Tag: events

Here come the San Diego Comic-Con offsites!

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!

Rings of Power found in the Gaslamp Quarter!

What would you do if you found a magic ring from Middle Earth? Would you place it on your finger? Would you eventually fall under the power of Sauron?

Well, some Rings of Power can be found in San Diego during Comic-Con 2024! You can see them near the Gaslamp Quarter, Historic Heart Of San Diego archway!

Some large, very cool looking building wraps are being applied to the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp across Fifth Avenue from the Hard Rock Hotel. They promote The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.

I’ll take more photos as these building wraps approach completion and post them in an update below!

UPDATE!

The wraps appeared nearly finished the following morning. I took the following photographs under less than ideal light conditions, so I had to radically adjust contrast and brightness. But the darker images are fitting! After all, darkness will bind them!

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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 visit to Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café!

The Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café pop-up fast food restaurant has returned to San Diego for Comic-Con 2024. And they’ve opened before the convention begins!

I swung by 910 J Street today shortly after the the Speed Café opened at 11 am. Not many people were about. In a few days, during Comic-Con starting Wednesday, there will probably be a line halfway down the block–like last year!

I took these photos of the fun Sonic the Hedgehog themed interior, then ordered a milkshake and chicken sandwich (that I consumed a moment ago) from the super friendly people behind the counter.

I must admit the mocha shake and spicy fried chicken sandwich were actually really good! Better then some other fast food joints! The chicken was tasty, crispy and moist inside–yum!

When the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café pop-up officially opens on Wednesday, I’m told Sonic himself will be present for the kids. And, of course, there will be Sonic video games that can be freely played, too!

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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!

Superhero donuts for fans at Comic-Con 2024!

Going to Comic-Con 2024 in San Diego? Would you like to sink your teeth into Batman? Or Deadpool? Or Yoda? Or even Superman?

You’ll have that sweet opportunity should you walk down Fifth Avenue in front of the Pendry hotel’s Provisional restaurant! These superhero and pop culture donuts will be there and waiting for hungry fans during Comic-Con 2024!

I swung by the Donut Bar in downtown San Diego this morning and saw my smiling friends who work there. They already have some demo Comic-Con donuts, which they held up for me to photograph! Freshly made donuts like these will be available at their pop-up in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Super yum!

I’m not sure sinking my teeth into R2-D2 would gain the approval of my dentist. Too bad!

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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!

Photos of San Diego preparing for Comic-Con!

It’s less than a week to go before the start of Comic-Con 2024. Preparations for the big international event in downtown San Diego have accelerated into high gear!

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ve seen a number of trolley and building wraps that are already finished or in the process of being applied. Today, however, completely new building wraps are appearing by the waterfront, and “offsite” activations have begun construction!

I walked around East Village early this morning and the Gaslamp Quarter late this afternoon. I’ve captured a number of photographs that provide a taste of the exciting pre-Comic-Con action in downtown San Diego!

Peacock’s Those About to Die Chariot Racing offsite is under construction in Gaslamp Square. It’s near the big new video board, which is showing an advertisement for the Roman gladiator series that premiered yesterday! (You can spy the growing wrap for FOX’s Animation Domination on the Omni hotel in the background.)

Presumably chariots will be racing here!

Here’s a relatively new trolley wrap design that I hadn’t seen until today. It promotes The Boys on Amazon Prime.

The Hard Rock Hotel is being wrapped with SpongeBob graphics. I posted other photos recently.

Is this Comic-Con? No, this is Patrick!

Wrapping the Fifth Avenue side of the Hard Rock Hotel is now beginning in earnest.

On the convention center side of the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, a wrap goes up promoting Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe on AMC. I’ve photographed a couple of other related wraps on the hotel already–one of which you can glimpse here.

I’ve spotted a couple of Comic-Con logos now on the San Diego Convention Center.

On the Marriott Marquis, looks like a Star Trek wrap is going up. The thing on the left is an Esri User Conference wrap now being removed. That convention in San Diego is over.

A huge wrap is also going up on the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. It will likely promote a show on FX.

Advertisements posted along Fifth Avenue promote a special Comic-Con cruise!

Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon, The Book of Carol characters in the windows of the Pendry hotel.

Graphic in the window of the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe pop-up. I plan to go there tomorrow!

A simply painted Dungeons & Dragon 50th Anniversary expanded into this awesome mural a few days ago. It’s outside Super7.

Some of the fun collectibles in BAIT in the Gaslamp Quarter. They’re going to have all sorts of activities during Comic-Con 2024!

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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!

Animation Domination returns to Comic-Con!

FOX has returned to San Diego Comic-Con in 2024 to assert their Animation Domination!

This afternoon I saw that a huge building wrap is now being applied to the Omni San Diego Hotel. Over the years, the tall building has been Fox Broadcasting Company’s canvas during Comic-Con, strategically overlooking Gaslamp Square and the San Diego Convention Center. Their past wraps have promoted their perpetually popular animated shows.

How long has The Simpsons been running now? Almost four decades? Is that possible?

Here are some photographs. I’ll take more photos as the wrap grows and post them as an update below.

What’s this? Alvin has arrived and is photobombing me!

He must be jealous of FOX’s Animation Domination.

Alvin! ALVIN! ALLVINNNNN!!!

UPDATE!

The next day (with no pesky Alvin)…

ANOTHER UPDATE!

And later…

ANOTHER 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!

Deadpool and Wolverine look down on San Diego!

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!

Witches and vampires arrive for Comic-Con!

Check out these eerie promotional wraps for Comic-Con 2024! They’re now being applied to the exterior of the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter!

The building wraps advertise two spooky shows on AMC: Mayfair Witches and Interview With the Vampire. The Hilton Gaslamp is usually a venue for AMC offsite activations during San Diego Comic-Con.

I’m sure more wraps will be appearing on the Fifth Avenue and K Street sides of the building–those typically advertise shows on Amazon Prime. We shall see!

I’ll share more photos of these AMC wraps as they get closer to completion. I’ll post those pics in an update below!

UPDATE!

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!

SpongeBob SquarePants checks into Hard Rock Hotel!

Today I spotted SpongeBob SquarePants checking into the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter! Perhaps I should say onto and not into, because he’s part of the super fun graphics now arriving on the exterior of the hotel!

Check out today’s photos of the Paramount+ promotional wraps that are now being applied. It’s the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants as you can see on the smaller wrap, which faces Fifth Avenue.

I’ve learned the interior of the Hard Rock Hotel will also be decorated with a SpongeBob theme for Comic-Con 2024. I’ll take those photos when that happens!

I’ll also take photos of these exterior wraps as they progress, and I’ll post them below in an update.

UPDATE!

Next day…

ANOTHER UPDATE!

And the next day…

YET ANOTHER UPDATE!

Annnnd, the next day…

AND YET ANOTHER UPDATE!!!

How many days will this go on? SpongeBob–you’re wearing me out!

Enough! If you want to see the rest of this immense Hard Rock Hotel wrap, head down to the Gaslamp during Comic-Con 2024!

YIKES! I CAN’T STOP!

One more…

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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!

Abbott Elementary wraps appear on Petco Park!

Large building wraps that promote ABC television’s series Abbott Elementary are now being applied to the exterior of Petco Park for Comic-Con 2024!

Check out some photos that I took today. I’ll take more photographs in the days to come and will post them as an update below.

Abbott Elementary will have an “A.V.A. FEST” free-to-the-public activation behind the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con. The offsite will feature lots of fun and giveaways!

Have you seen the Abbott Elementary trolleys now running around San Diego? I posted pics of one here!

UPDATE!

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!