Drawing on Colonial Life

'When you spot something that would make a good cartoon, you know right away,'' says Tony D'Adamo of Smithtown, a former Newsday staffer who is now a freelance artist.

For many years, D'Adamo has been fascinated by the fun and facts inherent in old laws and records. About four years ago, he started researching town laws on a regular basis in the Smithtown Library and creating cartoons based on what he turned up. ``I'm struck by the humor,'' he says, ``by the quaintness of the writing. I might run through 65 or 75 pages before something jumps out at me. Then I go home and start thinking of ideas for illustrations that fit the copy. I never change the wording of the laws.'' The cartoons on this page are a few of his favorites