Washington, 14 January (H.S.): Scott Adams, the celebrated American cartoonist and author renowned for his Dilbert comic strip, died on Tuesday at age 68 after a prolonged battle with metastatic prostate cancer while under hospice care at his northern California home.

Iconic Strip's Rise and Cultural Resonance

Adams launched Dilbert in 1989, masterfully satirizing the banalities of corporate bureaucracy through the misadventures of an inept engineer, his pointy-haired boss, and a cast of eccentric colleagues including the scheming Wally and domineering Catbert.

At its peak, the strip appeared in over 2,000 newspapers across 65 countries, spawning books, an animated TV series, and a video game that amplified its critique of white-collar drudgery.

Adams, born June 8, 1957, parlayed this success into self-help titles like How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big and Win Bigly, blending humor with personal development insights.

Final Days and Emotional Farewell

Diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in May 2025—shortly after a similar public revelation by former President Biden—Adams endured severe pain as the disease spread to his bones, rendering him paralyzed from the waist down by December and reliant on a walker. His ex-wife, Shelly Miles, announced his passing Tuesday morning via an emotional live stream on his YouTube channel Real Coffee with Scott Adams, reading a pre-recorded message: I had an amazing life; I gave it everything I had... Be kind and know I love you all to the very end.Adams livestreamed daily until Monday, maintaining his unfiltered commentary despite declining health.

Controversy's Lasting Shadow and Political Endorsements

Adams' career unraveled in 2023 after a podcast rant labeling Black people a hate group based on a Rasmussen poll about the phrase It's okay to be white, prompting outlets like the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times to drop Dilbert and his syndicator to sever ties.

He defended the remarks as hyperbole, earning support from Elon Musk, who decried media racism, while President Donald Trump praised him Tuesday on Truth Social as a great influencer who backed his 2016 campaign when it was unpopular.

Adams also endured personal tragedy, including the 2018 overdose death of his stepson Justin, whom he raised from age two following a teenage bike accident.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar