Tag: pop culture

Cosplayers gather for St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

Superheroes and supervillains and other pop culture characters gathered this morning in San Diego to participate in the big annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

Members from several San Diego and Southern California cosplay groups gathered on Fifth Avenue before the start of the parade and posed for fun photographs! How many costumed characters do you recognize?

Hmm… I believe I see some sort of Green Lantern America, Alvin, Hermione, Spidey, Link, Elves from Middle Earth, Ghostbusters battling Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, good old Cap, a Black Widow, Obi-Wan Kenobi (and his apparent clone), Superman well-dressed in kryptonite armor, a bright green Irish Wookiee, Princess Peach, Batgirl, Gambit, the Jolly Green Giant (villains eat your vegetables or else!), a Tusken Raider, Dude Vader, and…

Super cool!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Comic book creators gather for Black Comix Day!

This weekend Black Comix Day 2024 was held in San Diego!

Comic book artists and writers of African decent gathered in Balboa Park at the WorldBeat Cultural Center. They greeted fans and sold their work during a very cool Black History Month event!

So many creators arrived from Southern California and across the United States that the WorldBeat Center was packed wall to wall, with exhibitor tables spilling outside onto the patio. I was amazed at the size of this event, and excited by the unbounded creativity.

Black Comix Day is organized by local artist Keithan Jones, the writer and artist behind KID Comics. His philosophy is the Kid In you never Dies. He conceived of The Power Knights when he was himself a kid, and has gone on to publish mind-blowing professional art.

Yesterday I walked past the exhibitor tables and spoke to many of the comic book and graphic novel creators. You can see the positive energy and enthusiasm simply from my photos!

Check it out!

Poster for Black Comix Day at front door of the WorldBeat Center in San Diego.

Marcus D. Newsome is a comic book artist, animator, illustrator and creator of Lightning Strike. Check out his website here.

Eugene Randolph Young is an artist, illustrator, graphic designer and educator. He is inspired by indigenous lore, cyberpunk and Afrofuturism. He’s fascinated by artificial intelligence, too! Check out his website here.

Some cool comic artwork by Eugene Randolph Young!

The Surge Series is full of great Afrofuturistic cyberpunk artwork by Mike Haynes-Pitts. Check out his Instagram here.

JSPR BLVK Entertainment’s table at Black Comix Day. Lil Red is a cool coloring book for kids that teaches safety! The website is http://www.jsprblvk.com

Jamaal A. Harley is the writer/creator of Royal Oak Comics. Check out his website here!

Cool artwork displayed at the Royal Oak Comics table.

A look inside the colorful WorldBeat Center during Black Comix Day 2024.

Andre Owens is a creator/writer who produced Force Galaxia–Cosmic Tales of Adventure! See his Hiro Unlimited website here.

Andre Owens told me that creating The Bovine League has been a lot of fun. Super-powered cows from Switzerland, The Bovine League, must go on a global quest to find the stolen Cosmic Udder and the Four Teats of Matter.

KolaNut Productions has produced all sorts of cool content, including animation, that is filled with African magic, ancient folklore, and the NeoAfrican Universe. Check out their website here.

Cool artwork everywhere you turn at Black Comix Day 2024!

These three friends are bursting with smiles and creativity. They represent Thingamajig Studios! I love their groovy artwork. Check out their website here!

UjuBeam displayed by creator Jared Lipscomb. amateur entomologist and founder of Hud Bug Comics. Super-powered insects! Check out his website here!

The awesome smile of an artist creating her first comic book! I learned of her page on Facebook: mind of madness art, but could not find it! I wish I had asked more questions! (If anyone has more info, leave a comment!)

Fun artwork at Black Comix Day 2024.

David Phillips is the creator of Agents of S.O.U.L. As a kid, David was inspired by his Mom! Why don’t you draw some superheroes that look like you? Check out his website here!

In Agents of S.O.U.L, non-super-powered heroes battle super-powered villains! Technology and science provide Black and Brown empowerment.

Jason Reeves of 133art has produced many comic book titles full of Black heroes. There are comics for both kids and adults! Check out the website here!

Keithan Jones works on commissioned artwork during Black Comix Day 2024.

Creativity unites lovers of life and art.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Superheroes, supervillains lurk in Balboa Park!

The world of Batman features crazy, mad characters. So it’s not surprising that superheroes Batman, Batgirl and the supervillain Mad Hatter are lurking in one of Balboa Park’s most crazily creative corners: the San Diego Sculptors Guild courtyard in Spanish Village!

Batman and Batgirl together form a bench on which anybody can sit. Snap a selfie with two legendary heroes! The artwork, titled Bats United, was built by artist Kim Ogburn.

