I met Mister Anthony J. Mainiero in 2017 at age 97. At the time, I was working on a collaborative public art project in the Larimer neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The project brought together a group of long-time residents and senior citizens to create a series of artworks that shared local stories and experiences. You can visit the resulting works at Larimer Stories.

During this period, I became close friends with Mister Tony, and over the next eight years, our friendship deepened. Since I also create daily comics, Tony gradually wove his way into them, adding much levity, texture, and depth. Below is a short introductory comic I originally wrote for Public Source in Pittsburgh, PA.