Antonio Santos Velasquez (Tony Velasquez) was born in Paco, Manila on October 29, 1910.

He is known as the "Father of Tagalog Komiks." In -1926, while a boy of 16 in high school, he worked as a photo-engraver at the Banaag Press in Santa Cruz, Manila, which was later bought by Ramon Roces of Liwayway. Velasquez took courses in Cartooning and Advertising at the Federal School of Arts of America. In 1935, he was promoted to chief artist for the six sister magazines: Liwayway, Graphic,Bannawag, Bisaya, Hiligaynon, and Bikolnon. On 11 January 1929 the first issue of his comic creation Kenkoy appeared in Liwayway. Except in Graphic, Kenkoy appeared in all the magazines either in Tagalog or translated into the regional languages. The comic strip survived the Japanese occupation and continued after the war, appearing twice weekly in the Pilipino Komik. In 1993, he received the "Gawad CCP para sa Sining" from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. His earlier awards include Best Komiks of the Year from Graphic Arts Service, Inc. (1963); Special Award from the Citizens Council for Mass Media (1971); Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan sa Larangan ng Makasining na Komiks from the City of Manila (1974). He died April 22, 1997 and in 1998 received posthumously, the Life Achievement Award from Komiks Operation Brotherhood.