Arizona Republic drops 'Dilbert' comic after creator faces backlash for racist tirade

By Ignacio Ventura
Published: Monday, February 27, 2023 - 6:01pm
Updated: Tuesday, February 28, 2023 - 10:49am

The "Dilbert" comic
Tim Agne/KJZZ
The "Dilbert" comic ran in the business section of the Arizona Republic.

For decades, Scott Adams has been poking fun at the business world through his popular comic strip, “Dilbert.” But the laughter came to a screeching halt when the increasingly outspoken cartoonist posted a racist diatribe on YouTube last week.

The comic strip was quickly dropped by newspapers across the country — including Phoenix’s Arizona Republic.

Adams, who has grown increasingly outspoken on political topics in recent years, made the inflammatory remarks on YouTube last week, in which he labeled Black people as a hate group and urged white people to quote “get the hell away” from them.

The Arizona Republic released a statement saying the views held by Adams “did not align with [their] editorial or business values.”

A spokesperson for Gannett, which owns the Republic, also echoed a similar message and said the USA Today Network would end publication of the comic “effective immediately.”

The company syndicating “Dilbert” recently elected to end its relationship with Adams as well.

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