History Trivia / Dilbert

* UncreditedRole: Creator/KathyGriffin provides the voice of Alice (this was due to contract issues with her role on ''Series/SuddenlySusan''). This also happened to Creator/ChrisElliott in "The Name" for unknown reasons.

* RealitySubtext: Adams based Alice on an actual coworker of his named Anita, who he said was the model for "Alice's pink suit, fluffy hair, coffee obsession, technical proficiency and take-no-crap attitude."

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Adams has said that Wally, Alice, Carol and Asok are all based (with varying degrees of precision) on ex-coworkers from Pacific Bell.

* PlayingAgainstType: Catbert gives Creator/JasonAlexander an opportunity to play a character who isn't [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} neurotic]], [[{{WesternAnimation/Aladdin}} hysterical]] or [[WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}} stupid]]. Evil, on the other hand...

* UncreditedRole: Creator/KathyGriffin provides the voice of Alice (this was due to contract issues with her role on ''Series/SuddenlySusan''). This also happened to Creator/ChrisElliott in "The Name" for unknown reasons.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Despite the show's high ratings (by Creator/{{UPN}}'s standards), the show was canceled due to it not hitting the target demographic UPN wanted and they aired it right after ''Series/ShastaMcNasty'', a show with a completely different target audience.

* OneBookAuthor: Wally was the only major voice role for Gordon Hunt, who was normally a voice director notable for working on the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' series and several Creator/HannaBarbera cartoons.

* OneBookAuthor: Wally is the only major voice role for Gordon Hunt, who is normally a voice director notable for working on the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' series and several Creator/HannaBarbera cartoons.

* PlayingAgainstType: Catbert gives Creator/JasonAlexander an opportunity to play a character who isn't [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} neurotic]], [[{{Disney/Aladdin}} hysterical]] or [[WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}} stupid]]. Evil, on the other hand...

* OneBookAuthor: Wally is the only voice role for Gordon Hunt, who is normally a voice director notable for working on the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' series and several Creator/HannaBarbera cartoons.

* UncreditedRole: Creator/KathyGriffin provides the voice of Alice (this was due to contract issues with her role on ''Series/SuddenlySusan'').

* PlayingAgainstType: Catbert gives Jason Alexander an opportunity to play a character who isn't [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} neurotic]], [[{{Disney/Aladdin}} hysterical]] or [[WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}} stupid]]. Evil, on the other hand...

* WriteWhatYouKnow: ''Dilbert'' started running while Adams was still working at Pacific Bell, with Wally being mostly a non-speaking background character. Then the company began offering buyout packages to the employees, with the caveat that they were only available to the lowest 10 percent of the workforce(as a way to get rid of deadweight). One of Adams' coworkers(who Adams describes as "one of the more brilliant people I've ever known") decided, as a bad mistake meant that he could no longer advance in the company, that was a fine idea and began to "work as hard as he could to become the worst possible employee in order to get money for leaving", which included openly running a side business from his cubicle. Adams loved the concept of a cynical employee with no loyalty to his employer, and Wally was born.

* ProductionPosse: Since producer Larry Charles previously worked on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', a lot of people from that show showed up- Larry Miller (the titular character of "the Doorman") was the PHB, and Jason Alexander was Catbert; Wayne Knight and Jerry himself showed up in guest spots (as a security guard Dilbert trades jobs with, and Comp-U-Comp respectively).

** Less benign example: while the Cubicle Gestapo is an inherently funny concept, the minefield of figuring out how many Nazi references a newspaper comic can get away with makes their appearances more trouble than they're worth. In several papers they were [[{{Bowdlerize}} changed into the "Cubicle Police"]]

* OneOfUs: Dilbert is drawn by a UsefulNotes/{{Mensa}} member.

** Less benign example: while the Cubicle Gestapo is an inherently funny concept, the minefield of figuring out how many Nazi references a newspaper comic can get away with makes their appearances more trouble than they're worth.
*** Indeed, in several papers they were [[{{Bowdlerize}} changed into the "Cubicle Police"]]

* WriteWhatYouKnow: ''Dilbert'' started running while Adams was still working at Pacific Bell, with Wally being mostly a non-speaking background character. Then the company began offering buyout packages to the employees, with the caveat that they were only available to the lowest 10 percent of the workforce(as a way to get rid of deadweight). One of Adams' coworkers(who Adams describes as "one of the more brilliant people I've ever known") decided that was a fine idea and began to "work as hard as he could to become the worst possible employee in order to get money for leaving", which included openly running a side business from his cubicle. Adams loved the concept of a cynical employee with no loyalty to his employer, and Wally was born.

