Welcome To Tin City

Over the last two years Park Circle Comics owner Jerry Lahm has held 10 successful “Taking Flight” comic book shows at The Sparrow in Park Circle, featuring premium collector’s items, graphic novels, magazines, discount trade paperbacks, and thousands of comics from the golden age to the present.
Following the last show at The Sparrow, Lahm was chatting with Erin Tyler, owner of Tin Roof on Magnolia Road, and the two entrepreneurs decided to team up to bring a show to West Ashley.
While it’s a first for Lahm to hold a “Taking Flight” comic book show at Tin Roof, it’s also a first for Tin Roof to host a comic book show. “[Lahm] wanted to try out a different venue,” says Tyler, who is excited about having the show at her bar. “We like having different kinds of events here. Comics are a first for us!”
Lahm, who has more than 30 years of experience buying and selling comic books, sees the Tin Roof as a perfect fit for a comic book show. “With a similar regular clientele that is young and into comics like the folks who go to The Sparrow, it will be a way to offer a comic show experience in that part of town,” he says.
The Tin City Comic Book Show will be held from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug 15 at the Tin Roof, located at 1117 Magnolia Road. “Park Circle Comics will be bringing a wide selection of comic books and graphic novels,” says Lahm. “We will have everything from boxes and boxes of bargain comics, as low as .25 cents each, to rare and collector comics that are priced in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.”
In addition to all the comic books and merchandise, Tin City will also be showcasing three local artists: Kelly Ochocki, James Christopher Hill, and Albert Captain.
Ochocki is a young artist heavily influenced by the Japanese manga style who also makes miniature sculptures.
Hill is a talented Sci-Fi and fantasy artist and illustrator who regularly exhibits at large national shows like Heroes Con and Dragon Con.
Captain, who also designed the poster for the show (and this cover of West Of), has been drawing superheroes and comic strips since he was a kid. “I used to get in trouble in kindergarten for staying at the ‘drawing station’ all day,” says Captain. “Throughout the years, I was always in the back of the class drawing pictures when I should have been taking notes.”
Captain is the founder of Accidental Astronauts Studios in Charleston. “A couple of years ago I was writing/drawing some comics and created my own comic company,” he says. “But the comics sort of took a backseat to my freelance graphic design work and commissioned art pieces. I still wanted a company to encompass all of my artistic endeavors whether it’s comics, graphic design, animation, or music, so I came up with Accidental Astronaut Studios.”
Captain will be selling original paintings and illustrations at Tin City and will also have prints of illustrated and digital work, along with Accidental Astronaut merchandise, such as T-shirts and stickers.
“I never thought making art would have led me to do some of the things I have done and the places I’ve been or even become a ‘business.’ But it has  and I’m thankful for it,” says Captain. “So that’s where Accidental Astronaut comes from. I just wanted to draw pictures.”
Like all of Lahm’s “Taking Flight” comic shows, there’s also a giving back element to Tin City. “Besides having a great time trading comics and giving some fantastic artists a venue to show their work, one of the best things about these shows is that we always have a charity aspect to it,” says Lahm. Tin City will benefit Communities In Schools Charleston, a local organization that works to help disadvantaged kids in the community. There is a $5 suggested donation that will go directly to the local non-profit.
Tin City Comic Book Show will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, from 12-5 p.m. at the Tin Roof, located at 1117 Magnolia Road. For more information call (843) 571-0775 or email parkcirclecomics@yahoo.com.