Finn, heroic character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, holds a lightsaber. Cool spray paint art by William J. Dorsett.
Check out these super cool Star Wars images! They were created by a talented guy named William J. Dorsett. He’s a great spray paint artist and busker who is frequently seen on San Diego’s Embarcadero, in front of Anthony’s Fish Grotto.
William also happens to be a really nice guy. I’ve seen him working his magic for years during my walks. Not only does he create very unique spray paint artwork, but he also fashions amazing small works of sculpture using corn husks.
And, as you can plainly see, he’s a huge fan of Star Wars!
William loves to demonstrate his unbounded creativity, and did so recently at a local school for excited students. Check out his website to learn more!
William J. Dorsett is a talented busker who often displays his cool artwork on San Diego’s Embarcadero. In this photo he’s handing a corn husk rose to a passerby!Small, colorful spray paint images include a Darth Vader helmet, an Imperial Stormtrooper, R2-D2 and Yoda.It’s Chewbacca with his Bowcaster blaster under a distant galaxy’s stars and a colorful planet.More cosmic, bold spray paint artwork depicts popular Star Wars characters.C-3PO and Han Solo in classic Star Wars poses! Awesome!
Comic book characters promote Webtoon (a digital comics platform) in the Gaslamp during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.
Yeah. San Diego Comic-Con has changed. What years ago was a small convention for dedicated comic book lovers has turned into a big insane Hollywood hype machine. Diehard fans and awestruck consumers geek out over every conceivable new entertainment, and promoters try to get Comic-Con goers to post photos on social media under a hundred different hashtags. It’s all about hyping an upcoming movie, a television show, a video game, a celebrity, a brand. It’s more than a bit ridiculous. It’s silly. It’s loud. It’s often superficial. And, if you don’t mind massive crowds, it can be exciting, wonderful, eye-opening and lots of fun!
So here’s one last blog post concerning huge glorious 2015 Comic-Con.
These photos mostly show riotous doings in downtown San Diego outside of the convention center. And all this fantastic contrived drama is concluded with a bit of actual nail-biting reality. Oh, my!
A huge crowd of Comic-Con enthusiasts has assembled at the entrance to San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.Comic-Con goers lined up to experience rampaging zombies at Walking Dead offsite venue at Hilton Gaslamp.Cosplay ninja takes a flying plunge from the top of the clock tower at Assassin’s Creed obstacle course.Syfy guerrilla marketing promotion of Childhood’s End uses a mob of people holding signs to beware Karellen!Hired street actors perform creepy chants to promote upcoming television series Damien. The Beast Rises! And so does the hype!Red-bereted soldiers from Colony television show march in file up Fifth Avenue through San Diego’s Gaslamp.The Colony troop files past shark head-wearing Sharknado 3 girls and an Outlander bagpiper! It’s complete mayhem.Uncle Sams on stilts with sharks through their chests add to the absurdity of the already ridiculous scene.Deliciously insane. You have to be here to believe it.I asked this lady about her cosplay. She said it was nothing in particular.A cool Dragon Ball Z poster in window of a Gaslamp eatery.Numerous zany Colonel Sanders sculptures placed about San Diego transmitted free Wi-Fi for Comic-Con visitors. KFC seems to have adopted an attention-getting marketing strategy.Cool Star Wars cosplay. A couple of scout troopers in the crowd.Guys in kilts, bagpipes, rowdy damsels, all promoting Outlander.Another photo of the crowd near Webtoon and Heroes Reborn.I believe the face-painted cosplay that looks kind of like the rock band Kiss is a character from Korean comics.There’s so much crazy fun going on my head was on a rapid swivel.Colorful fun over at the LEGO Homer Simpson near entrance to the Hard Rock Hotel.One can ride pedicabs with various Muppet characters!Long lines were all over the place, especially near Petco Park. These people want to Experience the Realm.Another cheerful Poison Ivy. Hi!These brave people who are lined up near Petco Park’s scary The Walking Dead Escape will experience zombies in virtual reality!Looking through Petco Park stadium fence at part of The Walking Dead Escape layout.Guy places a dummy corpse by a bloody, crashed car.Lots of lines, food, games and cosplay at the Comic-Con Interactive Zone in the Lexus Lot next to Petco Park.Kids check out video games at the Alienware exhibit in the Interactive Zone.Family sports Charlie Brown baseball caps after visiting the nearby Peanuts Movie fun site.Hanging out looking at a long video screen behind the San Diego Convention Center. The FX Fearless Arena Experience was super popular during 2015 Comic-Con.Someone prepares to fly a drone above the crowd to take video of the stupendous international event.People everywhere. Just a lot of fun. I enjoyed a hamburger, but continued to scour the place for freebies to eat.It’s Homer Simpson at the Kwik-E-Mart!Fargo fans stand in a glitter-filled huge snow globe for a photograph!People scream right on cue at the Scream Queens drop amusement ride.Hundreds of thousands jam downtown San Diego for 2015 Comic-Con. It’s just plain nuts.Indeed, it appears there’s No Escape!Folks dining at a Gaslamp restaurant have front row seats to the drama.Free rides, courtesy of Another Period, The Original Ballers.But wait! All the fabricated hype and escapist fantasy is rudely interrupted by real sirens and flashing red lights!A kitchen grease fire broke out in a restaurant during Comic-Con on Saturday. The fire was on the 900 block of Fourth Avenue. Reality intervenes!Firefighters, dealing with a potentially serious crisis, provide unexpected nail-biting entertainment for one and all.
