diff --git a/demos/clicker_game.cpp b/demos/clicker_game.cpp
index b7d7c56..b2e99b9 100644
--- a/demos/clicker_game.cpp
+++ b/demos/clicker_game.cpp
@@ -81,7 +81,12 @@ struct ClickerUI {
   }
 
   void init() {
-    $gui.set<guecs::Background>($gui.MAIN, {$gui.$parser, {0, 0, 0, 255}});
+    guecs::Background bg{$gui.$parser, };
+
+    bg.set_color({0, 0, 0, 255});
+    bg.set_sprite("clicker_treat_bone");
+
+    $gui.set<guecs::Background>($gui.MAIN, bg);
 
     for(auto& [name, cell] : $gui.cells()) {
       auto id = $gui.entity(name);
diff --git a/include/guecs/lel.hpp b/include/guecs/lel.hpp
index b48df96..3850126 100644
--- a/include/guecs/lel.hpp
+++ b/include/guecs/lel.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 namespace lel {
 
   struct Cell {
+    int col = 0;
+    int row = 0;
     int x = 0;
     int y = 0;
     int w = 0;
@@ -15,16 +17,11 @@ namespace lel {
     int mid_y = 0;
     int max_w = 0;
     int max_h = 0;
-    int col = 0;
-    int row = 0;
     bool right = false;
     bool bottom = false;
     bool expand = false;
     bool center = false;
     bool percent = false;
-
-    Cell(int col, int row) : col(col), row(row) {}
-    Cell() {}
   };
 
   using Row = std::vector<std::string>;
@@ -36,16 +33,17 @@ namespace lel {
     int grid_w = 0;
     int grid_h = 0;
     Cell cur;
+    Cell main;
     std::vector<Row> grid;
     CellMap cells;
 
     Parser(int x, int y, int width, int height);
-    Parser();
+    Parser() : cur{.col=0, .row=0} {};
 
     void position(int x, int y, int width, int height);
-    void id(std::string name);
+    void id(const std::string& name);
     void reset();
-    bool parse(std::string input);
+    bool parse(const std::string& input);
     void finalize();
     std::optional<std::string> hit(int x, int y);
   };
diff --git a/include/guecs/sfml/components.hpp b/include/guecs/sfml/components.hpp
index 1e40b8f..ca8f4fc 100644
--- a/include/guecs/sfml/components.hpp
+++ b/include/guecs/sfml/components.hpp
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ namespace guecs {
     float h = 0.0f;
     sf::Color color=THEME.BG_COLOR;
     shared_ptr<sf::RectangleShape> shape = nullptr;
+    shared_ptr<sf::Sprite> sprite = nullptr;
 
     Background(lel::Parser& parser, sf::Color bg_color=THEME.BG_COLOR) :
       x(parser.grid_x),
@@ -117,5 +118,8 @@ namespace guecs {
 
     void init();
     void render(sf::RenderWindow& window);
+
+    void set_color(sf::Color c);
+    void set_sprite(const std::string& name, bool stretch=false);
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/guecs/lel.cpp b/src/guecs/lel.cpp
index 5c18989..b363293 100644
--- a/src/guecs/lel.cpp
+++ b/src/guecs/lel.cpp
@@ -11,27 +11,36 @@ namespace lel {
     grid_x(x),
     grid_y(y),
     grid_w(width),
-    grid_h(height),
-    cur(0, 0)
+    grid_h(height)
   {
   }
 
-  Parser::Parser() : cur(0, 0) { }
-
   void Parser::position(int x, int y, int width, int height) {
     grid_x = x;
     grid_y = y;
     grid_w = width;
     grid_h = height;
+
+    // used in GUIs for setting backgrounds
+    main = {
+      .x=grid_x,
+      .y=grid_y,
+      .w=grid_w,
+      .h=grid_h,
+      .mid_x=std::midpoint(grid_x, grid_x + grid_w),
+      .mid_y=std::midpoint(grid_y, grid_y + grid_h),
+      .max_w=grid_w,
+      .max_h=grid_h
+    };
   }
 
-  void Parser::id(std::string name) {
+  void Parser::id(const std::string& name) {
     if(name != "_") {
       assert(!cells.contains(name) && "duplicate cell name");
       cells.insert_or_assign(name, cur);
     }
 
