Scott Adams, the creator of the long-running workplace comic strip "Dilbert," has died after a battle with metastatic prostate cancer. He was 68.
President Donald Trump shared the news on Truth Social, describing Adams as a "fantastic guy" who "liked and respected me when it wasn't fashionable to do so."
"He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease," Trump said.
News of Adams' death was also revealed Tuesday by members of The Scott Adams School, the online community formerly known as Coffee With Scott Adams. His death follows a cancer diagnosis he opened up about in May, when he said the disease had spread to his bones.
During a podcast appearance that month, Adams spoke openly about his prognosis.
"I expect to be checking out from this domain this summer," he said.
Adams announced his diagnosis on the same day former President Joe Biden revealed he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer, according to Variety.
Drawing a comparison between the two cases, Adams said, "I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has. I also have prostate cancer that has also spread to my bones, but I've had it longer than he's had it — well, longer than he's admitted having it."
Although Adams had endorsed Trump twice, he showed sympathy toward Biden and his family.
"I'd like to extend my respect and compassion for the ex-president and his family. They're going through an especially tough time, it's a terrible disease. If you're wondering if I'll get better, the answer is no, it will only get worse," he said. "There's only one direction this goes now."
Adams rose to prominence as a cartoonist with "Dilbert," a comic strip that satirized corporate office culture and gained widespread popularity in the 1990s.
Born in Windham, New York, in 1957, Adams began drawing comics at age 6 and cited Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" as an early influence.
He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Hartwick College in 1979 and moved to California the same year.
Before becoming a full-time cartoonist, Adams worked in a series of office roles at Crocker National Bank from 1979 to 1986, including as a computer programmer, budget analyst, and teller.
He later earned an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1986 and joined Pacific Bell. It was during his time there that Adams created "Dilbert," drawing heavily on his experiences and co-workers for material.
A former boss suggested the comic's title.
"Dilbert" was launched by United Media and quickly gained wide circulation.
By 1994, the strip appeared in more than 400 newspapers.
Adams left Pacific Bell in 1995 to work full time on "Dilbert."
His first book, "The Dilbert Principle," was published in 1996, and the following year he received the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist and Best Newspaper Comic Strip.
The comic was adapted into an animated television series in 1999. Adams served as executive producer and showrunner on the UPN series, which ran for two seasons and received a Primetime Emmy nomination.
In later years, Adams became active as a blogger and podcast host.
Beginning in 2015, he published posts supportive of Trump and featured conservative guests on his daily video podcast. His commentary later included discussion of the Holocaust and opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.
In February 2023, "Dilbert" was dropped by numerous U.S. newspapers after Adams said on his "Real Coffee with Scott Adams" livestream that Black people were a "hate group."
The following month, he relaunched the strip as "Dilbert Reborn" on the subscription platform Locals.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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