diff --git a/starcheat/assets.py b/starcheat/assets.py
index 8d34028..a46344d 100644
--- a/starcheat/assets.py
+++ b/starcheat/assets.py
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ def get_item_image(self, name):
             icon_file = item[0]["image"]
             icon = icon_file.split(':')
             icon = icon[0]
-        except KeyError:
+        except (KeyError, TypeError):
             logging.warning("No image key for "+name)
             return None
 
@@ -888,15 +888,16 @@ def get_preview_image(self, name, gender):
     def render_player(self, player):
         name = player.get_race()
         gender = player.get_gender()
+        asset_loc = self.get_species(name)[0][1]
 
         body_sprites = self.assets.read("/humanoid/%s/%sbody.png" % (name, gender),
-                                        self.assets.vanilla_assets, True)
+                                        asset_loc, True)
         frontarm_sprites = self.assets.read("/humanoid/%s/frontarm.png" % name,
-                                            self.assets.vanilla_assets, True)
+                                            asset_loc, True)
         backarm_sprites = self.assets.read("/humanoid/%s/backarm.png" % name,
-                                            self.assets.vanilla_assets, True)
+                                            asset_loc, True)
         head_sprites = self.assets.read("/humanoid/%s/%shead.png" % (name, gender),
-                                        self.assets.vanilla_assets, True)
+                                        asset_loc, True)
 
         body_img = Image.open(BytesIO(body_sprites)).crop((43, 0, 86, 43))
         frontarm_img = Image.open(BytesIO(frontarm_sprites)).crop((43, 0, 86, 43))
@@ -920,7 +921,6 @@ def render_player(self, player):
         base.paste(body_img, mask=body_img)
         base.paste(frontarm_img, mask=frontarm_img)
 
-
         return base
 
     def get_hair_image(self, name, hair_type, hair_group, gender):
diff --git a/starcheat/gui/appearance.py b/starcheat/gui/appearance.py
index b5695c0..ce44671 100644
--- a/starcheat/gui/appearance.py
+++ b/starcheat/gui/appearance.py
@@ -102,9 +102,16 @@ def write_appearance_values(self):
         self.player.set_facial_hair_directives(self.colors["facial_hair"])
         self.player.set_facial_mask_directives(self.colors["facial_mask"])
 
-        image = self.assets.species().render_player(self.player)
-        pixmap = QPixmap.fromImage(ImageQt(image)).scaled(86, 86)
+        # render player preview
+        try:
+            image = self.assets.species().render_player(self.player)
+            pixmap = QPixmap.fromImage(ImageQt(image)).scaled(86, 86)
+        except (OSError, TypeError, AttributeError):
+            logging.exception("Couldn't load species images")
+            pixmap = QPixmap()
+
         self.ui.player_preview.setPixmap(pixmap)
+
         self.main_window.window.setWindowModified(True)
 
     def new_color_edit(self, type):
diff --git a/starcheat/gui/itembrowser.py b/starcheat/gui/itembrowser.py
index dcbae2a..9c0cc9d 100644
--- a/starcheat/gui/itembrowser.py
+++ b/starcheat/gui/itembrowser.py
@@ -10,12 +10,66 @@
 import assets, qt_itembrowser
 from config import Config
 
+def format_status_effects(data):
+    info = "<b>Status Effects:</b><br>"
+    for status in data:
+        if "amount" in status:
+            info += "%s (%s)<br>" % (status["kind"], str(status["amount"]))
+        else:
+            info += "%s<br>" % status["kind"]
+    return info
+
+def format_effects(data):
+    info = "<b>Effects:</b><br>"
+    for status in data[0]:
+        if "amount" in status:
+            info += "%s (%s)<br>" % (status["kind"], str(status["amount"]))
+        else:
+            info += "%s<br>" % status["kind"]
+    return info
+
+data_format = (
+    # (key name, format/func)
+    # key name is name of the key in item data it corresponds to
+    # format/func is either a format string with 1 %s replacement that the
+    # key gets passed to or a function that outputs a string using the option
+    # as input
+    # order matters
+    ("shortdescription", "<b>%s</b> "),
+    ("itemName", "(%s)<br>"),
+    ("objectName", "(%s)<br>"),
+    ("description", "%s<br><br>"),
+    ("inspectionKind", "<b>Type:</b> %s<br>"),
+    ("rarity", "<b>Rarity:</b> %s<br><br>"),
+    ("statusEffects", format_status_effects),
+    ("effects", format_effects),
+    ("blockRadius", "<b>Mining Radius:</b> %s blocks")
+)
+
+def generate_item_info(item_data):
+    """Takes inventory item data and makes a detailed description (HTML)."""
+    info = ""
+
+    if item_data == None:
+        return ""
+
+    for fmt in data_format:
+        if fmt[0] in item_data:
+            if type(fmt[1]) is str:
+                info += fmt[1] % str(item_data[fmt[0]])
+            else:
+                info += fmt[1](item_data[fmt[0]])
+
+    return info
+
+
 class BrowserItem(QListWidgetItem):
     def __init__(self, name, desc):
         if desc == "":
             display = name
         else:
-            display = "%s (%s)" % (desc, name)
+            #display = "%s (%s)" % (desc, name)
+            display = desc
         QListWidgetItem.__init__(self, display)
         self.name = name
 
