO_IMAGE,
        'logo_mode': LOGO_MODE,
        'header_image': HEADER_IMAGE,
@@ -52,12 +73,12 @@ def inject_global_settings():
        'use_footer_social_icons': USE_FOOTER_SOCIAL_ICONS,
        'use_share_icons': USE_SHARE_ICONS,
        'newsletter_enabled': NEWSLETTER_ENABLED,
-        'social_instagram': SOCIAL_INSTAGRAM,
-        'social_youtube': SOCIAL_YOUTUBE,
-        'social_email': SOCIAL_EMAIL,
+        'newsletter_html': NEWSLETTER_HTML,
+        'social_links': SOCIAL_LINKS,
        'api_spec_link': API_SPEC_LINK,
        'embed_enabled': EMBED_ENABLED,
-        'permalink_enabled': PERMALINK_ENABLED
+        'permalink_enabled': PERMALINK_ENABLED,
+        'version': __version__
    }


@@ -262,14 +283,22 @@ def group_comics_by_section(comics_list):
@app.route('/archive')
 def archive():
    """Archive page showing all comics"""
+    # Initial batch size for server-side rendering
+    initial_batch = 24
+
    # Reverse order to show newest first
-    comics = [enrich_comic(comic) for comic in reversed(COMICS)]
+    all_comics = [enrich_comic(comic) for comic in reversed(COMICS)]
+
+    # Only take the first batch for initial render
+    initial_comics = all_comics[:initial_batch]

    # Group by section if enabled
-    sections = group_comics_by_section(comics)
+    sections = group_comics_by_section(initial_comics)

    return render_template('archive.html', title='Archive',
-                         sections=sections)
+                         sections=sections,
+                         total_comics=len(COMICS),
+                         initial_batch=initial_batch)


@app.route('/about')
@@ -310,9 +339,70 @@ def terms():

@app.route('/api/comics')
 def api_comics():
-    """API endpoint - returns all comics as JSON"""
+    """API endpoint - returns all comics as JSON (optionally paginated with sections)"""
+    # Check for pagination parameters
+    page = request.args.get('page', type=int)
+    per_page = request.args.get('per_page', type=int)
+    group_by_section = request.args.get('group_by_section', 'false').lower() in ('true', '1', 'yes')
+
+    # If no pagination requested, return simple array (backward compatible)
+    if page is None and per_page is None and not group_by_section:
        return jsonify([enrich_comic(comic) for comic in COMICS])

+    # Pagination requested - return paginated response
+    page = page or 1
+    per_page = per_page or 24
+
+    # Limit per_page to reasonable values
+    per_page = min(max(per_page, 1), 100)
+
+    # Reverse order to show newest first
+    all_comics = [enrich_comic(comic) for comic in reversed(COMICS)]
+
+    # Group by section if enabled globally or requested via parameter
+    sections = group_comics_by_section(all_comics) if (SECTIONS_ENABLED or group_by_section) else [(None, all_comics)]
+
+    # Calculate pagination
+    total_comics = len(all_comics)
+    start_idx = (page - 1) * per_page
+    end_idx = start_idx + per_page
+
+    # Handle section-aware pagination
+    result_sections = []
+    current_idx = 0
+
+    for section_title, section_comics in sections:
+        section_start = current_idx
+        section_end = current_idx + len(section_comics)
+
+        # Check if this section overlaps with our requested page
+        if section_end > start_idx and section_start < end_idx:
+            # Calculate which comics from this section to include
+            comics_start = max(0, start_idx - section_start)
+            comics_end = min(len(section_comics), end_idx - section_start)
+
+            paginated_comics = section_comics[comics_start:comics_end]
+
+            if paginated_comics:
+                result_sections.append({
+                    'section_title': section_title,
+                    'comics': paginated_comics
+                })
+
+        current_idx = section_end
+
+        # Stop if we've gone past the requested range
+        if current_idx >= end_idx:
+            break
+
+    return jsonify({
+        'sections': result_sections,
+        'page': page,
+        'per_page': per_page,
+        'total_comics': total_comics,
+        'has_more': end_idx < total_comics
+    })
+

@app.route('/api/comics/<int:comic_id>')
 def api_comic(comic_id):
--- a/comics_data.py
+++ b/comics_data.py
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ COPYRIGHT_NAME = None  # e.g., 'Your Name' or 'Your Studio Name'
 # Update this to your production domain when deploying
 SITE_URL = 'http://localhost:3000'

+# Global setting: CDN URL for static assets (set to None to use local assets)
+# When set, all static assets will be served from this CDN
+# Example: CDN_URL = 'https://cdn.example.com' (no trailing slash)
+# Leave as None for local development or if not using a CDN
+CDN_URL = None
+
 # Global setting: Set to True to make all comics full-width by default
 # Individual comics can override this with 'full_width': False
 FULL_WIDTH_DEFAULT = False
@@ -80,10 +86,30 @@ USE_SHARE_ICONS = True
 # Global setting: Set to True to show newsletter section in footer
 NEWSLETTER_ENABLED = False

-# Social media links - set to None to hide the link
-SOCIAL_INSTAGRAM = None  # e.g., 'https://instagram.com/yourhandle'
-SOCIAL_YOUTUBE = None    # e.g., 'https://youtube.com/@yourchannel'
-SOCIAL_EMAIL = None      # e.g., 'mailto:your@email.com'
+# Global setting: Custom HTML for newsletter form (only used if NEWSLETTER_ENABLED is True)
+# Paste your newsletter service's form HTML here (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Buttondown, etc.)
+# Example:
+# NEWSLETTER_HTML = '''
+# <form action="https://yourservice.com/subscribe" method="post" class="newsletter-form">
+#     <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Enter your email" required>
+#     <button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
+# </form>
+# '''
+NEWSLETTER_HTML = '<p class="newsletter-placeholder">Newsletter coming soon!</p>'
+
+# Social media links - add/remove/reorder as needed
+# Each link should have 'label', 'url', and optionally 'icon' (filename in static/images/icons/)
+# Set to empty list [] to show no social links
+SOCIAL_LINKS = [
+    # Example links (uncomment and customize):
+    # {'label': 'Instagram', 'url': 'https://instagram.com/yourhandle', 'icon': 'instagram.png'},
+    # {'label': 'YouTube', 'url': 'https://youtube.com/@yourchannel', 'icon': 'youtube.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Email', 'url': 'mailto:your@email.com', 'icon': 'mail.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Bluesky', 'url': 'https://bsky.app/profile/yourhandle', 'icon': 'bluesky.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Patreon', 'url': 'https://patreon.com/yourname', 'icon': 'patreon.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Ko-fi', 'url': 'https://ko-fi.com/yourname', 'icon': 'kofi.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Mastodon', 'url': 'https://mastodon.social/@yourhandle', 'icon': 'mastodon.png'},
+]

 # API documentation link - set to None to hide the link
 # Path is relative to static/ directory
--- a/comics_data.py.example
+++ b/comics_data.py.example
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# Sunday Comics - Comic data configuration
+# Copyright (c) 2025 Tomasita Cabrera
+# Licensed under the MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
+#
+# Edit this file to add, remove, or modify comics
+
+# Global setting: The name of your comic/website
+COMIC_NAME = 'Sunday Comics'
+
+# Global setting: The name to display in the copyright notice
+# If not set (None), defaults to COMIC_NAME
+COPYRIGHT_NAME = None  # e.g., 'Your Name' or 'Your Studio Name'
+
+# Global setting: Your website's domain (used for RSS feed, Open Graph tags, etc.)
+# Update this to your production domain when deploying
+SITE_URL = 'http://localhost:3000'
+
+# Global setting: CDN URL for static assets (set to None to use local assets)
+# When set, all static assets will be served from this CDN
+# Example: CDN_URL = 'https://cdn.example.com' (no trailing slash)
+# Leave as None for local development or if not using a CDN
+CDN_URL = None
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to make all comics full-width by default
+# Individual comics can override this with 'full_width': False
+FULL_WIDTH_DEFAULT = False
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to hide header and remove nav border by default
+# Individual comics can override this with 'plain': False
+PLAIN_DEFAULT = False
+
+# Global setting: Path to site logo (relative to static/images/)
+# Set to None to disable logo
+# Example: LOGO_IMAGE = 'logo.png' will use static/images/logo.png
+LOGO_IMAGE = 'logo.png'
+
+# Global setting: Logo display mode
+# 'beside' - Display logo next to the site title
+# 'replace' - Replace the site title with the logo
+# Only applies when LOGO_IMAGE is set
+LOGO_MODE = 'beside'
+
+# Global setting: Path to header image (relative to static/images/)
+# Set to None to disable header image
+# Example: HEADER_IMAGE = 'title.jpg' will use static/images/title.jpg
+HEADER_IMAGE = None
+
+# Global setting: Path to footer image (relative to static/images/)
+# Set to None to disable footer image
+# Example: FOOTER_IMAGE = 'footer.jpg' will use static/images/footer.jpg
+FOOTER_IMAGE = None
+
+# Global setting: Path to shareable banner image (relative to static/images/)
+# Set to None to disable "Link to Us" section in footer
+# Example: BANNER_IMAGE = 'banner.jpg' will use static/images/banner.jpg
+BANNER_IMAGE = 'banner.jpg'
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to display footer in compact mode
+# Compact mode: single line, no border, horizontal layout
+COMPACT_FOOTER = False
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to make archive page full-width with 4 columns (2 on mobile)
+# Full-width archive shows square thumbnails with only dates, no titles
+ARCHIVE_FULL_WIDTH = True
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to enable sections/chapters on the archive page
+# Add 'section': 'Chapter Title' to comics where a new section starts
+SECTIONS_ENABLED = True
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to use icon images for comic navigation buttons
+# Icons should be in static/images/icons/ (first.png, previous.png, next.png, latest.png)
+USE_COMIC_NAV_ICONS = True
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to show icons next to main header navigation text
+# Uses alert.png for Latest, archive.png for Archive, info.png for About
+USE_HEADER_NAV_ICONS = True
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to use icons instead of text for footer social links
+# Uses instagram.png, youtube.png, and mail.png from static/images/icons/
+USE_FOOTER_SOCIAL_ICONS = True
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to show icons in share buttons (permalink and embed)
+# Uses link.png for permalink and embed.png for embed from static/images/icons/
+USE_SHARE_ICONS = True
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to show newsletter section in footer
+NEWSLETTER_ENABLED = False
+
+# Global setting: Custom HTML for newsletter form (only used if NEWSLETTER_ENABLED is True)
+# Paste your newsletter service's form HTML here (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Buttondown, etc.)
+# Example:
+# NEWSLETTER_HTML = '''
+# <form action="https://yourservice.com/subscribe" method="post" class="newsletter-form">
+#     <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Enter your email" required>
+#     <button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
+# </form>
+# '''
+NEWSLETTER_HTML = '<p class="newsletter-placeholder">Newsletter coming soon!</p>'
+
+# Social media links - add/remove/reorder as needed
+# Each link should have 'label', 'url', and optionally 'icon' (filename in static/images/icons/)
+# Set to empty list [] to show no social links
+SOCIAL_LINKS = [
+    # Example links (uncomment and customize):
+    # {'label': 'Instagram', 'url': 'https://instagram.com/yourhandle', 'icon': 'instagram.png'},
+    # {'label': 'YouTube', 'url': 'https://youtube.com/@yourchannel', 'icon': 'youtube.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Email', 'url': 'mailto:your@email.com', 'icon': 'mail.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Bluesky', 'url': 'https://bsky.app/profile/yourhandle', 'icon': 'bluesky.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Patreon', 'url': 'https://patreon.com/yourname', 'icon': 'patreon.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Ko-fi', 'url': 'https://ko-fi.com/yourname', 'icon': 'kofi.png'},
+    # {'label': 'Mastodon', 'url': 'https://mastodon.social/@yourhandle', 'icon': 'mastodon.png'},
+]
+
+# API documentation link - set to None to hide the link
+# Path is relative to static/ directory
+API_SPEC_LINK = None  # Set to 'openapi.yml' to enable
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to enable comic embed functionality
+# When enabled, users can get embed codes to display comics on other websites
+EMBED_ENABLED = True
+
+# Global setting: Set to True to enable permalink copy button
+# When enabled, users can easily copy a direct link to the current comic
+PERMALINK_ENABLED = True
+
+# Load comics from YAML files
+from data_loader import load_comics_from_yaml, validate_comics
+
+COMICS = load_comics_from_yaml('data/comics')
+
+# Validate loaded comics
+if not validate_comics(COMICS):
+    print("Warning: Comic validation failed. Please check your YAML files.")
+
+# Show loaded comics count
+if COMICS:
+    print(f"Loaded {len(COMICS)} comics from data/comics/")
+else:
+    print("Warning: No comics loaded! Please add .yaml files to data/comics/")
--- a/data/comics/TEMPLATE.yaml
+++ b/data/comics/TEMPLATE.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # REQUIRED: Sequential comic number
 number: 999

-# REQUIRED: Image filename(s) in static/images/comics/
+# REQUIRED (unless using html_embed): Image filename(s) in static/images/comics/
 # Single image:
 filename: comic-999.jpg
 # OR multi-image (webtoon style):
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ filename: comic-999.jpg
 # Optional: Mobile-optimized version of the comic
 # mobile_filename: comic-999-mobile.jpg

+# Optional: HTML embed instead of image
+# Use this to embed videos, widgets, or other HTML content
+# When set, this takes precedence over filename/mobile_filename
+# Example: '<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/..." width="560" height="315"></iframe>'
+# html_embed: '<div>Your custom HTML here</div>'
+
 # REQUIRED: Publication date (YYYY-MM-DD format)
 date: "2025-01-01"

--- a/data_loader.py
+++ b/data_loader.py
@@ -1,25 +1,28 @@
 """
-Comic data loader for YAML-based comic management.
+Comic data loader for YAML-based comic management with caching.

 This module scans the data/comics/ directory for .yaml files,
 loads each comic's configuration, and builds the COMICS list.
+Caching is used to speed up subsequent loads.
 """

+import os
+import pickle
 import yaml
 from pathlib import Path


-def load_comics_from_yaml(comics_dir='data/comics'):
+def load_comics_from_yaml(comics_dir='data/comics', use_cache=True):
    """
-    Load all comic data from YAML files in the specified directory.
+    Load all comic data from YAML files with optional caching.

    Args:
        comics_dir: Path to directory containing comic YAML files
+        use_cache: Whether to use cache (set to False to force reload)

    Returns:
        List of comic dictionaries, sorted by comic number
    """
-    comics = []
    comics_path = Path(comics_dir)

    if not comics_path.exists():
@@ -27,6 +30,13 @@ def load_comics_from_yaml(comics_dir='data/comics'):
        comics_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
        return []

+    # Cache file location
+    cache_file = comics_path / '.comics_cache.pkl'
+
+    # Check if caching is disabled via environment variable
+    if os.getenv('DISABLE_COMIC_CACHE') == 'true':
+        use_cache = False
+
    # Find all .yaml and .yml files
    yaml_files = list(comics_path.glob('*.yaml')) + list(comics_path.glob('*.yml'))

@@ -37,6 +47,28 @@ def load_comics_from_yaml(comics_dir='data/comics'):
        print(f"Warning: No YAML files found in '{comics_dir}'")
        return []

+    # Check if we can use cache
+    if use_cache and cache_file.exists():
+        cache_mtime = cache_file.stat().st_mtime
+
+        # Get the newest YAML file modification time
+        newest_yaml_mtime = max(f.stat().st_mtime for f in yaml_files)
+
+        # If cache is newer than all YAML files, use it
+        if cache_mtime >= newest_yaml_mtime:
+            try:
+                with open(cache_file, 'rb') as f:
+                    comics = pickle.load(f)
+                print(f"Loaded {len(comics)} comics from cache")
+                return comics
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(f"Warning: Failed to load cache: {e}")
+                # Fall through to reload from YAML
+
+    # Load from YAML files (cache miss or disabled)
+    print(f"Loading {len(yaml_files)} comic files from YAML...")
+    comics = []
+
    for yaml_file in yaml_files:
        try:
            with open(yaml_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
@@ -74,9 +106,35 @@ def load_comics_from_yaml(comics_dir='data/comics'):
    # Sort by comic number
    comics.sort(key=lambda c: c['number'])

+    # Save to cache
+    if use_cache:
+        try:
+            with open(cache_file, 'wb') as f:
+                pickle.dump(comics, f)
+            print(f"Saved {len(comics)} comics to cache")
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Warning: Failed to save cache: {e}")
+
    return comics


