Scott Adams, the visionary cartoonist behind the globally syndicated ‘Dilbert’ comic strip, has passed away at 68 following a prolonged battle with prostate cancer. His former spouse, Shelly Miles, emotionally announced his passing during a live broadcast of his podcast ‘Real Coffee with Scott Adams’ on Tuesday.
Adams launched the satirical workplace comic in 1989, creating an enduring cultural phenomenon that would eventually appear in over 2,000 newspapers across 65 countries. The strip’s protagonist—a perpetually frustrated yet competent engineer navigating absurd corporate environments—resonated deeply with office workers worldwide, spawning numerous best-selling books, an animated television adaptation, and video game spin-offs.
His professional achievements included the prestigious National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award in 1997 and multiple Newspaper Comic Strip Awards. Beyond cartooning, Adams authored several self-help publications including ‘How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big’ and ‘Reframe Your Brain,’ leveraging his background as a trained hypnotist.
The cartoonist’s later career became overshadowed by controversy when numerous publications, including the Washington Post, discontinued his strip in 2023 following racially charged remarks. Adams had characterized Black Americans as a ‘hate group’ during a podcast segment, comments he subsequently defended as hyperbolic rhetoric taken out of context.
Former President Donald Trump commemorated Adams on Truth Social, praising him as ‘a fantastic guy’ who ‘bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease.’
In his final days, Adams had been receiving palliative care at home after his cancer metastasized to his bones. He had openly discussed his deteriorating condition with listeners, noting on January 1st that recovery was improbable due to paralysis and progressing heart failure.
His podcast concluded with a posthumous message read by Miles: ‘I had an amazing life, I gave it everything I had. If I got any benefits from my work, I’m asking that you pay it forward. Be useful, and please know I loved you all to the very end.’