@@ -87,16 +141,7 @@ def update_item_view(self):
             logging.warning("Unable to load item image: "+selected)
             self.ui.item_icon.setPixmap(QPixmap())
 
-        # TODO: update qt objectnames, already not making sense
-        try:
-            self.ui.item_name.setText(item[0]["shortdescription"])
-        except KeyError:
-            self.ui.item_name.setText("Missing short description")
-
-        try:
-            self.ui.short_desc.setText(item[0]["description"])
-        except KeyError:
-            self.ui.short_desc.setText("Missing description")
+        self.ui.short_desc.setText(generate_item_info(item[0]))
 
         # populate default variant table
         row = 0
diff --git a/starcheat/gui/itemedit.py b/starcheat/gui/itemedit.py
index 95febce..e614823 100644
--- a/starcheat/gui/itemedit.py
+++ b/starcheat/gui/itemedit.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 import assets, qt_itemedit, qt_itemeditoptions, saves
 from gui.common import inv_icon, ItemWidget, empty_slot
-from gui.itembrowser import ItemBrowser
+from gui.itembrowser import ItemBrowser, generate_item_info
 from config import Config
 
 class ItemEditOptions():
@@ -112,18 +112,15 @@ def __init__(self, parent, item, player, browser_category="<all>"):
     def update_item_info(self, name, data):
         item_info = "<html><body>"
 
-        try:
-            item_info += "<strong>" + data["shortdescription"] + "</strong>"
-        except KeyError:
-            try:
-                item_info += "<strong>" + self.assets.items().get_item(name)[0]["shortdescription"] + "</strong>"
-            except:
-                pass
+        #try:
+        #    item_info += "<strong>" + data["shortdescription"] + "</strong><br>"
+        #except KeyError:
+        #    try:
+        #        item_info += "<strong>" + self.assets.items().get_item(name)[0]["shortdescription"] + "</strong><br>"
+        #    except:
+        #        pass
 
-        try:
-            item_info += "<p>" + data["description"] + "</p>"
-        except KeyError:
-            pass
+        item_info += generate_item_info(data)
 
         item_info += "</body></html>"
         self.ui.desc.setText(item_info)
diff --git a/starcheat/gui/mainwindow.py b/starcheat/gui/mainwindow.py
index c263d87..d6027a9 100644
--- a/starcheat/gui/mainwindow.py
+++ b/starcheat/gui/mainwindow.py
@@ -450,8 +450,15 @@ def update_bag(self, bag_name):
                 column = 0
 
     def update_player_preview(self):
-        image = self.assets.species().render_player(self.player)
-        pixmap = QPixmap.fromImage(ImageQt(image)).scaled(86, 86)
+        try:
+            image = self.assets.species().render_player(self.player)
+            pixmap = QPixmap.fromImage(ImageQt(image)).scaled(86, 86)
+        except (OSError, TypeError, AttributeError):
+            # TODO: more specific error handling. may as well except all errors
+            # at this point jeez
+            logging.exception("Couldn't load species images")
+            pixmap = QPixmap()
+
         self.ui.player_preview.setPixmap(pixmap)
         self.window.setWindowModified(True)
 
diff --git a/starcheat/templates/ItemBrowser.ui b/starcheat/templates/ItemBrowser.ui
index 702492d..4d32b2e 100644
--- a/starcheat/templates/ItemBrowser.ui
+++ b/starcheat/templates/ItemBrowser.ui
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>616</width>
-    <height>386</height>
+    <width>600</width>
+    <height>350</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -87,30 +87,6 @@
    <item row="0" column="1">
     <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_2">
      <item row="0" column="0">
-      <widget class="QLabel" name="item_name">
-       <property name="sizePolicy">
-        <sizepolicy hsizetype="Expanding" vsizetype="Preferred">
-         <horstretch>0</horstretch>
-         <verstretch>0</verstretch>
-        </sizepolicy>
-       </property>
-       <property name="maximumSize">
-        <size>
-         <width>16777215</width>
-         <height>15</height>
-        </size>
-       </property>
-       <property name="font">
-        <font>
-         <underline>true</underline>
-        </font>
-       </property>
-       <property name="text">
-        <string>item_name</string>
-       </property>
-      </widget>
-     </item>
-     <item row="0" column="1" rowspan="2">
       <widget class="QLabel" name="item_icon">
        <property name="minimumSize">
         <size>
@@ -138,7 +114,7 @@
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
-     <item row="1" column="0">
+     <item row="0" column="1" rowspan="2">
       <widget class="QLabel" name="short_desc">
        <property name="sizePolicy">
         <sizepolicy hsizetype="Expanding" vsizetype="Preferred">
@@ -162,6 +138,19 @@
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
+     <item row="1" column="0">
+      <spacer name="verticalSpacer">
+       <property name="orientation">
+        <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
+       </property>
+       <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+        <size>
+         <width>20</width>
+         <height>18</height>
+        </size>
+       </property>
+      </spacer>
+     </item>
      <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2">
       <widget class="QTableWidget" name="info">
        <property name="minimumSize">