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Comic-Con is nearly over, but there’s much to see and do in San Diego. Enjoy future posts! Join me on Facebook or Twitter.
Harley Quinn and Deathstroke make a cute cosplay villain couple at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.
Here’s the first batch of photos of cosplay outside the convention center during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. I walked with my camera all over downtown: along Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade, around the Gaslamp, near Petco Park, and all around the San Diego Convention Center. Costumed characters were everywhere! Much of the cosplay was incredibly elaborate, and just super awesomely cool. You can tell fans spent a lot of time and effort preparing for Comic-Con!
I apologize for not recognizing all of the characters. If a caption is inaccurate or needs better information, leave a comment!
Superman and Wonder Woman are just hanging out like best buddy heroes in the Gaslamp during Comic-Con.Ant-Man is ready for action, and I’m ready for his movie!Awesome, amazingly elaborate cosplay can be seen all over downtown San Diego during Comic-Con, especially near the convention center.I believe these are all Mad Max characters, but don’t quote me on that.Another fun Harley Quinn with another big hammer.Cosplay of Satsuki Kiryūin, from popular anime television series Kill la Kill.Here comes the Joker. Why so serious?Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade is a prime spot to spot the coolest cosplay during San Diego Comic-Con.Adora Belle Dearheart (Golem Inspector) and Moist von Lipwig from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.Aquaman seems to be out of his element during the Southern California drought.I think that’s Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter. Who’s the guy with her? He looks familiar.A hooded lady assassin gives me a calculating stare from the Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed obstacle course.Dr. Who’s brilliant strategy altered history during the Trojan War. I guess Ulysses wasn’t as smart as they say.Baymax of Big Hero 6 is walking through the crowd on a beautiful San Diego weekend.A colorfully dressed cosplayer has checked out a funny, high tech portable toilet prop from Insurgent.A simple Iron Man armor costume, but effective.Darth Maul made a rush at me, invoking the Dark Force, but somehow I evaded his double lightsaber. I’d like to think I did an amazing back flip.Super cool outfit! Must be awfully warm, though.I recognize Black Widow and Captain America, two of Marvel’s Avengers.Immortan Joe cosplay from Mad Max: Fury Road.It’s a walking TARDIS from Dr. Who at Comic-Con!Lady Star Lord and Thor pose for my camera near Petco Park during 2015 Comic-Con.Sexy tattooed character from television show Blindspot walks about during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Old man Deadpool has a long white beard!
I’m given a hearty greeting by the Mighty Thor. Last year this awesome guy cosplayed as Batman.
Here’s a bunch of fun photos showing activity outside the convention center during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. There’s so much to see, to absorb, one could happily spend hours just walking around. Most of these pics are from this evening–Thursday. A few are from Wednesday.