+def clear_cache(comics_dir='data/comics'):
+    """
+    Clear the comics cache file.
+
+    Args:
+        comics_dir: Path to directory containing comic YAML files
+    """
+    cache_file = Path(comics_dir) / '.comics_cache.pkl'
+    if cache_file.exists():
+        cache_file.unlink()
+        print("Cache cleared")
+        return True
+    else:
+        print("No cache file found")
+        return False
+
+
 def validate_comics(comics):
    """
    Validate the loaded comics for common issues.
--- a/scripts/bump_version.py
+++ b/scripts/bump_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Sunday Comics - Version bump script
+# Copyright (c) 2025 Tomasita Cabrera
+# Licensed under the MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
+
+"""
+Script to bump the project version number
+
+Usage:
+    python scripts/bump_version.py              # Use today's date
+    python scripts/bump_version.py 2025.12.25   # Use specific date
+"""
+import sys
+import os
+import re
+from datetime import datetime
+import argparse
+
+
+def validate_version(version_str):
+    """Validate version format (YYYY.MM.DD)"""
+    pattern = r'^\d{4}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}$'
+    if not re.match(pattern, version_str):
+        return False
+
+    # Try to parse as a date to ensure it's valid
+    try:
+        parts = version_str.split('.')
+        year, month, day = int(parts[0]), int(parts[1]), int(parts[2])
+        datetime(year, month, day)
+        return True
+    except ValueError:
+        return False
+
+
+def get_current_version(parent_dir):
+    """Read current version from version.py"""
+    version_file = os.path.join(parent_dir, 'version.py')
+    try:
+        with open(version_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+            content = f.read()
+            match = re.search(r'__version__\s*=\s*["\']([^"\']+)["\']', content)
+            if match:
+                return match.group(1)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+    return None
+
+
+def update_version_py(parent_dir, new_version):
+    """Update version.py with new version"""
+    version_file = os.path.join(parent_dir, 'version.py')
+
+    content = f"""# Sunday Comics Version
+# This file contains the version number for the project
+# Format: YYYY.MM.DD (date-based versioning)
+
+__version__ = "{new_version}"
+"""
+
+    with open(version_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+        f.write(content)
+
+    print(f"✓ Updated {version_file}")
+
+
+def update_version_file(parent_dir, new_version):
+    """Update VERSION file with new version"""
+    version_file = os.path.join(parent_dir, 'VERSION')
+
+    with open(version_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+        f.write(f"{new_version}\n")
+
+    print(f"✓ Updated {version_file}")
+
+
+def remind_changelog(parent_dir, new_version, current_version):
+    """Remind user to update CHANGELOG.md"""
+    changelog_file = os.path.join(parent_dir, 'CHANGELOG.md')
+
+    print(f"\n📝 Don't forget to update {changelog_file}!")
+    print(f"\nAdd your changes under the new version section:")
+    print(f"\n## [{new_version}] - {datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}")
+    print(f"\n### Added")
+    print(f"### Changed")
+    print(f"### Fixed")
+
+    if os.path.exists(changelog_file):
+        print(f"\n💡 Tip: Edit the file now with: nano {changelog_file}")
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description='Bump project version number',
+        epilog='Examples:\n  %(prog)s\n  %(prog)s 2025.12.25',
+        formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        'version',
+        nargs='?',
+        help='Version number in YYYY.MM.DD format (defaults to today\'s date)'
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--no-changelog-reminder',
+        action='store_true',
+        help='Skip the changelog reminder'
+    )
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    # Determine new version
+    if args.version:
+        new_version = args.version
+        if not validate_version(new_version):
+            print(f"Error: Invalid version format '{new_version}'")
+            print(f"Expected format: YYYY.MM.DD (e.g., 2025.12.25)")
+            sys.exit(1)
+    else:
+        # Use today's date
+        new_version = datetime.now().strftime('%Y.%m.%d')
+
+    # Get parent directory (project root)
+    parent_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+
+    # Get current version
+    current_version = get_current_version(parent_dir)
+
+    if current_version:
+        print(f"Current version: {current_version}")
+
+    print(f"New version: {new_version}")
+
+    # Check if version is the same
+    if current_version == new_version:
+        print(f"\n⚠️  Version is already {new_version}")
+        response = input("Continue anyway? [y/N]: ").lower().strip()
+        if response != 'y':
+            print("Aborted.")
+            sys.exit(0)
+
+    # Update files
+    print(f"\nUpdating version files...")
+    update_version_py(parent_dir, new_version)
+    update_version_file(parent_dir, new_version)
+
+    print(f"\n✅ Version bumped to {new_version}")
+
+    # Remind about changelog
+    if not args.no_changelog_reminder:
+        remind_changelog(parent_dir, new_version, current_version)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
--- a/scripts/publish_comic.py
+++ b/scripts/publish_comic.py
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Sunday Comics - Publish script
+# Copyright (c) 2025 Tomasita Cabrera
+# Licensed under the MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
+
+"""
+Convenience script to rebuild cache and regenerate all static files.
+Run this after adding or updating comics.
+"""
+import sys
+import os
+import subprocess
+
+# Add parent directory to path so we can import data_loader
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
+from data_loader import load_comics_from_yaml, clear_cache
+
+
+def run_script(script_name, description):
+    """Run a script and handle errors"""
+    script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+    script_path = os.path.join(script_dir, script_name)
+
+    print(f"{description}...")
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, script_path],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True
+    )
+
+    if result.returncode == 0:
+        # Print only the summary line (last non-empty line)
+        output_lines = [line for line in result.stdout.strip().split('\n') if line.strip()]
+        if output_lines:
+            print(f"  ✓ {output_lines[-1]}")
+    else:
+        print(f"  ✗ Failed!")
+        if result.stderr:
+            print(f"  Error: {result.stderr}")
+        return False
+
+    return True
+
+
+def main():
+    """Rebuild cache and regenerate all static files"""
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("Publishing Comics")
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print()
+
+    # Step 1: Rebuild cache
+    print("1. Rebuilding comics cache...")
+    clear_cache()
+    # Load with cache enabled - since we just cleared it, this will reload from YAML
+    # and automatically save the cache
+    comics = load_comics_from_yaml(use_cache=True)
+
+    if not comics:
+        print("  ✗ No comics found!")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    print(f"  ✓ Cached {len(comics)} comics")
+    print()
+
+    # Step 2: Generate RSS feed
+    success = run_script('generate_rss.py', '2. Generating RSS feed')
+    if not success:
+        sys.exit(1)
+    print()
+
+    # Step 3: Generate sitemap
+    success = run_script('generate_sitemap.py', '3. Generating sitemap')
+    if not success:
+        sys.exit(1)
+    print()
+
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("✓ All static files updated successfully!")
+    print("=" * 60)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
--- a/scripts/rebuild_cache.py
+++ b/scripts/rebuild_cache.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Sunday Comics - Cache rebuild script
+# Copyright (c) 2025 Tomasita Cabrera
+# Licensed under the MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
+
+"""
+Script to rebuild the comics cache from YAML files.
+Useful for forcing a fresh cache build.
+"""
+import sys
+import os
+
+# Add parent directory to path so we can import data_loader
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
+from data_loader import load_comics_from_yaml, clear_cache
+
+
+def main():
+    """Rebuild the comics cache"""
+    print("Clearing existing cache...")
+    clear_cache()
+    print()
+
+    print("Rebuilding cache from YAML files...")
+    # Load with cache enabled - since we just cleared it, this will reload from YAML
+    # and automatically save the cache
+    comics = load_comics_from_yaml(use_cache=True)
+    print()
+
+    if comics:
+        print(f"✓ Cache rebuilt successfully with {len(comics)} comics")
+    else:
+        print("✗ No comics found to cache")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
--- a/static/css/style.css
+++ b/static/css/style.css
@@ -1,55 +1,13 @@
-/* CSS Variables for easy customization */
-:root {
-    /* Colors */
-    --color-primary: #000;
-    --color-background: #fff;
-    --color-text: #000;
-    --color-text-muted: #666;
-    --color-disabled: #999;
-    --color-hover-bg: #f0f0f0;
+/* ============================================================
+   SUNDAY COMICS - CORE STYLES
+   ============================================================

-    /* Typography */
-    --font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
-    --font-size-base: 1rem;
-    --font-size-xs: 0.7rem;
-    --font-size-sm: 0.75rem;
-    --font-size-md: 0.85rem;
-    --font-size-lg: 0.9rem;
-    --font-size-xl: 1.2rem;
-    --font-size-2xl: 1.5rem;
-    --font-size-3xl: 2rem;
-    --font-size-4xl: 6rem;
-    --line-height-base: 1.5;
-    --line-height-tight: 1.3;
-    --line-height-relaxed: 1.6;
-    --letter-spacing-tight: 1px;
-    --letter-spacing-wide: 2px;
+   This file contains the framework CSS that references variables
+   defined in variables.css. When updating from upstream, this file
+   may change, but your customizations in variables.css will be preserved.

