Gaslamp trolley station has superhero sign about a ticket app.
Here are a few pics of new Comic-Con related things I’ve spotted around the Gaslamp in the past two days. The 2014 San Diego Comic-Con is now just one week away! It seems that most of the important preparation will take place early next week, and perhaps over this weekend. I’ll post new stuff as I discover it!
Several long banners with faces advertise The Leftovers on HBO.
Several of these banners run along the trolley tracks opposite the convention center. I saw one being put up yesterday morning.
Jay and Silent Bob will eat Comic-Con!
Looks like The American Comedy Co. has a bunch of hilarious Comic-Con entertainment ready to go!
This unusual Hulk is on one window of Rockin’ Baja.Lobster with pointed ears. Steam me up, Scotty!
I wonder if Spock would ever put on a sombrero. He probably would if it were logical.
Electric Dreams Factory sign applied to Hard Rock Hotel window.
Huge signs concerning an upcoming Adam Sandler movie called Pixels were going up all over the Hard Rock Hotel as I walked by early this morning. Sony will host a special event during Comic-Con called the Pixels Electric Dreams Factory Arcade, where gamers will be able to play classic arcade games from the 80’s!
San Diego Comic-Con logo being painted on a taco shop window.
Okay, I added the above photo from Little Italy on Friday afternoon. I was walking home from work. So now, technically, all these pics aren’t from the Gaslamp.
UPDATE!
I just learned I’ll probably be attending Preview Night this coming Wednesday, so stay tuned for (hopefully) a whole bunch of awesome stuff!
ANOTHER UPDATE!
Here come more pics… I snapped these in the days leading up to Comic-Con!
Poster by trolley station promotes another season of Blacklist.Alex Ross cool Justice League graphic above a Gaslamp door.The Haunted Hotel has two scary Comic-Con dates.The Strain television show advertisement on Old Town Trolley Tours bus.
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These might be super secret agents from the pages of Marvel Comics.
A little more than a week to go until the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con! So far I’ve noted two different trolley wraps. I posted awesome pics of Gotham character graphics a few days ago, and now I’ve got photos of the S.H.I.E.L.D. RISES black trolley wrap! Watch out all would-be supervillains! These trolleys are patrolling both the convention center and Gaslamp!
Stay tuned for lots more cool Comic-Con stuff!
San Diego Comic-Con black trolley wrap reads S.H.I.E.L.D. RISES.S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem on a San Diego trolley for 2014 Comic-Con.
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Ocean Riders bronze sculpture by Wyland has three dolphins.
Imperial Beach is in many ways a typical Southern California beach community. The Pacific Ocean and surfing are dominant themes. You see it in the local culture; you see it just about everywhere you turn.
The above photo is of a very cool sculpture just steps from the beach, in Imperial Beach’s Dunes Park. Ocean Riders, dedicated in 1996, was created by Wyland, a famous environmental artist who is known worldwide for his graceful depictions of marine animals.
Utility box on Seacoast Drive shows girl playing in the sand.Sea and Sky sculpture by Ken Smith.
The above sculpture can be found adjacent to the beach a short distance north of the Imperial Beach pier. In 2009, it was part of an Urban Trees exhibition along San Diego’s Embarcadero.
Fantastic mermaid and shark street mural in Imperial Beach.
This mural represents typical Imperial Beach street art. I found this on the side of a building on Palm Avenue.
Surfboard sculpture in outdoor museum.
You see in this pic one of 25 surfboard sculptures placed along Palm Avenue between 3rd Street and Seacoast Drive. They belong to The Imperial Beach Outdoor Surfboard Museum and represent the history of surfboard design dating from ancient times to 1985.
Shiny metal sculpture of abstract surfer on Palm Avenue.Cool surfboard rack on a bicycle near the beach!
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Dogs and their human pals arrive at the big surfing competition.
I’d never seen a dog surf in my entire life. Not until today.
Now I’ve seen a whole pack of dogs surfing.
Yes, I have to admit it. I couldn’t resist heading down to the big Surfdog event at Imperial Beach today. This year it was sponsored by Unleashed by Petco. In the past it was called Loews Coronado Bay Surf Dog Competition.
What? Some of you have never seen a dog athlete mount a surfboard and skillfully ride mighty ocean breakers?
Seeing is believing…
It’s the epic Surfdog summer event everyone has waited for!Finishing touches are put on a sand sculpture at Imperial Beach.This dog can hardly wait to watch the intense animal action!Information boards outline the various heats in the big surf contest.Announcer readies for some incredible pooch performances.The VIP section fills and so does the beach and pier.Dogs and non-dogs at water’s edge have a great place to watch.These guys want a great spot on the pier to view the action.Everyone is ready for the first exciting freestyle heat!This little fellow doesn’t seem to know what’s going on.Surfing contestants mount their surfboards waiting for the starting horn.The crowd favorite, a genuine superstar, poses for my camera.The horn blows and the first fifteen minute heat begins!The crowd converges on the ocean in disbelief.One four-legged athlete is already out near the breakers.Here come two canine athletes showing great form!Steady as she goes!Hot dogging it and hanging twenty!Wow, those incredible, amazing surfers are absolutely inhuman!Thousands enjoy Unleashed by Petco’s surf dog event!
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Mural in Old Town alley depicts explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.
I was wandering aimlessly around Old Town some time ago, just poking my nose here and there, when I discovered a whole bunch of beautiful murals! I found them in an interesting alley off San Diego Avenue, just south of the State Historic Park. The alley, a narrow walkway containing a variety of touristy wares, is called Avila Court. It’s tucked between the Old Town Surf Co. and Covered Wagon stores.
After looking at the artwork closely and talking to a lady working in the area, I learned most of the murals were painted by students from Grossmont College out in East County. Further research on the internet showed that there were originally ten murals, created in 2008, decorating over 85 feet of stucco wall. It’s apparent some of the murals were redone or altered in 2011.
Most of the murals depict people or places that are important in San Diego’s history. Those of you who follow my blog will probably recognize many!
Image of Charles Lindbergh and Spirit of St. Louis.
Lindbergh’s famous airplane that crossed the Atlantic, the Spirit of St. Louis, was custom-built in San Diego by Ryan Airline Company.
Native American with flower at night painted in rich colors.Hotel del Coronado, buildings and beach scene.Day of the Dead skeleton in front of the Whaley House.Tuna fishermen and whale fluke off Coronado.Navy ship, huge surf and Mission San Diego.Mural shows an American tall ship in San Diego Bay.
I’m not sure who the whiskered military person is. If anyone out there knows, please tell us!
A combination of various old historic buildings.Point Loma lighthouse shines over Pacific Ocean.Tuna cannery worker and a Little Italy fisherman.Star of India tied to dock at Embarcadero.This part of one mural contains a gray whale.Sepia tone World War II era figures stand by old car.Seals, flowers and carrying cattle hides from a beach.Many murals were painted by Grossmont College students.
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Arriving at the long-time OTL venue on Fiesta Island.
Shame on me. I’ve lived in San Diego a good chunk of my life, and I’ve never headed to Fiesta Island to experience the legendary fun of OTL. Well, I finally went early this morning!
Over The Line, commonly called OTL, is a San Diego original, a unique beach game that every year seems to gain in popularity. Played on the sand, it resembles a simple version of softball with no baserunners. You must hit the ball over “the line” and between two foul lines, and not have it be caught, which would result in an out. Three innings, three outs. While the rules are a bit more complicated, that’s the gist of it.
The OTL World Championship has become a local institution. It’s played on Fiesta Island, which is located near the center of Mission Bay. It’s put on by OMBAC, the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club. The highly anticipated annual summer event is now 61 years old! But you might never guess this spectacle was so venerable, given its outlandish party atmosphere and the sheer raunchiness of the crowd.
Team names are often juvenile and sexually explicit, to the extent you’d probably just roll your eyes. But it’s all very good-natured and amusing. The crowd is composed largely of males in their 20’s and 30’s, and beer is chugged freely everywhere, as it’s BYOB. I suppose as the day progresses, the crowd becomes more randy–I’ll admit that’s one reason I swung by so early in the morning. That and the avoidance of a hot afternoon!
The tournament goes on for two weekends. This first weekend is for the amateurs; on the second weekend the teams and the play become more serious.
I’m glad I checked it out. Now I know what I’ve missed all these years!
Follow me as I arrive from the shuttle bus around seven in the morning. The sun hasn’t broken through the clouds yet…
Walking past an Old Mission Beach Athletic Club truck and banner.People stand as day begins with the national anthem.Official OTL programs for sale near the entrance.Miss Emerson Headquarters is on sandy Emerson Street.
As you might guess, there’s a bikini contest, and every year the winner is titled Miss Emerson.
Scoreboard for 61st World Championship of Over The Line.Players and teams check the official schedule board.Early in the morning and many people are arriving with chairs and coolers.The OTL tournament doesn’t begin until seven thirty.San Diego Parrot Head Club lounge is still empty at this early hour.Guy checks out some silly, very raunchy posters.A player practices fielding a batted ball.The huge OTL tournament finally begins in earnest!Ball is to be struck into a narrow outfield.Lots more people will arrive throughout the day.Some old guys just kicking back on the sand.Marines from opening ceremony color guard pass on an OMBAC cart.The t-shirt gardens shack is becoming more active.Hundreds of games of OTL will be played here over two weekends.San Diego’s sunny Fiesta Island is the home to Over The Line.
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Approaching the front entrance of Union Station in San Diego.
