A magical army of witches and wizards has invaded San Diego.
Those attending Comic-Con 2023 should be advised that a powerful group of witches and wizards has descended upon San Diego. They arrived this morning, most likely from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I was able to capture these photos before they could flick their wands and Expelliarmus my camera.
Comic-Con attendees heading for the San Diego Convention Center were surprised to encounter several witches, wizards, and Dobby the house-elf.Professor Trelawney must have peered into her crystal ball and seen the Grim.Did Hagrid ditch his motorcycle and ride the San Diego Trolley instead? It’s really not all that different from the Hogwarts Express.Professor Sprout might have a friendly smile, but she’s a witch. Are deadly mandrakes nearby? Those two nearby Dumbledores seem unconcerned.There are two Mad-Eye Moody’s! Which one is the imposter? Is Polyjuice Potion in that flask?
…
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!
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!
One of the most visually stunning activations I’ve seen outside Comic-Con 2023 so far was put together by Bandai Namco Entertainment. They are showcasing their ever popular Tekken fighting video games.
I didn’t even know this Comic-Con offsite existed until I walked down MLK Promenade a day or two ago. Well, today it is open. I stepped inside and my eyes almost popped out of my head!
Right as you enter, four actors portraying classic Tekken characters pose on a platform, and the lighting inside the darkened room makes them look unbelievably awesome–almost unreal. They slowly shifted their poses as I took several photos.
Nearby, visitors could play Tekken at many stations. There are also cool photo ops like the one you see above, free refreshments (thank you for the cold can of Sprite on a hot day), and face painting!
Keep your eyes peeled as you walk down Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade across from the San Diego Convention Center. This small but very cool Tekken activation is not far from Camp Snoopy.
…
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!
I took jillions of photographs today while walking near the San Diego Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter. It’s the first day of Comic-Con 2023!
I’ve already posted blogs about two different Comic-Con offsite activations. More of that is coming. However, my little camera captured so many miscellaneous images today I thought I’d present some of them now. Most of these were taken while walking along Harbor Drive. I started near the Interactive Zone at Petco Park.
There are smiles, creativity, cosplay, and plenty of people seeking attention. Comic-Con is not only a fun pop culture convention, but it’s a humongous marketing opportunity for those who are shrewd. (Feel free to follow my blog. Wink-wink. Oh wait, I gain nothing but an inflated ego!)
Ready? Here we go. No captions. Just absorb all the wonderful craziness!
Incidentally, this morning I also enjoyed a very special two-hour tour at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. Busy day!
I’ll blog about some truly famous and amazing art at the museum right after Comic-Con concludes.
…
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!
The Comic-Con Interactive Zone is worth checking out this year!
The lines this morning weren’t too horribly long to get into what is officially called the Interactive Zone at Petco Park. It’s called that because a variety of activations are set up in one of the ballpark’s nearby parking lots. I waited maybe 15 minutes to get in.
Once inside the Interactive Zone, fans will be met with three huge, completely awesome sculptures based on characters in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. On the other side of the entrance is another super cool sculpture, called Attack of the Metallic Menace, that was created to raise awareness about the harm of vaping.
That guy vying with Captain America for weightlifting prowess was posing inside a GNC activation, where I got a sample of a scrumptious muscle-building milk shake. (Watch out Captain America! I’m feeling stronger already!)
What else did I find? A fun activation that celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the coming-of-age movie Dazed and Confused. There’s pinball game and a pool table where you can play. Of course, there’s a photo opportunity, with the expected reference to rockers KISS!
And, as you might hope and expect, there’s plenty to eat from several food trucks and stands, and shady picnic benches galore. It’s a fine place to rest and get a bite while exploring all the cool stuff outside Comic-Con!
You might spot some cosplay, too!
The Interactive Zone at Petco Park, located near the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge, will be open right through Sunday.
…
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!