-    /* Spacing */
-    --space-xs: 0.25rem;
-    --space-sm: 0.5rem;
-    --space-md: 1rem;
-    --space-lg: 1.5rem;
-    --space-xl: 2rem;
-    --space-2xl: 3rem;
-    --space-3xl: 4rem;
-
-    /* Borders */
-    --border-width-thin: 2px;
-    --border-width-thick: 3px;
-    --border-color: var(--color-primary);
-    --border-radius: 0; /* Can be changed for rounded corners */
-
-    /* Layout */
-    --container-max-width: 900px;
-    --content-max-width: 700px;
-    --archive-grid-min: 180px;
-    --archive-grid-min-mobile: 140px;
-    --archive-thumbnail-height: 120px;
-
-    /* Transitions (for future enhancements) */
-    --transition-speed: 0.2s;
-}
+   Do not edit this file directly for design changes - use variables.css instead.
+   ============================================================ */

 /* Reset and base styles */
 * {
--- a/static/css/variables.css
+++ b/static/css/variables.css
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/* ============================================================
+   CSS VARIABLES FOR CUSTOMIZATION
+   ============================================================
+
+   This file contains all customizable design tokens for your webcomic.
+   Edit these values to change colors, fonts, spacing, and layout dimensions.
+
+   The main style.css file references these variables, so you can update
+   your design without touching the core framework styles.
+   ============================================================ */
+
+:root {
+    /* ========================================
+       COLORS
+       ======================================== */
+
+    --color-primary: #000;
+    --color-background: #fff;
+    --color-text: #000;
+    --color-text-muted: #666;
+    --color-disabled: #999;
+    --color-hover-bg: #f0f0f0;
+
+    /* ========================================
+       TYPOGRAPHY
+       ======================================== */
+
+    --font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
+    --font-size-base: 1rem;
+    --font-size-xs: 0.7rem;
+    --font-size-sm: 0.75rem;
+    --font-size-md: 0.85rem;
+    --font-size-lg: 0.9rem;
+    --font-size-xl: 1.2rem;
+    --font-size-2xl: 1.5rem;
+    --font-size-3xl: 2rem;
+    --font-size-4xl: 6rem;
+    --line-height-base: 1.5;
+    --line-height-tight: 1.3;
+    --line-height-relaxed: 1.6;
+    --letter-spacing-tight: 1px;
+    --letter-spacing-wide: 2px;
+
+    /* ========================================
+       SPACING
+       ======================================== */
+
+    --space-xs: 0.25rem;
+    --space-sm: 0.5rem;
+    --space-md: 1rem;
+    --space-lg: 1.5rem;
+    --space-xl: 2rem;
+    --space-2xl: 3rem;
+    --space-3xl: 4rem;
+
+    /* ========================================
+       BORDERS
+       ======================================== */
+
+    --border-width-thin: 2px;
+    --border-width-thick: 3px;
+    --border-color: var(--color-primary);
+    --border-radius: 0; /* Can be changed for rounded corners */
+
+    /* ========================================
+       LAYOUT
+       ======================================== */
+
+    --container-max-width: 900px;
+    --content-max-width: 700px;
+    --archive-grid-min: 180px;
+    --archive-grid-min-mobile: 140px;
+    --archive-thumbnail-height: 120px;
+
+    /* ========================================
+       TRANSITIONS
+       ======================================== */
+
+    --transition-speed: 0.2s;
+}
--- a/static/js/archive-lazy-load.js
+++ b/static/js/archive-lazy-load.js
@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+/**
+ * Sunday Comics - Archive Lazy Loading
+ * Implements infinite scroll for the archive page
+ */
+
+(function() {
+    'use strict';
+
+    let currentPage = 1;
+    let isLoading = false;
+    let hasMore = true;
+    const perPage = 24;
+
+    // Get elements
+    const archiveContent = document.querySelector('.archive-content');
+    if (!archiveContent) return; // Not on archive page
+
+    const totalComics = parseInt(archiveContent.dataset.totalComics || '0');
+    const initialBatch = parseInt(archiveContent.dataset.initialBatch || '24');
+
+    // Calculate if there are more comics to load
+    hasMore = totalComics > initialBatch;
+
+    // Create loading indicator
+    const loadingIndicator = document.createElement('div');
+    loadingIndicator.className = 'archive-loading';
+    loadingIndicator.innerHTML = '<p>Loading more comics...</p>';
+    loadingIndicator.style.display = 'none';
+    loadingIndicator.style.textAlign = 'center';
+    loadingIndicator.style.padding = '2rem';
+    archiveContent.parentNode.insertBefore(loadingIndicator, archiveContent.nextSibling);
+
+    /**
+     * Load more comics from the API
+     */
+    async function loadMoreComics() {
+        if (isLoading || !hasMore) return;
+
+        isLoading = true;
+        loadingIndicator.style.display = 'block';
+
+        try {
+            currentPage++;
+            const response = await fetch(`/api/comics?page=${currentPage}&per_page=${perPage}`);
+
+            if (!response.ok) {
+                throw new Error(`HTTP error! status: ${response.status}`);
+            }
+
+            const data = await response.json();
+
+            // Add new comics to the DOM
+            appendComics(data.sections);
+
+            // Update state
+            hasMore = data.has_more;
+
+            if (!hasMore) {
+                loadingIndicator.innerHTML = '<p>End of archive</p>';
+                setTimeout(() => {
+                    loadingIndicator.style.display = 'none';
+                }, 2000);
+            }
+        } catch (error) {
+            console.error('Error loading more comics:', error);
+            loadingIndicator.innerHTML = '<p>Error loading comics. Please try again.</p>';
+            setTimeout(() => {
+                loadingIndicator.style.display = 'none';
+                isLoading = false;
+            }, 3000);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        isLoading = false;
+        loadingIndicator.style.display = 'none';
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Append comics to the archive
+     * @param {Array} sections - Array of section objects with title and comics
+     */
+    function appendComics(sections) {
+        const archiveFullWidth = document.querySelector('.archive-content-fullwidth') !== null;
+        const sectionsEnabled = document.querySelector('.section-header') !== null;
+
+        sections.forEach(section => {
+            const sectionTitle = section.section_title;
+            const comics = section.comics;
+
+            // Check if we need to create a new section or append to existing
+            let targetGrid;
+
+            if (sectionsEnabled && sectionTitle) {
+                // Check if section already exists
+                const existingSection = findSectionByTitle(sectionTitle);
+
+                if (existingSection) {
+                    // Append to existing section grid
+                    targetGrid = existingSection.querySelector('.archive-grid');
+                } else {
+                    // Create new section
+                    const sectionHeader = document.createElement('div');
+                    sectionHeader.className = 'section-header';
+                    sectionHeader.innerHTML = `<h2>${sectionTitle}</h2>`;
+                    archiveContent.appendChild(sectionHeader);
+
+                    targetGrid = document.createElement('div');
+                    targetGrid.className = 'archive-grid' + (archiveFullWidth ? ' archive-grid-fullwidth' : '');
+                    archiveContent.appendChild(targetGrid);
+                }
+            } else {
+                // No sections or no title - use the last grid or create one
+                targetGrid = archiveContent.querySelector('.archive-grid:last-of-type');
+
+                if (!targetGrid) {
+                    targetGrid = document.createElement('div');
+                    targetGrid.className = 'archive-grid' + (archiveFullWidth ? ' archive-grid-fullwidth' : '');
+                    archiveContent.appendChild(targetGrid);
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Add each comic to the grid
+            comics.forEach(comic => {
+                const item = createArchiveItem(comic, archiveFullWidth);
+                targetGrid.appendChild(item);
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Find an existing section by title
+     * @param {string} title - Section title to find
+     * @returns {Element|null} - The section element or null
+     */
+    function findSectionByTitle(title) {
+        const sectionHeaders = archiveContent.querySelectorAll('.section-header h2');
+        for (const header of sectionHeaders) {
+            if (header.textContent.trim() === title) {
+                // Return the grid following this header
+                let nextEl = header.parentElement.nextElementSibling;
+                while (nextEl && !nextEl.classList.contains('archive-grid')) {
+                    nextEl = nextEl.nextElementSibling;
+                }
+                return nextEl ? nextEl.parentElement : null;
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Create an archive item element
+     * @param {Object} comic - Comic data
+     * @param {boolean} fullWidth - Whether using full width layout
+     * @returns {Element} - The archive item element
+     */
+    function createArchiveItem(comic, fullWidth) {
+        const item = document.createElement('div');
+        item.className = 'archive-item' + (fullWidth ? ' archive-item-fullwidth' : '');
+
+        const link = document.createElement('a');
+        link.href = `/comic/${comic.number}`;
+
+        const img = document.createElement('img');
+        img.src = `/static/images/thumbs/${comic.filename}`;
+        img.alt = comic.title || `#${comic.number}`;
+        img.loading = 'lazy';
+        img.onerror = function() {
+            this.onerror = null;
+            this.src = '/static/images/thumbs/default.jpg';
+        };
+
+        const info = document.createElement('div');
+        info.className = 'archive-info';
+
+        if (!fullWidth) {
+            const title = document.createElement('h3');
+            title.textContent = `#${comic.number}${comic.title ? ': ' + comic.title : ''}`;
+            info.appendChild(title);
+        }
+
+        const date = document.createElement('p');
+        date.className = 'archive-date';
+        date.textContent = comic.date;
+        info.appendChild(date);
+
+        link.appendChild(img);
+        link.appendChild(info);
+        item.appendChild(link);
+
+        return item;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if user has scrolled near the bottom
+     */
+    function checkScrollPosition() {
+        if (isLoading || !hasMore) return;
+
+        const scrollTop = window.pageYOffset || document.documentElement.scrollTop;
+        const windowHeight = window.innerHeight;
+        const documentHeight = document.documentElement.scrollHeight;
+
+        // Trigger when user is within 1000px of the bottom
+        if (scrollTop + windowHeight >= documentHeight - 1000) {
+            loadMoreComics();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Set up scroll listener
+    let scrollTimeout;
+    window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {
+        if (scrollTimeout) {
+            clearTimeout(scrollTimeout);
+        }
+        scrollTimeout = setTimeout(checkScrollPosition, 100);
+    });
+
+    // Check initial scroll position (in case page is short)
+    setTimeout(checkScrollPosition, 500);
+
+})();
--- a/static/js/comic-nav.js
+++ b/static/js/comic-nav.js
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@
        const comicImageDiv = document.querySelector('.comic-image');
        updateComicImage(comicImageDiv, comic, title);

