The City of Buffalo holds an annual AIDS benefit art auction on the Buffalo State campus. It's a huge, formal affair that is attended by a lot of local politicians and other important people. They call a bunch of local artists and ask them to donate a piece of artwork to be auctioned off. One-hundred artists were asked this year -- and I was one of them.

They wanted me to do a caricature of local Assemblyman, Sam Hoyt, and his wife, who were co-chairs of the event. I was very excited about being asked, but I was less excited about the idea. Contrary to popular belief, I am NOT a caricature artist! Also, who besides Sam Hoyt would be interested in owning a caricature of Sam Hoyt and his wife?!

I called Romeo because I knew he and I could come up with something better. I also thought this was a cause worthy of a Tony V. and John Romeo collaboration. Romeo likes to remind me that he was the best inker at Buff State, although he opted not to autograph the piece. He and I banged out a concept and just like the old days, I penciled and he inked it. The auction was apparently a success, although I wouldn't know -- I wasn't invited. I did find out that the piece was bought by the Deputy Mayor of the City of Buffalo, who plans on auctioning it for another Sam Hoyt fund-raiser. How much it went for, I'm not sure. The man who gave me the job told me that he was standing next to Sam when he was looking at the piece. I was told that Sam was "amused" by it. That's probably why he didn't buy it.