Tag: cartoons

Betty Boop arrives in San Diego!

Betty Boop has arrived in San Diego! The iconic cartoon character is now making her home at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park!

Last week the one-of-a-kind exhibition Becoming Betty Boop opened at the Comic-Con Museum. Thanks to a collaboration with Fleischer Studios, museum visitors can explore a large gallery filled with historic artwork and cultural artifacts found nowhere else.

Visitors can learn about the evolution of strongly independent and flirty, jazzy flapper Betty Boop, from her debut in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes in 1930 to modern characterizations. After nearly a century it seems her popularity has only grown. BOOP! The Musical will debut on Broadway in 2025!

Those who are curious about the history of cartoons will see how animators created the Betty Boop short films using a rotoscope, which had been invented by the Fleischer brothers using an old film projector, car parts and a wooden plank! They’ll learn that in the early 1930s, the creation of a six or seven minute cartoon involved about 90 artists and took about two months!

Visitors will also learn how Betty Boop was voiced by half a dozen women over the years, and that Lillian Friedman, who worked at Fleischer Studios, was the very first American female commercial animator.

Exhibition visitors can watch several fun cartoons in the museum auditorium, and those with a creative urge can learn how to draw Betty Boop!

Boop–oop–a–doop!

If you plan to attend Comic-Con this year, make time to check out Becoming Betty Boop, one of many great exhibitions now showing at the Comic-Con Museum!

Mae Questel (voice actress) and Max Fleischer (animator), with characters Betty Boop and Bimbo!

Mae Questel has the voice most associated with Betty Boop. She also provided voices for cartoon characters Olive Oyl, Casper the Friendly Ghost–and even Popeye! She voiced Betty Boop in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Betty Boop for President, 1932.

Lillian Friedman made history as the very first female professional animator.

A more modern take on Betty Boop. These two dresses were designed by global fashion designer Zac Posen. Pantone has officially designated Betty Boop Red.

Sparkly costume worn by actress Jasmine Amy Rogers, playing Betty Boop in the musical BOOP! at Chicago’s CIBC Theatre.

An Evening with Betty, by Myron Waldman.

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Famous Mexican cartoonist Rius exhibit during Comic-Con!

Eduardo del Rio was one of the most influential Mexican cartoonists of the 20th century. During Comic-Con 2023 an exhibit at Seaport Village celebrates the work of this important artist, who is more popularly known as Rius.

Anyone interested in the history and evolution of art–political cartoons in particular–should swing by to view RIUS Para Principiantes. You’ll see how Rius effectively created humorous small satires that called for social progress and attacked corruption in Mexico.

I was interested to learn Rius influenced another more contemporary Mexican cartoonist, Trino. An exhibit at the Comic-Con Museum earlier this year concerned Trino. I blogged about that here.

Where can you see this exhibition? Walk just beyond the Manchester Grand Hyatt into Seaport Village, then look for Casa Mexico. You’ll find it!

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

What’s better than cartoons on Saturday morning? Comic-Con!

Inspector Gadget and Gamisodes have descended on San Diego for Comic-Con 2023!

Could anything possibly be better than those Saturday cartoons you watched as a kid?

Yes! Saturday morning at Comic-Con!

Alvin. Alvin! ALVIN!!!

This dog was unimpressed by cartoon Snoopy.

You won’t see this on Saturday morning television!

People download a game to gain a donut.

Cool guy from Zander Comix has appeared at other San Diego events!

These guys with the creepy heads informed me they’re from Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles.

Speaking of peculiar heads. Perhaps the Jack in the Box character could star in a fun cartoon.

Heading over Harbor Drive toward the area behind the San Diego Convention Center on Saturday morning of Comic-Con.

News flash! Harley Back At Arkham! Why do lunatics always run the insane asylum?

Huh? I thought the pandemic was over.

I told you this is fun, didn’t I?

Where else can you stand in line with a dinosaur?

These unsuspecting people will soon be transformed into two dimensional cartoons themselves!

Hopefully the Planet Express doesn’t fire up its engine.

Burgers on a Saturday morning? Why not.

Voodoo Ranger beer on a Saturday morning? Too early for me.

Someone here is determined to make the most of Saturday morning.

A guard permitted me to take a photo of the back of the Only Murders in the Building activation. Two hour wait line. I’ll try later perhaps…

Saturday morning breakfast to go.

This is what fun looks like!

Waiting at Grand Central-42 Street Station. Might be a long while before transportation arrives.

Four strange beings have emerged through the Quantum Leap portal.

Nelvin of the Union Tribune documents another lifeform that must have come through that portal.

Hellfire Clubbers no doubt recovering from a party late Friday.

Someone should mention something to this unsuspecting guy.

Yikes! This shark must get more respect than Jabberjaw. Some of you older folks remember Jabberjaw, right?

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Funny characters runs amok inside the Omni!

Dozens of funny characters are running amok inside the Omni San Diego hotel. They’re swarming up the columns near the front desk and crowding about the elevators in the lobby. They’re even inside the elevators! Amused hotel guests can’t avoid them!

But what do you expect when it’s Comic-Con 2023, and FOX’s Animation Domination has taken over the Omni?

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Cool photos of Dragon Ball at Comic-Con!

Enjoy a cool batch of Dragon Ball photographs! This year’s Dragon Ball offsite at San Diego Comic-Con is just as impressive as ever!

I took these photos in the morning shortly after the activation opened at 9:30. The line was moderately long but moved quickly. You can find all this coolness behind the Marriott Marquis hotel, on the outdoor Marina Terrace.

