This article appeared in The Record on December 9, 1997; the same day that the final full page comic ran.
Tony V. graduates, Tony Vitiello does not
By Michael Paluch,Editor in Chief
Tony V., the main character in a comic strip featured in every issue of The Record, is graduating today after entertaining the Buffalo State College community for almost a year. Tony Vitiello, co-creator of the strip named "The Adventures of Tony V., SuperSenior," will not graduate until May, 1998.
Vitiello and co-creator John Romeo, both BSC students, have decided to call it quits after this issue. Romeo, SuperSenior inker/editor, is graduating with a Bachelors in Design, and Vitiello has decided it would be too much work to go on with the strip alone.
"It's over," said Vitiello, "We had a good run. We have a lot of fans.
"I think Tony V. is the most well-known name on campus.
"That's the only weird thing," said Vitiello about having the animated version of himself beating him to graduation. But, "He's my hero," he added.
Vitiello and Romeo met when they shared a room during the orientation program as incoming freshmen in the summer of 1993. The two ended in some of the same classes and were part of a group of friends from the Design program in the first semester.
There was two years without much contact between the two. Then, it happened.
While eating at Perkins on the morning of Dec. 24 last year, they decided to create a cartoon feature. Originally, it was going to be a political cartoon, but this proved difficult because the two hold opposing views.
On February 21, 1997, Vitiello's and Romeo's work debuted in The Record with a cartoon related to former BSC professor Scott Isaksen's role-playing experiment charges.
While at T.G.I. Fridays in March, Vitiello suggested doing a comic about his love life, or lack of, to Romeo, and they decided on a name.
On March 28, 1997, "The Adventures of Tony V. SuperSenior" began and the design duo have not missed an issue since.
The first three strips were drawn on a napkin which can be seen on the web site: www.buffalostate.edu/~spsenior.
"When we first started, I had no intention of carrying it on," said Vitiello. "I had a dream (in which) God told me to stop after four (strips)," he joked.
"In (my) illustration class, people were reading, so I decided to continue.
"I stuck it out because I thought I would get a lot of chicks," Vitiello joked.
Romeo also has an animated version of himself in the strip. He appears occasionally in the cartoon, usually yelling at Tony V.
Vitiello and Romeo admit their animated counterparts have similar personalities to their own.
"It's me," said Vitiello. "I don't think I realized it at the time (the strip was conceived)."
In real life, "I yell at Tony all the time," said Romeo. "It's a confrontational relationship.
"Motivating (Vitiello) is my job, and it's tough.
"I was bugging Tony all summer to finish those comics!" said Romeo.
Since the Tony V. character wears V-necks, Vitiello figured he should too. Vitiello said he used to own one V-neck shirt, but joked, "Now I have 17."
Vitiello, who is shy, said he really liked one girl and he put a drawing of her in one strip and hid her name in two others.
"I had the opportunity to tell her, but chose not to talk to her," said Vitiello. "It could be you," he warned the readers.
Romeo and Vitiello are exhausted from the large amount of work needed not only to produce the strip, but other related elements:
Tony V. appeared in a commercial as part of "The Romeo Productions Hour."
Romeo had a gallery exhibition in Upton Hall with a section devoted to Tony V.
There are Tony V. posters on many of The Record distribution racks and a life-size Tony V. cut-out in The Record office window.
All of this was designed and produced by Romeo and Vitiello.
"The most popular part of my gallery exhibition was the 'SuperSenior' section," said Romeo.
"After the art show and commercial, I got recognized more (around campus)," said Vitiello.
Romeo and Vitiello said there is a story behind every comic, and the web site tells them all. Tony V. is gone but he will live on in Cyberspace.
"Originally, I started this comic to get the attention of a particular girl, and in typical Tony V. fashion it didn't work," said Vitiello.
Will the real Tony V. please stand up?