-        // Update or create/remove the link wrapper (only for single-image comics)
-        if (!comic.is_multi_image) {
+        // Update or create/remove the link wrapper (only for single-image comics, not HTML embeds)
+        if (!comic.is_multi_image && !comic.html_embed) {
            updateComicImageLink(comic.number);
        }

@@ -181,15 +181,26 @@
        // Clear all existing content
        comicImageDiv.innerHTML = '';

-        // Update container class for multi-image
-        if (comic.is_multi_image) {
+        // Update container classes
+        if (comic.html_embed) {
+            comicImageDiv.classList.add('comic-image-embed');
+            comicImageDiv.classList.remove('comic-image-multi');
+        } else if (comic.is_multi_image) {
            comicImageDiv.classList.add('comic-image-multi');
+            comicImageDiv.classList.remove('comic-image-embed');
        } else {
            comicImageDiv.classList.remove('comic-image-multi');
+            comicImageDiv.classList.remove('comic-image-embed');
        }

-        // Create new image element(s)
-        if (comic.is_multi_image) {
+        // Create new content
+        if (comic.html_embed) {
+            // HTML embed (video, widget, etc.)
+            const embedWrapper = document.createElement('div');
+            embedWrapper.className = 'comic-embed-wrapper';
+            embedWrapper.innerHTML = comic.html_embed;
+            comicImageDiv.appendChild(embedWrapper);
+        } else if (comic.is_multi_image) {
            // Multi-image comic (webtoon style)
            comic.filenames.forEach((filename, index) => {
                const img = document.createElement('img');
@@ -447,13 +458,14 @@
            const formattedDate = dateDisplay ? dateDisplay.textContent : null;
            updateNavButtons(currentNumber, formattedDate);

-            // Check if current comic is multi-image
+            // Check if current comic is multi-image or HTML embed
            const comicImageDiv = document.querySelector('.comic-image');
            const isMultiImage = comicImageDiv && comicImageDiv.classList.contains('comic-image-multi');
+            const isHtmlEmbed = comicImageDiv && comicImageDiv.classList.contains('comic-image-embed');

-            if (!isMultiImage) {
+            if (!isMultiImage && !isHtmlEmbed) {
                updateComicImageLink(currentNumber);
-            } else {
+            } else if (isMultiImage) {
                // Initialize lazy loading for multi-image comics on page load
                initLazyLoad();
            }
--- a/static/openapi.yaml
+++ b/static/openapi.yaml
@@ -16,20 +16,59 @@ paths:
  /api/comics:
    get:
      summary: Get all comics
-      description: Returns a list of all comics with enriched metadata including formatted dates and author notes
+      description: |
+        Returns all comics with enriched metadata. Supports optional pagination and section grouping.
+
+        **Without pagination parameters:** Returns a simple array of all comics (newest first when using pagination, original order otherwise).
+
+        **With pagination parameters:** Returns paginated response with section grouping (if enabled globally or via `group_by_section` parameter).
      operationId: getAllComics
      tags:
        - Comics
+      parameters:
+        - name: page
+          in: query
+          description: Page number for pagination (1-indexed). When provided, triggers paginated response format.
+          required: false
+          schema:
+            type: integer
+            minimum: 1
+            default: 1
+          example: 1
+        - name: per_page
+          in: query
+          description: Number of comics per page (max 100). When provided, triggers paginated response format.
+          required: false
+          schema:
+            type: integer
+            minimum: 1
+            maximum: 100
+            default: 24
+          example: 24
+        - name: group_by_section
+          in: query
+          description: Force section grouping in response (even when SECTIONS_ENABLED is false). When true, triggers paginated response format.
+          required: false
+          schema:
+            type: boolean
+            default: false
+          example: false
      responses:
        '200':
-          description: Successful response with array of comics
+          description: Successful response
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
-                type: array
+                oneOf:
+                  - type: array
+                    description: Simple array response (when no pagination parameters provided)
                    items:
                      $ref: '#/components/schemas/Comic'
-              example:
+                  - $ref: '#/components/schemas/PaginatedComicsResponse'
+              examples:
+                simpleArray:
+                  summary: Simple array response (default)
+                  value:
                    - number: 1
                      title: "First Comic"
                      filename: "comic-001.jpg"
@@ -49,6 +88,35 @@ paths:
                      plain: true
                      formatted_date: "Wednesday, January 8, 2025"
                      author_note_is_html: false
+                paginatedResponse:
+                  summary: Paginated response (when using page/per_page parameters)
+                  value:
+                    sections:
+                      - section_title: "Chapter 1"
+                        comics:
+                          - number: 2
+                            filename: "comic-002.jpg"
+                            date: "2025-01-08"
+                            alt_text: "The second comic"
+                            full_width: true
+                            plain: true
+                            formatted_date: "Wednesday, January 8, 2025"
+                            author_note_is_html: false
+                      - section_title: null
+                        comics:
+                          - number: 1
+                            title: "First Comic"
+                            filename: "comic-001.jpg"
+                            date: "2025-01-01"
+                            alt_text: "The very first comic"
+                            full_width: true
+                            plain: true
+                            formatted_date: "Wednesday, January 1, 2025"
+                            author_note_is_html: false
+                    page: 1
+                    per_page: 24
+                    total_comics: 2
+                    has_more: false

