It might seem like chaos. It is certainly a bit crazy. It’s what happens when thousands of creative, fun-loving people gather together all at once and have a big party. That’s what it’s like in downtown San Diego outside the convention center during San Diego Comic-Con!
There is cosplay–costume play–everywhere you turn. There are new movies, television shows, video games and more to explore with fun activations. There are new discoveries around every corner. There’s just a big crush of humanity, and everyone is smiling and having a good time. Adults can be a kid again and not worry what others think. Kids can dream and see the possibilities of human creativity.
I took loads of photos today. I’ve got lots of blog posts coming up, so stay tuned! But first let me share a bunch of semi-random shots taken today (Thursday) that give you a taste of the wonderfulness of Comic-Con 2024.
I promised to mention the smiling group that’s in the the next photo. They were out and about promoting Quirkies, which offers all sorts of cool merch. Thank you for the refrigerator magnets!
If you see this Rick and Morty truck, walk up to the passenger window and you’ll probably get a cool pin!
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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
A fierce dragon mural was the first thing I spotted on my Wednesday afternoon walk in downtown San Diego. It’s the day of Comic-Con 2024 Preview Night, and the action was picking up outside the San Diego Convention Center as you’ll see in my upcoming photographs.
That toothy dragon, by the way, was being installed in front of the Super7 shop, where they have a special Dungeons & Dragons theme this year.
Okay! On with the photos! Read the captions…
More graphics and activity inside the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café on Wednesday! Tomorrow Sonic himself will be making an appearance!Fandom PARTY banner now hanging at the Hard Rock Hotel.SpongeBob wasn’t squirting passersby…yet!A peek over the fence of the Petco Park Interactive Zone. That’s one big hand!The Petco Park Interactive Zone is taking form.Many faces now appear behind FX.The IMDb Boat’s big screen is active.Balls now fill the A.V.A. FEST ball pit!Lots of people are carrying swag bags as they walk about.Photo ops everywhere, including at the Dragon Ball offsite.Cool Comic-Con 2024 swag bag.OMG! It’s Chucky!The Bathroom Battlestation is being set up. Hopefully people don’t sit inside playing games on their phone for long. Other people have to go, too!Barb’s Bashroom.Looking down MLK Promenade past the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes offsite.Star Wars rebel pilot and his super cool Star Cruiser poses for photos!The Crow poses in Gaslamp Square with his own movie poster!Moxxi’s Borderlands bar entrance has appeared at the Hard Rock Hotel.A line has already formed for the Unknown Comics Pop Up Store.Captain America must have been here!
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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!
Do you live in San Diego, but can’t make it downtown for Comic-Con this week? Why not celebrate Comic-Con 2024 at your local library!
Walking through San Diego’s Central Library yesterday, I saw a display of graphic novels. When I checked out the library’s website, I discovered that all sorts of creative activities can be enjoyed at many San Diego branch libraries that correspond with the phenomenon that is Comic-Con!
Many of these events are coming up in a day or two, so make sure to check out the website right away by clicking here.
At the Point Loma/Hervey Library, there’s Your Life as a Graphic Novel Memoir: Take-Home Art Journaling Kits.
At the College-Rolando Library, there’s Mini Comic-Con (adapted for adults with ASD).
At Oak Park Library, there’s Anime Club for Young Adults.
Sketch Night: Comic Con Edition is a virtual event on Zoom, by the San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with staff from SDPL.
At the Valencia Park/Malcolm X Library, there’s Super Hero Workshop with ClicBitz San Diego.
At the Rancho Bernardo Library, there’s Kids Craft: Paper Superheroes.
At the Clairemont Library, there’s Superhero Preschool Storytime at the Library.
And, finally, at Pacific Beach Library, there’s Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever.
And by the way, the Central Library will have their 4th floor IDEA Lab open during Comic-Con, where cosplayers can make repairs to their costumes. There will also be comic-theme makes and photo ops according to this sign that I spotted nearby!
There’s more! If you’d like to score a cool collectible, come down to the Central Library to get your 2024 Commemorative Comic-Con Library Card! It was designed by John Jennings, author, graphic novelist, New York Times Bestseller and 2018 Eisner Winner!
During Comic-Con, you can also obtain this year’s commemorative library card at the San Diego Public Library’s booth in the San Diego Convention Center. They’ll be at Booth 5523!