Visitors to Horton Plaza are invited to become colorful superheroes during San Diego Comic-Con.Just inside door of Spreckels Theater Building where Conan O’Brien audience picks up tickets.Snoopy with granny glasses peers from Gaslamp shop window.Poster in Gaslamp advertises William Shatner’s Man O’ War.Entertainment Weekly had lots of people posing for photographs. Superheroes of San Diego!It does indeed look like Fear Begins Here.Video board promotes exciting NBC television programming in Gaslamp Square.Heroes Reborn venue had huge images of the powerful characters around the black structure.Their biggest mistake was betting against him. The Player. Thursdays this Fall on NBC.Photo of crowd crossing Harbor Drive and trolley tracks between San Diego Convention Center and Gaslamp Square.LEGO Bane is on the wall of the Hard Rock Hotel!The cosmic wrap and astronaut figure on the Hard Rock Hotel building advertises The Expanse, coming soon on Syfy.Ladies in Sharknado 3 shark heads hold signs indicating It’s Your Patriotic Duty to Embrace the ‘Nado!The downright silly new Colonel Sanders is shown as a unicorn standing by Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.Awesome cosplay in downtown San Diego for 2015 Comic-Con. Three against one! I don’t have a chance!A large troop of Colony soldiers marches down Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade during Comic-Con.Schick offered free shaves near the Assassin’s Creed obstacle course. Schick has partnered with software developer Ubisoft.You, get in here! It seems everyone is trying to attract the attention of thousands of Comic-Con attendees.Webtoon. Long live comics!People dine at the Tin Fish, which is completely wrapped in NBC Blindspot graphics. A mind erased. A body of clues.It’s LEGO Homer Simpson! He’s equipped with some tough-looking Transformer-like armor, which includes Wonder Woman and Gollum on top!These suited bald guys with barcode tattoos on their necks are lined up to promote Hitman: Agent 47.It looks like Hulk shrank a bit!Obi-Wan Kenobi seemed to have the situation in hand. That’s a pretty big crowd passing by, however, and I’ve seen a number of nasty-looking villains!You scream, I scream, the Scream Queens serve ice cream!This huge super cool robot is called MegaBot. It arrived near Petco Park for Comic-Con on Wednesday.Dark Souls III has a cool backdrop at the Comic-Con Interactive Zone next to Petco Park. Can these guys remove the sword from the stone wall?Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse is an upcoming movie, and a fun venue in the Interactive Zone.Darth Vader challenged me to a light saber duel. I declined. I like my limbs.Inflatable slides at the Comic-Con Interactive Zone were set up to promote The Peanuts Movie.Is that Snow White smiling at me? Don’t bite that apple!That is either a Spartan, a Trojan, or a guy who likes USC football.Batman has seen enough of this rabble. He’s looking grim and determined to do something.Stoop Kid’s afraid to leave his stoop. Or perhaps remove a Star Trek uniform.As the evening progresses and the FX Fearless Arena Experience closes for the day, Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll are abandoned.Archer graphic in the Hilton Bayfront Park.American Horror Story Hotel has closed for the day and a video photographer exits. Was it too scary for him?Model grabs at swirling dollar bills in window of American Horror Story Hotel while being filmed.Kid checks out vacant entrance to the Bastard Executioner venue. Escape the forest duel!I’m guessing this passage near the exit is where thrill-seekers escape the forest duel.Upside down Louie seems to wait in line for Hall H with thousands of Comic-Con fans. They’ll be sleeping outside all night on the grass or concrete. That’s dedication!Hunkering down for a long wait behind the San Diego Convention Center. These guys are near the Adult Swim carnival.Now that’s a lot of people waiting to see panels in Hall H tomorrow. And there are many more behind me!Folks riding a unicorn prepare to launch above the Omni Hotel into the cloudy blue sky, over a gigantic bubble resting on the grass!That bubble is actually a huge, working snow globe promoting Fargo. The Waffle Hut is inside!Oh, dear. More zombies on the loose.Time to head back across Harbor Drive as the day ends. Even a pair of Leias have to eat dinner.Looking down from Harbor Drive bridge at San Diego rail yard and a bus with Game of Thrones wrap turning about.Everybody had a great time. Day 1 of San Diego Comic-Con is coming to a close.A couple slowly walks along after a busy day. That’s one gigantic swag bag!
Pop culture fans at Preview Night were checking out an old school Batman. Pow!
Without further ado, here comes a second batch of cool photos taken during Preview Night at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. Enjoy!