  /api/comics/{comic_id}:
    get:
@@ -107,6 +175,9 @@ components:
        - plain
        - formatted_date
        - author_note_is_html
+        - filenames
+        - alt_texts
+        - is_multi_image
      properties:
        number:
          type: integer
@@ -118,9 +189,20 @@ components:
          description: Comic title (optional, defaults to "#X" if not provided)
          example: "First Comic"
        filename:
+          oneOf:
+            - type: string
+              description: Single image filename in static/images/comics/
+            - type: array
+              description: Multiple image filenames for webtoon-style comics
+              items:
                type: string
-          description: Image filename in static/images/comics/
          example: "comic-001.jpg"
+        filenames:
+          type: array
+          description: Normalized array of image filenames (computed field, always an array even for single images)
+          items:
+            type: string
+          example: ["comic-001.jpg"]
        mobile_filename:
          type: string
          description: Optional mobile version of the comic image
@@ -131,13 +213,36 @@ components:
          description: Publication date in YYYY-MM-DD format
          example: "2025-01-01"
        alt_text:
+          oneOf:
+            - type: string
+              description: Accessibility text for single image or shared text for all images
+            - type: array
+              description: Individual accessibility text for each image in multi-image comics
+              items:
                type: string
-          description: Accessibility text for the comic image
          example: "The very first comic"
+        alt_texts:
+          type: array
+          description: Normalized array of alt texts matching filenames (computed field)
+          items:
+            type: string
+          example: ["The very first comic"]
+        is_multi_image:
+          type: boolean
+          description: Indicates if this is a multi-image comic (computed field)
+          example: false
        author_note:
          type: string
          description: Author's note about the comic (plain text or HTML from markdown)
          example: "This is where your comic journey begins!"
+        author_note_md:
+          type: string
+          description: Filename or path to markdown file for author note
+          example: "2025-01-01.md"
+        section:
+          type: string
+          description: Section/chapter title (appears on archive page when SECTIONS_ENABLED is true)
+          example: "Chapter 1: Origins"
        full_width:
          type: boolean
          description: Whether the comic should display in full-width mode (computed from global default and per-comic override)
@@ -155,6 +260,58 @@ components:
          description: Indicates whether author_note contains HTML (from markdown) or plain text (computed field)
          example: false

+    ComicSection:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - section_title
+        - comics
+      properties:
+        section_title:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+          description: Section/chapter title (null for comics without a section)
+          example: "Chapter 1"
+        comics:
+          type: array
+          description: Comics in this section
+          items:
+            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Comic'
+
+    PaginatedComicsResponse:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - sections
+        - page
+        - per_page
+        - total_comics
+        - has_more
+      properties:
+        sections:
+          type: array
+          description: Comics grouped by section
+          items:
+            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ComicSection'
+        page:
+          type: integer
+          description: Current page number
+          minimum: 1
+          example: 1
+        per_page:
+          type: integer
+          description: Number of comics per page
+          minimum: 1
+          maximum: 100
+          example: 24
+        total_comics:
+          type: integer
+          description: Total number of comics across all pages
+          minimum: 0
+          example: 100
+        has_more:
+          type: boolean
+          description: Whether there are more pages available
+          example: true
+
    Error:
      type: object
      required:
--- a/templates/archive.html
+++ b/templates/archive.html
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@

 <div class="page-header{% if archive_full_width %} page-header-fullwidth{% endif %}">
    <h1>Comic Archive</h1>
-    <p>Browse all {% set total = namespace(count=0) %}{% for section_title, section_comics in sections %}{% set total.count = total.count + section_comics|length %}{% endfor %}{{ total.count }} comics</p>
+    <p>Browse all {{ total_comics }} comics</p>
 </div>

-<section class="archive-content{% if archive_full_width %} archive-content-fullwidth{% endif %}">
+<section class="archive-content{% if archive_full_width %} archive-content-fullwidth{% endif %}"
+         data-total-comics="{{ total_comics }}"
+         data-initial-batch="{{ initial_batch }}">
    {% for section_title, section_comics in sections %}
        {% if section_title and sections_enabled %}
        <div class="section-header">
@@ -22,8 +24,8 @@
            {% for comic in section_comics %}
            <div class="archive-item{% if archive_full_width %} archive-item-fullwidth{% endif %}">
                <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number) }}">
-                    <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/thumbs/' + comic.filename) }}"
-                         onerror="this.onerror=null; this.src='{{ url_for('static', filename='images/thumbs/default.jpg') }}';"
+                    <img src="{{ ('images/thumbs/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
+                         onerror="this.onerror=null; this.src='{{ 'images/thumbs/default.jpg' | cdn_static }}';"
                         alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                         loading="lazy">
                    <div class="archive-info">
@@ -43,3 +45,7 @@
 <div class="container"> {# Reopen container for footer #}
 {% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
+
+{% block extra_js %}
+<script src="{{ 'js/archive-lazy-load.js' | cdn_static }}"></script>
+{% endblock %}
--- a/templates/base.html
+++ b/templates/base.html
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
    <meta name="description" content="{% block meta_description %}A webcomic about life, the universe, and everything{% endblock %}">
    <link rel="canonical" href="{% block canonical %}{{ site_url }}{{ request.path }}{% endblock %}">

+    <!-- Version -->
+    <meta name="generator" content="Sunday Comics {{ version }}">
+
    <!-- AI Scraping Prevention -->
    <meta name="robots" content="noai, noimageai">
    <meta name="googlebot" content="noai, noimageai">
@@ -28,13 +31,16 @@
    <meta property="twitter:image" content="{% block twitter_image %}{{ self.og_image() }}{% endblock %}">

    <!-- Favicon -->
-    <link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='favicon.ico') }}">
-    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='favicon-32x32.png') }}">
-    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='favicon-16x16.png') }}">
-    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='apple-touch-icon.png') }}">
+    <link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="{{ 'favicon.ico' | cdn_static }}">
+    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="{{ 'favicon-32x32.png' | cdn_static }}">
+    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="{{ 'favicon-16x16.png' | cdn_static }}">
+    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="{{ 'apple-touch-icon.png' | cdn_static }}">

-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='css/style.css') }}">
-    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="{{ comic_name }} RSS Feed" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='feed.rss') }}">
+    <!-- CSS Variables (user customization) loaded first -->
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{ 'css/variables.css' | cdn_static }}">
+    <!-- Core framework styles (references variables) -->
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{ 'css/style.css' | cdn_static }}">
+    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="{{ comic_name }} RSS Feed" href="{{ 'feed.rss' | cdn_static }}">
    {% block extra_css %}{% endblock %}
 </head>
 <body data-site-url="{{ site_url }}">
@@ -43,7 +49,7 @@

    {% if header_image %}
    <div class="site-header-image">
-        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/' + header_image) }}" alt="{{ comic_name }} Header">
+        <img src="{{ ('images/' + header_image) | cdn_static }}" alt="{{ comic_name }} Header">
    </div>
    {% endif %}

