The pencil was like a part of Anthony D’Adamo’s arm during a lifetime of compulsion to draw what was in his head. Night constellations. Weird old laws. Whimsical holiday tableaus.

The illustrator showcased a versatility that spanned seven decades, including 16 years at Newsday, family and friends said. He created the art for comic strips, novel covers, Coca-Cola ads, the popular "Draw 50” book series for budding artists, fun baseball cards of fictional players, and magazines. He impressed friends with painted portraits in his home studio, where operas played while he worked.

His pieces are denoted by a good amount of cross-hatching, control of watercolors and expressive faces, illustrators said.

"You could tell Tony’s artwork from everybody else’s because he was an original," said artis

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