Lee-High Sheet Metal Ductwork Tin Man
Oh, Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man That he didn't, didn't already have... except maybe a patriotic perch atop a sheet metal store sporting an American flag, and an odd tie-in to a popular surrealist cartoonist!
Established in 1979, this small, woman-owned sheet metal business has become a popular local landmark, thanks to the ductwork tin man standing on its roof.
What better way to advertise the fittings, ductwork, welding, and other sheet metal jobs than to have a “Muffler Man”-type mascot to greet patrons? Perhaps a comic strip?
On February 4, 2004, popular cartoonist Bill Griffith (of Zippy The Pinhead fame) drew a Zippy strip immortalizing the Lee-High Sheet Metal Tin Man!
The strip is called “Weld Peace,” and it features a conversation between Zippy and the Tin Man. Zippy is flummoxed due to being unable to stop thinking about sheet metal. Predictably, the Tin Man has a snarky explanation for him.
Griffith has a page on his website that highlights all of the various roadside attractions that he has worked into his Zippy comic strips. Oddly, Lee-High is not on the list, but the “Weld Peace” is definitely inspired by the Lee-High Tin Man as the strip features a storefront with a sign that reads “Lee-Hi” and an image that is unmistakably the Tin Man.
Know Before You Go
The "Weld Peace" comic strip can be viewed at Bill Griffith's website here:
http://zippythepinhead.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ZTP&Product_Code=24-Feb-04&Category_Code=
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