The world wide web is a-buzz about internet superpower Google's new open-source web browser Google Chrome released just yesterday. If you haven't given it a spin yet, I suppose it would be a good idea to read this article, 9 Things to Love and Hate About the Google Chrome, first.

While I haven't had the time to try it out as well, I extremely enjoyed the comic book explaining its inner workings.

(via Scott McCloud's website)

Produced by the Google Chrome Team and adapted by well-known cartoonist/comic theorist Scott McCloud, the comic is 38 pages long is well worth a read, whether you're a Google OR comic fan or not.

As my husband is a comic book artist/writer, I have come to acquaint myself with graphic novels in the marketplace so I'm pretty familiar with Mr. McCloud's work, particularly his book Understanding Comics - a 215-page comic book about comics that explains the inner workings of the medium and examines many aspects of visual communication along the way. Before diving into a career in the comic books arena, it has been highly recommended by the authorities that you give this one a read first and foremost.

Scott McCloud titles you might wanna check out:



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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

Hey guys, check out our new storefront at PoptasticTees.com. Now all of our shops are readily accessible from one easy-to-remember location. (Recite it with me - PoptasticTees.com, PoptasticTees.com...)

We don't have anything new for Tuesday Teez this week (er, I think I got burnt out from the sneaker-designing. And then there's the day job I have to attend to.) but do check it out anyway. There's tons of very cool designs from our friendly neighboring shops -


Cassettes Robot. Women's Dark T-Shirt by T-shirt Junkie
From the designer: The cassette robot from the boombox planet. A musical imagination of an old skool dj.


"Mavid Moves" Jr. Jersey T-Shirt by GritFX
From the designer: For Mavid* fans...$2 of each shirt sale will be donated to Adam Cook. (*That's Michael Johns & David Cook for you non-Word Nerds)


True Player Ringer T by Detour Designables
From the designer: People who listen to rap music know this one. Throw you hands in the air if you're a true player. I don't think they were talking about sports.

There's so much more in there so GO.

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And guess what, just 5 days since opening our shop Poptastic Kicks, 3 of our designs have already received Today's Best Awards! How perfectly wonderful!




Merry Strawberries Keds Shoe, Today's Best for August 15.



Imprinted (version 2) Keds Shoe, Today's Best for August 17.



Rock, Paper, Caesar T-Shirt, Today's Best for August 18.

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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

I'm assuming that most of you have read Breaking Dawn by now. If you're among those who loved it, then good for you! I have to say that even if there were moments that were somewhat meh, I still liked how everything turned out in the end. So sue me, I'm a sucker for happy endings and I'm a Stephenie Meyer believer*.

So that's why I felt for Ms. Meyer when I saw this interview on MTV:

You see the punch coming; that doesn't mean it's not gonna hurt when it hits," Meyer told MTV News on Thursday. "There's no way to make everybody happy. When I do one thing that a lot of people want, there's always the opposite reaction.

(read more here).

Being married to a published author/graphic novelist, I know how difficult it is to keep pleasing everyone because you simply just can't. There's no easy way around it.

To be honest, I didn't like the way a lot of the events unfolded. In some instances, I also didn't think the characters were the very same ones we grew to know and love from the beginning of the Twilight saga. But we do have to give credit to Stephenie for giving life to these characters and this world in the first place because thanks to her, we can daydream about Bella and Edward and Jacob... Nessie too... and how they all must be doing right this very moment.

So... here's to Team Stephenie!

*I still don't think she should be compared to J.K. Rowling however. Jo is entirely on a league of her own.

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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

WHOA, was the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony awesome or what? We were glued to the TV from the giant footprint fireworks in the beginning to that jaw-dropping gravity-defying torch-lighting finale.


Step by giant step...


Former gymnast Li Ning, lifted into mid-air with wires after he received the Olympic flame, "ran" along the 500-meter-long brim of the Bird's Nest to reach the gigantic cauldron...


...which he ignited using the flame from his torch.


The bird's nest is awash with fireworks like no other!

In case you didn't get to watch it, there's a play-by-play coverage of the entire show here (which is also where I got all the above photos).

Meanwhile, Amazon has a decent collection of official Beijing Olympics merchandise and I've compiled them into a catalog for you sports fans:



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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

I first found out about Ben Folds and his group, Ben Folds Five when I heard the riveting "One Angry Dwarf and Two Hundred Solemn Faces" on my car radio while driving to work sometime in '98. I think it was the piano-rocking that grabbed my attention -- I never heard anything like it before! Listen for yourself:



Needless to say I became a fan. So I bought "Whatever and Ever, Amen" and mostly everything else he came out with. And then I added him on Myspace where I received the update that his next solo album following the 2005 solo release "Songs For Silverman" titled "Way to Normal" is coming out in September 30 of this year. Huzzah!