@@ -54,10 +60,10 @@
                <div class="nav-brand">
                    <a href="{{ url_for('index') }}">
                        {% if logo_image and logo_mode == 'beside' %}
-                            <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/' + logo_image) }}" alt="{{ comic_name }} Logo" class="nav-logo nav-logo-beside">
+                            <img src="{{ ('images/' + logo_image) | cdn_static }}" alt="{{ comic_name }} Logo" class="nav-logo nav-logo-beside">
                            <span class="nav-title">{{ comic_name }}</span>
                        {% elif logo_image and logo_mode == 'replace' %}
-                            <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/' + logo_image) }}" alt="{{ comic_name }}" class="nav-logo nav-logo-replace">
+                            <img src="{{ ('images/' + logo_image) | cdn_static }}" alt="{{ comic_name }}" class="nav-logo nav-logo-replace">
                        {% else %}
                            {{ comic_name }}
                        {% endif %}
@@ -67,17 +73,17 @@
                <ul class="nav-links">
                    <li>
                        <a href="{{ url_for('index') }}" {% if request.endpoint == 'index' %}class="active"{% endif %}>
-                            {% if use_header_nav_icons %}<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/alert.png') }}" alt="" class="nav-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Latest
+                            {% if use_header_nav_icons %}<img src="{{ 'images/icons/alert.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="nav-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Latest
                        </a>
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        <a href="{{ url_for('archive') }}" {% if request.endpoint == 'archive' %}class="active"{% endif %}>
-                            {% if use_header_nav_icons %}<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/archive.png') }}" alt="" class="nav-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Archive
+                            {% if use_header_nav_icons %}<img src="{{ 'images/icons/archive.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="nav-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Archive
                        </a>
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        <a href="{{ url_for('about') }}" {% if request.endpoint == 'about' %}class="active"{% endif %}>
-                            {% if use_header_nav_icons %}<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/info.png') }}" alt="" class="nav-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}About
+                            {% if use_header_nav_icons %}<img src="{{ 'images/icons/info.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="nav-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}About
                        </a>
                    </li>
                </ul>
@@ -97,42 +103,24 @@
                <div class="footer-section">
                    <h3>Follow</h3>
                    <div class="social-links{% if use_footer_social_icons %} social-links-icons{% endif %}">
-                        {% if social_instagram %}
-                            <a href="{{ social_instagram }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Instagram">
-                                {% if use_footer_social_icons %}
-                                    <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/instagram.png') }}" alt="" class="social-icon">
+                        {% for link in social_links %}
+                            <a href="{{ link.url }}" {% if link.url.startswith('http') %}target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"{% endif %} aria-label="{{ link.label }}">
+                                {% if use_footer_social_icons and link.icon %}
+                                    <img src="{{ ('images/icons/' + link.icon) | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="social-icon">
                                {% else %}
-                                    Instagram
+                                    {{ link.label }}
                                {% endif %}
                            </a>
-                        {% endif %}
-                        {% if social_youtube %}
-                            <a href="{{ social_youtube }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="YouTube">
+                        {% endfor %}
+                        <a href="{{ 'feed.rss' | cdn_static }}" aria-label="RSS Feed">
                            {% if use_footer_social_icons %}
-                                    <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/youtube.png') }}" alt="" class="social-icon">
-                                {% else %}
-                                    YouTube
-                                {% endif %}
-                            </a>
-                        {% endif %}
-                        {% if social_email %}
-                            <a href="{{ social_email }}" aria-label="Email">
-                                {% if use_footer_social_icons %}
-                                    <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/mail .png') }}" alt="" class="social-icon">
-                                {% else %}
-                                    Email
-                                {% endif %}
-                            </a>
-                        {% endif %}
-                        <a href="{{ url_for('static', filename='feed.rss') }}" aria-label="RSS Feed">
-                            {% if use_footer_social_icons %}
-                                <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/rss.png') }}" alt="" class="social-icon">
+                                <img src="{{ 'images/icons/rss.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="social-icon">
                            {% else %}
                                RSS Feed
                            {% endif %}
                        </a>
                        {% if api_spec_link %}
-                            <a href="{{ url_for('static', filename=api_spec_link) }}" aria-label="API">API</a>
+                            <a href="{{ api_spec_link | cdn_static }}" aria-label="API">API</a>
                        {% endif %}
                    </div>
                </div>
@@ -140,12 +128,7 @@
                {% if newsletter_enabled %}
                <div class="footer-section">
                    <h3>Newsletter</h3>
-                    <!-- Replace with your newsletter service form -->
-                    <!-- <form class="newsletter-form" action="#" method="post">
-                        <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Enter your email" required>
-                        <button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
-                    </form> -->
-                    <p class="newsletter-placeholder">Newsletter coming soon!</p>
+                    {{ newsletter_html | safe }}
                </div>
                {% endif %}

@@ -154,11 +137,11 @@
                    <h3>Share A Link</h3>
                    <div class="shareable-banner">
                        <a href="{{ site_url }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Link to {{ comic_name }} home page">
-                            <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/' + banner_image) }}" alt="{{ comic_name }}" class="banner-image">
+                            <img src="{{ ('images/' + banner_image) | cdn_static }}" alt="{{ comic_name }}" class="banner-image">
                        </a>
                        <details class="banner-code">
                            <summary>Get code</summary>
-                            <textarea readonly onfocus="this.select()" onclick="this.select()" aria-label="HTML code for linking to {{ comic_name }}"><a href="{{ site_url }}"><img src="{{ site_url }}/static/images/{{ banner_image }}" alt="{{ comic_name }}"></a></textarea>
+                            <textarea readonly onfocus="this.select()" onclick="this.select()" aria-label="HTML code for linking to {{ comic_name }}"><a href="{{ site_url }}"><img src="{% if cdn_url %}{{ cdn_url }}/static/images/{{ banner_image }}{% else %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/{{ banner_image }}{% endif %}" alt="{{ comic_name }}"></a></textarea>
                        </details>
                    </div>
                </div>
@@ -172,7 +155,7 @@
                <span class="footer-divider" aria-hidden="true">|</span>
                <div class="site-credit">
                    <a href="https://git.puercito.net/mi/sunday" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Sunday Comics - Webcomic platform">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/sunday.jpg') }}" alt="Sunday Comics" class="credit-image">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/sunday.jpg' | cdn_static }}" alt="Sunday Comics" class="credit-image">
                    </a>
                </div>
            </div>
@@ -181,7 +164,7 @@

    {% if footer_image %}
    <div class="site-footer-image">
-        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/' + footer_image) }}" alt="{{ comic_name }} Footer">
+        <img src="{{ ('images/' + footer_image) | cdn_static }}" alt="{{ comic_name }} Footer">
    </div>
    {% endif %}

@@ -203,12 +186,12 @@
    </div>
    {% endif %}

-    <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='js/comic-nav.js') }}"></script>
+    <script src="{{ 'js/comic-nav.js' | cdn_static }}"></script>
    {% if embed_enabled %}
-    <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='js/embed.js') }}"></script>
+    <script src="{{ 'js/embed.js' | cdn_static }}"></script>
    {% endif %}
    {% if permalink_enabled %}
-    <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='js/permalink.js') }}"></script>
+    <script src="{{ 'js/permalink.js' | cdn_static }}"></script>
    {% endif %}
    {% block extra_js %}{% endblock %}
 </body>
--- a/templates/comic.html
+++ b/templates/comic.html
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

 {% block meta_description %}{{ comic.alt_text }}{% if comic.author_note %} - {{ comic.author_note }}{% endif %}{% endblock %}

-{% block og_image %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% endblock %}
+{% block og_image %}{% if cdn_url %}{{ cdn_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% else %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% endif %}{% endblock %}

 {% block extra_css %}
 <script type="application/ld+json">
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
  "@type": "ComicStory",
  "name": "{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}",
  "datePublished": "{{ comic.date }}",
-  "image": "{{ site_url }}/static/images/comics/{{ comic.filename }}",
-  "thumbnailUrl": "{{ site_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}",
+  "image": "{% if cdn_url %}{{ cdn_url }}/static/images/comics/{{ comic.filename }}{% else %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/comics/{{ comic.filename }}{% endif %}",
+  "thumbnailUrl": "{% if cdn_url %}{{ cdn_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% else %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% endif %}",
  "description": "{{ comic.alt_text }}",
  "isPartOf": {
    "@type": "ComicSeries",
@@ -37,12 +37,17 @@
    </div>
    {% endif %}

-    <div class="comic-image{% if comic.is_multi_image %} comic-image-multi{% endif %}" id="comic-image-focus" tabindex="-1">
-        {% if comic.is_multi_image %}
+    <div class="comic-image{% if comic.is_multi_image %} comic-image-multi{% endif %}{% if comic.html_embed %} comic-image-embed{% endif %}" id="comic-image-focus" tabindex="-1">
+        {% if comic.html_embed %}
+            {# HTML embed (video, widget, etc.) #}
+            <div class="comic-embed-wrapper">
+                {{ comic.html_embed | safe }}
+            </div>
+        {% elif comic.is_multi_image %}
            {# Multi-image layout (webtoon style) - no click-through on individual images #}
            {% for i in range(comic.filenames|length) %}
-            <img src="{% if loop.first %}{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) }}{% endif %}"
-                 {% if not loop.first %}data-src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) }}" class="lazy-load"{% endif %}
+            <img src="{% if loop.first %}{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) | cdn_static }}{% endif %}"
+                 {% if not loop.first %}data-src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) | cdn_static }}" class="lazy-load"{% endif %}
                 alt="{{ comic.alt_texts[i] }}"
                 title="{{ comic.alt_texts[i] }}"
                 loading="{% if loop.first %}eager{% else %}lazy{% endif %}">
@@ -53,13 +58,13 @@
            <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number + 1) }}" aria-label="Click to view next comic">
                {% if comic.mobile_filename %}
                <picture>
-                    <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) }}">
-                    <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+                    <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) | cdn_static }}">
+                    <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                         alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                         title="{{ comic.alt_text }}">
                </picture>
                {% else %}
-                <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+                <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                     alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                     title="{{ comic.alt_text }}"
                     loading="eager">
@@ -68,13 +73,13 @@
            {% else %}
                {% if comic.mobile_filename %}
                <picture>
-                    <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) }}">
-                    <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+                    <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) | cdn_static }}">
+                    <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                         alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                         title="{{ comic.alt_text }}">
                </picture>
                {% else %}
-                <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+                <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                     alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                     title="{{ comic.alt_text }}"
                     loading="eager">
@@ -89,17 +94,17 @@
                {# Icon-based navigation #}
                {% if comic.number > 1 %}
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="First">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/first.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number - 1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Previous">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/previous.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                {% else %}
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="First" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/first.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Previous" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/previous.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                {% endif %}

