At the drawn and quarterly blog, Peggy Burns takes time out to remember the Picadilly, where all the indie cartoonists like to hang out in San Diego, making for some merry nights, indeed

For the past few years, indy comics’ home away from home at the annual San Diego Comic-con has been the Piccadilly Lounge, tucked inside the Pickwick Arms Hotel, a safe mile distance from such establishments as Dick’s Last Resort and overpriced hotel bars. Just our speed, the Piccadilly was a small, humble bar with very cheap beer, I believe a pint of the Piccadilly Ale cost $2. It was a block away from the Greyhound Station, near the San Diego Jail and lots of 24-hour bail bond centers. … In fact in 2006, there was no beach party, and almost every cartoonist was in attendance at the Piccadilly including Hernandez, Clowes, Tomine, Millionaire, Crane, Weissman, Huizenga, Nilsen, Davis, Zettwoch, and more. Here are a few pictures from this summer, keep in mind, Tom still needs to figure out the nighttime setting on our camera. If anyone knows of a good quiet dive bar in San Diego, let us know. It seems as if the Piccadilly and the Pickwick have morphed into a “boutique” hotel.


We are especially sad to hear this since we never even made it out to the now only legendary Picadilly. Trips over the train tracks are only cautiously made in San Diego, and a trip to the WRONG side of the tracks just never materialized. Oh well, it will surely live on in story and song.

1 COMMENT

  1. Crap. I always miss the best parties.

    Ironically, I actually stayed in the Pickwick Hotel once back in the ’80s. This was before the new convention center. I didn’t know about the night scene there.