‘Dilbert’ author Scott Adams dies after battle with prostate cancer
Scott Adams, the cartoonist and creator of the widely popular comic strip Dilbert, has died at the age of 68 after a battle with prostate cancer.
Scott Adams, the author and cartoonist whose cartoon “Dilbert,” a satire of corporate life, was widely praised before being banned for racist comments, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 68 years old.
Adams’ ex-wife, Shelley Miles, confirmed Adams’ death on Tuesday, January 13, during a livestream of the show “Real Coffee with Scott Adams.”
“Hey, everyone. Unfortunately, this is not good news,” Miles said. “Of course he waited until right before the show started, but he’s no longer with us.”
Adams revealed in May that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. On New Year’s Day’s episode of Real Coffee with Scott Adams, Adams revealed that his health was deteriorating and told fans that his chances of recovery were “virtually zero.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Adams’ representatives for comment.
Following the announcement of Adams’ death, Miles read out a “last message” from the cartoonist that he had written on New Year’s Day.
“If you’re reading this, things didn’t go well for me either,” Adams wrote. “Before I leave, I would like to say a few things. My body fell before my head. …If you have any doubts about my choices regarding property or anything else, please know that I am not under any kind of insanity or improper influence, I promise.”
In his open letter, Adams also revealed that he had been persuaded by Christian friends to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ (though he described himself as a “non-believer”).
“I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and look forward to spending eternity with Him,” Adams wrote. “The part about me not being a believer should be resolved as soon as I wake up in heaven. I don’t need any more convincing. I hope I’m still eligible for admission.”
Miles said Adams “predicted” his death during their conversation Monday, explaining that “he knew it was a different feeling than he had ever felt before.”
Adams’ ex-spouse added that the cartoonist died “peacefully” surrounded by his loved ones.
Scott Adams’ comic “Dilbert” received critical acclaim even before the racism scandal
Adams’ Dilbert comic strip, centered around an engineer named Dilbert and his white-collar office life, was first published in 1989. The comic’s corporate culture background was inspired by Adams’ real-life experiences working at Pacific Bell Telephone Company (also known as AT&T).
Over the next decade, this observational comedy cartoon won Adams accolades, and the illustrator won the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award in 1997.
By 2013, the series reportedly appeared in 2,000 newspapers in 65 countries and was translated into 25 languages.
But “Dilbert’s” pop culture legacy came to a screeching halt in 2023, when numerous newspapers, including the USA TODAY Network, announced they were canceling the show due to Adams’ racist comments that white people “should stay away from black people.” Adams said at the time that his comments were an exaggeration.
The comic was later relaunched as a Locals webcomic under the name “Daily Dilbert Reborn.”
In addition to Dilbert, Adams has published several books, including Shards of God (2001), The Wars of Religion (2004), How to Fail at Almost Everything and Win Big (2013), Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America (2019), and Reframe Your Brain: The User Interface for Happiness and Success (2023).
“I have lived a wonderful life,” Adams wrote in a New Year’s Day letter. “I gave everything I had. If you benefited from my work in any way, I ask you to pay it forward in any way you can. That’s the legacy I want. It helps. And please know, I loved you all to the end.”
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributor: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