Across the courtyard of sculptures, a Mad Hatter chair invites fans of DC Comics supervillains. It’s the Mad Hatter Chatterchair!

Are you an Alice in Wonderland fan? Perhaps this Mad Hatter isn’t part of Batman’s rogues gallery, but merely mad. The chair might make the perfect accessory for a Mad Tea Party!

Both fun seats are for sale outside Studio 36, home of the San Diego Sculptors Guild!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Going “back to the future” in San Diego!

It’s now possible to go “back to the future” in San Diego. A newly opened exhibition at the Comic-Con Museum, POPnology, takes visitors back in time, demonstrating how fantasies in the popular culture have often predicted future technology!

Artificial intelligence, smartphones, robotics, 3D-printing, virtual reality . . . many technological developments were first depicted in science fiction (including pulp magazines, novels, television, movies) long before they became real. POPnology celebrates how fantasy can become reality!

Do you know that author Jules Verne, in the 19th century, dreamed up videoconferencing, moon rockets and electric submarines? And that H. G. Wells predicted genetic engineering, lasers and automatic doors? And that Ray Bradbury anticipated earbuds, self-driving cars and ATMs, long before they existed?

This extensive exhibition is loaded with nostalgic artifacts, models and interactive displays. If you’re interested in the history of technology, there’s plenty of information for your brain.

And for fun? There’s a Back to the Future DeLorean, complete with flux capacitor! (Will time travel be in our future?) Kids can remotely manipulate a robot arm to transport dinosaur eggs. (Jurassic Park!) There’s an honest-to-goodness 3D-printed automobile. There are lots and lots of cool robots–a sure kid-pleaser. And much more!

There are surprising new discoveries at every turn!

POPnology is certain to fascinate both the young and the old, as it transports curious minds from the past (and present) to the future.

I took a few photographs at the Comic-Con Museum to provide a small taste….

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

World’s first 3D-printed car in San Diego!

The world’s first ever 3D-printed car is now on display in San Diego. Check it out!

I saw this surprising product of 3D-printing technology when I visited the newly opened POPnology exhibition at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park.

This fully electric car, called the Strati, has a body printed from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. According to a nearby sign, it took 44 hours to print the 212 layers, and two days to assemble.

From a distance the Strati’s appearance is pretty cool; up close, it can be rather strange. (The layers produce a surface of odd ridges–I was reminded of a topographical map!)

You can read about Local Motors, the apparently defunct company that produced Strati, by clicking here. You’ll find a video of a short ride in the car.

Popular Mechanics published a detailed article about the Strati here!

Head over to the Comic-Con Museum to experience POPnology. You’ll see this car and find all sorts of technological innovations foretold or inspired by futuristic concepts in pop culture! I’ll be blogging about the incredible exhibition shortly!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Positively Animated art rocks Escondido!

Do you love art that is bold, energetic and unabashedly fun? If so, there’s an art exhibition in Escondido that you should check out. It’s titled Nan Coffey: Positively Animated!

Step into the museum at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido through November 5, 2023 and you’ll discover a gallery splashed with swirling words and images. Guitars, clothing, furniture, canvases and walls are positively covered with pop culture references. You’ll find homages to Rock and Roll and Southern California subcultures in particular.

The San Diego based artist Nan Coffey has a unique style which she calls Art All Over. As you can see from my photos, lively art covers every surface of those objects she decorates. Her work promotes connectivity, inclusivity, and love while drawing inspiration from her childhood obsessions with music, cinema, television, and pop culture. Let your eyes wander up, down, right and left and her animated art seems to have no boundary and no end.

It’s hard to adequately describe her work without actually seeing it. Here’s a small taste…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Captain America army assembles in San Diego!

A formidable Captain America army formed today in San Diego. The call went out to assemble, and superheroes converged on the Marriot Marquis hotel from every direction!

Just as the army of superheroes seemed ready to defeat evil, more heroes arrived, swelling the ranks!

Those who would dabble in villainy beware!

As I walked through the Gaslamp up Fifth Avenue, returning home from Comic-Con, I noticed reinforcements were on the way!

Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights during Comic-Con 2023!

I’ve enjoyed walking about all week, absorbing the amazing atmosphere and people watching. But I’m spent. It’s back to work tomorrow. And so this will be my final Comic-Con blog post this year.

In a couple days I’ll resume my more normal blogging. There will be posts about a fantastic exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art, hidden public art in Mission Hills, and a historical building in Coronado. And much, much more!

Until then!

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I had fun covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my 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!

Another batch of Comic-Con cosplay photos!

Harley Quinn and Bane cosplay.

Here’s another batch of cosplay photographs taken during Comic-Con 2023 in San Diego!