There’s a super fun offsite activation at Comic-Con 2023 that pop culture fans streaming through the Gaslamp might miss. But you shouldn’t! It’s called Roseanne Lanford Days!
Whether or not you’re a fan of the Roseanne TV show, you’ll find lots to do and lots of cool swag to win!
The activation is loosely based on the town where Roseanne and her sister Jackie worked as waitresses. Once you walk through the activation’s archway, it looks like you’ve stepped into an old-time carnival. Shoot a hoop, knock over pins, toss a ring on a bottle and you can score DVDs, Roseanne bags and shirts, magnets, stickers, and other cool stuff. There’s free popcorn, photo opportunities and live entertainment. And there a big screen TV sweepstakes you can enter, too!
Roseanne Lanford Days is located on Sixth Avenue at E Street. Look for the signs on Fifth Avenue. It’s will be open Thursday and Friday from 10am to 6pm.
Check it 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!
Early this morning, I took a long walk through downtown San Diego this first day of Comic-Con 2023. As the minutes passed, I noticed more and more Comic-Con attendees arriving by bus and by foot. Most were lining up outside the San Diego Convention Center.
I spotted some cosplay and captured other fun pics!
Putting up barriers in the Gaslamp Quarter in anticipation of huge crowds later on.Ed Lenderman of KUSI News gives a silly blogger a smile!Lines forming outside the San Diego Convention Center early Thursday morning.Dedicated fans make their way down MLK Promenade toward Comic-Con.The standby line for the Interview With the Vampire offsite was beginning to grow.Almost ready!Many wait for the opening of the Dragon Ball offsite.Obi-Wan Kenobi is ready to take me down!A line has formed for the FX offsite.One Piece cosplay on the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge.More fans heading to Comic-Con early Thursday morning.Shuttle buses are arriving from San Diego hotels.Getting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles activation ready.Seems I’ve arrived at Grand Central-42 Street Station!It’s the 25th Anniversary of That 70s Show.We had a station wagon similar to this when I was a kid.A street artist was displaying his cool artwork on the Fifth Avenue sidewalk.Not sure what this is, but looks like fun!Lots of Comic-Con related donuts can be found at the Donut Bar Pop-Up Shop inside the Pendry hotel.Witcher cosplay in the Gaslamp Quarter!
…
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!
Here we go! One of the biggest parties in San Diego has begun! It’s Preview Night for Comic-Con 2023. For the next four days massive crowds will descend upon downtown San Diego to celebrate popular culture!
Late this afternoon vendors and fans were converging on the San Diego Convention Center. The exhibit floor opens at 6 pm. Those with Preview Night tickets will be able to get an idea of the cool stuff they will see when Comic-Con begins in earnest tomorrow.
Meanwhile, areas around the convention center and the Gaslamp Quarter were nearly ready for the big crazy party. A few pop-ups and offsite activations are being readied at the last minute. A huge line of people was waiting to enter the Dragon Ball offsite near the Marriott Marina. The Lodge offsite by Paramount was already open, too.
Many members of the media have arrived on the scene, too, as Comic-Con 2023 will receive international coverage.
Enjoy some fun photographs from a mid-afternoon walk!
…
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!
Comic-Con 2023 officially begins tomorrow in San Diego. This evening thousands will converge on the San Diego Convention Center for Preview Night.
Is San Diego ready for the big event? Almost!
This morning I noticed how most of the outside activations are in the last stages of completion. I also saw groups of vendors and other participants streaming through the Gaslamp heading for the convention center. Walking about, I even spotted some cool cosplay!
