Dirty*Design's Antonio De Pietro is the perfect Wingman

Artist Antonio DePietro 

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Every Monday and Friday we take you behind the scenes to the people, places and things that inspire us. It's Friday and we  would like to introduce you to Thomas' and my close friend Antonio (Tony) DePietro. 

In a year when we all need a metaphorical laugh, we’re lucky to have MyWingman, an Existential Gag Strip for these times. Tony DePietro is the mastermind behind My Wingman, the  single-panel comic that premiered on Indigenous Peoples Day in 2013. 

@mywingman comic strip by Antonio DePietro

Its irreverent humor is based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, the mundane, (twisted) pop culture references, and the human need to connect. Tony is a multifaceted, multitalented creative mind who vacillates between the expression of album cover design (as seen at his website Dirty Design) to the archetypal comic strip.

 
In Between The Lines a Bodega Coloring Book

Having left NYC to explore the USA, he and his wife, author / journalist Meredith Craig de Pietro, moved to Portland OR in 2001 when back in NYC in 2013 he found himself penning his comic strip which, in 2020, has gained mass momentum. 

As a day job, he has worked with the biggest global ad agencies over the last 15 years but it's his dream to be a full-time artist who draws and paints in a studio, listening to jazz music.  Tuff City Records,  Fat Beats, Domino Records, and Dim Mak Records are just some of the few labels Tony has designed album covers for. 

Yo' Majesty singing Kryptonite Pussy

The irony of the streaming music genre is that it may have temporarily killed producing album covers but as with all new generations whatever goes around comes around. Kids have gravitated to buying vinyl records causing a resurgence of production.  Album cover art has become more of a branding and marketing vehicle that silently travels the invisible wires of the internet reaching the far corners of the globe. 

                                         The Social Dilemma on Netflix

The Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, poo-poos the interconnectivity of the humans online, but where are we supposed to go to browse records and check out music? There are no stores anymore so one is forced to travel virtually to music apps and sites  and choose based on digital "album covers."  These make you want to see look and listen in hopes of creating a following which leads to popularity which leads to financial gain.

Tony's Artwork for Ducks_Lemonade

Tony's talent comes full circle from his day job in advertising , managing marketing campaigns for his clients to being sequestered in New Hampshire, where, during the pandemic, he found himself in a creative deluge finishing over 200 paintings.

Tap this link and follow the comic strip fanbase 

While the world was quiet this artist went to work to bring us all back to good humor, making us laugh via his comic strip. " My Wingman " proves laughter is the best medicine. As they say, when you laugh, it’s your heart smiling. 

 Toast The Weekend -- Sit Back and read Tony's Comic Strip while sipping from our @ThomasFuchsDecor Barware - Tap this link to check it out

Have a great week's end !
 
Michou