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    March 5, 2009 — When former Humboldt Creamery CEO Rich Ghilarducci skipped town, Jack Mays thought it only appropriate that a “missing” poster should be put on milk cartoons. First place 2010 National Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest, Editorial Cartoons (no circulation breakdown)
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    Oct. 18, 2007 — When new resident Stuart Altschuler, a licensed psychotherapist, sought a Home Occupation Permit from the City of Ferndale, he was assaulted with what some termed as homophobic comments from a few audience members. Ferndale’s mayor at the time, Jeff Farley, didn’t seek to stop the comments during the now infamous Ferndale City Council meeting.
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    Jan. 17, 2008 — Eventually, after several contentious Ferndale City Council hearings, Altschuler received his permit on a 4-1 vote with Farley voting against the permit. Jack Mays envisioned him as Altschuler’s first customer.
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    Nov. 29, 2012. — Mayoral candidate Kenny Weller is on the left, as the vote counting for the Ferndale mayor’s race went into overtime with a tie on election night between Weller and Titus. Weller is being advised by a former Ferndale mayor — and major character in Jack’s cartoons — Jeff Farley. Jack has skewered Farley for many years — both in his role as mayor and on the fair board.
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    June 17, 2010 — When the Coast Guard was threatening to come and remove the first-order Cape Mendocino Fresnel lens, which had been housed at the entrance to the Humboldt County Fairgrounds for 60 years, Jack Mays chained himself to the replica lighthouse and penned this cartoon, thumbing his nose at the Coast Guard and redirecting their efforts at more important endeavors, such as cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Second place 2011 National Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest, Editorial Cartoons (no circulation breakdown)
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    April 28, 2011 — Ferndale dairyman John Vevoda, a member of the Humboldt County Tea Party, was paid almost $1 million in 2011 in money from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for a floodplain easement for his Ferndale bottoms land. Vevoda’s winter-time flooded property was often referred to as “Lake Vevoda.” Jack Mays renamed it “Lake Obama” — with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. First place 2012 National Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest, Editorial Cartoons (no circulation breakdown)
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    Jan. 13, 2011 — Former Humboldt Creamery CEO Rich Ghilarducci — who was convicted of lying to a bank and eventually was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison — was depicted by Jack Mays as Pinocchio and the bank, creamery partner and new owner of the creamery, as Geppetto. The cartoon was accompanied by a front page story in that week’s Enterprise about Ghilarducci’s defense against his criminal charge — stating that he advised against the creamery’s expansion in 2004 — and his lying on an application to an Arizona real estate agent licensing board as he attempted to begin a new career in real estate. Second place 2012 National Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest, Editorial Cartoons (no circulation breakdown)
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    March 30, 2011 — With the approaching sentencing of former Humboldt Creamery CEO Rich Ghilarducci on bank fraud, Jack Mays envisioned the weather changing with Ghilarducci enjoying his final days of freedom, poolside at his Arizona second home.
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    July 29, 2010 — After the Ferndale Unified School District settled a federal lawsuit with ousted district superintendent Sam Garamendi, the district handed out pink slips and increased class sizes. The irony did not escape Jack Mays, who penned dozens of cartoons defending Garamendi and calling a three-trustee coup against Garmendi, a “witch hunt.” The majority of the district’s trustees also wanted Garamendi out and in the end it ended up costing them as the district had to write a settlement check for $140,000 … a big hit on the small district’s budget.
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    Feb. 3, 2011 — When all state funding to California fairs was eliminated in 2011, long-time Humboldt County Fair Manager Stuart Titus was faced with a $160,000 hit to the fair association’s budget. With Titus’s rallying of local lawmakers to restore fair funding, Jack Mays thought it only appropriate if California Governor Jerry Brown received a “sure-bet” tip at fairtime.
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    Oct. 23, 2008 — When Ferndale City Council candidates David Walters, left, and Shannon Leonardo, right refused to answer written submitted questions, submitted to them by The Enterprise for an election preview story, the candidates’ “no-talk” policy reminded him of a similar strategy of the Republican party’s 2008 vice-presidential nominee, Sarah Palin.
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    Nov. 11, 2006 — Local sports broadcaster Tag Wotherspoon is known for his drawn out “thank yous” at the end of each Wildcat competition broadcasts, heard locally on KWPT. This cartoon depicted “the guys” in the broadcast booth at Ferndale High’s Coach Carlson athletic field and their growing impatience with the effervescent Wotherspoon.
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    June 30, 2011 — When Ferndale mayor at the time, Jeff Farley, dropped out of the race for Humboldt County First District Supervisor, Jack Mays was crushed as the small-town politician was one of Mays’ favorite subjects. Lucky for Jack, Farley was still Ferndale mayor and a Humboldt County Fair Board Director.
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    April 23, 2009 — When former Humboldt Creamery CEO Rich Ghilarducci turned 49 in Arizona — where he had fled after leaving the 80-year-old cooperative in the dark of the night, Jack Mays wished him a happy birthday at the same time the creamery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
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    Sept. 6, 2012 — When Ferndale schools chief Jack Lakin announced a sidelines media ban, as a result of the Ferndale High School football team being placed on probation for alleged racial taunting by its fans, Lakin was depicted as Elmer Fudd for “shooting the messengers.”
