The Great and Mighty Da-Da

The people of the plains are not easily impressed. They scoff at east coast puffery, wrinkle noses at west coast trendism. They are a common sense, no-nonsense lot with a work ethic unequaled in America. They do not embrace easily writers, philosophers or humorists. Yet Tony Bender has been embraced out here on the prairie. For in his writing, on pages turned by tired, callused hands, the people of the high plains recognize themselves.

He is in their face, at their side, jabbing, poking, tickling, kicking butt, consoling and always understanding. For more than a decade, Bender’s readers have laughed with him and shed secret tears when no one can see behind the pages of a score of small weekly newspapers and medium size dailies in the Dakotas. He has been their loosely-kept secret. They have clipped the columns, and they yellow in scrap books, adorn refrigerators or are mailed off to exotic locales where ex-patriots still yearn for the elbow room and buffalo grass.

In 2000, with the publication of his first collection, Loons in the Kitchen, the secret was completely out. New readers raved and bought extra copies, so they could share this powerful voice from the plains who describes unerringly the hard-scrabble farmers and bigger-than-life small-town personalities. Long time readers smiled smugly at the fuss, for he is one of their own. Now Bender is back, his voice growing ever clearer, his vision sharper, his punctuation consistently abysmal. But book editors must have work. With The Great and Mighty Da-Da, Bender returns with new missives, unique insights and common sense philosophies. Bender is back. Well, the truth is, he never really went away.

Long recognized as one of the finest writers in the Dakotas, Tony Bender gained national recognition in 2001 when he was awarded a first place prize for humor writing by the National Newspaper Association for his piece entitled, “The Redhead’s Tractor,” which is contained in his first collection of writing, Loons in the Kitchen.

While acclaimed for his humor writing, Bender’s ability to present more serious, heart-warming and introspective aspects of life on the Great Plains also helped him win seven first place newspaper association awards for his column in the ‘90s.

Born in 1958 in Ashley, ND, Bender grew up in Frederick, a tiny community on the North Dakota-South Dakota border, 26 miles north of Aberdeen, SD. That community with a population of 400 provided Bender with a “Tom Sawyer existence” that surfaces in his writing as he tells the tales of the characters he grew to love.

After a year of journalism at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, Bender, in 1977, opted for hands-on experience and embarked on a radio career including stops at KSDN and KKAA in Aberdeen and KQDJ in Jamestown, ND.

In 1983, Bender moved to Denver where he worked at legendary radio stations KHOW and KIMN.

His sense of adventure took him to Juneau, AK in 1986, where he starred at KTKU with his unique morning show featuring alter-egos like obnoxious newsman Irving R. Osgood and the unscrupulous Rev. Billy Joe Jim-Bob. In 1988, Bender was awarded the “Goldie,” a top honor from the Alaska Radio and Television Association, for his accomplishments at KTKU.

In 1989, Bender accepted a morning drive position at WBPR in Myrtle Beach, SC. Shortly after his arrival, Hurricane Hugo struck. While all other broadcast stations evacuated, Bender and his newsman elected to stay to broadcast to the many listeners who had not been able to evacuate in time. As the only station on the air for hundreds of miles delivering crucial information, the effort was widely applauded by South Carolina officials and citizens.

In 1990, Bender returned to North Dakota to be closer to his family, accepting a position as news director at KYYY, Bismarck. In 1991, he took a position as a reporter at the Williston Daily Herald. Six months later he was offered the publishership of the floundering Adams County Record in Hettinger, ND.

The switch from radio to newspaper was not at all unplanned. Bender says he planned to do radio until he got “too old to be cool on the airwaves.” Then he would write. But he’s still cool, he claims.

Bender sparked a resurgence in the Adams County Record leading it to two General Excellence Awards, the highest honor from the North Dakota Newspaper Association. He served as executive news director for the parent company, Dickson Media, until 1997.

Bender was presented the first-ever North Dakota Newspaper Association First Amendment Award in 2000 for his continuing fight for the public’s right to know what their governments are doing.

Bender led the Ashley Tribune to NDNA Sweepstakes Awards in 2000 and 2001. He is a two-time winner of the North Dakota Heritage Writing Contest. His writing has been published in North Dakota Outdoors, The National Newspaper Association’s Publishers Auxiliary, The Journal of Indian Wars and newspapers in many states.

Bender compiled more than fifty of his columns into Loons in the Kitchen in 2000. The effort was praised by readers and critics, establishing Bender as a best selling regional author.

Bender and his wife, Julie, have two children, Dylan and India. The couple owns Redhead Publishing, which includes The Wishek Star and Ashley Tribune. The company publishes niche publications including Mighty Mac Hunting & Fishing Guide and Spring and Fall Ag Outlook.