'Sock Monkey and Bluejay'. The line "Yes, Virginia, there IS a trumbernick" refers to Francis Pharcellus Church's editorial 'Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus'.
Tony Millionaire is an enigmatic artist and storyteller, best known for his 'Sock Monkey' (2001) series, published by Dark Horse. Millionaire was born and raised in Glouchester, Massachusetts, and studied at the Massachusetts College of Art. 'Sock Monkey' focuses on the adventures of a sock monkey named Uncle Gabby and his inebriated stuffed-toy friend, Mr. Crow, as they innocently wreak havoc on the world around them in a never-ending search for adventure and excitement. It's part children's fantasy, part surreal philosophy, and part grim, gothic fairy tale, all lovingly embellished in Millionaire's signature Victorian illustrative style.
'Maakies'.
Millionaire is also the author of the popular weekly comic strip 'Maakies' (1994-2016), which ran in newspapers and alternative weeklies nationwide. It has also been collected in paperbacks by Fantagraphics. Millionaire's work has appeared in The New York Press, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Millionaire was recognized with the Eisner Award for "talent deserving greater recognition" at the International ComicCon in San Diego.
In 2001, Millionaire contributed to 'Legal Action Comics, Vol. 1', a comic intended to help cartoonist Danny Hellman after he became victim of a financially-devastating nuisance lawsuit. On 16 June 2012, he was one of several cartoonists paying tribute to Matt Groening's 'Life in Hell', after its final episode appeared in print. The same year, Millionaire contributed to a special Halloween-themed comic of 'SpongeBob Squarepants', a character created by Stephen Hillenburg. Millionaire also paid tribute to Antonio Prohias' 'Spy vs. Spy' in the collective homage album 'Spy vs. Spy:An Explosive Celebration' (2015).
Tony Millionaire was an influence on Rick Parker.
'Sock Monkey'.
'Maakies'.