When it comes to image authoring software from Adobe and Corel, there is not much choice out there. Most programs are mimicking the two big players in the market. The cost to have both Adobe and Corel can buy you a TV.  The serious illustrator will invest for his profession. For the not quite ready for prime-time can be in left in the cold. There is an interesting alternative choice. This is where Aviary comes in. Their online version of the two big boys is a joy to navigate and do work online. No need to load software. Your projects can be online for those out of the office jobs. If you feel comfortable, it can become a welcome addition to other software you have.

Edit images, create mind-blowing effects, design logos, find colors, collaborate and more. All you need is a web browser. Try it now completely free!

Paul Frank Industries is in the clothing business and also a children’s book writer/illustrator of Juluis. This unique visionary is leaves you in stitches with his books. He should know because he is in the needle trade. Juluis is today’s Curious George but with style. Paul George’s line of clothing is for all ages and Juluis is a constant mascot for his line is au courant with the latest trends. This is no monkey business, the latest book is Julius Wild West Bananza. An obvious take on western TV shows. A rich kaleidoscope of color and image, the book is a keeper for any age.

Paul Frank Industries clothing, t-shirts and other products achieved excellent visibility. The brand appeared in numerous blockbuster films like Superbad, Knocked Up, Austin Powers, American Pie and Charlie’s Angels. From fashion and business, music and lifestyle, the media love to know what is happening at Paul Frank.

Structura: The Art of Sparth. Some of the best science fiction imagined worlds are created today. Gone are those days of pulp magazines where some of the best artists graced the covers each month. Now with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Painter it is very easy to conceptually design very elaborate scenes unseen in the world of science fiction. The art of Sparth is an amazing collective of blistering images of fantasy of hope and gloom. Sparth is Nicolas Bouvier, born in France, migrated to Canada and now works in Dallas. He has the coolest site of images you will ever see in any collection. A true visionary if I every did see. See more>>

The boys are back in town. Metallica is back in full form with their new album. Metallica’s Death Magentic is controlled chaos in the purest sense. After the self titled album or as some refer to as the black album, things have not been that good for the band. Every band that tries to mature as adults along with their music always finds a way to sink in the quicksand of changing music tastes. Lars did not help himself with his cause with his attack on Napster. The bitterness associated with the band with their newly found corporate greed which lead to the attack on illegal downloading of Metallica music.  They championed the music industry at that time and it was not their finest moment. Time has a way of healing old wounds, and in some quarters Metallica is given a clean slate with the Internet public. With Guitar Hero and Rock Band, new audiences are building bridges to bands like Metallica and Guns and Roses to the apparent heirs of the 80’s air guitar heroes. Now everybody can experience guitar godliness without the toil. Putting flash aside and a horrible concept for a CD, the music is what really counts. It seems the group sat down and shed away those Bob Rock awful albums and went back to the roots of the group and added a little maturity to the songs. It’s a fresh welcome to the days of the band when they could do no wrong. Guess some of us matured along with the band. Welcome back guys.

Card games are not as popular as they were before television. Give credit where it is due, some companies are trying to be as imaginative so that they can to compete with the video gaming world. Falling: The Goblin Edition by the Paizo Publishing, LLC is a great way to lure those 8 year old kids from their gaming consoles. You won’t need a crowbar to pry them with this beautiful illustrated set of cards created by James Ernest. The very simple rules will give the little ones hours of fun.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Falling, Titanic Games proudly brings you a re-envisioning of James Ernest’s highly popular card game. You’re all goblins and you’re plummeting toward the ground. Be the last one to hit and you win! Falling is a fast-paced, real-time card game for 4 to 8 players, suitable for any audience.

No buts about it the latest craze for kids is funny oddity. Kimya Dawson is the architect behind Alphabutt music for kids. Here are songs that Raffi would never venture into. As you might surmise it’s all about butts. What  a way to make your kids remember Kimya’s little songs. Forget old MacDonald, Alphabutt will leave you in stitches and at the same time get those little tykes to memorize words and learn a few rhymes at the same time. Listen to samples>>

Cool! Kewel! Cuil? Cuil is the newest search engine that might give Google some competition. At one time Yahoo was king and a little lacklustre simplified search engine with a goofy name Google came out of nowhere and cleaned house. Cuil has some promise considering it was bankrolled by 33 million because the architects are former Google employees (Tom Costello and Anna Patterson) who created this little jewel. Word has it that it there are still many kinks in the engine. Time will tell if the new upstart will put any dent on Google. If the bugs are not fixed, Cuil might just cool off and disappear. The dark background deliberately contrasting Google’s warmer gentle white welcome page with daily fun laced Google logos. Cuil gets straight to the point and starts a unique magazine style search experience.

Looking for a painting program like Corel Painter? Corel Painter might be a bit pricey for some. Sure there is Photoshop and other programs out there that might emulate brushes. Artweaver is the new kid in the block and it has a lot of punch going for it. This robust program is everything Corel Painter has going for it and more. If you can navigate with Corel and Adobe products then Artweaver is no different, easy to draw and paint as natural as possible. The best part about Artweaver is that it is free. Artweaver will make every job easy and has the main extensions such as BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, TGA, TIFF, PNG, and PSD. You can mimic art tools such as different digital brushes e.g. chalk, charcoal, and pencils. Read more>>

Least we forget, the Beatles want to be trendy once again. It’s now a battle of the bands of sorts with new games  "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" as they go head to head in vying the Beatles on their products. The gaming world got wind of Guitar Hero and the Beatles are in talks to mimick the business plan of Metallica and Aerosmith who have lent their faces and songs to a very lucrative venture in one of the fastest generating money ventures in a long time. Seems there is a new kid in stores each day trying out either Rock Band or Guitar Hero. The games seem transcend easily with parents because most of the music in these games are from their generation. These power chord games are a hit and will one day change the landscape of music as they are also reinventing the music instruments. The future is bright. Wonder how many kids know of The Beatles? The market is growing to encompass all ages who want to graduate from air guitar to a semi-guitar god.

Out with the old, in with the new. A part of comic strip history died this week. How many people knew there was a  Dick Tracy Museum in Woodstock. Well not too many because they just closed their doors. It is reflective on the character who graced the papers and the radio waves in what seems like an eternity. The museum ran out of money so it had to close. The character waned since Warren Beatty and Madonna tried to give the old boy new life in 1990, but never jumped over that extra hurdle of fame. Not too many characters from the early 20th century have really basked in fame since they retired to the comic strip heaven in the sky. The only seniors still making an impact are Batman and Superman, but that had to go through many changes and have a vast history in story. Dick Tracy:CSI would pack them in if there was such a thing. Dick Tracy’s integrity and character has not changed that much and all those fancy gadgets are now a thing of the present. Kudos to IDW Publishing’s deluxe hardcover collection of Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy works in book form, this single outlet will burn bright the slim light that remains of this once prominent character.