Shops in the Gaslamp have superhero displays in windows for Comic-Con.CVS created a unique Comic-Con 23 display using soft drink boxes!The Lodge now has snowy trees around its entrance. Perhaps it snowed overnight.SpongeBob is hanging out inside The Lodge!Are those guys in black vampires from the Immortal Universe?Quantum Leap HQ is ready to transport visitors through spacetime.Before you travel through spacetime, grab some grub at the Quantum Cantina.Live shows overlooking Gaslamp Square will be held on this balcony. Watch for celebrities!Promotional graphics are everywhere.The Abbott Elementary wraps on Petco Park are finished.Another wrap promoting Abbott Elementary.The Petco Park Interactive Zone is setting up. Every year they seem to finish at the last minute.What more cool stuff is in these crates?OMG! Check out these huge Transformers: Rise of the Beasts sculptures!A big banner is being hung today on the Hilton Bayfront parking garage advertising Heart of Stone .Mario and Bowser cosplay!Last minute work at the FX offsite. That water dispenser should prove very popular!The gigantic Shogun wrap on the Hilton is completed.A big crowd will be enjoying Adult Swim on the Green starting tomorrow!Salty’s has quite a few eyeballs.The IMDb yacht has returned for Comic-Con 2023.The Voodoo Ranger “pirate ship” is now behind the San Diego Convention Center.The Dragon Ball offsite at the Marriott Marina Terrace is still setting up. Looks cool so far.That electrical lightning is making some hair stand on end!Dragon Ball graphics above the front entrance of the Marriott Marquis hotel.Some street artists are already setting up on MLK Promenade.All sorts of colorful graphics decorate Hero House.Check out this cool sculpture promoting Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon!Snoopy has arrived! Let Comic-Con 2023 begin!
…
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!
Enjoy lots of photographs taken today around the San Diego Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter. It’s Monday, three days before the official start of Comic-Con 2023!
Offsite activations are rising all over the place, new building wraps continue to appear, and there’s a definite sense of excitement and anticipation in the air!
Read the photo captions!
The Jurassic Park offsite is now setting up in East Village. I wasn’t allowed to take a photo through the front door, but it looks like this might be epic!Abbott Elementary wraps are going up on the exterior of Petco Park.Some shade is ready for fans waiting in line outside the San Diego Convention Center. It should be quite warm this week!The FX offsite is now fenced with graphics promoting many shows.Is this guy screaming in anticipation of huge crowds?Outside the FX site during my midday Monday walk.Peeking into the FX offsite.The huge building wrap on the Hilton San Diego Bayfront promotes FX mini-series Shōgun.Now walking down the bayside boardwalk toward Adult Swim on the Green.Another Comic-Con, another ride on the Adult Swim hotdog!The way I felt after a vigorous summer walk in the San Diego sunshine.Now I’ve reached the Hulu Animayhem offsite. Looks like a lot of hot air.Who are all these people just standing around?You can get your selfie with a favorite character.Workers are setting up the Dragon Ball offsite behind the Marriott. Looks like the layout is much like last year.They’ve got a couple days to get ready!The Wheel of Time building wrap on a Marriott Marquis tower looks pretty cool!I believe Hero House will sell pop culture collectibles and cool stuff. They were setting up beside Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.Walking along MLK Promenade.Looks like Camp Snoopy is getting ready! The Peanuts offsites are always fun.Spooky black waiting area for the recently announced Interview With the Vampire activation at the Hilton Gaslamp.A recreation of a New Orleans street will await fans of Interview With the Vampire.Check this out! It’s the Quantum Leap activation under construction. I’ll bet fans walk in through that circular entrance…When visitors walk through here, will they travel through spacetime?NBC show banners at Baja Rick’s Cantina, which used to be the Tin Fish.Watch out! Here’s Chucky!The huge Yellowjackets wraps on the Hard Rock Hotel are finished.Yellowjackets video wall inside the Hard Rock Hotel.Putting up Yellowjackets banners along Fifth Avenue sidewalk.Paramount’s offsite The Lodge is looking great.A sneaky peek into The Lodge.Hasbro boxes in the windows of Sparks Gallery at 530 Sixth Avenue. This will be The VAULT: A Hasbro Pulse Store!National Geographic joins the Comic-Con fun with a big wrap on the Margaritaville Hotel. It promotes Arctic Ascent.
…
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 San Diego Sights! 