ENTICITY

I have had the honor of being on editorial boards with two of Americas foremost political cartoonists in Kevin KAL Kallaugher at the Baltimore Sun and Tony Auth at The Inquirer, two proud papers that have seen better times. Your work has been inspirational to thousands, Tony. But as much as our readers are going to miss seeing your regular contributions in The Inquirer, Im going to miss your insightful observations and camaraderie on a daily basis even more. God bless Harold Jackson Like every reporter here, I have some Auth cartoons tacked to my bulletin board. Who hasnt opened the editorial pages and said, Damn, he did it better in a cartoon than I did in thousands of words! Honored to have worked with you Tony. Jennifer Lin Yo, Tony, Your clarity of view and pungency of comment have enhanced The Inquirer, yes, but also those of us who had the honor of calling you colleague and friend. Best wishes on your new venture. James M. Naughton Tony, it has been my great honor to be pitied, hated and prayed for by the same readers who pity, hate and pray for you. I will so miss seeing you in the newsroom but, if our critics are correct, we shall meet again at the fiery gates. Monica Yant Kinney Tony, Congratulations on an illustrious career at the Inquirer. You and your work will be greatly missed. I am honored for the opportunity to serve with you on the Editorial board for four years. You were always one of the highlights of my day. Thank you for sharing your wit and wisdom and always encouraging me to strive for greater heights. I will miss you my friend, especially your great hugs! Enjoy the ride in the next chapter! All the best! Melanie Burney

Inquirer readers have always appreciated Tonys artistry, wit and perspective, but I doubt if they know how invaluable he was in shaping the daily editorials, too. Countless times, he inspired writers like me with the spark of an idea. He has been a consistent voice for justice and speaking truth to power. I have never worked with a more generous colleague. After I moved on, I sorely missed the sight of Tony walking into my office in the morning with a rough sketch of another masterpiece in his hands and a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Tony, enjoy your new gig and keep making us proud. Congratulations. Dave Boyer Gosh. Wish Tony all the best - but what a loss. Who could forget my all- time favorite: The Evil of Two Lessers? Linda Wright Moore The Inquirer is losing a class act. I will miss your intelligence and wit. It was so much fun to see your first drafts in the morning. I look forward to seeing what kind of work your new life inspires. Stacey Burling

Tony, I was a big fan of your art, wit and intellect before I ever came to Philadelphia, and will be one wherever your pen rests. May you long continue to enliven and enlighten our civic conversations. Carolyn Davis Good luck, Tony: In my opinion, you epitomize journalistic excellence. Your cartoons from Watergate to police violence in the days of Frank Rizzo to the MOVE bombing, Vince Fumos corruption trial and the great Phillies and Flyers teams will always symbolize the history of our nation and our city. I wish you good health, happiness and fulfillment in the next chapter of your life and career. All the best. (One footnote: My office, here in Arizona, has at least five of your cartoons framed to preserve them spanning the years of your work at The Inquirer. They begin in the Rizzo era and end with the corruption trial of Vince Fumo. Thanks very much for the delight and insight youve provided to thousands of readers. I know youll continue to do so in your new job.) Bill Marimow It was a privilege to be one of Tonys unindicted co-conspirators for 10 years on the Editorial Board. Many people dont realize Tonys vital contribution beyond cartooning. His questions, indignation, outrage, humor, sadness, admiration resonate through the editorials and commentary written by his colleagues. There were disagreements, sure, but in the end, Tony always made us think. Thank you, my friend. Cynthia Holm Henry Tony, I will miss you in the newsroom, but you are contemplating a great new gig. And I know we will see your work elsewhere! I first met you when you shared a house with Don Drake and Pat McBroom. Yikes! Linda Loyd

True story: In early 1990s, I traveled to Bermuda for a bike race. The race organizers arranged for us to stay in local homes. Lisa and I were taken in by a local attorney and his wife. We were put in the bedroom of a son who had grown and moved on. It turned out the son was an aficionado of editorial cartoons. Imagine our surprise to discover an extensive collection of Tonys work, given pride of place. It made it clear, if it wasnt already, that Tony was a star well beyond our region. What a delight to have worked with you, Tony. What a pleasure to be able to tell others we were colleagues. Chris Hepp Tony, congrats on a great career. The Inquirer wont be the same without you. Benjamin Yerby Lowe Like the rest of Philadelphia, Ill miss Tony in the Inky. But, apparently, like a lot of other Philly journos I fortunately have a piece of Tony on my office wall at home An amazing cartoon he did that ran with a series I wrote about the takeover of Camden. His drawing said it more sharply than my thousands of words ever could have. Matt Katz

