Models of characters in the stop motion animated film ParaNorman displayed inside the Laika Experience San Diego for 2017 Comic-Con.
The Laika Experience San Diego opened this afternoon! This very cool exhibit created in the Gaslamp by Laika Entertainment runs through the end of Comic-Con. It’s free to the public and well worth checking out! You can find it at 520 Fifth Avenue.
Here are a few photos I took of the many highly detailed models, props, sets and puppets used by Laika in making their four films: Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings.
Laika still uses the stop motion method to create their awesome animation. I learned they only use CGI sparingly, for things that are difficult to animate, like fire and water. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and the kids in our small group had a blast. There are lots of amazing models from each of their four movies, and a video and informative displays that explain the stop motion animation process.
Kubo greets passersby in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. A free exhibit by Laika Entertainment demonstrates their stop motion animation and includes puppets, sets and props.This cool artwork, made of LED lights, is from Laika’s acclaimed first movie Coraline.Detailed model of Beldam from the movie Coraline.Awesome model of the crooked house from ParaNorman!Cool models of characters from ParaNorman.From that hallway locker scene in ParaNorman!Archibald Snatcher in his giant robot in the movie The Boxtrolls. Amazing detail!A miniature set from Kubo and the Two Strings.This model of the Moon Beast from Kubo and the Two Strings was made using 3-D printing then pieced together.Norman is out on a San Diego sidewalk! You can meet him during Comic-Con and see a very cool free exhibit created by the stop motion animation wizards at Laika!Shoe and Fish of the Boxtrolls wave hello!
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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!
Arresting street art in Normal Heights. A snarling wolf.
Dreams seem to have materialized on a cluster of electrical boxes at the corner of Felton Street and Adams Avenue in Normal Heights.
Some of the street art is tranquil and crystal-like. Some of the images are like visions from a nightmare. Others are fantastically distorted–almost but not quite human!
Take a look–if you dare!
A nightmarish skull.More skulls include an upside-down peace sign–sometimes a symbol of death.A wraith-like figure seems to be in pain.Hands and fingers create an eerie, seemingly inhuman skull.An abstract flower has a peace sign right-side-up. Perhaps an affirmation of life.Colorful designs like snowflakes on an electrical box appear to be visions in a beautiful dream.Someone peers at the stars.Perhaps life is but a dream. A woman seems to grow from something swirling and elemental.Crazily distorted faces.Many human expressions–but fantastic and weird. I believe I’ve seen creatures like these in my dreams.Who is that in the middle? Perhaps you or me.
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Here we go again! I wrote another short story! What does it have to do with Cool San Diego Sights? Nothing. Silly me!
This very short work of fiction is about life. And painting angels. It has a happy ending! Click this link to read it on my writing blog Short Stories by Richard!
Thank you! I promise my next blog post will actually be about San Diego!
Vernell Jones III, also known as Machinecore, creates a very cool, completely new Star Wars character in Balboa Park.
I was walking through Balboa Park’s lively Plaza de Balboa, not far from the Bea Evenson Fountain, when my eyes suddenly fell upon a truly fantastic work of art.
I learned from the artist, Vernell Jones III, also known as Machinecore, that the unusual Star Wars character he’d created was some sort of futuristic Stormtrooper. My first thought was that the helmet kind of resembled General Grievous. My second thought was that this great artwork should be on the cover of a graphic novel. It’s that good.
I’d like to bring two talented artists to everyone’s attention. I met them during my walk around San Diego yesterday. They show their colorful works of art on the sidewalk. I had spoken to Carlos several times in the past; I spoke to Juli for the first time and learned a little of her story.
Carlos often hangs out on the Embarcadero, right next to the Star of India. His fantastic Eagle Warrior appears to me to belong in an art gallery. (Click this image to enlarge it!)
Carlos hangs out next to the Star of India, right near the ship’s figurehead. He usually has a whole array of stone and wire creature creations on display. Many of them are antlike. They’re all a lot of fun.
Yesterday he had something absolutely amazing on the sidewalk. You can see it in my first two photographs. He has made several such figures using resin, acrylic, and in this case some some quartz crystals. I looked very closely at his Eagle Warrior and was completely blown away. To me, this piece appeared to belong in an art gallery!
Carlos is very friendly and interesting, with many wise things to say about life and the world. He has lived in San Diego for a long, long time. If you happen to walk along the Embarcadero, and you see some art on the sidewalk that matches what I have described, you’ve probably found him! Say hello!
