Dilbert, the well-known comic strip by cartoonist Scott Adams about the office everyman and his crew of incompetent colleagues, was the first syndicated comic that focused primarily on the workplace when it launched in 1989. Five years later, it had become so successful that Adams quit his corporate career to work on it full-time.
It wasn’t a straight line to success. Early versions of the comic were rejected by several publications, including The New Yorker and Playboy. It wasn’t until an editor at United Media saw it and recognized her own husband in the character that it finally got its start, says Adams in his book, “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.”
Ever since, the comic has explored topics like the inefficiency of meetings, the uselessness of management, and the absurdity of office politics.
Exclusively for Business Insider, Adams looked through the archives of Dilbert.com and shared his 10 favorite comics. Below, he explains why he chose each and counts them down to his absolute favorite of all-time.
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10. October 10, 2009: “Dream job”
“This comic causes the reader to imagine a funny future in which Wally will only pretend to do the assignment. Humor sometimes works best when one suggests what is coming without showing it. People laugh harder when they need to use their imaginations to complete the joke.
“I also like comics in which characters are unusually happy about something trivial, evil, or selfish. That juxtaposition is always funny to me.
“Another technique I often use involves characters saying things that should only be thought. That creates the inappropriateness that gives it an edge.”
9. September 24, 2009: “Opportunities”
“Management-by-slogan usually comes across to employees as ridiculous and condescending. That, in part, is what makes the staff in this comic so uncaring about the boss’s house burning down. The ordinary evil of regular people is always funny to me. It’s easy to relate to it.”
8. November 12, 2009: “Roll a donut in front of the cave”
“A common humor technique involves juxtaposing something of immense importance with something trivial. The pairing of things that don’t belong together makes your brain ‘sneeze’ in the form of a laugh. In this comic, Wally is comparing his digestive system to Jesus rising from the dead. A dash of spiritual inappropriateness gives it some seasoning.”
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