diff --git a/comicapi/comet.py b/comicapi/comet.py
index adc0d67..527045f 100644
--- a/comicapi/comet.py
+++ b/comicapi/comet.py
@@ -88,9 +88,9 @@ class CoMet:
             assign("readingDirection", "rtl")
 
         if md.year is not None:
-            date_str = str(md.year).zfill(4)
+            date_str = f"{md.year:04}"
             if md.month is not None:
-                date_str += "-" + str(md.month).zfill(2)
+                date_str += f"-{md.month:02}"
             assign("date", date_str)
 
         assign("coverImage", md.cover_image)
diff --git a/comicapi/filenameparser.py b/comicapi/filenameparser.py
index 0d37b76..c19c522 100644
--- a/comicapi/filenameparser.py
+++ b/comicapi/filenameparser.py
@@ -32,10 +32,13 @@ from text2digits import text2digits
 
 from comicapi import filenamelexer, issuestring
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 t2d = text2digits.Text2Digits(add_ordinal_ending=False)
 t2do = text2digits.Text2Digits(add_ordinal_ending=True)
 
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+placeholders_no_dashes = [re.compile(r"[-_]"), re.compile(r"  +")]
+placeholders_allow_dashes = [re.compile(r"[_]"), re.compile(r"  +")]
 
 
 class FileNameParser:
@@ -54,9 +57,9 @@ class FileNameParser:
 
     def fix_spaces(self, string: str, remove_dashes: bool = True) -> str:
         if remove_dashes:
-            placeholders = [r"[-_]", r"  +"]
+            placeholders = placeholders_no_dashes
         else:
-            placeholders = [r"[_]", r"  +"]
+            placeholders = placeholders_allow_dashes
         for ph in placeholders:
             string = re.sub(ph, self.repl, string)
         return string
diff --git a/comictaggerlib/issueidentifier.py b/comictaggerlib/issueidentifier.py
index 385cbf6..091e7a1 100644
--- a/comictaggerlib/issueidentifier.py
+++ b/comictaggerlib/issueidentifier.py
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ class IssueIdentifier:
             self.log_msg("")
 
         if len(self.match_list) == 0:
-            self.log_msg(":-(no matches!")
+            self.log_msg(":-( no matches!")
             self.search_result = self.result_no_matches
             return self.match_list
 
diff --git a/comictaggerlib/pagelisteditor.py b/comictaggerlib/pagelisteditor.py
index ce73595..bb2b39e 100644
--- a/comictaggerlib/pagelisteditor.py
+++ b/comictaggerlib/pagelisteditor.py
@@ -340,9 +340,9 @@ class PageListEditor(QtWidgets.QWidget):
             else:
                 text += " (Error: " + page_dict["Type"] + ")"
         if "DoublePage" in page_dict:
-            text += " " + "\U00002461"
+            text += " ②"
         if "Bookmark" in page_dict:
-            text += " " + "\U0001F516"
+            text += " 🔖"
         return text
 
     def get_page_list(self) -> list[ImageMetadata]:
diff --git a/comictaggerlib/taggerwindow.py b/comictaggerlib/taggerwindow.py
index b7467dc..7658aeb 100644
--- a/comictaggerlib/taggerwindow.py
+++ b/comictaggerlib/taggerwindow.py
@@ -1712,7 +1712,7 @@ Have fun!
             )
             if dlg.ignore_leading_digits_in_filename and md.series is not None:
                 # remove all leading numbers
-                md.series = re.sub(r"([\d.]*)(.*)", "\\2", md.series)
+                md.series = re.sub(r"([\d.]*)(.*)", r"\2", md.series)
 
         # use the dialog specified search string
         if dlg.search_string: