Tag: photography

Cool stuff inside the Comic-Con Interactive Zone!

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.

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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!

Prizes, smiles and Roseanne at Comic-Con!

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!

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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!

Thursday morning fun outside Comic-Con!

Enjoy some fun photos!

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!

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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!

A big, crazy San Diego party begins!

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!

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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!

San Diego ready for Comic-Con 2023!

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!

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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!

My Hero Academia at the Comic-Con Museum!

Check out the above very cool sculpture. It represents an epic battle from My Hero Academia, the “Historical Battle in Kamino.”

This sculpture is the centerpiece of a new exhibition that opened today, just in time for Comic-Con 2023!

I’m not all that familiar with this manga series, but the colorful displays definitely caught my attention this morning as I wandered about the lower level of the museum. Around the statue are action-packed graphics that depict various characters and scenes that fans love from My Hero Academia.

If you’re a fan of manga or anime, and you’re going to Comic-Con this year, jump on the shuttle from the San Diego Convention Center to Balboa Park. It stops a very short distance from the Comic-Con Museum!

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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!

Photos outside Comic-Con with 3 days to go!

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.

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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!

Get a collectible library card during Comic-Con!

There’s a cool free collectible in San Diego during Comic-Con 2023. Library cards featuring the Comic-Con logo beneath “Odi The Coyote: Defender of Books” will be available at all San Diego Public Library locations starting Thursday, July 20!

I asked a gentleman at the front desk of the Central Library if I could trade in my boring old library card from many years ago and get one of these collectible cards. Yes! While supplies last!

The Central Library, an easy walk from the San Diego Convention Center, also has a tiny exhibit near the main entrance during Comic-Con. Here’s one pic:

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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!

Getting a pirate ship ready for Comic-Con!

Pirates must be more conscientious than we think, because the Voodoo Ranger pirate ship is being carefully painted the day before it sails for Comic-Con!

This morning I noticed a volunteer at the Maritime Museum of San Diego touching up the beautiful tall ship. It isn’t really a pirate ship. It’s far more amazing. San Salvador is a working replica of a Spanish galleon built and operated by the folks at the Maritime Museum.

The Voodoo Ranger sails are already up, ready to unfurl for all of San Diego and Comic-Con goers to see. Early tomorrow morning the make-believe pirate ship will head down San Diego Bay to its place behind the San Diego Convention Center.

Landlubbers beware! Even not-so-despicable pirates might engage in a little mischief!

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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!

Sonic the Hedgehog serves fun “fast” food!

The pop-up Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe has been open several days in San Diego’s East Village! You can find it at 910 J Street.

The soft opening of the Speed Cafe is already attracting many local families and lovers of the Sonic video games, cartoons and movies. The one-of-a-kind fast food restaurant will have its official Grand Opening at the start of Comic-Con 2023 next week. I suspect the lines will be very long, so if you’re hungry speed your way into downtown San Diego in the next few days! My wait today was perhaps 5 minutes. The restaurant will remain open until mid-August.

What fun! I saw lots of kids enjoying the cool atmosphere and playing several free video games that were scattered about.

The menu includes fast food with names such as Sonic’s Classic Chilidog, The Perfect Eggdog, Knuckles Sandwich, Piko Piko Tenders and The Evil Genius. Drinks include Sonic Heroes Slush, Blue Blur, Flying Fox, Sweet Amy and Team Dark.

I learned the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe is a project of video game maker SEGA. A new restaurant concept is being tested!

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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!