Scott Meyer
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Scott Adams
🕑 Added 2025-05-22 07:00:06 +0000 UTCScott Adams changed my life for the better, just because he could.
On May 22nd, 2007 (Eighteen years ago!) Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert (which I enjoyed religiously every day for years), wrote to tell me he liked Basic Instructions.
He and I exchanged emails. Reading back over them now, I’m embarrassed. I feel like mine reeked of desperation. Don’t get me wrong; my job at the time (being a bellhop and trainer at the Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World) was my favorite day job I ever had. But honestly, it involved wearing a polyester bellhop costume in the Florida heat and smiling while being talked down to by snotty teenagers for 8+ hours a day. The idea of my weird little web comic turning into a viable full-time or even part-time job was just a dream.
He decided to use his blog to see if we could turn Basic Instructions into something that a comics syndicate could sell to newspapers. The answer to that question was a resounding “no,” but the experiment was not a failure. He got a few weeks’ worth of content, and I got a site-breaking flood of traffic, attention, and a ton of new readers.
While I was struggling to keep my site up during the initial onslaught, he sent me an email asking, “How does this feel?”
It felt amazing, miraculous, and life changing.
I managed to keep the new readers, and gain more, which led to a book deal for a comic collection, a calendar deal, a paid subscription service, and enough of a following that I was able to write a successful novel. We fell out of contact, primarily because I felt like I had bothered him more than enough.
Eighteen years later, I’m sitting in my home in Portugal. My job is writing novels and producing a weekly comic. I hope I would have gotten here without his help, but I didn’t have to find out, because I did have his help.
I will always be grateful to Scott Adams.
Comments
Scott Meyer
I never said it wouldn't! I'm glad (and a bit alarmed) that shirt drew you in.
Michael W (Warren) Lucas
I discovered your work because a bald conference attendee with a goatee showed up wearing a shirt saying "Your hide will make a fine poncho!" Just the one panel, but I was hooked. TBF, my hide would 100% make a fine poncho.
Scott Meyer
Well I'm glad to have you here!
Steve Billingsley
It was because of Scott Adams that I found Basic Instructions - I followed Scott Adams with his Daily Dilbert, as well as his Dilbert Blog, which was where he very humorously described your first interactions with him. I've, since 2007, followed you wherever you went, but haven't followed Scott for a while. I did follow him on Real Coffee with Scott Adams, but when he unfortunately decided to take his content behind the pay wall at Locals in 2020, I stopped following him. Very clever, witty and opinionated man. I didn't agree with everything he said, but I was willing to listen, because I knew that he never came to his opinions without research, reasoning and reflection.
