KAFKA IN THE BOARDROOM
Dilbert 2.0 is a sweeping retrospective of corporate absurdity.
originally published by Fully Booked Zine, December 2008
By now, there is a well-established tradition of mocking the foibles and quirks of the corporate world in pop culture, from international versions of The Office, to cult faves like Office Space. It’s easy to take for granted now, long after the Asian Miracle, or the Dot Com Boom, but it must have seemed like a relatively novel concept in 1989, when Scott Adams began publishing his syndicated comic strip Dilbert. By now, Dilbert has evolved into its own veritable media empire, with multiple collections and spin-offs, and the requisite merchandise built around the iconic image of the eponymous protagonist’s upturned necktie.
Dilbert 2.0 is an over-sized bumper compendium of the strip, an ideal gift for both die-hard completists, as well as newbies hoping for an exhaustive intro. What it might lack in bells and whistles, it makes up for with sheer comprehensiveness. It’s a thorough document of the chronological development of the series. By extension, it’s a sweeping retrospective of the changes in corporate culture of the past two decades: overbearing micro-managers, budget squabbles, merciless HR policies, and inept financial advisers. All of this is shot through with Adams’ characteristic absurdist humor, emphasizing the frequently ridiculous basis of these corporate standards and practices. He’s particularly deft at mocking bureaucracy for its own sake.
One real highlight of Dilbert 2.0 is Adams’ own running commentary. It gives readers a direct access to his thoughts on the creative process, from his personal experiences of the cultural trends being satirized, to extolling the virtues of humor about “implied flatulence”. It’s a value added bonus to an already in-depth collection.