Its been an honor to be your colleague, Tony and having one of my stories become the subject of your wit, insights and talent was always a great thrill. Enjoy the next chapter! Kristen Graham Tony, I look forward to seeing your work in its new locale. It was an honor to be your Inquirer colleague Paula Fuchsberg It has been an honor, a privilege, a joy and a wonder to work with you for so many, many years, Tony, and to witness you perform the daily miracle of producing such great political cartooning. Whats more, your unflagging enthusiasm for the vital overall mission of the editorial pages, your collaborative approach to the work, and your generosity of spirit in welcoming the many people who passed through the ranks of the Editorial Board set a standard of collegiality and professionalism that wont soon be matched. ... Plus, we sure all had some fun, didnt we, T? Russell Cooke Tony, When I needed an inspiration a I always went looking for you. The Inquirer has lost one of its class acts. I wish you a strong wind and clear sky. Michael Bryant Tony, thank you for contributing to the life of the newsroom with all the cartoons that marked so many special occasions. One of the best parts of winning a Vigoda award was winning an Auth cartoon. Basically, the Inquirer has been a wonderful place to work and you are one of the reasons why. Good luck in your new life. Jane M. Von Bergen Moving away from Philadelphia spares me now of the awful trauma I would experience opening the paper and not finding Tony there. But its hard to fathom. What joy, laughter and mental engagement you gave us every morning, Tony. Beyond that, youve been a thoroughly lovely colleague, friend and fellow traveler in the great mission of newspapering. Best wishes for joy and happiness in the next phase. Hank Klibanoff

My warmest and best wishes to you, Tony. Youre the Catholic Churchs greatest loss you wouldve made a wonderful priest and the Inquirers greatest joy. You brought wit and insight and (best of all) humor to our lives for decades, and well be watching our iPads for more of the wonderful same. Al Hasbrouck Youre one-of-a-kind, Tony. Well miss you. I cherish the cartoons youve shared with me (and signed for me) over the years. It always amazed me how you could summarize in a single, insightful and often stinging frame what took me months of work and thousands of words to say. What a gift. Good luck in your new venture. Stay healthy and happy. Nancy Phillips For all the years Ive been honored to work at the same paper as him, I have been in awe of Tonys wit, his artistic skill, his ability to condense complicated issues to their essence and make us all less full of ourselves. He is a rare and wonderful man, and I will miss his presence, both impish and wise. Melissa Dribben My favorite Auth characters were the Three Mile Island nuclear bubbleheads (**) - cant get the smile! Loved having a famous artist as a colleague Sally Downey Tony, have fun at WHYY. Im glad Philly wont be able to escape your pen yet. Annette John-Hall Again Tony, best to you and so long to Maggies Farm. Peter Tobia Tony, You are the best. I proudly display original Auths on my wall at home were inspired by stories I wrote. I was honored to be your colleague for so long. Dale Mezzacappa Nothing says it better than Tonys own words: This has been great! Best of luck to a fine newsman. Cynthia Burton Tony: You have one of the great beards! Whatever else you may do in life, and there will be many glorious things, do NOT shave it off. You are the best. Simply said, not easily done. Stephan Salisbury Tony, the Best of Luck to you Newsworks gain is the Inquirers loss!!! Pat Sweeney Hard to say which I admire more: your cleverness, your courage or your consistency, excellence year after year. Every day you started with a blank page. So impressive. Congrats, Tony. Michael Vitez aFew on the outside know what a gentleman Tony. I am happy for the new opportunity he now has, sad only that another gem has been extracted from the crown at 400 N. Broad. That his retirement was inevitable doesnt make it easier to take. Stu Bykofsky

Tony, during my years in the journalism wilderness of Alaska, I admired your work from afar and was pleased to publish it often in the Anchorage Daily News. It was my great privilege to work with you at the Inquirer, definitely a highlight of my career. Well miss you terribly, and the Inquirer is the lesser for your leaving, but go forth and do more great work! Matthew Zencey Tony, Tone, Ton: Look forward. Looking forward. Carrie Rickey As you know, my 87-yearold mother is a huge fan of yours. (In fact, our nightly phone calls often begin with her asking, Did you see Tony Auths cartoon today?) One year she got one of your original drawings for Christmas, which she proudly shows off to visitors. I know she is only one of tens of thousands of loyal readers who will miss you and your original work in the Inquirer. (Im one of them, too, and still have the wicked cartoon you gave me after Tony Wood and I did our series on slumlord Sam Rappaport.) The very best of luck to you in your new adventure. Virginia Smith The best going-away present ever a caricature from Tony Auth. I didnt think he knew me, but I was wrong. Thanks for the great cartoon, which is displayed beautifully in my office. Good luck in your life after newspapers. Enjoy the ride. Cheryl Squadrito Moskovitz

Youve got edge, soul, and a gifted hand, and with those youve been a perfect fit for my native Philadelphia, a city as brash as you have been brazen in your commentary. Good luck and keep that pen flowing... Maria Panaritis Looking forward to the next great chapter and to lessons for all of us from Tony about new forms of digital story telling. Congrats! Carl Lavin Among the most prideful moments of my years in journalism were the days when I might find your cartoon insights commenting upon a story I had brought to light. To have worked with you is among the best of a jumble of experiences with many highlights. Best wishes Henry Goldman Hey Tony: Kudos on your remarkable run. Also, kudos on joining the ex-Inky boys at HYY. Party on, dude. Your original cartoons on DADT and gay marriage hold a place of honor in my study. I admire them, as I admire the man who created them. Gail Shister

I was a rookie reporter for the Temple News in the late 1980s when the university hosted writers and artists from Krokodil, a magazine of political satire published in the former Soviet Union. The theme: Censorship. The moderator: Tony Auth. During the question & answer period, a man asked a strange, rambling question. A Temple official jumped to her feet and ordered security to grab the guy and throw him out. I sat there with the rest of the audience wondering: Is this really happening? Auth jumped up too, taking to the podium to ask how a person could be ejected from a program on censorship because of the content of his question. That jolted me and I got moving on the story in front of me. What Auth taught me that day: If you find yourself wondering is this really happening, start asking that very question. Chris Brennan Tony, I was always proud to say I worked at the paper that published Auth. I took the Last Great Buyout of 2005 and have never regretted moving on. There is a good life Post Inky and you will find that the bad vibes will just evaporate. Dick Cooper I remember you, listening quietly but intently to the things being discussed, quite unlike a cartoonist, I had thought. I met you, Tony, a few times last September during the editorial desk meetings I was honoured to attend as a visiting journalist from Pakistan, had brief chats with you mostly on the state of editorial cartoons in my country our exchanges were light-hearted, so like a cartoonist, I had thought. But what I remember most distinctly is the image you created after Steve Jobs passed away in September a quintessential Apple with Jobs silhouette inset. Subtle but effective. Alefia Tajammal Hussain All the best in your new adventures, Tony. The paper wont be the same without you. (Nor will my mornings you were the first thing I looked at in the A section every day.) Have fun! Denise Cowie Congratulations! It is a loss for the newspaper. Still, good to know you havent lost your sense of humor nor your refreshing, thoughtful and civil worldview. You make people laugh without hurting or injuring others. A class act! Linda S. Wallace Cheers to you, Tony, on a new chapter in your well-illustrated book of life. Tony Gnoffo So glad you & your work will still be in circulation in our town. We need your humor and point of view! Paula Goff yo! tony! Matt Golas Journalist. Gentleman. Colleague. Friend. And inspirational in every role. Thank you, Tony, for what youve given us, and for where youll take us going forward. Rob King

Wow. Congratulations, Tony. Kia Gregory My almost 20 years at the Inquirer blessed me with working alongside hundreds of people who could do things I could only aspire to. What an incredible blast. And you, Tony you left me saying, Wow! more often than I can remember. Thank you for the fantastic run, and may you wow us all for many years to come. Butch Ward I remember you used to come into the Sunday Magazine almost every day to show your de-facto editor Michael Mills a sketch of your cartoon for next days paper. Hed critique, give advice, youd be on your way. One day he was off, and you showed me your sketch. I had no great insights! I had nothing profound to say! I was mortified! You never asked again, yet our friendship endures. You will be so missed, Tony, not only by your colleagues, but by the (incredibly shrinking) reading public. But a new chapter begins. All the best. Sue Weston You drew my daughter at age 10- that was 14 years ago on Kids to Work Day. The kids were thrilled. Thanks for sharing your talent with all of us. Deirdre M. Childress Tony, Many years ago, you cared enough to answer a letter from a naive young man seeking advice on editorial cartooning. This naive, middle-aged editorial cartoonist thanks you. Randy Bish

