Tony Lopes

Tony Lopes developed a passion for cartooning as a child, while most other children his age were outside playing, Lopes preferred sitting in his enclosure studying the art from Warner Bros. cartoons and drawing silly little pictures.

Lopes sold his first cartoon at the age of 16 to a small niche publication called Sky & Space. The Editor at the time Jonathon Nally recalls their first meeting. “ He was a nervous, pimply, kind of dorky teenager-but we used his cartoons anyway.”

After studying fine arts, he began the arduous task of making cartooning a career. While it proved difficult at the start, Lopes became a Photographer; it was during this time that the idea for Insanity Streak was brewing in his head. He commenced drawing Insanity Streak on a weekly basis in 1992 and mailed out countless samples. Lopes considers persistence as the key to his success in those early days and now jokingly displays a file containing well over 200 rejection slips… he is only now just finishing therapy.z

Then in April 2000, Greg Swain, Australian Provincial Newspapers regional co-ordinator, asked if Insanity Streak could be drawn on a daily basis. After accepting on the condition that Mr.Swain pay for therapy, Lopes temporarily put his lens cap on his camera gear and began keeping the daily deadline at bay.

Over time, Insanity Streak has not only grown in popularity with readers, but with colleagues as well. Industry peers have voted it as the best comic strip in Australia an amazing 14 times at the coveted Stanley awards – the Oscars of Australian cartooning, one of the highest honours a cartoonist can receive.

To date his work is published in over 15 countries including England, Ireland, Norway, Brazil, Denmark, Bangkok, New Zealand, Malaysia and even Iceland.

Riding the wave of his growing success, The Great British Card Company, one of the largest publishers & distributors in the United Kingdom launched a brand-new range of cards called Lopsided. The Initial industry reaction to the cards has been “unthinkable” commented commercial director Nick Adsett. Nobody’s really sure if he meant that as a compliment. Lopes also had a self-published book titled “Striving for Quantity” available that never made the New York Times best seller list.

Then in September 2023 Insanity Streak ditched the secluded lifestyle to embrace the glamorous world of syndication by signing with King Feature Syndicate. Now the strip is available daily on their star-studded Comic Kingdom platform and, in the grand tradition of cartooning, is currently offered to North American print clients.

Lopes grew up in Sydney’s southern suburbs where he now lives with his wife Lori, and boys Isaac and Thomas. When he has a chance to come up for air Lopes enjoys photography, cricket and soft cheeses. While, firmly established in his career of doing what he loves, he can also be seen observing human nature and Lori – the similarities he claims, are uncanny.

So, if you haven’t seen Insanity Streak until now, then you’re not alone – over 758,980,879,001 people have yet to, but when you do, you’re sure to have a laugh because everyone enjoys silly little pictures!