Close look at jaguar and serpent at foot of Aztec warrior, an amazing work of resin, acrylic and quartz by San Diego artist Carlos.
And now, a small colorful work of art by Juli:
A small but beautiful work of art, painted by friendly Juli. You can find her sometimes on the Embarcadero, sometimes on Broadway by the Santa Fe Depot.
At times I have seen Juli along the Embarcadero, painstakingly using a small brush to paint her fantastic crystal-like watercolor creations. But yesterday I spoke to her for the first time. She was hanging out on the sidewalk just south of the Santa Fe Depot. Take a look at her work!
Juli is quite knowledgeable about the art scene and has travelled all around the country. Many of her friends and acquaintances know her as Tree. She recently came down to San Diego from San Francisco, and is working to recover from a difficult situation. Her attitude is of unbounded optimism!
If you’re ever walking about San Diego and you spy her small but very distinctive works of art, take a close look! They’re pretty amazing!
These wonderful small pieces of watercolor art were created by Juli, who also goes by the street name Tree. She recently came to San Diego from San Francisco. (Click this image to enlarge it!)
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Sun God sculpture, by French-born sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, at University of California San Diego.
I absolutely love this sculpture. It’s called Sun God. This colorful public art was created by renowned French sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle. There are several other sculptures by the artist around San Diego, as you might have seen previously on my blog. Here and here and here.
Yesterday I walked through UCSD’s Muir College to get some photos of the Sun God. And there it stood, perched eternally on its living green arch, reflecting the golden San Diego sunlight amid tall eucalyptus trees. What a sight!
This much-loved landmark at University of California San Diego was created by Niki de Saint Phalle in 1983. She was known for producing large, colorful figures that appear to have emerged from mythology or highly imaginative tales of fantasy. While the Sun God is frequently outfitted by mischievous students with outlandish attire, the fourteen-foot-high bird remains unmoved. It merely gazes across the human landscape from its lofty station in the sky, thinking otherworldly, godly, inscrutable thoughts.
Science is taught in the buildings across the way. I doubt those professors have an adequate explanation for the Sun God. It is a true work of art.
The impressive, brightly colorful Sun God stands with wings spread wide in sun-worshiping San Diego.A path of stones leads through the Sun God’s green archway.Plaque reads SUN GOD, Niki de Saint Phalle, 1983. It’s on loan from the Stuart Foundation.Sun God faces Muir College classrooms, where science is taught. UCSD is one of the top public universities in the United States.The Sun God bird sculpture with a shining crown of gold rises powerfully, mysteriously into the blue sky.
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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!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to enjoy!
What is it like to be almost struck by lightning? If you’re a writer, the answer to others might sound a bit strange.
Well, I was almost struck. On Longs Peak, coming down from the summit, about 20 years ago. That one flash of lightning stabbed so near my heart, and electrified my mind with something so majestic and indefinite, that I had to write something down. In the form of a story.
That short story is titled A Dance in the Lightning, and I just finished it this morning. Or perhaps it’s finished. I have a tendency to periodically change the fiction in my blog Short Stories by Richard.
The lightning at times is close, but more often it’s miles away. And it’s only glimpsed for a brief instant.
A huge graphic on the Hard Rock Hotel that includes video is nearly ready for 2016 San Diego Comic-Con. It promotes the show Incorporated, coming this fall on Syfy.
Check out these photos! Many cool sights outside the convention center are taking shape for 2016 San Diego Comic-Con! I walked around today to see what’s going on. It looks like everyone is quickly getting ready! See for yourself!