* DescendedCreator: Many professional voice actors auditioned for Wally but none could really nail the character. Then executive producer Larry Charles realized that voice director Gordon Hunt just naturally had the nasally voice they were looking for

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Despite the show's high ratings (by UPN's standards), the show was canceled due to it not hitting the target demographic UPN wanted and they aired it right after ''ShastaMcNasty'', a show with a completely different target audience.

* UncreditedRole: Creator/KathyGriffin provides the voice of Alice.

** For its second season, the series had also been moved from its fairly successful Monday night timeslot to Thursdays - up against NBC's then-quite powerful lineup.

* AscendedFanon: Catbert was initially just someone who tried to eat Ratbert. Adams then started getting fanmail for more 'Catbert'. He never actually ''named'' the cat; still, given the response and how his use of ThemeNaming could lead to this, he kept the cat and gave him a perfect job. His reasoning being that if your entire fanbase spontaneously and unanimously names a character for you, you should probably keep him.

* ExecutiveMeddling: A beneficial instance was when Adams wanted to feature Satan in the comic and the editor said no. Thus was borne Phil the Prince of Insufficient Light which Adams admits is a funnier concept.

** Many fans commented on a resemblance between the Pointy Haired Boss and Phil, Prince of Insufficient Light. Scott Adams claimed that this was just because he wasn't that good at drawing different faces but decided to introduce a plot line where it was revealed that they were brothers.

* OneOfUs: Dilbert is drawn by a UsefulNkas/{{Mensa}} member.

* AscendedFanon: Catbert was initially just someone who tried to eat Ratbert. Adams then started getting fanmail for more 'Catbert'. He never actually ''named'' the cat; still, given the response and how his use of ThemeNaming could lead to this, he kept the cat and gave him a perfect job. His reasoning being that if your entire fanbase spontaneously and unanimously names a character for you, you should probably keep him.n

* PlayingAgainstType: Catbert gives Jason Alexander an opportunity to play a character who isn't [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} neurotic]], [[{{Disney/Aladdin}} hysterical]] or [[{{Duckman}} stupid]]. Evil, on the other hand...

* HeyItsThatVoice: Several of the voice actors are well-established, as are some who aren't commonly known for voice acting but can still be easily recognized from their many live-action roles. The [[AlmightyJanitor Garbage Man]] is voiced by Creator/MauriceLaMarche, who is in many, ''many'' animated works and games and can be recognized from the Garbage Man's voice as such varied characters as [[WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain The Brain]], [[{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}} Kif Kroker and Morbo]], and the current narrator for Lexus car commercials.
** Dilbert is [[Series/TheWonderYears Kevin Arnold]] all grown up.
*** Or [[Film/HomeAlone Marv]] playing a smart guy.
** Dogbert is [[Series/{{Eagleheart}} Chris Monsanto]] and the [[Film/SnowDay Snow Plow Guy]].
** Ratbert, Asok, and Zimbu the monkey [[Creator/TomKenny are]] WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants and [[TransformersAnimated Starscream]]. Zimbu even sounds EXACTLY like [=SpongeBob=].
** Loud Howard is Creator/JimWard.
** Alice is an uncredited Creator/KathyGriffin. She was starring in the NBC series ''SuddenlySusan'' at the time, and the terms of her contract barred her from receiving on-screen credit for roles she played in any show that aired on a different network.
** Catbert is [[{{Seinfeld}} George Costanza]].
** The PointyHairedBoss is [[Film/TheNuttyProfessor going to kill you. And he doesn't mean that as a euphemism, he is going to literally kill you. He's going to strangle you and choke off your air supply until you pass away]].
** A frequent background voice was Gary Kroeger, who would later announced the infamous 2001 revival of ''Series/CardSharks'', ''Series/{{Whammy}}: The All-New Press Your Luck'', and host the PAX iteration of ''Series/BeatTheClock''.