Your journalism is what many of our readers will remember. For every issue, you provided the lingering image. We will miss you and so will our readers. Thankfully, there will be a next chapter and you will certainly continue to inspire the next generation. thank you and good luck. Rose Ciotta Tony, your cartoons have been a part of my daily life for a very long time. I hope that continues. I continue to treasure your mind and your friendship from my disclosed (but remote) location. Richard Aregood YIKES! The Inquirer without Tony is like city hall without Wm Penn on top. Signe Wilkinson Tony, long before I was hired at The Inquirer, even before I was at the Bulletin, I looked forward to opening the paper each day to see who you skewered. Your baroque pirate ship portrayals of City Council and other agencies were a wonder as were your work on our presidents. Best wishes wherever you land. Send us all a cartoon. Joseph Slobodzian

Weve been blessed to have two of the best editorial cartoonists out there for a long time in Tony Auth and Signe Wilkinson. Working at newspaper you almost get used to losing a little bit more each day. Today we lost a lot. Tom Stiglich I challenged tony auth to a Groucho Marx-drawing contest at lunch one day and his unbelievably awesome sketch is on my desk at my current job. The Best. Mike Topel Im learning about this after having just seen todays cartoon, which was spot on. I was recently at a Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists forum where Signe Wilkinson bragged about Philadelphia being the only city with two editorial cartoonists. I was hoping we could maintain that honor in the wake of print journalisms march toward extinction. Happy for you. Sad for readers. Todd Bernstein NORB changed my life. Very possibly the most mysteriously genius comic ever created. God Speed, Sir. You will be missed. Matthew Blake Taylor

Say it aint so! I cant believe it. Who is going to make the readers laugh? Who is going to make the readers cry? Who is going to make the readers THINK? Geez. A happy day for you, Tony; a sad day for many others. BTW, I still have and cherish my original Auth Sutton William Penn cartoon! Will Sutton Its almost unfair that so many impressive qualities should be combined in one person. Tony is possessed of a sensational intellect, biting wit and insatiable curiosity. (Or maybe he is just possessed.) Plus, he can draw a little. Tom Avril Dear Tony, You remain, as ever, my hero. Love, Your stunt double;) Maisha Elonai Best wishes, Tony! I count it a privilege to have been able to work with such creativity, humor and professionalism. It was always a treat to be able to peek into your little corner den of wonders. Sterling Chen

Dear Mr. Auth, I was saddened by the news that you are leaving our Inquirer. Your drawings are a must see in the paper as many times as I buy it. No other city paper has the talent to compare to yours. It will sorely be missed. If you are doing a collection, please tell me how I can buy a copy. Thanks you and best wishes . MIke MC Tony, your talent as an artist/commentator is exceeded only by your courage. You have never been to challenge the powerful or the conventional wisdom. Inquirer readers will deeply miss your work. Inquirer staffers will miss your friendly manner and your willingness to help the paper in any way you could. All the best, Gene Foreman Gene Foreman Tony, Ive been a huge fan for years, as are most of my friends. Ill miss your cartoons but will make sure to follow you to your next gig. Hope you enjoy it Kathleen Boccella Youve made me laugh, made me understand, made me think. Cant wait to see your new incarnation Howie Shapiro

I will miss the daily visits to pick up your latest musings from the printer...also, the tales of your old Porsche and seeing those fantastic drawings of old cars...youre more than just a single panel...good luck!! Mike Placentra Tony wishing you all the best. What a ride! Leslie Branton Hoffecker Best of luck to you! Your work has been such a part of The Inquirers identity original, thoughtful and witty. Best of luck to you in this new chapter of your career. Rhonda Dickey Sometimes, after Tony and I discussed any disheartening state of affairs, Tony would conclude good-naturedly: Were doomed. Now that hes leaving us, Im certain we are! Josh Gohlke Youre brilliant, and youre my hero. It has been my honor to work alongside you at The Inquirer, to chew over the latest political absurdity, and to piss off some of the same people. Dont be a stranger. Tom Fitzgerald

Enjoy the next chapter! Helene Glowienka Sherman