diff --git a/scripts/find_dupes.py b/scripts/find_dupes.py
index 57c6476..bf6f94e 100755
--- a/scripts/find_dupes.py
+++ b/scripts/find_dupes.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def main():
 	filelist = utils.get_recursive_filelist( sys.argv[1:] )
 	
 	#first find all comics with metadata
-	print "reading in all comics..."
+	print >> sys.stderr, "reading in all comics..."
 	comic_list = []
 	max_name_len = 2
 	for filename in filelist:
diff --git a/scripts/make_links.py b/scripts/make_links.py
index 7f0b8cf..c99167e 100755
--- a/scripts/make_links.py
+++ b/scripts/make_links.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def make_folder( folder ):
 			
 def make_link( source, link ):
 	if not os.path.exists( link ):
-		os.symlink( source , link )
+		os.symlink( os.path.abspath(source) , link )
 
 def main():
 	utils.fix_output_encoding()
@@ -94,7 +94,12 @@ def main():
 		make_link( filename, os.path.join(date_folder, os.path.basename(filename)) )
 		
 		#do publisher/series organizing:
-		series_folder = os.path.join(link_root, "series", str(md.publisher), str(md.series))
+		fixed_series_name = md.series
+		if fixed_series_name is not None:
+			# some tweaks to keep various filesystems happy		
+			fixed_series_name = fixed_series_name.replace("/", "-")
+			fixed_series_name = fixed_series_name.replace("?", "")
+		series_folder = os.path.join(link_root, "series", str(md.publisher), unicode(fixed_series_name))
 		make_folder( series_folder )
 		make_link( filename, os.path.join(series_folder, os.path.basename(filename)) )
 		
diff --git a/scripts/remove_ads.py b/scripts/remove_ads.py
index 656f355..fbfe04f 100755
--- a/scripts/remove_ads.py
+++ b/scripts/remove_ads.py
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ import tempfile
 import zipfile
 import shutil
 
-from comictaggerlib.comicarchive import *
+import comictaggerlib.utils
 from comictaggerlib.settings import *
-import comictagger.utils
+from comictaggerlib.comicarchive import *
 
 subfolder_name = "PRE_AD_REMOVAL"
 unwanted_types = [ 'Deleted', 'Advertisment' ]
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def main():
 		#skip any of our generated subfolders...
 		if os.path.basename(curr_folder) == subfolder_name:
 			continue
-		sys.out.write("Removing unwanted pages from " + filename)
+		sys.stdout.write("Removing unwanted pages from " + filename)
 				
 		# verify that we can write to current folder		
 		if not os.access(filename, os.W_OK):
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ def main():
 			new_pages = list()
 			for p in md.pages:
 				if p.has_key('Type') and p['Type'] in unwanted_types:
-					
 					continue
 				else:
 					pageNum = int(p['Image'])
@@ -120,7 +119,9 @@ def main():
 					new_num += 1
 			
 			#preserve the old comment
-			zout.comment = ca.archiver.getArchiveComment()
+			comment = ca.archiver.getArchiveComment()
+			if comment is not None:
+				zout.comment = ca.archiver.getArchiveComment()
 
 		except Exception as e:
 			print "Failure creating new archive: {0}!".format(filename)
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ def main():
 			# Create a new archive object for the new file, and write the old CIX data, with new page info
 			ca = ComicArchive( filename, settings )
 			md.pages = new_pages
-			ca.writeMetadata( style )
+			ca.writeMetadata( style, md )
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/scripts/validate_cover.py b/scripts/validate_cover.py
index 70e92cc..468201e 100755
--- a/scripts/validate_cover.py
+++ b/scripts/validate_cover.py
@@ -41,12 +41,12 @@ def main():
 	issue_id = sys.argv[2]
 
 	if not os.path.exists(filename):
-		print >> sys.stderr, opts.filename + ": not found!"
+		print >> sys.stderr, filename + ": not found!"
 		return
 		
 	ca = ComicArchive(filename, settings )
 	if not ca.seemsToBeAComicArchive():
-		print >> sys.stderr, "Sorry, but "+ opts.filename + "  is not a comic archive!"
+		print >> sys.stderr, "Sorry, but "+ filename + "  is not a comic archive!"
 		return
 
 	ii = IssueIdentifier( ca, settings )