Walking into San Diego’s Union Station, more commonly called Santa Fe Depot, is like walking into the past. Or through some airy, sacred, vaulted cathedral.
The old train station seems utterly enormous when contrasted with the actual role that it plays in modern San Diego. Sure, it’s a reasonably important transportation hub, serving two lines of the San Diego trolley, plus the Amtrak Surfliner and Coaster trains. But today it seems to me more like a living memorial to a time long ago, when trains were a central feature of American life.
Here are a few cool photos of the Santa Fe Depot’s somewhat sparse but elegant interior. I love the tile work on the walls, the huge glowing windows, the beams in the arched ceiling…but most of all the classic long polished wooden benches. Whenever I walk through I feel like sitting down with the waiting passengers and pretending I’m off on some exciting transcontinental voyage.
Many years ago the depot held a large model of the USS Midway aircraft carrier under glass; I remember seeing that it was moved over to Petco Park. If memory serves, there was also a small pinball and video game arcade off to one side, by an exit to Kettner Boulevard.
Plaque dates Santa Fe Depot from 1915.
The above plaque is just outside the main entrance.
A look inside the large train station in downtown San Diego.A cool photo of the arched ceiling of Union Station.Looking back toward the front entrance from inside.Coaster train can be seen waiting outside on one track.Blue and orange tiles form classic Santa Fe design.
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Photographer near Seaport Village shows me some great stuff.
Yesterday I took a leisurely walk past Seaport Village. I said hello to a gentleman in the nearby Embarcadero Marina Park North who was displaying some stunning framed photographs, hoping for a donation. I’d never seen him there before.
I’m glad I paused to chat. Ralph Guest is one cool dude. (And a much better photographer than me!) In semi-retirement, he’s just begun to show and sell his photographs. He spends a lot of time out east of San Diego in the desert, especially in and around Slab City, which he described for me. He’s taken many amazing photos of the place, and of the people, who are called Slabbers. The folks out in the desert are a laid-back, independent, unique bunch. He described a place out there named East Jesus, where trash is converted into art and power is supplied entirely by solar power. According to Wikipedia, “The inhabitants of East Jesus…provide a refuge for artists, musicians, survivalists, writers, scientists, and laymen. They are dedicated to providing a working model of an improbable improvised community…” Sounds to me like a rather interesting place! Ralph has photos and videos that can be checked out via links on his website.
It’s great to meet new people!
Ralph Guest is a super cool and interesting guy!
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Large cow stands in front of Coronado ice cream shop.
Mosey along Orange Avenue on the island of Coronado and you’ll be confronted by extraordinary things. You’ll probably run into a large cow. Or Elvis standing on the sidewalk, or a scaly, fantastic dragon. Or colorful ribbons of music. Or beautifully painted canvases by local artists in a public park.
Here are random pics of fun art that I’ve spotted…
Moo Time Creamery features an Elvis on the sidewalk.Coronado hot dog pours ketchup on itself!Checking out creative artwork for sale in Coronado’s Spreckels Park.Playful tile mural on a Spreckels Park restroom.Ribbon of music shown moving both old and young.Tile mosaic on park restroom shows lively musicians.Big dragon stands in front of the Coronado Public Library. Imagine Dragon, by artist Kent Kraber, 2008. This fun sculpture was originally part of an Urban Trees exhibition along San Diego’s Embarcadero.Head of fantastic dragon sculpture faces Orange Avenue.
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Horton Plaza has display cases welcoming Comic-Con.
Two weeks to go until this year’s San Diego Comic-Con! During my walk downtown today I saw that a few shops, bars and restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter have begun to get ready. A couple signs are up and a few windows are painted. Horton Plaza shops have many wares ready to sell. I suspect in the coming week, major preparations will seriously get underway. I’m looking forward to see what surprises pop up!
Batman and Star Wars showcased for coming shoppers.Bookstore in Horton Plaza has cool stickers and posters in their window.Justice League appears ready to fly off a shirt!
I altered the above photo a bit to make the superheroes really jump out!
Superman in Gaslamp window with Doctor Who salt and pepper set.The Dark Knight silently watches from a historic Gaslamp building.Gaslamp bar window painted with Superman and POW word balloon.The Chuck Jones Gallery really doesn’t need anything more.These San Diego Comic-Con signs will soon be everywhere!
UPDATE!
Here come more pics taken in the days leading up to Comic-Con! You’ll notice the Chuck Jones Gallery finally got a funny sign up!
Boom Shop seems to be created for San Diego Comic-Con.Even ACE Hardware is feeling heroic!Wile E. Coyote holds Chuck Jones Gallery sign!Batgirl costume on mannequin in a typical local shop.Yogurt sign with Hulk, Supergirl, Spidey and Batman!Wolverine comic book on a very cool t-shirt.
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Cool San Diego Sights! 