Barry Fantoni facts for kids

Barry Ernest Fantoni (born February 28, 1940 – died May 20, 2025) was a talented British artist. He was an author, a cartoonist, and a jazz musician. Fantoni was best known for his work with the magazine Private Eye. He even created a funny fictional football team for the magazine called Neasden F.C.. He also wrote books about Chinese astrology and a mystery novel.

Life and Career Highlights

Fantoni grew up in London's East End. His parents were both gifted musicians. He went to Archbishop Temple School in London. At age fourteen, he won a special scholarship for the arts. He then studied at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts from 1954 to 1958. While there, he started the school's first jazz group. He also helped create a film society and a drama group.

Working with Private Eye

In 1963, Fantoni joined the team at Private Eye. This was a popular magazine known for its funny and satirical content. He created many famous characters for the magazine. He was part of almost every issue until he retired in 2010. Fantoni also wrote scripts for the BBC TV show That Was the Week That Was in 1962.

TV Host and Artist

In 1966, Fantoni hosted a BBC TV show called A Whole Scene Going. This show focused on new trends in art and culture. It was very popular and won him the title of Male TV Personality of the Year. Famous model Twiggy made her first TV appearance on this show. Music groups like The Who, The Kinks, and The Pretty Things also performed. Fantoni even drew the pictures for the sheet music of the song "Let's Go to San Francisco".

Art in the National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery, London bought 17 of Fantoni's drawings in 2006. These drawings included portraits of famous comedians and politicians. Some of these were Bruce Forsyth, Frankie Howerd, and Harold Wilson. The gallery also has several photos of Fantoni himself.

Radio Appearances

Fantoni also appeared on radio shows. On January 27, 2007, he was on BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk. He also appeared as a guest on Private Passions in September 2007. This was a music discussion show on BBC Radio 3.

Later Life

Barry Fantoni passed away in Turin on May 20, 2025. He was 85 years old.

E. J. Thribb, the Fictional Poet

Fantoni was the person behind a funny character named E. J. Thribb. Thribb was a made-up poet who wrote for Private Eye. His poems were usually about famous people who had recently passed away. They always started with the line "So, farewell then...".

Thribb's poems often mentioned the famous person's catchphrase or theme song. They also often featured his friend Keith, or Keith's mum. The poems were written in a stream of consciousness style. This means they flowed like thoughts, broken into lines.

Selected Film Work

• Just Like a Woman (1967)
• The Strange Affair (1968)
• Otley (1968)

External Links

• Fighting Talk website
• British Cartoon Archive – University of Kent – biographical page on Barry Fantoni
• Portraits of Barry Fantoni at the National Portrait Gallery, LondonLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).