Scott Adams: In his own words
In yesterday’s post I showed you how Scott Meyer’s comic, Basic Instructions, would look stuffed into a traditional comic strip format. It’s a tight fit. Today, as an experiment, I rewrote Scott’s joke for Dilbert, to see how many words I could save by featuring a well-understood character, and reducing…
Read MoreIf you are new to my ongoing reality series on cartoonist Scott Meyer, start with this link to catch up: http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/08/basic-instruc-1.html Readers of this blog overwhelmingly preferred reading Basic Instructions in its original 4-panel and wordy format compared to the simpler strip format, the sort that newspapers are more willing…
Read MoreWhen I was taking hypnosis classes our instructor taught us a seduction technique. It was more of a joke than a functional method, designed to make a point about how the brain works. It goes like this… After you get your date back to your place, and you haven’t closed…
Read MoreYou aren’t seeing reruns of Dilbert comics this week. You did indeed see the coffee-swilling beaver saying exactly what he’s saying in those comics, but you saw it here in this blog, as I described my process for making those comics. You saw the punchline but not the whole comic…
Read MoreI’ve said before in this blog that it feels to me as if all of my ideas already exist, and I’m nothing but some sort of antennae. Every time I have an idea, no matter how strange, that idea inevitably finds its way to my door from some other source….
Read MoreWhen I read The Da Vinci Code, I enjoyed it because I thought the historical information was based on fact. It wasn’t, and I’m glad I know that now. I’m doubly glad I didn’t know it when I read the book, as it would have spoiled the fun. Sometimes bullshit…
Read MoreIf you are new to my ongoing reality series on cartoonist Scott Meyer, start with this link to catch up: http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/08/basic-instruc-1.html In an earlier post I advised Scott to try focusing on relationship themes, to make the strip “about something,” and therefore more marketable. The readers of this blog overwhelmingly…
Read MoreRecently I agreed to publicly advise cartoonist Scott Meyer, in the fashion of a reality show, with your help, as he attempts to develop his comic, Basic Instructions, for a bigger audience. If you are new to this blog, start with this link to catch up: http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/08/basic-instruc-1.html In my previous…
Read MoreI hate it when any country does something better than my country. It’s embarrassing. The indignity reached its peak with the latest report on life expectancy. The United States is ranked 42nd. Who is at the top, you might ask? Japan? No. Switzerland? No. Today I learned there is a…
Read MoreI have many critics. Perhaps you’ve noticed. Lately their ranks have swelled. Obviously I’m doing something right. For example, my recent post about immigration has caused quite a stir on white supremacist web sites that are urging a boycott of all things Dilbert. Their argument goes like this: 1. We…
Read MoreScott Meyer asked me to post this message to you: I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who took the time to go look at my work. Your comments have been very useful, and so overwhelmingly positive as to make me question their authenticity. (Scott…
Read MoreHoly crap. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a positive response to a new comic. (See yesterday’s comments.) It looks as if about 80% of you like it a lot. Let me put that in perspective. Dilbert is in 2,000 newspapers, and I would guess that only 20% of…
Read MoreSeveral months ago I clicked on a web link that led me to a comic called Basic Instructions, by Scott Meyer. I thought, “Damn, this is good.” So I sent him my compliments via e-mail. Scott replied, expressing deep suspicion that I was really the Dilbert cartoonist and not some…
Read MoreAs I’ve mentioned in this blog, when people associate with a point of view, they begin to lose objectivity. For example, if you were President of the Unicorn Association of America, and spent your days explaining how wonderful unicorns are, you would become married to that viewpoint. If 400 peer-reviewed…
Read MoreIn yesterday’s post, I reprinted an e-mail I allegedly received from a 10-year old fan named Bobby. Many of you believe it was a hoax. Some say the kid seemed too smart to be real. Others point out that he could have easily Googled the answers to the questions he…
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