Tough economic times fuel success for Dilbert

"I knew I wanted to have Dilbert fired -- and fired for reasons that were not related to his competence. Because I always want him to be good at his job."

As it turns out, economic collapse benefits at least one oppressed office worker. Dilbert, the iconic cartoon character who represents the crushed souls and wrecked dreams of so many cubicle dwellers, is having a banner year.

In February, dilbert.com handled 1.5 million unique visitors, among the busiest of months in the site's history. Maybe that's because lately the strip's stories of pointed-haired bosses, corporate gobbledygook and naked incompetence feel like chicken soup for our downsized souls.

As we prepare to celebrate next month's 20th anniversary of "Dilbert," cartoonist Scott Adams explains why bad times are so good for Dilbert.

Q In January, Dilbert was laid off. Can you explain what has been happening since then?

A Yeah, he was fired. It started when Dilbert's company got less busy and his project got canceled, so he was looking for ways to fill time. He started a side business at work. Eventually, he got fired for using company resources to start that business. He lost everything, and his mortgage was underwater and his investments tanked. He spent some humiliating time interviewing for jobs. Eventually he got his job back but at lower salary than when he left.

Q Clearly what has been happening to Dilbert has been happening to many of us in real life. Why do you think people want to see their own misery reflected back in a comic strip?

A It's human nature. The one thing that people find more interesting than anything is themselves. Also, in the real world, you would get fired for saying what Dilbert says. He gets to say what a normal person can't.

Q You've said that it's easier to write the strip when the economy tanks. Why is that?

A Humor is the flip side of tragedy. So the worse things are, the easier it is to find humor. And I think there is naturally more absurdity. There was a time during the dot-com era that I literally couldn't get anyone to complain about their jobs. But now, if something is wrong with your life, it's always someone else's fault. It's either the bankers, the politicians or your own managers being greedy and sucking up all the money for their bonus. So you always have someone to blame. And that gives the comic teeth.

Q Have you drawn a comic about AIG?

A Well, I haven't done a cartoon about it since it happened. But I guess I did a cartoon that forecast it; Dogbert was the CEO, and he got some government money and used it all for his bonus.

Q I was fascinated to learn that, before you were a cartoonist, you worked as a bank teller and you were once robbed at gunpoint. What happened? And did that incident ever show up in the strip?

A I was actually robbed twice at gunpoint. The absurdity of it is what really caught my eye. I was making something like $735 a month and yet I was the one that people were pointing guns at. I started wondering if, every time you got promoted, you would make more money and do less work or, at least, have less risk. And that indeed seemed to be the case. Every time I got promoted I seemed to have an easier job. I think that did influence "Dilbert."

Q Can you talk a little bit about the disorder, spasmodic dysphonia, that you've been struggling with lately?

A As you can tell, I can actually have a conversation over the telephone, and for 31/2 years I couldn't do that. Any social situation, like ordering a Diet Coke on an airplane, I had to write notes or use hand signals. It's a disorder that causes your vocal cords to clench involuntarily in the middle of speech. Not to be able to speak is much, much worse than you can ever imagine. It's like that movie, "Ghost," where you can hear everybody but you can't participate. Your entire personality is submerged. If you're not dealing with someone you knew before, you're treated like you're mentally challenged. After a few years of this, I heard about a doctor at UCLA who claimed to be able to fix 85 percent of these cases through surgery. So after a lot of research, I went ahead and had the operation in July. What they do is they open your neck and rewire the nerves. Then, in four months, the connections regrow and suddenly you can talk. It is the most amazing thing.

Q Throughout that time, you were continuing to draw?

A Yeah, I was lucky in that I had one of the few jobs where you don't have to talk. The strip was important during that time, but what became far more important was my blog. It became the way that I could communicate. And I think that kept me sane.

Q When it comes to "Dilbert," do you ever feel as if the cartoon is therapy for people? That it helps them laugh instead of cry?

A Yeah, it's also a misery-loves-company situation. People like to know that they are recognized, that their misery is not just in their head. Also, when you have something to laugh at, it allows you to view your situation in its objective absurdity, which gives you perspective.

Q "Dilbert" just celebrated the 20-year mark. What are the chances that it'll make it to 40 years?