Icons: Statue of Liberty, Captain America and Pokemon
A contentious new Captain America statue is making waves in Brooklyn. It's not that people don't like unusual public art - elsewhere, curious sculptures are beloved landmarks or even tourist attractions.
A new captain in town
The statue of Brooklyn-born Steve Rogers, a Marvel Comics character, was unveiled in New York on Wednesday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his superhero alter ego: Captain America. Real Brooklynites, however, are not amused by the 13-foot (4-meter) bronze sculpture in Prospect Park, saying it's too commercial. Cap is just one of several unusual statues that have recently made the news.
More fitting tribute to a comedy legend
Lucille Ball, who starred on the beloved US sitcom "I Love Lucy" in the 1950s, finally got a statue that looks like her. On what would have been her 105th birthday, August 6, the sculpture was unveiled in the Lucille Ball Memorial Park in the actress's hometown of Celeron, New York.
'Scary Lucy'
The new statue replaces the infamous "Scary Lucy," which was put up in the park in 2015 and criticized because it bore little resemblance to the real Ball. Locals had lobbied for the removal of the sculpture, calling it a "nightmare." At the unveiling of the new statue, Celoron Mayor Scott Schrecengost told news agency AP that the whole process had been "quite a ride."
'Pokemonument' appears overnight
No one knows where it came from: An unknown artist set up a cement statue of the famous Pokemon Pikachu in a New Orleans park on the last weekend in July. Erected at the height of the "Pokemon Go" craze, the mystery sculpture has drawn crowds ever since it was placed in a broken fountain in the dark of night. New Orleans police say they have no plans to remove Pikachu.
Home, sweet ... shark
This piece of art takes home decoration to a whole new level. The giant shark "crashed" into a house in the Oxford suburb of Headington, England, 30 years ago on August 9. Bill Heine, who owns the home, said the sculpture symbolized the sense of anger and impotence about events such as the atomic bomb's being dropped on Nagasaki.
Honoring Japan's most faithful dog
This statue of a famous dog graces the exit of a Tokyo subway station. It's where Hachiko used to pick up his owner, a university professor, every day after work - and where he returned every day at the same time for over nine years after the owner died. In 2015, for the 80th anniversary of Hachiko's death, the University of Tokyo erected a double sculpture of Hachiko and his owner together.
The mother of all statues
This October, New York City will celebrate 130 years of the Statue of Liberty's greeting ships entering the harbor. For those who consider Captain America too commercial or flashy, Lady Liberty is another symbol to represent the United States - and she's easily viewed from parts of Brooklyn.