A tour is also in the horizon - click the link below to purchase tickets and see the tour dates & venues:
Ben Folds Tickets


To sate our curiosity meanwhile, the video for its first single "Hiroshima" was premiered just a few hours ago:



Some of my favorite Ben Folds' tracks:


Like what you're hearing so far? Why don't you complete your Ben Folds Audio CD collection -



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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

I'm still halfway through reading the much-awaited 4th book of the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn so that should explain the slight silence on this blog, LOL. In the meantime, Stephenie Meyer already posted a playlist to listen along to while reading the book. I've compiled the MP3s here so you can preview the tracks in one easy sweep.

Book I (Bella)
* Beach Boys — Wouldn't It Be Nice
* Billy Idol — White Wedding
* (INXS — Never Tear Us Apart)
* (Muse — Can't Take My Eyes Off of You)*
* Blue October — Congratulations
* Plain White T's — Take Me Away
* Jack's Mannequin — Dark Blue
* Coldplay — No More Keeping My Feet on the Ground*
* Fuel — Hemorrhage


Preview the songs from Breaking Dawn Book 1 Playlist (except those marked with an asterisk*)

Book II (Jacob)
* Nine Inch Nails — Down In It*
* Aerosmith — What it Takes
* Incubus — Earth to Bella (part 1)
* Interpol — No I in Threesome*
* Korn — Twisted Transistor
* TV on the Radio — Wolf Like Me
* My Chemical Romance — The Sharpest Lives
* Motion City Soundtrack — Point of Extinction
* R.E.M. — Accelerate
* Blue October — My Never (song not released until March 2009)*
* Jimmy Gnecco — Someone to Die For*


Preview the songs from Stephenie's Breaking Dawn Book 2 Playlist (except those marked with an asterisk*)

Book III (Bella)
* Smashing Pumpkins — Today
* Right Said Fred — I'm Too Sexy
* (Jimmy Eat World — Chase this Light)
* (Jackie Wilson — Your Love is Lifting Me Higher)
* Linkin Park — Pts. Of Athrty
* 3 Doors Down — Duck and Run
* Simon and Garfunkel — Hazy Shade of Winter
* Death Cab for Cutie — I Will Follow You Into the Dark
* Muse — Intro [Absolution]
* Muse — Take A Bow
* Muse — Assassin
* Ok Go — Invincible
* Travis — Safe
* Arcade Fire — No Cars Go


Preview the songs from Stephenie's Breaking Dawn Book 2 Playlist (except those marked with an asterisk*)

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And because we are first and foremost a t-shirt blog, here are officially licensed band tees you can wear while rocking out to the music. (They actually look like shirts Bella Swan would wear, don't you think?)
















Related links:
- Twilight tees @ Poptastic
- A Breaking Dawn Spoiler + a Licensed Twilight Tee


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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

The first trailer of Harry and the Half-Blood Prince was unveiled online Tuesday night -


(via Huffington Post)

Ralph Fiennes' nephew Hero Fiennes-Tiffin plays the young You-Know-Who.

Related links:
- Stick out your wand hands and get on board
- TAG: Harry tees


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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

My husband Arnold is a big huge Tron fan and is upset with the fact that critics never really cared much for the sci-fi movie -- heck, even the Simpsons made fun of it:

# [3F04] Treehouse Of Horror VI - Homer3
Homer tries to explain what the third dimension looks like.
Homer: Uh... it's like... did anyone see the movie 'Tron'?
Hibbert: No.
Lisa: No.
Marge: No.
Wiggum: No.
Bart: No.
Patty: No.
Wiggum: No.
Ned: No.
Selma: No.
Frink: No.
Lovejoy: No.
Wiggum: Yes. I mean... um, I mean, no. No, heh.

(That was a funny episode yes, but you get the point.)

So it's about time that a sequel to the under-appreciated but very influential classic is produced. Titled TR2N, Disney unveiled an exciting clip at the recent SDCC and we have a kind soul to thank for uploading it to Youtube for the benefit of those who couldn't go.

UPDATE: Sorry folks, the video has been taken down. Oh well. I guess we'll all have to wait a year or so to see it.

We actually have a couple of TRON inspired designs in our shop:


Flynn's Dark T-Shirt
Click HERE to see this on other t-shirt styles and colors.


Tron Dark T-Shirt
Click HERE to see this on other t-shirt styles and colors.

Related link:
- Sci-Fi Fan Shirts @ Poptastic


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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

Ahh, Stephenie did not fail to deliver, my fellow Twilighters. So of course I kept my eyes peeled for the spoiler she promised and... here it is (click here or drag your cursor over the blank space below, the text is hidden out of courtesy for those who don't want to know what it is)

Edward and Bella WILL have a wedding...

BUT it happens towards the beginning of the book so anything can still happen after that.

(I know, I know, the suspense is killing me too.)

Meanwhile, there is a new, licensed Twilight logo tee on the online shopping horizon.



(click)
This black fitted tee features a white front screen of the Twilight logo and "the forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest" printed on the back.

And here's a great design by Geeky Teez, just in time for Breaking Dawn!


I Like The Way She Moves Women's V-Neck Dark T-Shirt

Tons of fan shirts are of course still available elsewhere and at our shop:


Check out all our designs HERE.