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    March 29, 2012 — With Ferndale High School’s football program under fire for racially-motivated taunting by fans in 2010 and 2011, Ferndale schools chief Jack Lakin defended the program and its fans every step of the way. Eventually, Lakin — because of The Enterprise’s dogged reporting — admitted that he had witnessed “inappropriate behavior” by a Ferndale fan against a Salesian High School coach. (He also admitted knowing who was involved in an earlier incident involving the taunting of a McClymonds High School player.) When the Million Hoodies Movement for Justice took off after the controversial shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, it only seemed appropriate that Lakin, having finally been forced to admit Wildcat fan wrongdoing, join the movement.
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    July 11, 2013 — When Ferndale schools chief Jack Lakin was accused of physical intimidation at a public school board meeting by Ferndale Enterprise editor Caroline Titus, Lakin responded by stating that Titus stepped into Lakin’s “personal space.” Lakin’s excuse as a former football player and coach was seen as ridiculous by Mays, considering his physical presence.
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    Oct. 31, 2013 — The Humboldt County Fair Association Board of Directors, before they adjourned in October, 2013 for another “private social hour,” announced that that year’s horse racing meet was much worse financially than anticipated. At the same meeting, financial statements showed what was supposed to be (according to director Jeff Farley, on right) a donated $2,000 granite bar for the directors’ “VIP” room (aka board room), was actually paid for by the association. In addition, the association voted to give its new general manager, Richard Conway (seen on left) a 10 percent raise. By the year’s end, the association was at least $185,000 over budget and its much-needed reserves dropped dramatically.
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    Former Ferndale City Councilman Carlos Benemann, far right, filed a temporary restraining order against fellow councilman Stuart Titus, third from left, demanding that he and his “associates” stay six feet away from him because Titus called him and swore at him over a council issue. Jack Mays saw the absurdity in Benemann’s TRO, which was eventually denied by the court and Benemann was forced in a SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) brought by Titus to pay Titus $12,000 in legal fees. (Also featured, from the left: Jeff Farley, Andy Doerner, Lino Mogni, James Moore, former Ferndale Police Chief Lonnie Lawson and Richard Hooley.) Mays addressed a personal note to Caroline Titus: “Caroline, that was the week that was … the best En2006 terprise ever. You gave the rest of the county a lesson in journalism. — Jack.”
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    A personal cartoon note from Mays to Caroline Titus: “Caroline, your journalistic integrity has passed every test ‘they’ could challenge. — Jack.”
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    A personal cartoon note from Mays to Caroline Titus: “Caroline, count to ten and then kick the bastards in the balls. — Jack.”
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    A personal cartoon note from Mays to Caroline Titus: “Caroline, nobody could replace us. — Jack.”
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    Nov. 15, 2007 — “I did just run across this one that Jack did after Hobart Brown died. Poignant now.” — Caroline Titus, The Ferndale Enterprise
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    Nov. 16, 2006 — When Ferndale High School student Dylan Feierabend was diagnosed with a rare form or cancer, the community — as it always does — rallied around their schoolmate and his family with a fundraiser. Jack Mays drew a group of Ferndale High football players showing their support for the young Feierabend and donated the cartoon to the fundraising event.
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    July 3, 2003 — Local dairy farmers Pete and Mary Ann Bansen. One of the “romance novel cartoons” inspired by “Captivating a Cowboy,” a Harlequin romance novel set in Ferndale.
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    July 10, 2003 — Ferndale’s Joe & Emily Luis. One of the “romance novel cartoons” inspired by “Captivating a Cowboy,” a Harlequin romance novel set in Ferndale.
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    July 17, 2003 — Ring’s Drug Store’s Tom Renner and his beloved dog, Heidi. One of the “romance novel cartoons” inspired by “Captivating a Cowboy,” a Harlequin romance novel set in Ferndale.
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    July 24, 2003 — Bud & Jean Myers. One of the “romance novel cartoons” inspired by “Captivating a Cowboy,” a Harlequin romance novel set in Ferndale.
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    July 31, 2003 — John & Kay Gilliland One of the “romance novel cartoons” inspired by “Captivating a Cowboy,” a Harlequin romance novel set in Ferndale.
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    Aug. 26, 2010 — Memorial cartoon for Mary Coppini, an epic exhibitor at the Humboldt County Fair who probably won more blue ribbons than any other exhibitor in fair history.
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    July 2, 2009 — The Grant Wood painting, American Gothic, only seemed fitting as Ferndale watched the demise of Humboldt Creamery. Local dairy farmers Kathleen and Dennis Leonardi fit the role perfectly as they watched the 80-year-old cooperative, that Leonardi’s father helped form, dissolve.
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    Feb. 19, 2009 — When Ferndale’s Ethan Craig was diagnosed with cancer at age four, Ferndale rallied around him and his family. Ethan was a giant Star Wars fan. The force is still with Ethan five years later.
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    Jan. 1, 2004 — Self-portrait, with Jack Mays and Caroline Titus
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    Jan. 20, 2005 — Self-portrait, with Jack Mays and Willis Hadley.
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    June 13, 2013 — Self-portrait
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    July 13, 2006 — Self-portrait, with Jack Mays and grandson Garret Mays.
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    Jan. 23, 2014 — Jack Mays’ (probably) last editorial cartoon