Scott Meyer

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

Scott Adams

Scott 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...

How to Bask in the Heady Glow of Scientific Discovery

Yes, a colossal squid has been caught on camera, and yes, it is a baby.

I stand by my assessment that it is not cute. There are those who will disagree. The very article I linked to above says, “Any discovery like this is a big deal, but this one is a bit cuter because it isn't just any colossal squid; it's a baby.”

In the NEXT PARAGRAPH, they say, “Its transparent body shows...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to See Things for What They Really Are

No, I do not own a Rolex. I can’t imagine buying a Rolex, and if I were given one as a gift, it would probably be used to keep track of time inside the safety deposit box I would have to rent just to store the Rolex.

That said, it is fascinating to me how products that are valued for their dependability and quality become wealth signifiers. Louis Vuitton was a guy who made durable luggage; now look at the company he started.

Here’s an interesting factoid I learned while researching this: any Louis Vuitton bag you see that has...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Diagnose a Plot Problem

The issue is that I think of Holmes as a crime fighter, not a war fighter, or a spy fighter. I’m sure there are stories where Holmes wheedles out spies. It’s just saying it’s not what he’s primarily known for. It’s like having a movie where James Bond hunts down tax cheats. Or a comic where Lt. Aldo Raine from Inglorious Basterds solves a murder. Or a novel where George Smiley exposes rigged carnival games.

I’m not saying I wouldn’t enjoy all of those stories. I very much would. I’m just saying they would seem ...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Unpack Someone’s Historical Legacy

I don’t know if he was nationally famous, or just regionally famous. I do know that he is still remembered fondly by many. Just in case you think I hallucinated him, here’s some of Fred Dibnah’s early exploits.

“Insurance men and me don’t mix.”

Yeah, I suspect that’s true.

And here is some of his later work.

The only complaint I ...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Ask for Advice

Sincere social interaction isn’t my strong suit. Shocking, I know.

Part of the problem is that I get all up in my head about how to express my feelings in a way that won’t make other people uncomfortable. People have told me that expressing positive feelings about another person won’t make them uncomfortable, especially if I am doing so in response to them having expressed positive feelings to me in the first place. My response is to point out that the person in question expressing themselves has clearly made me uncomfortable. 2025-04-21 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Explore History

The character referred to in this comic, Rick Jones, has gone on to bounce around the periphery of the Marvel Comics Universe for decades and act as temporary sidekicks for more than one character.

During our most recent phone call, Ric just casually mentioned The Hulk’s teenage ham radio brigade, and the conversation flowed, roughly as you see it here.

When Ric and I met, we hit it off immediately, but the moment I knew I needed to...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How To Apply Real-World Knowledge to Fictional Situations

True story: Missy recently insisted that I get a sit-stand desk to deal with a recurring back pain I’ve been experiencing. There is very little chance of me working while standing, but that’s fine. I was suffering back pain from working twisted sideways because my legs couldn’t go under my old desk if one of our cats was in my lap. As I write this, the cat is on my lap, and my desk is raised up high enough to make me feel like a little kid sitting at the adults’ table.

Non-cat owners are probably asking why I don’t just shoo ...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Tolerate Other People’s Boring Interests

I’m not criticizing people who collect antiques. Not right now. When I wrote the comic, I was, but I was writing dialog for the fictional character “Comic Scott,” who is a bit of a dick sometimes. Now I’m writing for real me, and I do understand the urge to collect antiques.

I used to occasionally pick up things that could be referred to as antiques. Heck, at one time, I drove an antique—a 1962 Ford Fairlane 500, the undisputed monarch of the tarmac! Sadly, I had even more belongings that I bought brand new, ...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Weather Change

Of course, this is exactly the kind of comic someone would post just before AI puts them out of work.

The thing is, I am semi-serious about this. If and when AI gets good enough to write comics, they are going to try to emulate the most polished mass market properties, not weirdos like me. And, yes, there is a lot more money in the mass market if you’re successful, but almost nobody is. And success for a syndicated comic means generating enough readers and revenue to satisfy papers in multiple markets, a national syndicate, a book pu...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Complain with Flair

I didn’t really watch That ’70s Show. I have nothing against it. I wasn’t really watching sitcoms at the time it was on, so I’ve never seen an entire episode. I did see a few scenes here and there later, as its reruns would be on in the breakrooms at various locations I worked back in my theme park days. My main memory is that it always weirded me out that the father figure of the show was Clarence Boddicker from Robocop, a gang leader so badass that his crew included Leland Palmer from Twin Peaks! And Dr. Romano fr...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Adjust Your Assumptions

Recently, there seemed to be some curiosity about my gaming habits amongst some patrons, so here’s my deal, as far as games are concerned:

I like turn-based strategy games, similar to Advance Wars on the Gameboy Advance (Warbits in IOS and Android is quite good), or the Mario + Rabbids games on the Switch for a more modern take. They’re easy to pick up and put down, play in short bursts, and get on with my day. I’m a better slow thinker than I am a fast thinker, and they give me time to plot and scheme...

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

Human Error

And I am the human! Some of you may have gotten a comic a few weeks early. I choose to be positive about it, and think that you got a bonus this week, and a week off in mid March!

How to Explore the Limitations of Your Superhero Characters

Yup, my team of idiots is at it again. I would love to use them more often, but good ideas for stupid superhero action don’t come that often. I suppose it’s debatable whether I had a good idea this time around, but I felt it was at least worth a shot.

The first trailer for the MCU version of Fantastic Four dropped. It’s bad business to direct my readers to another far more successful webcomic, but 2025-02-24 08:00:34 +0000 UTC View Post

One Line from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Iterate an Idea

For those who are saying “Ray Milland?” I simply point out that the 1970s was an amazing decade.

All of the references in this comic came straight off the top of my head. I am not happy about the specific things my brain chooses to remember. I would love to have instant recall of the details about people I know: their email addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, names, facial characteristics, or even how I know them. Historical events, math skill...

Two Lines from a Future Comic Taken Totally out of Context

How to Honor the Memory of Someone You Respected

I had seen several of David Lynch's films and TV shows, but I hadn’t seen Eraserhead.

Now I have, and I can never unsee it.

A lot has been said about David Lynch lately. I built 2025-02-10 08:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post