-    cur = {cur.col + 1, cur.row};
+    cur = {.col=cur.col + 1, .row=cur.row};
     auto& row = grid.back();
     row.push_back(name);
   }
@@ -87,15 +96,18 @@ namespace lel {
   }
 
   void Parser::reset() {
-    cur = {0, 0};
+    cur = {.col=0, .row=0};
+    main = {.col=0, .row=0};
     grid.clear();
     cells.clear();
   }
 
   std::optional<std::string> Parser::hit(int x, int y) {
     for(auto& [name, cell] : cells) {
-      if((x >= cell.x && x <= cell.x + cell.w) &&
-          (y >= cell.y && y <= cell.y + cell.h)) {
+      if(name != "_MAIN" &&
+          (x >= cell.x && x <= cell.x + cell.w) &&
+          (y >= cell.y && y <= cell.y + cell.h))
+      {
         return name;
       }
     }
@@ -106,6 +118,7 @@ namespace lel {
   Cell center(int width, int height, Cell &parent) {
     Cell copy = parent;
 
+    // BUG: could I use std::midpoint here or am I even using this?
     copy.x = parent.mid_x - width / 2;
     copy.y = parent.mid_y - height / 2;
     copy.w = width;
diff --git a/src/guecs/lel_parser.cpp b/src/guecs/lel_parser.cpp
index b60715c..ba99a2b 100644
--- a/src/guecs/lel_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/guecs/lel_parser.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ static const int Parser_en_main = 1;
 
 #line 44 "src/guecs/lel_parser.rl"
 
-bool Parser::parse(std::string input) {
+bool Parser::parse(const std::string& input) {
   reset();
   int cs = 0;
   const char *start = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/guecs/lel_parser.rl b/src/guecs/lel_parser.rl
index f6a37c2..a123bfc 100644
--- a/src/guecs/lel_parser.rl
+++ b/src/guecs/lel_parser.rl
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ namespace lel {
 
 %% write data;
 
-bool Parser::parse(std::string input) {
+bool Parser::parse(const std::string& input) {
   reset();
   int cs = 0;
   const char *start = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/guecs/sfml/components.cpp b/src/guecs/sfml/components.cpp
index 01743c5..1f1f349 100644
--- a/src/guecs/sfml/components.cpp
+++ b/src/guecs/sfml/components.cpp
@@ -121,8 +121,36 @@ namespace guecs {
     assert(shape != nullptr && "failed to make rectangle");
   }
 
+  void Background::set_color(sf::Color c) {
+    color = c;
+  }
+
+  void Background::set_sprite(const std::string& name, bool stretch) {
+    auto sprite_texture = BACKEND->texture_get(name);
+
+    sprite = make_shared<sf::Sprite>(
+        *sprite_texture.texture,
+        sprite_texture.sprite->getTextureRect());
+
+    sprite->setPosition({float(x), float(y)});
+
+    if(stretch) {
+      auto bounds = sprite->getLocalBounds();
+
+      sprite->setScale({
+          float(w) / bounds.size.x,
+          float(h) / bounds.size.y});
+    }
+  }
+
   void Background::render(sf::RenderWindow& window) {
-    window.draw(*shape);
+    if(shape != nullptr) {
+      window.draw(*shape);
+    }
+
+    if(sprite != nullptr) {
+      window.draw(*sprite);
+    }
   }
 
   void Effect::init(lel::Cell &cell) {
diff --git a/src/guecs/ui.cpp b/src/guecs/ui.cpp
index 357e500..5fbad51 100644
--- a/src/guecs/ui.cpp
+++ b/src/guecs/ui.cpp
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ namespace guecs {
 
   bool UI::mouse(float x, float y, bool hover) {
     int action_count = 0;
-    // BUG: use lel::Parser.hit instead of this
+    // BUG: Is Parser::hit useful?
 
     query<lel::Cell>([&](auto ent, auto& cell) {
       if((x >= cell.x && x <= cell.x + cell.w) &&
diff --git a/tests/lel.cpp b/tests/lel.cpp
index b6ed7ff..244e751 100644
--- a/tests/lel.cpp
+++ b/tests/lel.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ TEST_CASE("test basic ops", "[lel]") {
       auto &name = row[colcount];
       if(name == "_") {
         REQUIRE(!parser.cells.contains(name));
+      } else if(name == "_MAIN") {
+        // it's the main cell which covers the whole area
+        auto &cell = parser.cells.at(name);
+        REQUIRE(cell.row == 0);
+        REQUIRE(cell.col == 0);
+        REQUIRE(cell.x == parser.grid_x);
+        REQUIRE(cell.y == parser.grid_y);
+        REQUIRE(cell.w == parser.grid_w);
+        REQUIRE(cell.h == parser.grid_h);
       } else {
         auto &cell = parser.cells.at(name);
         REQUIRE(cell.row == int(rowcount));