The time machine ride which has been set up near the Tin Fish for Timeless is almost ready to go. The fight for all time begins!The Tin Fish has all sorts of Emerald City graphics on it.Emerald City coming to NBC. A new Oz rises.I was a bit surprised to see this area by the Omni Hotel dedicated to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.A cool little stage has Batmobile schematics for the backdrop. Not sure if a Batmobile will be displayed here… That would be cool!Poster at the Gaslamp trolley station advertises Blindspot. Trust no one.Another poster at the Gaslamp station advertises Midnight, Texas. Only outsiders fit in.The South Park 20 Interactive Fan Experience is slowly being assembled on Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade. It appears lots of classic scenes and characters will be included.A peek at some South Park characters on the grass.South Park The Fractured But Whole is a Ubisoft video game coming out in December.Cartman and his politically incorrect hand puppet.Stan and Kyle of South Park are hanging out in San Diego for Comic-Con!Graphics now adorn Amazon’s Thunderbirds Are Go pavilion.A photo of the unfinished interior of Thunderbirds Are Go at Comic-Con.Amazon’s other pavilion promotes their original series The Man in the High Castle.Like in years past, a big Vikings wrap has been applied to the west wall of Petco Park. I snapped this photo half in shadow, half in bright sunlight.Another huge wrap being applied to a section of Petco Park promotes Once Upon A Time.And another wrap on Petco Park concerns Designated Survivor, a new series on ABC this fall starring Kiefer Sutherland.Not much has been set up yet in the parking lot just east of Petco Park. They’ve got one day to go! Better hurry up!At least somebody got this Ferris wheel up in time!The park in front of the Hilton will feature The Comic-Con HQ Live Stage, FOX Television, and FX. Not much has been erected here yet, either!The Adult Swim play area is nearly completed. It appears much like it did last year.The entrance to Adult Swim’s outdoor venue will look just like last year, if my memory is to be trusted.As you can see, The Strain building wrap on the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel is now finished.Even the Comic-Con hotel buses seem ready! (I got this photo in Mission Valley walking to work.)Finally, some fun comic book art has been painted on the windows of the Hilton’s Starbucks. A giant, menacing Thanos has smashed Captain America! Ouch!Artist puts finishing touches on a sinister Joker. 2016 San Diego Comic-Con is almost here!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
This cool mural can be just glimpsed from the corner of Fifth Avenue and B Street in downtown San Diego. It adds color and life to an outdoor patio on the 3rd floor of the Union Bank building.
This fantastic mural has been seen up close by very few people. Today, with permission, I took a good look and got some photos!
If you ever stand on the west side of Fifth Avenue around B Street in downtown San Diego, and glance upward toward the Union Bank building, you might see a colorful splash in a hidden nook. That would be this mural!
It’s only two years old and utterly fantastic. Without further ado, I present to all urban art lovers: Inceptions Reflection!
Inceptions Reflection, 2014. Daniel (Maxx Moses) Hopkins, Isaias Crow, Jari “WERC” Alvarez, Chor Boogie aka Joaquin Lamar Hailey.Photo of central portion of the dynamic artwork. Unusual forms and bold colors lead the delighted eye around this little-seen urban canvas.A happy spherical critter with horns blows hearts from the sunlit lower right corner of this awesome mural!A human eye behind the swirling, fantastic visions. Perhaps it is all a dream. Or the imaginative work of some very creative artists!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to enjoy!
A new FOX television show, Son of Zorn, advertised on a San Diego trolley. Comic-Con graphics are slowly beginning to appear in San Diego.
Today I spotted the first cool trolley wrap for the fast-approaching 2016 San Diego Comic-Con!
Check out these photos. I had to time my shots strategically, because the trolleys don’t wait at a station for very long!
Each side of this San Diego trolley car advertises a separate television show; both will debut this coming Fall season on FOX. First up you see graphics for Son of Zorn, which involves an animated warrior character among live-action family members. It’s a unique comedy idea that sounds weird but fun! The second side of the trolley wrap advertises The Exorcist, which is already a cultural phenomenon.
I’m positive more 2016 San Diego Comic-Con trolley wraps are on the way, so stay tuned!
Animated warrior Zorn will be coping with live-action family members (including his son) in an unusual hybrid television comedy on FOX this Fall. Taking a stab at the real world.The first 2016 San Diego Comic-Con trolley wrap has debuted in June! Both sides of this trolley advertise upcoming television shows on FOX.And here comes the other side of the exact same trolley car. Another brand new FOX television offering, The Exorcist, is being promoted with eerie blood red graphics.The Exorcist appears on one side of a San Diego trolley. This enormous moving ad for the new FOX show will be seen by thousands of pop culture fans attending Comic-Con next month. Today it’s operating on the Green Line, which goes right past the convention center!Starting July 20, which is Preview Night, San Diego Comic-Con will become the international center of entertainment and popular culture. I expect to see more trolley wraps in the weeks ahead!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! In addition to other San Diego places and events (like the MLB All-Star Game–also in July), I’ll be checking out Comic-Con and taking tons of photos this year!
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Cool San Diego Sights! 