Dilbert

Dilbert is an American comic strip created by Scott Adams. It began its run on April 16, 1989, and has been distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication. The strip is known for its satirical portrayal of corporate life, workplace bureaucracy, and the interactions of engineers and management in a fictional office.

The central character, Dilbert, is an engineer who frequently endures absurd office politics. The recurring cast includes the Pointy-Haired Boss, who embodies incompetent management; Wally, a caffeine-fueled, lazily efficient coworker; Alice, a sharp-minded but confrontational engineer; Asok, a government intern from India; and Dogbert, Dilbert's cynical talking dog who dispenses advice and ulterior motives. Catbert, the Evil HR Director, and other supporting characters such as the Pointy-Haired Boss's subordinates, provide regular satirical counters to formal business practices.

Beyond weekly strips, Dilbert has been collected in numerous books and calendars and has inspired an animated television series that aired in 1999–2000. The strip's humor centers on observation of office life, technology, and management jargon, and it has had a significant impact on popular culture, contributing phrases and caricatures that persist in discussions of workplace culture.

Across decades, Dilbert has been widely syndicated in newspapers and online. In 2023, controversy surrounding Scott Adams led to several newspapers discontinuing the strip's publication, reflecting debates about the creator's statements and the distribution of his work. The Dilbert franchise remains a notable example of workplace satire and comic strip history.