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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!
What the heck is that green thing? It’s part of another fun, surprising offsite being created outside the San Diego Convention Center before Comic-Con 2024!
What I love about walking around before Comic-Con is the mushrooming creativity. Sure, the offsite activations, building and trolley wraps, and carnival rides are all about marketing movies, television shows, video games and whatnot–but it is creativity that brings delight to the buying public. Art and storytelling are an essential part of it all.
So it’s now Sunday afternoon before Comic-Con 2024. Several days to go before the pop culture convention officially opens. I’ve already posted lots of photos the past few days. But more stuff keeps materializing!
Local artist Shirish Villaseñor has begun painting the windows of the Starbucks at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. It’s a SpongeBob SquarePants theme celebrating the cartoon’s 25th anniversary! (She has some big community mural projects coming up in San Diego which I hope to cover in the next couple months.)The smile of a friendly artist!The FX offsite and building wrap are getting ready. Like most Comic-Con offsites, it opens on Thursday.Hulu’s Animayhem has returned in 2024. They’ll have a huge offsite behind the convention center.I’m pretty sure you can’t slide inside this huge green pipe.Some sort of fun factory.A big swing ride at the A.V.A. FEST. Woo-hoo!That cool Star Trek wrap is now 100% complete on the Marriott Marquis.Crates have arrived for the Dragon Ball offsite. It’s going to be awesome as usual!A big Dragon Ball wrap is being placed on part of the Marriott Marquis.The second side of a trolley wrap design that I hadn’t been able to photograph earlier. The Boys.The big, fun Marvel Contest of Champions Ferris wheel under construction along MLK Promenade.More spooky Immortal Universe graphics placed on the Hilton Gaslamp.A wider look.My goodness! Wrapping the large Hard Rock Hotel all around with SpongeBob graphics takes many days of work.The Lodge by Paramount+ is starting to look like a lodge.The transforming power of human creativity.
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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!
Comic-Con is back in full force! After a few difficult years, due to COVID and a writers strike, it seems that in 2024 the epic international pop culture convention is going to be bigger and more exciting than ever! And outside the San Diego Convention Center there will be many fun offsites for the public to enjoy!
Many of those offsite activations are now under construction with less than a week to go until Comic-Con begins.
I walked around downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp and the convention center this morning and found all sorts of exciting activity. Check out these photos…
First up, The Lodge is under construction at the Happy Does Bar on Fifth Avenue. The Lodge is an activation that will showcase Paramount+ shows…
Next, at Gaslamp Square, Peacock’s unique Those About to Die Chariot Racing offsite is under construction. I was told visitors can actually ride around the tiny colosseum that is being built!
When I walked over the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge, I noticed a lot of canopies are being prepared outside the San Diego Convention Center! It’s summer, the lines and crowds will be big, and shade will be welcome!
Between the convention center and the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, FX is setting up on the grass in their usual spot. I suspect that big building wrap on the Hilton will promote What We Do in the Shadows…
Not much is ready with Adult Swim’s offsite, yet. Looks like their usual setup…
I believe that next behind the convention center is the Hulu offsite. I’ll have to wait and see. I read the Abbott Elementary A.V.A. Fest offsite will be somewhere back here, too…
The Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina’s Terrace is where Dragon Ball will have their always super cool offsite. Workers were cleaning to get ready this morning…
A Shaun of the Dead offsite will be at 520 Fifth Avenue during Comic-Con 2024. I spotted a Winchester Tavern sign on the sidewalk outside!
What are these mysterious props coming down the street in a truck? Time will tell!
UPDATE!
The following morning I walked around to see what progress had been made…
First, I found where the Abbott Elementary offsite will be–at the end of the superyacht landing. They were getting ready to erect the A.V.A. FEST’s big swing ride!
Then I walked past Hulu’s huge site, which they continue to work on…
I passed the Adult Swim offsite by, where not much had happened yet, and then checked out FX’s progress, including their big wrap on the Hilton…
I crossed over to the Gaslamp where I checked out Peacock’s Those About to Die chariot racing offsite. My next blog post will show what I saw here this Sunday morning in more detail.
On the grass to one side of the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp some workers had begun conferring. I didn’t speak to them, but I’m assuming the Marvel Champions Ferris wheel will be here.
