Dilbert, Dogbert, Catbert, the Boss, Alice, and the Rest of the Gang Aren’T Available for One of the Big Speeches at SLA 2007, but We Got Their Creator Scott Adams
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Dilbert, Dogbert, Catbert, The Boss, Alice, and the rest of the gang aren’T available for one of the big speeches at SLA 2007, but we got their creator Scott Adams irst, there was the Peter Werts: Oh really? I didn’t know you got Principle, expounded in into trouble for those. 1968 by the academic Laurence J. Peter. He said Adams: I get in trouble all the time but that in a hierarchical organi- usually it comes from left field, which is Fzation, an employee will rise to his or her what makes it interesting. You’ll get to level of competence—then rise one level see some comics that weren’t published higher, to a level of incompetence, and and some that were published, and we’ll remain in that position. It’s, like, well, an just have some fun. accident or something. Nearly 30 years later, cartoonist Scott Werts: The opening keynote speaker at Adams, himself an MBA, put forth the our conference is former Vice President Dilbert Principle, which takes Professor Al Gore. Do you have anything you’d Peter’s theory a step farther. In Adams’s care to share with him should he read satirical view, companies systematically this interview? promote less competent employees to middle management positions—because Adams: I met Al at the White House, that’s where they can do the least dam- and he asked me to do some work on a age to the organization. No accident report he used to do as part of his job. here. It’s part of the plan. He was looking for some cartoons for The Dilbert comic strip, syndicated a report to try to convey some material in hundreds of newspapers, displays that was unusually dull. Adams’s view of the corporate world Werts: I suspect a lot of people actu- I forget its official title, but he did a every day, in color on Sundays. ally think of you as Dilbert, himself. Do regular report that was basically about You’ll get to meet him at the 2007 SLA you channel him sometimes when you efficiency in government. His sub-task Annual Conference and Exposition, where do speeches? within the vice presidency was to make he will deliver the closing keynote speech the government more efficient through at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 6. Adams: Probably not intentionally, but automation and other means. And he Cybele Werts, an SLA member and I’m sure I do. The content of my talk is had to explain his progress on a regular a regular contributor to Information the strange odyssey of going from cubi- basis, but it was kind of very dry mate- Outlook, recently chatted with Adams cle to cartoon. And I’m going to share rial so he, at one point, asked my advice on the phone, trying to learn what makes some comments that got me in trouble on that. So I have a little bit of past him (and Dilbert) tick, and provide every- for reasons that sometimes were obvious interaction with him. one with a preview of his presentation. and sometimes were not. INFORMATION OUTLOOK V11 N05 MAY 2007 19 FOCUS: SLA 2007 Werts: You started drawing Dilbert in Werts: It still is about the people when computer programmer or something. 1989. How would you say the theme has it comes down to it is what you’re saying? I don’t really give up to any car- changed in the intervening two decades? toonist side. How has technology or the increasing Adams:. Humor is about human feel- pace of information affected how your ings and human interaction and they use Werts: You don’t have that wild artist characters interact? computers. The technology are really look about you? just a backdrop, they’re more like just a Adams: There are some things that page setting. Adams: No, not so much. are difficult in comics. I’d like to do more comics where they’re using instant Werts: There’s a hackneyed stereo- Werts: Maybe need to work on that messaging, stuff like that, but it doesn’t type about librarians, as in Marian the and grow your hair a little longer or really look good, just people sitting in Librarian (from the play, The Music something. front of a computer, likewise with cell Man) just as there is a stereotype about phones. I used to draw a telephone and engineers that Dilbert represents. And Adams:, Or just throw some airs on, you could tell somebody was talking on yet, I know that I’m at least one “librar- that would be good too. a telephone in a comic… [now] they just ian” who doesn’t fit the profile, and I have a Bluetooth thing in their ear…or know some others as well. So I ask you: Werts: If you just let your beard grow a cell phone that actually is completely What’s the stereotype for cartoonists and out a little, get that scruffy artist look, covered by the size of their hand. tech- do you fit that stereotype? wear black… nology has become problematic for me just because I can’t draw it; it’s harder Adams: I’m kind of an odd cartoonist Adams: Yeah, yeah. Actually, it’s tough to do things. because most cartoonists they start when I do speaking; I have to figure out Other than that, the workplace really out as artists and then they become what to wear because I can’t show up doesn’t change that much. The jobs go cartoonists. It’s often they’re in one in a worthless suit. You know, you’ve from being downsized in the old-fash- kind of art and then there’s a little bit met everyone else who’s in a suit, ioned way to being off-shored and rein- of the cartoonist. because it would look wrong because vented in a more modern version. My background is economics and I’m a cartoonist. There are little things that change. Any business school. I have an MBA, so time you’ve got a boss and a coworker cartooning was kind of a sharp left turn Werts: What do you wear? the dynamic is going to be pretty similar for me. When people meet me, they no matter what the technology is. figure I sell insurance or I must be a Adams: I have this tough balance—I always try to find a shirt that you can’t find easily, so it’s all about wearing some- People will change their plan to avoid thing that you’re not wearing and… being mocked, and they won’t change Werts: What are you going to wear for their plan because someone had a us information specialists? better reason. Adams: It’s a few months away so I’ll probably [get] a new shirt between now and then. 20 INFORMATION OUTLOOK V11 N05 MAY 2007 Werts: You’ve said many times that Almost everything I do has that quality you started out in “a variety of humiliat- ing and low-paying jobs” and I think about it that people would pay you to do you definitely say you’re long past that it if they could. now. In fact, I think most people think that you have a dream job, what with drawing pictures all day and making mil- the Twilight Zone where someone comes like irresponsible or maybe a bunch of lions of dollars. What’s your take on this, to you, a magic genie or something and irresponsible things? and do you think that you’ve kept your says, “For the rest of your life, your job is perspective? to eat ice cream.” Adams: I own a couple of restaurants. Your first response is, “Woohoo, all I Adams: That’s a large collection there, have to do is eat ice cream. I love ice Werts: I’ve read about them, in San so let me see if I can get the components cream.” And then the genie says, “But Francisco. I’m not sure that restaurants out. So yes, a great job. I often say it you have to eat at least a barrel of it a counts as being irresponsible. isn’t working. Almost everything I do day,” There’s just a lot of it; it’s like that. all day are things that if you could just Now, what’s the second part of Adams: A lot of people think it is … take out the pieces, you could actually the question? It was how I keep my And I don’t have any restaurant exper- charge money for people doing what I perspective? tise, I have restaurant managers, all that, do for money. If you said to somebody, the working partner. “How much would you pay if you knew Werts: How do you keep your per- that you could draw a cartoon and it spective? Werts: Why do you have the res- would appear in newspapers all over taurants? the world?” people would say, “I’ll pay Adams: I certainly don’t aim to keep $1,000 for that.” my perspective. There’s no point in Adams: It’s completely irrational, I actually get paid for doing what being successful if you think exactly the there’s no rational reason, you just—you I’m doing right now—I’m talking about way you thought before. want what you want. myself. If you said, “All right, how would you like to talk about yourself?” Well, Werts: Some people just go completely Werts: What kind of food are they? people pay people to listen to them.