Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I made my annual trek to the Charlotte Heroes Convention last Saturday, and spent the whole four hours I was there on the convention floor, trying to see every booth. Certainly a far cry from a couple of rooms in the Woodlawn Holiday Inn as it was in the beginning!

Of course, Charlotte being Charlotte, I found that the parking lot I had used for the last 10+ years was just a (deep) hole in the ground now, so I had to find another, which was luckily close enough to not risk getting lost.

I know Chris Claremont was there, but I did not make it to his (or any) presentations though I did see SC's Roy Thomas at a booth on the floor. Stan Lee was not there this year, and news stories suggest he's not doing very well unfortunately.

I think Harley Quinn continues to be the most popular costume, and of course where there's Harley, there will be Ivy as well. I saw one Mera whom I don't recall seing before (and with a fork for a trident). I didn't see any Groots or Gamoras this year...

Swag:

For the first time this year, I didn't see any booth with old pulp magazines (though I could have missed some), and very few with old paperbacks.

Anway..

Hartness was at a Columbia con a few years ago pushing his Black Knight Chronicles books, vampire action tales set in Charlotte. I found them entertaining, so I bit when he was there at Heroes Con with a new series about Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter, which is apparently also set in Charlotte and ties back into the original Dracula. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it's on the list.

Crockett Johnson is remembered mostly today (if at all) for his series of children's books about Harold and his magical purple crayon. But before that, he wrote this WWII era comic strip about the put-upon young boy Barnaby who is dragged into all types of unlikely situations by his well meaning but incompent fairy godfather Mr. O'Malley.

"Cushlamocree!"

Don't know anything about these two, but one was pitched to me as Star Trek with funny animals, and the other was free.

This was pitched by the author who was quite enthusiastic and loquacious. I came away a little unsure if it was a fantasy of some sort or a period murder mystery. I'll find out eventually.

The pitch here was for "70s late nite drive-in vampire feature..".

I'm a sucker for anything with "Doc" in the title.

You will believe water can flow uphill..

Pirate booty! (Yeah, I think I used that joke last year..)

I'm a sucker for surrealism too, though the contents seem to be not quite what I expected.

As I was driving through Greeleyville recently, I decided to see if the road by the high school cut back through to US-521 rather than just staying on 521 all the way. As it turns out, it doesn't quite, but comes close enough to see where you have to go to get back on the main route. At any rate, while I was doing that, I noticed this vacant grocery store. It was plainly an IGA at one time, but ended up as a Super G Foods (or Foo as the sign would now have it).

Google Maps suggests the address may be 21 C E Murphy Boulevard -- that's certainly the street name.

This article puts the closing date as bfore September 2013, and has pictures of the store in slightly less decrepit shape. It also notes that this was the only grocery in Greeleyville (which Wikipedia suggests had 375 souls in the 2009 census) and that residents must now drive to Kingstree for a real grocery store, which is a shame.

Joe Loves was the follow-on in this location to The Ship's Pub, which was the follow-on to Sam's Corner for which the building was built.

I noticed Joe Loves around New Years of 2018, and according to The Hilton Head Island Packet, it had opened here on 5 December 2017. What I did not know was that it had actually relocated from Ridgeland, which, if you look at the map, is quite a good distance away.

Given that the real estate sign mentions that the fixtures are all in place, I expect to see another restaurant here before too long.

The Chapel has been scheduled for a move for a good while now, as storm damage must be repaired, but ongoing weddings delayed the event until after New Years.

The Chapel was very little above high water even during normal tides. During spring or storm tides, the situation was worse, but initially the plan was not to raise it at all, as the permits would only allow for fixing the pilings at the existing height. My understanding is that this changed late in the game, so perhaps when the building is moved back, it will sit at a slightly more secure level.

Ship's Pub was the follow on to Sam's Corner in this Pawleys Island/Litchfield location. I never ate there but I would notice the building driving by, and it seems to me it closed last fall, and that I saw a truck carting stuff off in November.

Now it is open again, this time as Joe Loves Lobster Rolls, which is rather interesting as lobster is not normally associated with the South Carolina coast.

UPDATE 23 February 2018: Added top picture from 17 January 2016 of the place open.

Back again.

Always nice to head somewhere warm during the Winter months. When your blood is getting too thin for South Carolina, you know you're getting old..

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I noticed this article in The Sun News while I was last at the beach:

The Hurl Rock Motel has been temporarily closed by the City of Myrtle Beach for elevator repairs and other safety issues.

Two notices taped to the front window of the motel at 2010 South Ocean Boulevard also said there was “no standpipe,” -- the pipe to which fire hoses are connected.

So I thought I would get some pictures, especially since there have been several legacy hotel demolitions in Myrtle Beach that I have missed. I've never stayed at the Hurl Rock, but I have fond associations with the name because a) It's a neat name & b) There used to be a Hurl Rock ocean-front putt-putt course further north on Ocean Boulevard (if I recall correctly, it's been gone for decades) where we played a time or two, and of which I have fond memories.

This particular building is not as old or quirky as some of the other vintage motels, but it does have one unexpected feature -- an overflow parking lot across the street behind the main building with its own anchor building, which appears to be an old house, and probably serves as some sort of office or maintenance shed. I do hope they get their issues resolved, but the article mentions that they have been rather longstanding, so we will see..

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I took my annual jaunt up to the Charlotte Heroes Convention last Saturday, and couldn't resist a few clouds shots.

Parking is pretty easy considering what you might expect, and it's just a short walk to the convention center.

As you might expect there was a predictable, though certainly not unwelcome theme to this year's costumes.

A bit of a palate cleanser..

Love the "what the hey?" on the guy..

Some steampunk (note the vacuum tubes..)

Whosoever holds this hammer...

By the all-seeing Eye of Agamotto!

I thought I thaw a puddy tat

These are not the cosplayers you are looking for..

The Huntress, and I'm drawing a blank. (UPDATE: Black Canary, I think)

No idea, but I wouldn't cross him.

Cassie Kane, Batwoman (the "Bombshells" continuity version)

Storm...

...and Stormette

Harley Quinn

Never count the classics out

Swag

Walt Kelly's Fairy Tales

"Invisible Monster" remains the scariest Saturday morning cartoon ever..

Henry Kuttner, maybe best known for The Twonky

Girl Power

Planet Stories knew what covers would sell. (And published some decent "planetary adventure". Here's a Poul Anderson I haven't read)

Jack Williamson headed west on a covered wagon as a child, and was writing until 2006.

C. S. Forester better known for "Horatio Hornblower" and The African Queen (though, frankly, the movie is better).

Never heard of Wilcox, but again, a great cover..

Amy Chu, most recently writing Red Sonja.

Looked like an interesting coming-of-age story

No idea, but the guy was such a go-getter cold salesman that I said "Why not?"

Really noticed Randall's art on "The Bitter Earth" back in the day. His first visit to Heroes Con.

Pirate, um, booty.

The TV series is one of the funniest cartoons on today. I highly recommend "Girls Night Out" & "Pyramid Scheme". You just have to basically forget that the characters are drawn from Wolfman & Perez's classic 80s run of "Teen Titans" and go with the stupidity. Thought maybe a signed comic of her favorite show would actually get my niece to read something. We'll see..