Oh where, oh where has my Comic-Con gone?
Is it possible that the tradition of attending Comic-Con in San Diego every summer will be coming to an end? If it’s up to the City of Anaheim, that could soon be the case.
Anaheim (the home of Disneyland) is located significantly closer to the studios that provide much of the high-budget glitch and content for the annual convention. And knowing that the contract between Comic-con and the San Diego Convention Center is coming ending in 2012, they have become the latest competitor trying to become Comic-con’s new home and beneficiary of the estimated $60+ million in revenue that the convention brings every year.
One of the biggest complaints about the San Diego convention (which is focused on super-heroes, science fiction and anime in every type of media imaginable), is the lack of space in San Diego. The Friday and Saturday attendee spots sell out well in advance, mainly because of the limited amount of square footage available.
San Diego is not giving up without a fight, though. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that three hotels have put forward over 300,000 sq ft of space for the convention, without charge, for three years. I am sure that the board of Comic-Con does not want to leave San Diego, but they are going to have a tough decision.
Traditional Values with Handcrafted Rustic Outdoor Lighting
Nearly all contemporary lighting designs are actually modeled after more traditional designs which have proved to be very functional and appealing. Some traders of antiques and vintage shops cater specially to the wishes of their customers for genuine rustic outdoor lighting designs.
Many original desgns are chosen from buildings rich in history, many of which have been restored as well as a variety of museums. Today, the modern forms of the prototype handcrafted exterior lighting are metal or wooden chandeliers, wall lanterns, wall sconces, post lanterns, and table and floor lamps. These reproductions are handcrafted and normally fabricated utilizing the identical materials that our forebears used.
Rustic, handcrafted lighting fixtures have been modernized from the old standard but are still based on the original design and are made from metals such as bronze, pewter, copper and brass. Rustic outdoor lighting is made by artisans who hand-beat the metal to give them the appearance of traditional colonial lights. Hardwoods are employed to replicate the designs, styles and turnings of the originals. In order to reproduce effectively the foliated and soft appearance of the original rustic lighting fixtures, the wood will often be lightly antiqued, painted, or else stained.
Several manufacturers continue the old tradition of handcrafting their products for outside light fixtures while providing a choice of gas or electrical fitting or even candles. The handcrafted rustic outdoor lighting made by craftsmen is very similar to the repeating motifs that can be found in the original outdoor lights. Whilst traditional models of chandeliers use wax candles for providing light, modern fixtures can have either electrical sockets for electric bulbs or electric candles.
Latest versions of vintage rustic chandeliers often use patterns with leaves, pine cones, fretwork swags and patriotic patterns. Wild game and fish are often the topics of decorative themes. One other very common theme used in outdoor lighting systems are Antlers. In handcrafting pieces of art such as rustic chandeliers, artisans more often than not use replicated antlers, although some do utilize natural ones.
The authenticity of rustic lanterns is normally upheld by hanging them from metal chains over wooden posts which are connected to walls by hardwood or metal accessories.
There is nothing like the warm glow of authentic rustic lighting outside – nothing feels more like yesteryear than rustic exterior lighting that has been hand-crafted for your home.