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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

Ahh, yes! It's an exciting week for Twilight news followers because as most of you know, Stephenie Meyer herself and the cast of the upcoming movie were panelists at this year's ComiCon's opening day and if you check out the videos at Youtube, they were rather well-received to say the least LOL. They also let slip a couple of juicy tidbits to quell the thirst of rabid fans.

1) It is now confirmed that the much-anticipated "Bella's Lullaby" is Robert Pattinson's own composition. OME!
2) Muse, Stephenie's and Bella Swan's favorite band, will be in the movie's soundtrack.

An extended video of the dance studio scene was also shown during the Con. Fortunately for us who weren't there, it's already online-


(Caution: shrieking becomes louder as Edward enters the scene!)

And then of course, there's only 7 days to go 'til "Breaking Dawn", the last book of the series, is released. Ms. Meyer has requested that all forums be shut down a few days before August 2 to prevent leakage of spoilers, but she admitted to leaking a bit (okay, one teensy bit) to EW.com and it will be revealed by the site on Monday, July 28. So mark your calendars, my Twilighter colleagues.

And of course it's not too late to order your Twilight t-shirts to wear to the Breaking Dawn release parties, book signings, book club meetings, and other events, whether Twilight-related or not.


Check out all of our designs HERE.

If you already purchased a t-shirt from us, please send us a photo of you wearing it and we'll put it up in our gallery!


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We have more pop culture graphic tees @ PoptasticTees.com

I discovered the Twilight-inspired indie band The Bella Cullen Project via today's Twilight Tuesday blog and fell head over heels in love with their music instantly. How can I not? I'm a sucker for jingly jangly guitar riffs, sugar & spice melodies and vocal harmonizing, and, well, practically anything related to Twilight. Their lyrics also display a remarkable grasp of Stephenie Meyer's characterization of Edward & Jacob as you will witness in "Vampwolf", a song wherein the perspective switches from vampire to werewolf & vice versa.

He doesn't understand what it's like to miss you every day of his life
He doesn't understand the need to kiss you in the moonlight
(Edward)
He even let you jump, how could he be so reckless?
(Jacob)
He'd sooner take your life, how could he be so selfish?



Visit their myspace and listen to "Sexy Vampire", "Vampwolf" and "Switzerland", I highly recommend it!

Related links:
- Poptastic's Twilight Tees for the San Diego Comicon
- Where to buy Twilight Tees & Fan Gear Online

(kawaii onigiri video via Youtube)

Japan is my second home and whenever I'm away from it, I really miss the scenery, the people, and most especially the food. I love onigiri, the smoked salmon variety in particular - I used to eat it for lunch every day and still probably would, if ONLY it were available here. I also take credit for turning my husband into an onigiri lover as well.


The Koshihikari Toro brand onigiri available at Lawson outlets all over Japan is the best - they use high quality rice and the smoked salmon in the middle is very tasty!

Onigiri is basically a seasoned ball of rice packed with some kind of savory filling in the middle, typically tuna, salmon, or pickled fruit and then wrapped in a crisp sheet of nori. One word - exquisite.

So of course, my husband and I just had to make t-shirts honoring our favorite rice ball.


- Samurai Onigiri
- I Rike Onigiri
- Onigiri Monster

Click HERE to see our other J-POP designs.

(photo via Vanity Fair online)

Vanity Fair is running an article on Bright Young Hollywood this week and who should be gracing the cover but some of our favorite leading ladies in pop culture!

From left to right:
- Amanda Seyfried was in Veronica Mars as Lilly Kane, Veronica's murdered best friend.
- Emma Roberts is of course, the latest Nancy Drew*
- Blake Lively is most popular as the beautiful Serena Van Der Woodsen in Gossip Girl
- Kristen Stewart is playing the intriguing Bella Swan in the upcoming Twilight movie.

Check out how Poptastic has paid tribute to the works of fiction that these characters are based on:


More Veronica Mars tees HERE


More Gossip Girl tees HERE


More Bella Swan/Twilight tees HERE

*I really should make Nancy Drew designs especially since I did grow up reading the books and watching The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew MysteriesTV series (with Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy). So yeah, watch out for that.

Related link: Where to buy Twilight tees and fan gear online. This Squidoo lens compiles quality Twilight inspired merchandise - from t-shirts to handmade jewelry, bookmarks, cellphone charms, and even vampire lip gloss - found all over the net!

(photo from page 3 of Vanity Fair's spread on Bright Young Hollywood)

I may be making too big a deal out of this but I am excited over the fact that Leighton Meester has Sean Lennon on her iPod. Why? Because it shows that Blair, one of my favorite characters in Gossip Girl, has excellent taste, IMHO. I have about 3 Gigabytes of iPod space devoted to Mr. Lennon and his side projects - ok, 10 Gig if we're also counting music by his legendary father.

For those who are not familiar with Sean Lennon's awesomeness, click the play button below.



And if that made you crave for more, I highly recommend Friendly Fire (CD+DVD), it's the best album you'll ever own. Trust me.

- Related link: Gossip Girl t-shirts @ Poptastic