Some more construction going on at The Lodge…
And the Shaun of the Dead offsite up Fifth Avenue is making progress..
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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!
A Comic-Con offsite in downtown San Diego has opened early! The Chuck Jones Pop-Up Gallery is already welcoming pop culture fans a week and a half before Comic-Con 2024 begins!
The Chuck Jones Gallery’s pop-up is always a big attraction during San Diego Comic-Con. You might recall that it has usually been found in the Gaslamp Quarter. But not in 2024!
This year’s location is inside Seaport Village, a short walk up the bayside boardwalk behind the San Diego Convention Center, five minutes past the Marriott Marquis, a few steps from the Seaport Village lighthouse.
I was told that before Comic-Con begins, they will be open seven days a week during ordinary business hours.
During my visit today, I saw lots of Looney Tunes and related artwork, produced by well-known artists including the legendary Chuck Jones. The walls are covered with cool collectibles, from affordable prints to original animation cells. If you love Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Roadrunner, Wile E. Coyote, Taz, Yosemite Sam, Marvin the Martian and the rest of the wacky crew, this is the place for you!
There’s also great DC and Marvel artwork by notable artists, including fan favorite Alex Ross.
In addition, during Comic-Con 2024, fans will have a chance to meet artists at the Chuck Jones Pop-Up Gallery. Here’s the lineup from their website:
Thursday, July 25
Meet & Greet with Chuck Jones artist, Ben Olson live from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday, July 26
Meet & Greet Simpsons artist, Stephen Reis from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 27
Meet & Greet with artist, Fabio Napoleoni from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, July 28
Meet & Greet with artist, Dan Bowden from 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Sounds pretty cool? It definitely is! Take a look at a few examples of the artwork on view and for sale in the Chuck Jones Pop-Up Gallery…
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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!
Ready to have your mind blown? Take a look at these photographs!
This lowrider is named Timeless. It was on display today in San Diego during the Day at the Bay 2024 car show.
I saw dozens of amazing cars as I walked about the show, but I had to stop in my tracks when I spotted Timeless. It’s beyond incredible!
According to one sign, Timeless is an original lowrider first built in the 1970s whose multiple modifications and endless paint jobs have kept it relevant for more than 40 years. This work of art, with a local and national reputation, is said to be the most iconic lowrider in San Diego. It was built from a 1964 Riviera.
Timeless is a fantastic dream come true.
Look at the crazy interior! How would you like to take a ride in this?
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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.
A huge event showcasing lowriders, classic cars, bikes and tattoo artists could be enjoyed today at Day At The Bay 2024!
Hundreds of cars were out on display at Embarcadero Marina Park North on San Diego Bay. Late this morning I walked around admiring these vehicles, which are true works of art. You could see how local car enthusiasts have gone all out to make their ride absolutely amazing.
Let me share this collection of cool photographs!
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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.
It’s easy to miss this very beautiful sculpture by a sidewalk in Normal Heights. The figure of a White-tailed Kite in flight stands in front of Art FORM–Found Objects Recycled Materials at 3316 Adams Avenue.
According to a nearby plaque, the mosaic sculpture was created by Endangered Concepts in collaboration with Art FORM with the helping hands of Normal Heights Elementary 1st Grade classes of 2017-18.
It also explains: The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucarus) is a raptor found in western North America and parts of Central and South America. By the 1930s it was nearbly driven to extinction, but with the help of wildlife conservation efforts its population has increased… This mosaic sculpture is a tribute to conservation efforts, reminding us that together we can beat the odds.
Enjoy these photos…
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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.
Yesterday I walked in Normal Heights. As I passed the intersection of 32nd Street and Adams Avenue, I discovered these two cool murals on either side of El Zarape Mexican Cantina.
The first one is very colorful. It contains hearts, flowers, and Day of the Dead imagery, and exclaims Viva San Diego. It was painted by Michelle Ruby, aka MrBBaby. Check out the above photograph.
The second mural appeared in the little parking nook east of El Zarape, where a pair of spray painted murals on two walls change every few years. I believe the artists are Shark and Hasler. (The unique artwork on the opposite wall is also by them.)
Unfortunately, when I happened to walk by, this new mural was semi-concealed by a large pickup truck. I took the following photos…
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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.
Cool San Diego Sights! 