Cool graphics promoting upcoming movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Super awesome suits of armor at the fantastic Weta Workshop exhibit.Flaming Balrog figurine from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.Model of Chappie, from the recent science fiction film.Super Mario and other video game characters have a big presence at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Everyone was snapping photos of this ultra cool Superman Hot Wheels car!And here’s another cool Hot Wheels car modeled after a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet.Awesome Star Lord costume and helmet from Guardians of the Galaxy!I believe this prop is used in the upcoming Ghostbusters sequel.Smaller, independent comic book publishers are out in force at San Diego Comic-Con, promoting their brands and original characters.Clive Barker is back at Comic-Con this year with more of his horror-themed artwork.IDW, a comic book publisher right here in San Diego, has their titles on display including Back to the Future.Zombies and the dead are still in fashion. Here are buckets of bloody bones and other gruesome body parts.It’s the Legend of Zelda!Super cool model of Star Wars snowtroopers in an ice cave.Nerds like sexy stuff, it seems! These female stormtroopers are being a bit risque.And, of course, we nerds love straight up, good old-fashioned comic book action figures.A big Captain Marvel graphic next to an exhibit that promotes Ant-Man, which comes out in a couple weeks. I’m stoked!I see good old Charlie Brown. The classics live on!The DC Comics area is similar to last year, but with lots of new stuff.Costume worn by the Reverse Flash on the CW television show.DC’s big three superheroes on display on the San Diego Convention Center floor: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.Alfred E. Neuman looks down on huge crowds pressing through hundreds of cool Comic-Con exhibits.Alfred E. Neuman encourages everyone to take a stupid selfie!Some of the models at Comic-Con are so detailed and amazing it almost blows the mind.Just a random pic of something I liked walking down one aisle.Cool t-shirts and merchandise is everywhere. If I had a million dollars in my pocket, it wouldn’t have been enough.More colorful comic book art on a table.Some psychedelic artwork seems to glow in the dim light of the convention center.Sinister face on large ComicBase software graphic seems to be looking down at an exhibitor as he ties his shoelace!There are boxes and boxes and more boxes of comic books, naturally!If you have 40 grand to spare, you can grab this issue of Marvel Comics.Monsters and villains easily outnumber heroes and cute characters. As they say, the bad guys often seem to be more interesting.Here’s a big Wonder Woman poster. Almost nine o’clock and time to walk home. It’s quite nice to live downtown!Bob the Angry Flower wasn’t too miffed to be captivated by a comic book.
Many cool Star Wars collectibles are on display and for sale during San Diego Comic-Con.
I’ve got a glut of cool photos from 2015 San Diego Comic-Con Preview Night. But it’s getting late and I’m getting sleepy. So here’s just the first batch for now…
Star Trek Ugly Dolls graphics at Preview Night in the San Diego Convention Center.An extraterrestrial and Medusa. There are hundreds of fantastic, detailed models at Comic-Con on the convention floor.Imaginative t-shirts featuring Edgar Allan Poe and Nikola Tesla.A super cool Batman towers above the crowd near the Funko sign.Scooby and the gang are in San Diego with their Mystery Machine!This zombie was getting a little too close for comfort.It seems the walking dead at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con are having problems with these revolving doors.This is becoming pretty darn frightening.I forgot this guy’s clever name. Something like Screw Head.This monstrous orc with a hammer is from the awesome Warcraft exhibit.Adult Swim has fun and games, and prizes slide out of the cat’s mouth.Kuato from Total Recall was making the rounds at Comic-Con, unconcerned about staying hidden, it seems.R2-D2 looks kind of lonely.Jabba the Hutt figurine on display at San Diego Comic-Con.I saw several angry Hulks on the verge of smashing something.Spiderman has his own awesome Hot Wheels car!This proud Batman just has to suck it up, surrounded by lesser figures.In addition to full-size Batman and Superman costumes for sale, these fantastic creations can be yours to wear as you please.Looks like Predator ripped the skull and spine right outa somebody.Yeah, Iron Man is always pretty popular.Penguin figurine on display at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Pop culture fan with camera records all sorts of cool sights in one display case.The large Star Wars area has film clips playing overhead from the classic movies.This speeder is used by the character Rey in the upcoming Star Wars film.R2-D2, C-3PO, a stormtrooper, Boba Fett and the Millennium Falcon are busting through a wall.Fresh from the pages of Shonen Jump, a super popular manga.The extensive LEGO area at Comic-Con contains lots of cool LEGO models.Perhaps the coolest LEGO model is of the epic battle in Avengers II between Hulk and Iron Man in his Hulkbuster armor.
Kids wave at Star Wars stormtrooper and TIE fighter pilot at the Coronado Independence Day parade!
I spent the morning in Coronado. I’ve always wanted to see their huge Independence Day parade, reputed to be one of the very best in America. (And I believe it! I’ll be posting a bunch of pics later–I’ve got a lot of photos to go through!)
One of the biggest sensations of the parade was created when a bunch of San Diego Star Wars Society members passed down the length of Orange Avenue, engaging in elaborate cosplay. Talk about cool! It’s like Comic-Con started early!
