Dilbert is a
syndicated comic strip created by
Scott Adams, first released in 1989 and still going strong today. It documents the strip's namesake, his fellow coworkers, and even his dog (
Dogbert, naturally] as they stumble through
corporate America. Dilbert's anti-management (rather, anti-idiot, as one of the many anthologies has in its' title) makes it incredibly popular among
cubicle-dwellers everywhere.
Characters
The Dilbert Family
- Dilbert - The strip's namesake, and ultimately our protagonist. Dilbert works for an unnamed company in a cubicle, though he has at one point had an office. His time is spent exclusively between avoiding work, experimenting with new and untested technology, and dreading having to deal with the Pointy Haired Boss.
- Dogbert - Dilberts' "pet", who has aspirations of ruling the world. Dogbert often takes time out of his conquering-the-world schedule to consult at Dilberts' place of employment in the fields of technical support and network administration, though all he uses these jobs for is an outlet for evilness. He is also St. Dogbert, Patron Saint of Technology, and has an active lifestyle for a dog with such stubby legs.
- Mrs. Dilbert - Dilbert's mom, who seems like your typical old mother on the outside, but in reality is as technically-apt as her son. All we know about Dilberts' father is that he has been in a mall for roughly 7 years, and will leave that all you can eat restaurant when he's had all he can eat. Though unnamed in the strip, Scott Adams has referred to her as being called Dilmom (thanks to Servo5678 for the info)
- Ratbert - Another one of Dilberts' "pets", he is a somewhat simpleminded optimist, and though he always has good intentions, has been reduced to being the butt of everyone's jokes.
- Bob, Dawn, and Rex (the Dinosaurs) - One day, Bob randomly appeared in the Dilbert household after Dilbert proved that dinosaurs couldn't possibly be extinct. Soon, he was joined by his mate, Dawn, and their son, Rex. They did avoid being killed off after a poll taken by Scott Adams, and still live on to this day, hiding behind furniture whenever Dilbert has a guest in his house.
Coworkers
- Pointy Haired Boss - Dilberts' manager and archenemy. His name stems from the fact that he literally has two black cones, sticking out of his head, pretending to be hair. The Boss is technologically impaired, which doesn't stop him from asking that random changes be implimented into the companys' projects. He is the epitome of the manager that every office worker fears.
- Wally - The most cynical employee on the face of the planet, Wally gets his kicks from defying management and stealing office supplies. He is often the subject of abuse from Catbert, stemming from both his grooming habits and lack of height.
- Alice - The only female engineer in the company. Doesn't handle criticism well, has a short temper and hates pantyhose with a venegence. Alice had to be harpooned after she refused to return to the office after experiencing the joys of telecommuting.
- Asok - Pronounced "ashook". The lone intern in the strip, Asok is the victim of many pranks, but still holds the youthful optimism that the others lost so very long ago.
- Catbert - Head of Human Resources. An evil, evil cat. Any company policy he attempts to impliment will have a negative effect on all employees within a 5-mile radius.
- Tina the Tech Writer - An ultra-feminist who believes that any conversation she hears is an insult to her gender. Hates engineers.
- Carol the Secretary - Hates employees, and enjoys playing cruel pranks on the Pointy Haired Boss.
- Ted the Generic Guy - He's just there. A filler character for when Mr. Adams can't think of any other characters to use.
- The Elbonians - A group of people hailing from the 4th-world mudhole that is Elbonia. Whenever the Pointy Haired Boss feels like saving money at the cost of quality, he will contract this group of uneducated workers, which generally makes for much entertainment.
Other Characters
Dilbert has gained an incredible following since its' 1989 inception, and has spawned a marketing empire. Almost 20 Dilbert anthologies have been released, and Scott Adams has written several Dilbert themed books.
Dilbert Anthologies (Dates of published strips)
On top of this fine literature, one can buy Dilbert calendars, Dilbert posters, Dilbert tee-shirts, and even Dilbert mints (marketed as Improve-mints, Pay-mints, Postpone-mints, Manage-mints, Approve-mints, Perform-mints and Accomplish-mints).
Dilbert also spawned an animated series that ran for a couple seasons on UPN, and was moderately funny. Dilbert fans subscribe to the Dilbert newsletter, known as the Dogbert New Ruling Class, or DNRC. When Dogbert takes over the world, all of the DNRC shall rule over the peons who don't subscribe. The DNRC is a great newsletter from which spouts the Word of Scott, as well as amusing stories he recieves from cubicle workers across America. www.dilbert.com is probably the most-visited comic website on the face of the planet, and is blocked on many a corporate firewall.
Source: www.dilbert.com, as well as other related writeups.