Orem's Diner in the Sunday Comics

In today's (Sunday, June 20) newspaper comics, the kids in "Hi and Lois" are treating dad to a meal at Wilton, Ct.'s Orem's Diner, a roadfood place well known to Connecticut foodies. Ice Cream later at Scoops, another r.f. honored at this website.
The Walker family (Hi and Lois, Beetle Bailey) lives in the Wilton area and they often use local businesses as background in their strips. The Browne bunch (Hagar the Horrible, etc.) and many other artists live in this area. The Sterns are nearby too.
"Zippy" is another strip that uses diners and roadfood signs as themes. It's creator, Bill Griffith, gave up the west coast and moved to Connecticut a few years ago, so many of our local spots show up in this work. Some of you may remember the strip from the old Zap Comix and similar San Francisco 60s & 70s art, if that whole era isn't a day-glo blur.
Have any of your neighborhood eateries been honored by comic strip artists?
hungrycharlie

I think Milton Caniff of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon used a Columbus restaurant called the Jai Lai once.

And Chance Browne's blues band frequently plays at the Georgetown Saloon.

hungrycharlie writes

quote:

"Zippy" is another strip that uses diners and roadfood signs as themes.

We have a Zippy the Pinhead cartoon on our fridge that features The Modern Diner in Pawtucket, RI. It's very fun.

I don't think I'm telling tales out of school to mention that Bill Griffith, who writes and draws Zippy, is a Roadfoodie from way back.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Stern

Bill Griffith is a Roadfoodie from way back.

I pretty much expected that. With his sensibilities, how could he not be? He has a website that lists the real places he has used in the strip, including O'Rourke's Diner in Middletown, CT and Louie's Lunch in New Haven. I'm sure I'll run into Zippy at Super Duper Weenie someday.
The URL is http://www.zippythepinhead.com
hungrycharlie