Dilbert creator Scott Adams says publisher ‘canceled’ upcoming book after racism scandal

Comic creator called Black people ‘hate group’

Scott Adams, the creator of the popular Dilbert comics, said a publisher has “canceled” plans for releasing an upcoming book as well as a backlist of his titles, after Mr Adams made racist comments that led to a number of major US newspapers dropping his popular syndicated comic strip.

“My publisher for non-Dilbert books has canceled my upcoming book and the entire backlist,” Mr Adams wrote on Twitter on Monday.

Marquee newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and USA Today-affiliated publications decided to stop printing Dilbert after Mr Adams referred to Black people as a “hate group” in a recent online video.

Portfolio, a Penguin Random House imprint, had previous plans to publish Mr Adams’s forthcoming book Reframe Your Brain in September, before deciding otherwise, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Mr Adams, in his Twitter post, claimed further that the publisher had stated “no disagreement about my point of view.”

The Independent has contacted Portfolio and Mr Adams’ reported literary agent for comment.

Publications and publishers began cutting ties with Mr Adams after he reacted in an online video to a poll showing only a small majority of Black Americans agreed with the statement “It’s OK to be white.”

In his video, the Dilbert cartoonist suggested white people should stay away from Black people, whom he called a “hate group.”

“If nearly half of all Blacks are not OK with white people…that’s a hate group,” the cartoonist said. “I don’t want to have anything to do with them. And I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people…because there is no fixing this.”

Launched in 1989, the Dilbert comic has achieved worlwide popularity and syndication across the country, but a number of large newspapers have dropped the strip in the wake of Mr Adams’ comments.

Cleveland Plain Dealer editor Chris Quinn, in a letter to readers, described Adams’ online comments as “mostly hateful and racist” and said that it was “not a difficult decision” to drop the cartoon.

“It’s a staggering string of statements, all but certain to result in the loss of his livelihood,” the editor wrote. “I hate to quote him at all, but I do so to dissuade responses that this is a ‘cancel culture’ decision.

“No, this is a decision based on the principles of this news organization and the community we serve. We are not a home for those who espouse racism. We certainly do not want to provide them with financial support.”

It’s not the first time Mr Adams has been involved in controversy.

He has previously attracted criticism for supporting Donald Trump, mocking women seeking equal pay, and incorporating what he called “anti-woke” plotlines into his comics, including one story in which a Black character identifies as white.