Barry Fantoni, the renowned Private Eye cartoonist and BBC scriptwriter, has died at the age of 85, the publication announced yesterday.
The artist, who was also a jazz musician, designer, author and broadcaster, died on Tuesday at his home in Turin, Italy, from a heart attack.
Private Eye editor Ian Hislop paid tribute, saying: "Barry was a brilliant multi-talented writer, artist and musician.
"He was an integral part of Private Eye's comic writing team from the early days in the sixties and I hugely enjoyed collaborating with him when I joined the magazine later on.
Barry Fantoni in 1963
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"He created formats and characters and jokes that are still running and he was for a long time the voice of the great poet and obituarist E J Thribb. So Farewell then Barry."
Fantoni was a long-term stalwart of the Private Eye editorial team from 1963 until his retirement in 2010, completing a remarkable 47-year career with the satirical magazine.
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Barry Fantoni died at the age of 85
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He created some of Private Eye's most famous characters, most notably the fictitious obituary poet-in-residence, E J Thribb.
Born on February 28 1940, Fantoni studied at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts from the age of 14 after accepting the Wedgewood Scholarship for the Arts.
Following expulsion, he moved to the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art and became a figure in the 1960s pop art movement.
In the early part of that decade, he wrote scripts for the BBC's satirical show, That Was the Week That Was.
He later presented the BBC's fashion and music programme, A Whole Scene Going, which reflected on the tastes of Britain's under-21s and featured big names including The Who, Sandie Shaw and Twiggy.
According to his IMDb page, Fantoni also tried his hand at acting in Out, Strange Report, Ours Is A Nice House, Journey to the Unknown, Never A Cross Word, and several other on-screen projects.
His distinctive style and satirical wit became synonymous with the Private Eye's irreverent approach to current affairs and public figures.
When announcing his departure from Private Eye in 2010, Fantoni told the Independent: "It was just time to leave. I'd done it. The establishment isn't even worth puncturing any more."
Barry Fantoni was best known for his work with Private Eye
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While best known for his work with Private Eye, Fantoni was also a diary cartoonist for The Times and produced caricatures for Radio Times from the mid-1960s.
His artistic talents captured many famous figures of the era, with Sir Bruce Forsyth, former prime minister Harold Wilson, DJ Tony Blackburn and comedian Sir Ken Dodd among the stars he transformed into caricatures.
Beyond his visual art, Fantoni had stints as The Times' art critic and worked as a record reviewer for Punch magazine in the 1970s.
In 2011, his archive of 3,500 original Times cartoons was auctioned at Bonhams for £4,200.
Barry Fantoni pictured in 1967
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Fantoni was also the author of several detective books, showcasing his versatility as a creative talent. He leaves behind his partner Katie.
Throughout his diverse career, Fantoni demonstrated remarkable versatility, moving effortlessly between visual art, writing, music and broadcasting.
