Andy Donato
Encyclopedia
Andy Donato is an editorial cartoon
ist for the Toronto Sun
newspaper chain.
He was born in Scarborough, Ontario
. He graduated from Danforth Technical School in 1955 and worked at Eaton's
as a layout artist. He joined the Toronto Telegram
in 1961, working as a graphic artist in the promotion department. In 1968, he was appointed art director and began cartooning on a part-time basis. After The Telegram folded in 1971, he joined The Toronto Sun. In 1974, he started cartooning full-time. In 1985 and 1986 he served as president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
.
He is well known among Sun readers for his signature image of a bird
, "Donato's bird." Finding the bird, lost in the newspaper, has been a common device in Sun promotions through the years.
Some of his most famous work was done when Pierre Eliott Trudeau was Prime Minister, and Joe Clark
was leader of the official opposition. As the two leaders battled it out, Donato lampooned both of them extensively. For years, Joe Clark was drawn wearing children's mittens (attached to his suit with idiot strings), a reference to the time his luggage went missing on a trip to Israel. The final cartoon of the series appeared after Trudeau's airplane was hit by a bus while on the tarmac. It showed a puzzled Trudeau staring at the bus while one of his aides held up Clark's mittens and said: "We don't know who the driver was, but we found his mittens."
Donato's most famous cartoon, perhaps, was a blank cell titled "Canada's foreign ownership policy" - a parody of Canada's lack of controls over foreign ownership of Canadian companies.
Although Donato's work is mostly praised, he was criticized when his cartoon comparing David Miller
with Adolf Hitler
was published after Miller refused to allow a debate on Chief Julian Fantino
's contract renewal.
It is said that many Canadian politicians consider it an honour if Donato pillories them. When he drew a picture of Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish with both feet stuck in her mouth - Parrish requested the original drawing. Other politicians have done the same, many times. According to his friends, Donato's philosophy was: "The first time any politician is targeted, he, or she, gets the original drawing on request."
Donato formally retired from the Sun in 1997 but continues to draw for the Sun chain on a contract basis that pays him roughly $400 a cartoon.
Editorial cartoon
An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration containing a commentary that usually relates to current events or personalities....
ist for the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
newspaper chain.
He was born in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
. He graduated from Danforth Technical School in 1955 and worked at Eaton's
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
as a layout artist. He joined the Toronto Telegram
Toronto Telegram
The Toronto Evening Telegram was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at both the federal and provincial level. The paper competed with the liberal Toronto Star...
in 1961, working as a graphic artist in the promotion department. In 1968, he was appointed art director and began cartooning on a part-time basis. After The Telegram folded in 1971, he joined The Toronto Sun. In 1974, he started cartooning full-time. In 1985 and 1986 he served as president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists is a professional association concerned with promoting the interests of staff, freelance and student editorial cartoonists in the United States, Canada and Mexico...
.
He is well known among Sun readers for his signature image of a bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
, "Donato's bird." Finding the bird, lost in the newspaper, has been a common device in Sun promotions through the years.
Some of his most famous work was done when Pierre Eliott Trudeau was Prime Minister, and Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
was leader of the official opposition. As the two leaders battled it out, Donato lampooned both of them extensively. For years, Joe Clark was drawn wearing children's mittens (attached to his suit with idiot strings), a reference to the time his luggage went missing on a trip to Israel. The final cartoon of the series appeared after Trudeau's airplane was hit by a bus while on the tarmac. It showed a puzzled Trudeau staring at the bus while one of his aides held up Clark's mittens and said: "We don't know who the driver was, but we found his mittens."
Donato's most famous cartoon, perhaps, was a blank cell titled "Canada's foreign ownership policy" - a parody of Canada's lack of controls over foreign ownership of Canadian companies.
Although Donato's work is mostly praised, he was criticized when his cartoon comparing David Miller
David Miller (Canadian politician)
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term...
with Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
was published after Miller refused to allow a debate on Chief Julian Fantino
Julian Fantino
Julian Fantino is a retired police official and the elected Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a November 29, 2010 by-election...
's contract renewal.
It is said that many Canadian politicians consider it an honour if Donato pillories them. When he drew a picture of Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish with both feet stuck in her mouth - Parrish requested the original drawing. Other politicians have done the same, many times. According to his friends, Donato's philosophy was: "The first time any politician is targeted, he, or she, gets the original drawing on request."
Donato formally retired from the Sun in 1997 but continues to draw for the Sun chain on a contract basis that pays him roughly $400 a cartoon.
