Our relationship began on Nov. 19, 2022, with an email I received that began, “Dear Editor,” followed by an introduction and the attachment of four line-drawn cartoons. The cartoonist was from Toledo, Iowa, his work was quirky, and I liked it. He offered his work to us “100% free.”

I had only been an editor at this paper for a few months at that time, and I wasn’t a fan of the political cartoon we were running. I asked our publisher if we could try the new cartoon, and he agreed, if there were space. We had to keep the political cartoon.

Getting the new comic, “Flysoup,” into the paper wasn’t easy. It seems change always meets resistance. But some weeks I scored a victory, and “Flysoup” made it onto the Opinion page.

A year later, TJ Rhodes was looking for stories, and I pitched him the idea of interviewing the cartoonist, Michael D. Davis. TJ picked it up, and his feature story on Mike ran in our February 1, 2024, issue.

At the end of their interview, TJ told me, Mike mentioned that I was the only editor he emailed comics to every week that ever responded to thank him. How was that possible?

Mike was up for a couple awards at the Iowa Newspaper Association conference in January 2024, and I hoped to meet him there, but it was not to be. It seems the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle, for whom he covered meetings and wrote a weekly column, didn’t want to buy him an awards dinner. How was that possible?

Finally, on July 3, we met in person. Mike walked through the door of The News office, Ma and sister Michelle in tow. They were spending the day in Iowa City and made a stop in Kalona to see the General Store – and meet us at The News.

What a fun hour that was! Morgan Dakarian got Mike to sign one of her newspapers, and Colette Yoder shared with the family how to avoid a harrowing ride home on gravel roads, because that is how their GPS brought them here.

Our three guests had us in stitches, telling us stories about life in their town, and sharing a particularly memorable description of their bathroom shower. It seems Dad may have fit it with exposed pipes and an outdoor spigot and may or may not have only hooked up the cold water. Michelle said she wished she could “napalm” the bathroom. It was apparent that Mike’s sense of humor was shared by his family.

If you have the inclination, purchase a copy of Mike’s new book, “Yokels in the Windy City and Other Reflections From ‘Magic Mike 6XL’” – a collection of his smart and witty columns written for the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle over the last year, and for which he won the Master Columnist award – on Amazon.

I have my signed copy, and I can’t wait to read it.