Scott Adams, the creator of the popular comic strip, “Dilbert,” died after battling metastatic prostate cancer. He was 68 years old.
Members of the Scott Adams School, formerly known as Coffee With Scott Adams, made the announcement on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.
In 2015, Adams wrote blog posts praising Donald Trump and featuring a variety of conservative guest on his daily podcast. Adams started to question the Holocaust and oppose the COVID vaccine. In 2023, “Dilbert” was dropped from syndicated newspapers across the United States following comments made on his livestream calling Black people a “a hate group.” In March of 2023, “Dilbert” was relaunched as “Dilbert Reborn” on Locals subscription site.
In May, Adams announced his cancer diagnosis, the same day former President Joe Biden stated he had an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer. “I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has. I also have prostate cancer that has spread to my bones, but I’ve had it longer than he’s had it – well, longer that he’s admitted having it. I expect to be checking out from this domain sometime this summer.”
Adams endorsed Trump twice but stated, “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. There’s only one direction this goes now.”
The cartoonist was born in Windham, New York in 1957 and started drawing comics when he was six years old. Adams has stated the “Peanuts” comic strip was an early inspiration. He graduated with a BA in economics from Hartwick College in 1979 just before moving to California to launch his career. He held a variety of jobs between 1979 and 1986 at Crocker National Banker, before earning his MBA in 1986 at the University of California, Berkeley.
Adams created “Dilbert” while working at Pacific Bell. The title of the cartoon came from his boss at the time. The comic strip was launched with United Media and he would continue to draw inspiration from his coworkers for the cartoon characters.
By 1994, “Dilbert” was in syndication in over 400 newspapers. The following year, Adams left Pacific Bell to become a full-time cartoonist. In 1996, he published “The Dilbert Principle,” and in 1997 was awarded the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist and Best Newspaper Comic Strip.
In 1999, “Dilbert” was adapted into a television series. Adams was an executive producer for the show that ran for two seasons and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1999.
Image Courtesy of Chin, SingaporeBy Jeanette Vietti
Source:
Variety: Scott Adams, ‘Dilbert’ Creator, Dies at 68
Featured Image Courtesy of John Roling’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Chin, Chin, Singapore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