Many people stood in a separate line to purchase Dragon Ball exclusives. Make sure you queue in the correct place! (Those who simply walk through the exhibit are given a really great swag bag.)

If you can’t make it to San Diego Comic-Con this year, check this out…

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Smiles at Camp Snoopy during Comic-Con!

Comic-Con might be a little too intense for some very young people. The big crowds . . . sometimes scary costumes . . . monsters, aliens, weird stuff . . . But there’s one place that is certain to delight everyone, from the very youngest to old-timers like myself. Camp Snoopy!

Every year Peanuts has a great activation outside the San Diego Convention Center. This year, Camp Snoopy can be found along Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade–exact same place where the Peanuts offsite was located last year. The theme for 2023? The 50th Anniversary of the Beagle Scouts, a favorite recurring theme of the Charles M. Schulz’s beloved comic strip.

Visitors get a passport that can be stamped, can pose at a campfire and marshmallow roasting photo-op, learn how to use a compass, watch Beagle Scouts cartoons featuring Snoopy, Woodstock and other bird friends, and buy themed goodies. There are also fun displays outside that will put a smile on your face!

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Cosplay pics outside Comic-Con on Thursday!

What If’s Captain Carter cosplay.

Enjoy these photographs of cosplay spotted outside Comic-Con 2023 on Thursday!

Every year San Diego’s epic Comic-Con has some of the best costume play to be found anywhere. I’m sure I’ll see many, many examples the next several days…

Davy Jones cosplay.

Star Wars dark side cosplay.

Victorian era Starfleet officer cosplay.

Peter Parker and Miles Morales cosplay.

Batwoman cosplay.

Dragon Ball cosplay.

Marge Simpson cosplay.

Cobra cosplay.

My tired brain is drawing a blank. Leave a comment!

Roronoa Zoro cosplay.

Harry Potter cosplay.

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Sonic the Hedgehog serves fun “fast” food!

The pop-up Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe has been open several days in San Diego’s East Village! You can find it at 910 J Street.

The soft opening of the Speed Cafe is already attracting many local families and lovers of the Sonic video games, cartoons and movies. The one-of-a-kind fast food restaurant will have its official Grand Opening at the start of Comic-Con 2023 next week. I suspect the lines will be very long, so if you’re hungry speed your way into downtown San Diego in the next few days! My wait today was perhaps 5 minutes. The restaurant will remain open until mid-August.

What fun! I saw lots of kids enjoying the cool atmosphere and playing several free video games that were scattered about.

The menu includes fast food with names such as Sonic’s Classic Chilidog, The Perfect Eggdog, Knuckles Sandwich, Piko Piko Tenders and The Evil Genius. Drinks include Sonic Heroes Slush, Blue Blur, Flying Fox, Sweet Amy and Team Dark.

I learned the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe is a project of video game maker SEGA. A new restaurant concept is being tested!

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Planet Express Building appears in San Diego!

There must’ve been a bizarre mix-up in the space-time continuum because the Planet Express Building has been mysteriously transported to San Diego from Futurama–I mean, the future.

I’m not sure if this strange Planet Express Building features a downstairs walrus tank, but I suppose visitors to Comic-Con 2023 will be able to find out! That’s because the time-displaced building, as well as the Planet Express spaceship itself, are now sitting in the parking lot behind the San Diego Convention Center!

It’s all part of the Hulu Animayhem offsite activation, which will be open to the public this coming week during Comic-Con!

Will you glimpse a strange alien during your visit? Look at these photos taken today…

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Tasty sights in San Diego before Comic-Con!

All sorts of tasty sights are popping up around downtown San Diego before the start of Comic-Con 2023!

Today is Saturday. Check out some of the fun stuff I came across while walking around the San Diego Convention Center, through the Gaslamp and into East Village!

A funny hamburger with eyeballs promotes Good Burger 2 from Nickelodeon.

The anime film Sand Land will have its world premiere screening at Comic-Con on July 21, 2023.

This cool structure will be part of Hulu’s Animayhem activation behind the San Diego Convention Center.

And beyond it, you can see the big Star Trek wrap on a Marriot Marquis tower.

Archer prop probably needs to be transported over to the FX area.

More structures being set up for Hulu’s Animayhem.

I can’t wait to check it out during Comic-Con!

Adult Swim on the Green hasn’t made much construction progress, seemingly.

The FX offsite this year is under construction. It appears to be less elaborate than usual.

FX will promote its shows here.

Alice in Wonderland and the mad tea party have been painted on the windows of Starbucks at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

Looking across Harbor Drive toward the huge Special Ops: Lioness building wrap.

I love the FOX animation wrap on the Omni so much I took another pic today of one section!

Looking toward the Gaslamp Quarter Archway from Gaslamp Square.

Looking at Hard Rock Hotel from Gaslamp Square.

Worker setting up the NBC offsite at Gaslamp Square.

The NBC activation appears to have several structures.

A big Yellowjackets wrap being applied to the front of the Hard Rock Hotel.

This should look pretty cool when finished!

Here’s one of the nearby Amazon Prime Video wraps: Invincible.

Happy Does will be the site of Paramount’s “The Lodge” offsite.

Workers busy getting The Lodge ready for Comic-Con.

Part of the big Daryl Dixon wrap on the Pendry hotel. The dead are still walking on AMC.

Dead City on a Pendry window.

Fear the Walking Dead. I don’t want to become food, so I’ll keep my head on a swivel!

A super cool activation at Ninth Avenue and J Street. It’s the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe!

Sonic runs across an East Village window.

A few would-be-Sonics were waiting in line for the unique culinary experience. Hungry fans weren’t moving too quickly, but quite excited!

…

I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!