Imagination and creativity are brought to life by fans during the world’s most amazing pop culture convention.

Enjoy!

Spider-Man cosplay.

Kraven the Hunter cosplay.

Sinestro and Green Lantern cosplay.

Rogue cosplay.

Star Wars cosplay.

Indian mythology cosplay.

Winter Soldier cosplay.

Demon Slayer cosplay.

Harry Potter cosplay.

Namor cosplay.

Mandalorian cosplay.

Rilakkuma cosplay.

Red Hood cosplay.

Loki cosplay.

Captain Jack Sparrow cosplay.

Star Wars Rebel pilot cosplay.

Angel cosplay.

Harley Quinn cosplay.

Batman cosplay.

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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!

What’s better than cartoons on Saturday morning? Comic-Con!

Inspector Gadget and Gamisodes have descended on San Diego for Comic-Con 2023!

Could anything possibly be better than those Saturday cartoons you watched as a kid?

Yes! Saturday morning at Comic-Con!

Alvin. Alvin! ALVIN!!!

This dog was unimpressed by cartoon Snoopy.

You won’t see this on Saturday morning television!

People download a game to gain a donut.

Cool guy from Zander Comix has appeared at other San Diego events!

These guys with the creepy heads informed me they’re from Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles.

Speaking of peculiar heads. Perhaps the Jack in the Box character could star in a fun cartoon.

Heading over Harbor Drive toward the area behind the San Diego Convention Center on Saturday morning of Comic-Con.

News flash! Harley Back At Arkham! Why do lunatics always run the insane asylum?

Huh? I thought the pandemic was over.

I told you this is fun, didn’t I?

Where else can you stand in line with a dinosaur?

These unsuspecting people will soon be transformed into two dimensional cartoons themselves!

Hopefully the Planet Express doesn’t fire up its engine.

Burgers on a Saturday morning? Why not.

Voodoo Ranger beer on a Saturday morning? Too early for me.

Someone here is determined to make the most of Saturday morning.

A guard permitted me to take a photo of the back of the Only Murders in the Building activation. Two hour wait line. I’ll try later perhaps…

Saturday morning breakfast to go.

This is what fun looks like!

Waiting at Grand Central-42 Street Station. Might be a long while before transportation arrives.

Four strange beings have emerged through the Quantum Leap portal.

Nelvin of the Union Tribune documents another lifeform that must have come through that portal.

Hellfire Clubbers no doubt recovering from a party late Friday.

Someone should mention something to this unsuspecting guy.

Yikes! This shark must get more respect than Jabberjaw. Some of you older folks remember Jabberjaw, right?

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

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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!

Cosplay photos from San Diego Comic-Con!

As one might imagine, cosplay can be seen everywhere near the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con 2023. There are lots of great costumes this year.

Enjoy a bunch of fun photos!

Rey and friends have lightsabers at the ready.

Mario must have put bleach in the laundry.

Indiana Jones substitutes coffee cup for the Holy Grail.

Luna Lovegood and friends smile. Gryffindor must’ve won.

I assume this is hatless Spider-Man Noir and not the black symbiote suit.

Batman is in San Diego for Comic-Con, so he might as well go surfing. He brought his bat-board.

The Wanderer cosplay from Genshin Impact.

Storm uses her power to bring the sun out in San Diego.

Ariel and King Triton must have emerged from nearby San Diego Bay.

There’s no need to fear, Recyclist is here!

Inosuke Hashibira from Demon Slayer, or a very distressing lab experiment.

A nice Men in Black family strolling down Fifth Avenue.

Sailor Jupiter smiles for a cosplay photo in San Diego during Comic-Con.

Guests at this Gaslamp hotel have several Power Rangers for added protection.

Picard makes it so with Starfleet officer.

Super awesome Darth Maul cosplay!

Batman tries very hard to terrify me.

A wonderful Wonder Woman wonders who the photographer is.

Either we’ve got a Spider-Verse situation, or Spidey doesn’t want get heat stroke in the San Diego sunshine.

Lord of the Nazgûl has risen in San Diego. Where’s Éowyn and Merry?

These two Mandalorians are mere tourists.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is fed up with my insolent comments.

Dr. Tommy Oliver approaches. Should I worry? Is he evil right now?

Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze regard me. Give me a quick blast of your freeze gun! It’s awfully hot out here!

Uh, oh! Now the Riddler! Batman villains nearly have me surrounded.

Why does Wario have such a pleasant smile?

Now that’s one fearsome pose. Leave it to Wolverine.

Iron Patriot should lead a Fourth of July parade.

Has Rocketeer teamed up with those nearby police? Villains beware!

Robin appears to be eager for action.

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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!