I met 103-year-old Anthony Mainiero, aka Mister Tony, in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Larimer in 2016. I was conducting interviews with senior residents of Larimer for a new work of temporary public art that later became Larimer Stories.

Tony and I instantly bonded over our shared interest in trimming hedges and Pittsburgh’s history. Soon, we began working together on house projects, going grocery shopping at ALDI on Penn Avenue, and taking field trips around the city.

I began recording audio and video interviews with him, but the core documentation of my time with Tony emerged in the form of my diary comics called Daily Geology. Every day for the last 14 years, I’ve made a drawing about my day in which I record a memorable moment.

Through spending time with Tony, I experienced Pittsburgh from a distinct and historically resonant perspective. On each block we drove through East Liberty, Tony recalled faces, names, and buildings long since passed. Tony is a living historical archive with virtually no counterpart. 

I soon began publishing collections of these drawings in book frorm.  To purchase full-length comics, visit my online shop www.johnpena.net/shop. To read more, visit my Instagram page @johnpenastudio.

John Peña is a Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary artist who make comics, sculpture and public art. He can be reached at johnpena@johnpena.net.

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