Fantastic 4 banners have appeared in downtown San Diego in anticipation of Comic-Con 2025 and the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in late July!
The big tentpole Marvel movie is highly anticipated, and it appears promotion of the film is in high gear.
Who doesn’t love the Fantastic Four in the comics? Cool sci-fi action with far-out concepts and cosmic characters, dimensions and places, and a family of likable heroes. A lot of fans are hoping the movie lives up to very high expectations.
This is the third set of street lamp banners in downtown San Diego promoting different movies for Comic-Con 2025, which I believe is unprecedented.
One month until the big international pop culture event!
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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.
Today, in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, not only can you enjoy the big Cinco de Mayo festival along Fifth Avenue, but if you spot Rolling Wave Comics among the vendors, you’re invited to grab free comic books! Those are some in the above photo!
I see DC and Marvel and independent publisher titles. I see Superman, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Godzilla and more superhero and comic book favorites.
If you’re heading down to the Gaslamp today, keep your eyes open!
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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.
For many years–as long as I can remember–the north side of the Reliable Pipe Supply lot on San Diego’s Commercial Street has been decorated with street art. Most of the images reference pop culture characters–in particular, comic book superheroes and villains.
When I walked along Commercial Street between National Avenue and 15th Street recently, I noticed much of the artwork changed in 2024. After doing a little research, I see that a variety of San Diego artists came together during San Diego’s Comic-Con to create this street art.
I took these photographs as I walked along.
(This string of pop culture street art is similar to a stretch that was painted a short distance down the road to the east, near the intersection of Commercial Street and 31st Street. You can see those photos, taken in 2018, by clicking here.)
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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.
Do you live in San Diego? Are you a comic book artist who’d like to collaborate and grow with others who share your interests? There’s a cool organization you should check out!
The CASD Collective (Comicbook Artists of San Diego) is a group of people who’ve come together to build a local community of comic book artists to foster artistic growth and to showcase their artwork.
That’s cartoonist and writer Lyssette Williams smiling in the above photo, and some of her artwork below!
Members of CASD Collective attend cons, pop culture festivals and San Diego events promoting each others’ work. I remember seeing them at the North Park Book Fair, Fangaea Con, and at a Free Comic Book Day event in Kearny Mesa a couple years ago!
A very cool exhibit opened recently at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. The Myth of Superheroes celebrates the history of comic book heroes, and examines how many were inspired by the deities and heroes of ancient mythology.
It’s no coincidence. Flash is extremely fast like Roman god Mercury. Superman is super strong like Hercules. Aquaman is ruler of the oceans like Neptune. Some superheroes even take the names and characteristics of mythological characters: Thor, Odin and Loki from Norse mythology . . .Greek Zeus, Aries, Apollo, the Amazons…
Many of the writers and artists who created comic book superheroes have stated mythology was a direct inspiration.
Inspiration has also come from unique cultures and religious traditions around the world. The legend of King Arthur, Mesoamerican gods, the Great Spirit of Native Americans, the mysticism of Hinduism, the mysteries of ancient Egypt . . . and more. Superheroes (and supervillains) whose amazing powers are innate or magical can likely trace their origin to supernaturally gifted characters imagined long ago.
The Myth of Superheroes compares ancient myth with modern superheroes by displaying hundreds of objects including original comics, hand drawings, modern statues, action figures, and more. The images and information in the exhibition will excite anyone who loves comic books and their huge influence in the popular culture.
After viewing so many superheroes, and recalling my own youth (collecting Legion of Super-Heroes comic books), it occurred to me that what is common between ancient gods and superheroes is the idea of superhuman power. Supernatural power in ancient times explained the workings of a mysterious world; in our modern world, great power is a dream of youth and those who fantasize about exceeding an ordinary existence.
What do you think?
The Myth of Superheroes is definitely fun! Bring the kids! You can view it all at San Diego’s awesome Comic-Con Museum until February 15, 2025.
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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.
A group of powerful Marvel superheroes have boarded the cars of a big yellow Ferris wheel in San Diego for Comic-Con 2024!
Beginning this Thursday, the superheroes, participants in the Contest of Champions, will be joining fans wheeling through the sky a short distance from the San Diego Convention Center. The superheroes, however, won’t be doing battle, fortunately–they are merely decorative wraps that have been applied to the Ferris wheel’s dangling cars!
The free ride promotes the Contest of Champions game available on Google Play. I posted a blog yesterday that contains more details about the ride, which you can read here.
Meanwhile, enjoy these photos taken this Monday morning. Workers were busy applying the wraps, and a few were captured by my camera…
Iron Man.Guillotine.Kushala.Spider-Gwen.Shuri.Wolverine.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
I’m not sure whether we should be comforted. Because Deadpool and Wolverine are now looking down on our ever lovin’ city!
Why are these Marvel superheroes in San Diego, and up on the exterior of the Hilton Gaslamp? They’re here for Comic-Con 2024! Yes, their movie will be premiering on the Friday of San Diego Comic-Con. The hype and anticipation has reached an unprecedented level of crazy!
The incomplete building wrap, which I photographed this afternoon, appears to involve Marvel Contest of Champions and promote Google Play.
Lots of cool building wraps are appearing all around the Gaslamp and San Diego Convention Center. If you’ve been following Cool San Diego Sights, you’ve see a few already! I know that more are on the way, so stay tuned!
I’ll take more photos of this cool wrap in a day or two when it’s completed, and I’ll post them below as an update!
UPDATE!
The next day…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
Reed Richards and Johnny Storm on a Comic-Con street lamp banner in San Diego.
Banners promoting Marvel’s popular superhero team Fantastic Four and their upcoming movie (due to open in 2025), have appeared in San Diego for Comic-Con 2024!
The news that Marvel will have a panel in Hall H this year probably means they’ll be promoting Deadpool & Wolverine, which opens during Comic-Con, plus the highly anticipated The Fantastic Four.
I personally look forward to the movie. The Fantastic Four is one of my favorite teams. Cosmic enemies and super science and a warm family dynamic usually result in stirring, highly imaginative stories.
Hopefully the Reed Richards in the upcoming film is a wee bit smarter than the one who got himself turned into spaghetti by the Scarlet Witch!
Sue Storm and Ben Grimm.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
Are you a fan of science fiction, horror, comic books or graphic novels? You don’t want to miss Collaboration(s)! A Journey with John Jennings, a fantastic new exhibit that opened last week at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park!
John Jennings is an Eisner Award–winning and New York Times best-selling artist, designer and author who has worked in comics for over twenty years. He’s also a professor of media and cultural studies at the University of California, Riverside and the director of the Abrams ComicArts imprint Megascope, which publishes graphic novels focused on the experiences of people of color.
Jennings was introduced to comics by his mother at a young age, and fell in love with the medium, whose possibilities are limited only by human imagination. Since then he has made many notable contributions to the popular culture.
Perhaps you’re familiar with the new Marvel character, Ghost Light. Jennings was the creator! He is the author of the 2023 comic series Silver Surfer: Ghost Light.
The African American character Ghost Light actually began his life as Al Harper, a physicist and friend to Silver Surfer, who sacrificed his life to save the world in a 1969 story titled And Who Shall Mourn for Him? That was back in Marvel’s comic book Silver Surfer #5.
Jennings brought the character back in a way that represents the modern African American experience. Ghost Light also reflects John Jennings’ artistic collaboration with co-creators and his love of Afrofuturism, which can be observed throughout this new museum exhibit. He has helped to create thousands of images that have been enjoyed in art shows and diverse publications.
As my few photos demonstrate, you’ll be dazzled by the bold, very colorful comic artwork produced by this prolific artist. You’ll see familiar Marvel superheroes, monsters and dark horror, images filled with symbolism and mythological and historical references, and futuristic wonders that might blow your mind!
Visitors to the exhibit can also “collaborate” with the artist by writing a story or coloring a sketch, and then share it on a wall in a Comic-Con Museum gallery. Very cool!
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Deadpool has traveled from Chile in South America to San Diego, and I found him hanging out today in Balboa Park!
This young man with the cool Deadpool cosplay, posing for photographs on El Prado, didn’t speak much English. But I did ascertain he loves the Deadpool movies.
I don’t know if he’s in pursuit of any supervillains at the moment. Perhaps his buddy Wolverine was nearby, but I didn’t see him.
You never know what or who you’ll encounter in wonderful Balboa Park!
If you’re reading this on a serious San Diego newsfeed, sorry. I’m just a blogger who likes to walk around the city, and sometimes I post silly, fun things.
Perhaps you’ll enjoy a quick smile before returning to a world where depressing news is far too common.
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 