San Diego Stars Wars Society members engaged in elaborate cosplay for Coronado’s Fourth of July parade!Imperial stormtrooper rides a Segway, an advanced land vehicle from the early 21st century.A biker scout trooper clears a path for the San Diego Star Wars Society with a flag-festooned, red, white and blue patriotic motorcycle!The Dark Force seems to have a big following. But don’t be alarmed. Some fearless Jedi Knights have arrived!An army of white-armored clones marches down a very crowded Orange Avenue in Coronado. The parade featured a fantastic variety of cool sights.Kids have a whole lot of fun as costumed Star Wars enthusiasts participate in the Coronado Independence Day parade.
Ant-Man banners in downtown San Diego decorate street lamps for 2015 Comic-Con. According to a nearby sign, the tiny Marvel superhero better not park here!
I just got home from a short walk after work through downtown San Diego. I wandered down Broadway and a bit through the Gaslamp. I noticed a bunch of new street lamp banners are up for 2015 Comic-Con. They all promoted the upcoming Marvel Ant-Man movie!
I’ve also included a couple bonus pics, just for fun!
While I walked around, I spotted this cool guitarist making music by the door of the Hard Rock Cafe.A bar called Analog in the Gaslamp had a huge (non-digital) Rubik’s Cube out on the sidewalk! The security guard said it’s there just for fun!Large Marvel Ant-Man movie banners flutter in the breeze down the center of Broadway.
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The Spock Block celebration is taking place near Encinitas City Hall on Vulcan Avenue.
The City of Encinitas, a coastal beach city in San Diego’s North County, has a week-long celebration underway honoring the late Leonard Nimoy. If the immensely popular actor, author, director, poet, songwriter and photographer had not passed away in February this year, he would have celebrated his 84th birthday last Thursday. Nimoy’s rich life and artistry is being remembered, as well as his iconic role as Mr. Spock on Star Trek. Encinitas City Hall is located on Vulcan Avenue, and as every Trekker knows, Vulcan was the name of Spock’s home planet. So by official decree, a short stretch of Vulcan Avenue has been temporarily renamed Spock Block.
Today I took a long stroll around Encinitas, hoping to spot a few cool sights in and around Spock Block. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be much going on. I guess there wasn’t enough time for preparation and publicity. Maybe next year the festival (or Enterprise!) can grow into a much more interesting phenomenon. How about some cool displays? A science fiction film fest? A cosplay contest? Get creative!
Fortunately, I did get lots of other awesome pics around Encinitas, so I suppose more blog posts will be forthcoming!
A fun-loving restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway had a special Live Long and Lobster deal! Seems entirely logical to me!Encinitas surfers arrive from Vulcan Avenue–or perhaps an avenue located somewhere on Spock’s distant home planet…
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The von Trapp family sings live on stage at San Diego’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
This afternoon in Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion, a very large crowd of people heard the singing of angels.
The great grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp were live on stage, performing beautiful, exquisitely harmonized vocals during this Sunday’s free organ concert. Almost everyone loves the classic film The Sound of Music, which was based on the real life musical family’s escape from Nazi occupied Austria. Sofi, Melanie, Amanda, and August von Trapp are the grandchildren of Werner von Trapp, who was portrayed in the movie as Kurt, the youngest child. The four young musicians have obviously inherited the von Trapp magic.
The quartet of siblings have performed around the world to critical acclaim, appearing in the world’s top concert venues and on many major television shows. We in San Diego were truly fortunate to be graced with their music…and on a sunny, perfect day!
The von Trapps performed eight incredible numbers: Dream a Little Dream of Me; the old German folk song Die Dorfmusik (which was made famous by the German group Comedian Harmonists before being disbanded by the Nazis, because some members were Jewish); Storm, an original composition written by the group while living in Portland, Oregon and performed a cappella ; French pop musician Françoise Madeleine Hardy’s well known Le Premier Bonheur du Jour; The Sound of Music, by Rodgers & Hammerstein; Hushabye Mountain from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; a new piece (I missed the name) sung with ukelele from their upcoming album, due to be released on April 14; and, of course, Edelweiss. The four voices were so pure, so buoyant, so uplifting, and melded so deliciously, a standing ovation erupted.
Wow!
A huge crowd gathered as the incredible family quartet warmed up.Today’s Sunday afternoon concert included Dr. Carol Williams, San Diego’s Civic Organist.Youthful singers have inherited the von Trapp vocal magic.Almost all of the benches in the large Spreckels Organ Pavilion were full.The von Trapps sing on stage on a sunny San Diego afternoon!
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Cool San Diego Sights! 