9 4 2 ▁M its em ▁was ▁asked ▁by ▁Real ph ▁Nor land ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁newspaper ▁T ø ns berg s ▁Bl ad , ▁which ▁had ▁t ies ▁to ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party . ▁He ▁began ▁working ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁when ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁was ▁over . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁co - editor ▁alongside ▁Nor land , ▁and ▁when ▁Nor land ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁M its em ▁became ▁the ▁sole ▁editor - in - ch ief . ▁He ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁ ▁M its em ▁reached ▁out ▁to ▁an ▁even ▁larger ▁audience ▁with ▁the ▁column ▁" S OR RY ▁e . ▁T roll h aug ens ▁T ass " ▁in ▁A ften post en , ▁which ▁was ▁Norway ' s ▁largest ▁circul ated ▁newspaper ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁He ▁was ▁contact ed ▁by ▁their ▁news ▁editor ▁P . ▁Chr . ▁Anders en ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁who ▁wanted ▁a ▁daily ▁column ▁with ▁hum orous ▁and ▁sat ir ical ▁tid bits . ▁The ▁column ▁took ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁an ▁e pon ym ous ▁co cker ▁span iel ; ▁the ▁dog ▁figure ▁was ▁chosen ▁from ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁candidates ▁presented ▁by ▁Eg il ▁Me id ell ▁Ho pp . ▁M its em ▁continued ▁the ▁column ▁long ▁after ▁his ▁ret irement , ▁and ▁quit ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁after ▁fifty ▁years . ▁He ▁was ▁near