@@ -107,17 +112,17 @@

                {% if comic.number < total_comics %}
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number + 1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Next">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/next.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=total_comics) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Latest">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/latest.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                {% else %}
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Next" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/next.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Latest" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/latest.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                {% endif %}
            {% else %}
@@ -147,12 +152,12 @@
    <div class="comic-share-section">
        {% if permalink_enabled %}
        <button class="btn-permalink{% if use_share_icons %} btn-with-icon{% endif %}" id="permalink-button" data-comic-number="{{ comic.number }}" aria-label="Copy permalink to this comic">
-            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/link.png') }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Copy Permalink
+            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ 'images/icons/link.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Copy Permalink
        </button>
        {% endif %}
        {% if embed_enabled %}
        <button class="btn-embed{% if use_share_icons %} btn-with-icon{% endif %}" id="embed-button" data-comic-number="{{ comic.number }}" aria-label="Get embed code for this comic">
-            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/embed.png') }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Share/Embed
+            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ 'images/icons/embed.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Share/Embed
        </button>
        {% endif %}
    </div>
--- a/templates/embed.html
+++ b/templates/embed.html
@@ -127,21 +127,21 @@
                <p class="embed-date">{{ comic.formatted_date }}</p>
            </div>
            {% if logo_image %}
-            <img src="{{ site_url }}/static/images/{{ logo_image }}" alt="{{ comic_name }}" class="embed-logo">
+            <img src="{% if cdn_url %}{{ cdn_url }}/static/images/{{ logo_image }}{% else %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/{{ logo_image }}{% endif %}" alt="{{ comic_name }}" class="embed-logo">
            {% endif %}
        </div>
        <div class="embed-image-wrapper">
            <a href="{{ site_url }}/comic/{{ comic.number }}" class="embed-image-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="View {{ comic.title if comic.title else 'comic #' ~ comic.number }} on {{ comic_name }}">
                {% if comic.mobile_filename %}
                <picture>
-                    <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) }}">
-                    <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+                    <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) | cdn_static }}">
+                    <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                         alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                         title="{{ comic.alt_text }}"
                         class="embed-image">
                </picture>
                {% else %}
-                <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+                <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                     alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                     title="{{ comic.alt_text }}"
                     class="embed-image">
--- a/templates/index.html
+++ b/templates/index.html
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 {% if comic %}
 {% block meta_description %}{{ comic.alt_text }}{% if comic.author_note %} - {{ comic.author_note }}{% endif %}{% endblock %}

-{% block og_image %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% endblock %}
+{% block og_image %}{% if cdn_url %}{{ cdn_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% else %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% endif %}{% endblock %}
 {% endif %}

 {% block content %}
@@ -16,12 +16,17 @@
        <p class="comic-date">{{ comic.date }}</p>
    </div>

-    <div class="comic-image{% if comic.is_multi_image %} comic-image-multi{% endif %}" id="comic-image-focus" tabindex="-1">
-        {% if comic.is_multi_image %}
+    <div class="comic-image{% if comic.is_multi_image %} comic-image-multi{% endif %}{% if comic.html_embed %} comic-image-embed{% endif %}" id="comic-image-focus" tabindex="-1">
+        {% if comic.html_embed %}
+            {# HTML embed (video, widget, etc.) #}
+            <div class="comic-embed-wrapper">
+                {{ comic.html_embed | safe }}
+            </div>
+        {% elif comic.is_multi_image %}
            {# Multi-image layout (webtoon style) - no click-through on individual images #}
            {% for i in range(comic.filenames|length) %}
-            <img src="{% if loop.first %}{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) }}{% endif %}"
-                 {% if not loop.first %}data-src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) }}" class="lazy-load"{% endif %}
+            <img src="{% if loop.first %}{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) | cdn_static }}{% endif %}"
+                 {% if not loop.first %}data-src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filenames[i]) | cdn_static }}" class="lazy-load"{% endif %}
                 alt="{{ comic.alt_texts[i] }}"
                 title="{{ comic.alt_texts[i] }}"
                 loading="{% if loop.first %}eager{% else %}lazy{% endif %}">
@@ -29,13 +34,13 @@
        {% else %}
            {% if comic.mobile_filename %}
            <picture>
-                <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) }}">
-                <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+                <source media="(max-width: 768px)" srcset="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.mobile_filename) | cdn_static }}">
+                <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                     alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                     title="{{ comic.alt_text }}">
            </picture>
            {% else %}
-            <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/comics/' + comic.filename) }}"
+            <img src="{{ ('images/comics/' + comic.filename) | cdn_static }}"
                 alt="{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}"
                 title="{{ comic.alt_text }}">
            {% endif %}
@@ -48,17 +53,17 @@
                {# Icon-based navigation #}
                {% if comic.number > 1 %}
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="First">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/first.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number - 1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Previous">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/previous.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                {% else %}
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="First" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/first.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Previous" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/previous.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                {% endif %}

@@ -66,17 +71,17 @@

                {% if comic.number < total_comics %}
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number + 1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Next">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/next.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                    <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=total_comics) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Latest">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/latest.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </a>
                {% else %}
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Next" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/next.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Latest" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="">
+                        <img src="{{ 'images/icons/latest.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="">
                    </span>
                {% endif %}
            {% else %}
@@ -106,12 +111,12 @@
    <div class="comic-share-section">
        {% if permalink_enabled %}
        <button class="btn-permalink{% if use_share_icons %} btn-with-icon{% endif %}" id="permalink-button" data-comic-number="{{ comic.number }}" aria-label="Copy permalink to this comic">
-            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/link.png') }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Copy Permalink
+            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ 'images/icons/link.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Copy Permalink
        </button>
        {% endif %}
        {% if embed_enabled %}
        <button class="btn-embed{% if use_share_icons %} btn-with-icon{% endif %}" id="embed-button" data-comic-number="{{ comic.number }}" aria-label="Get embed code for this comic">
-            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/embed.png') }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Share/Embed
+            {% if use_share_icons %}<img src="{{ 'images/icons/embed.png' | cdn_static }}" alt="" class="btn-icon" aria-hidden="true">{% endif %}Share/Embed
        </button>
        {% endif %}
    </div>
--- a/version.py
+++ b/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Sunday Comics Version
+# This file contains the version number for the project
+# Format: YYYY.MM.DD (date-based versioning)
+
+__version__ = "2025.11.18"
Author	SHA1	Message	Date
mi	2b8f30ef82	Release version 2025.11.18 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>	2025-11-18 13:44:41 +10:00
mi	882eed90f9	✨ embed support	2025-11-18 13:40:52 +10:00
mi	d374df6b0b	🎨 configurable social links	2025-11-18 13:22:56 +10:00
mi	9c566bcc3c	✨ customizable newsletter	2025-11-16 13:30:00 +10:00
mi	2580ea076d	✨ enable upstream updates	2025-11-16 13:17:07 +10:00
mi	b1f0f9f09b	📝 note on protecting ip	2025-11-15 21:26:31 +10:00
mi	0381908610	:lightning: CDN option	2025-11-15 21:24:44 +10:00
mi	6b3d446207	🐳 setup cache, build sitemap, rss feed	2025-11-15 21:09:14 +10:00
mi	631bca7923	📝 initial release docs	2025-11-15 20:53:31 +10:00
mi	6dad2194a5	🔖 initial release	2025-11-15 20:46:44 +10:00
mi	3153455355	📝 consolidate multiple list endpoints for comics	2025-11-15 20:40:18 +10:00
mi	52b80563ba	📝 catch the docs up	2025-11-15 20:21:19 +10:00
mi	61aa0aaba7	:lightning: lazy load archive	2025-11-15 20:01:06 +10:00
mi	bbd8e0a96d	:lightning: comics cache	2025-11-15 19:37:52 +10:00