For decades people have been either laughing, frowning, or cringing at Andy Donato’s work. He has long been one of Canada’s most respected political cartoonists.
Originally a layout artist and illustrator for Eaton’s department store, the tug of journalism drew him to the Toronto Telegram newspaper in 1961.
He worked there initially as a graphic artist but was also a follower of politics and with his long-standing sense of humour, the idea of cartooning interested him.
By 1968 he was given a chance to try his hand at political cartooning but after three months, the editor instead assigned him as art director to design page layouts
painting entitled “Yellow Reno”
. This was a blow to Andy’s cartooning aspirations.
To compensate he began developing his artistic painting talents.
Meanwhile things were not going well for Toronto’s biggest newspaper and it ceased in 1971.
Then with some success as a painter, a new startup paper, the Sun, called with an offer to design the paper and draw political cartoons twice a week.
The new job expanded to three cartoons a week, and then to a full time cartoonist drawing five political cartoons a week for the Sun, where he’s been for some forty years.
Little Portugal-Dead End
He is now one of Canada’s most respected, and much loved political cartoonists.
However, although better known for his work at the Sun he never stopped painting and has created many wonderful images, mostly of his beloved city of Toronto.
Originally, very much in a realist style, he has of late taken to what he calls “bent realism” an intriguing style, with subjects that are also intriguing. He often wanders the back alleys of Toronto’s older sections of town capturing images of fences and garages and houses and yards that have seen many generations pass through.
He is also a featured artist in the latest edition of the magnificent and respected Arabella Magazine on Canadian Art, Architecture, and Design.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with artist, and political cartoonist Andy Donato.
ARABELLA fine art, architecture, design Magazine- Artists to Collect (Donato)
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