As I delve into the history of Scott Adams’ Dilbert comic strip, I’m learning a few things about the skill required of cartoonists. It shocks me that Adams kept at this trade for 33 years without ever skipping a beat!
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In this second year of his syndicated comic strip, Adams advances his game by including a number of lengthier story arcs. What had once been 2-day arcs (at most) in 1989 now extend in 1990 for more than a week at a time. This year includes such wonderful arcs as:
- Dilbert and Dogbert’s stint on jury duty
- Dilbert’s identity theft and firing from his job
- Dilbert getting turned into a frog by his blind date, a witch
- Dilbert’s visit to mud-soaked Elbonia following the fall of the Soviet Union
- Dogbert’s training of Soviet dogs in an exchange program, post-fall
Most notably, though, is the entire sequence where Dilbert is hunted and murdered by wild deer on Mother Nature’s orders! He is then brought back to life through the cloning device that he willed to Dogbert and the helpful advice of the high-IQ garbage man. Adams deals with death in comic form like this:
September 25, 1990
In this new year, we also learn a little more about Dilbert’s job. From the 1989 series, I thought perhaps that he was a self-employed inventor. In 1990, though, we learn he’s an engineer who actually works in an office with co-workers and a boss. These aren’t quite to the level of the recurrent characters we meet later on the comic strip’s lifespan, but they’re definitely inklings.
Scott Adams’ skill as a cartoonist comes in the form of his willingness to stretch the bounds of reality to make Dilbert and Dogbert both more than simply a single nerd-inventor trying to leave his mark in life and a dog who wants to rule the world. Their personalities play a role in the daily comics, but Adams goes far beyond these limits to entertain us.
One way he does this is to make occasional references to current events (like the fall of the Soviet Union mentioned above) and to key players, like Dan Quayle and even Donald Trump. Take this gem for example:
February 14, 1990
Adams was ahead of his time, not only in matters re: Donald J. Trump, but also in matters of censorship. This one spoke particular volumes to me, considering Adams’ own cancelation for sharing his opinions while the Woke Mob was listening:
December 22, 1990
Many of the strips from this second year touched my funny bone. I’ll leave a few of them here for you to enjoy, but I encourage you get yourself a copy of the Dilbert compendium and enjoy this ride with me!
March 14, 1990
April 1, 1990
July 16, 1990
December 13, 1990
It’s never too late to enjoy some old gems from the tale-end of the age when newspaper Funnies were a daily go-to. Ignore the calendars and enjoy some Scott Adams in bulk. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
©2025 E.T.
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Read More about Comics:
- “Dilbert: The First Year” by Scott Adams (1989)
- “Dilbert, the Second Year” by Scott Adams (1990)
- “Dilbert: The Third Year” by Scott Adams (1991)
- Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (1993)
- Reinventing Comics by Scott McCloud (2000)
- Sparky by Beverly Gherman (2010)
- Big Nate: From the Top by Lincoln Pierce (2010)