Winnipeg newspaper drops Dilbert comic over creator's race remarks
A Winnipeg newspaper has dropped the popular Dilbert comic strip over recent comments made by the comic's creator Scott Adams.
Winnipeg Free Press Editor Paul Samyn confirmed the newspaper will no longer be publishing the long-running office workplace comic strip, following what he described as a 'racist rant' by the strip's creator.
"Comics generally make us laugh. Unfortunately, the comments that Scott Adams was making about race are nothing to laugh about," Samyn told CTV News on Monday. "I don't think it's a difficult decision ever to do the right thing."
Samyn said this is the first time in his memory that the Winnipeg Free Press has cancelled a comic strip.
The move comes nearly a week after the comic's creator Scott Adams posted a YouTube live stream. In the stream, Adams made several comments about people who are Black, saying they are members of a "hate group" or a "racist hate group."
READ MORE: U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert after creator's Black 'hate group' remark
Adams' comments sparked backlash across Canada and the U.S., with many publishers denouncing the comments as racist, hateful and discriminatory, and several newspapers dropping the comic.
On Sunday, the Dilbert comic's distributor Andrews McMeel Universal announced it would be severing ties with Adams, saying his comments don't align with the company's core values.
Samyn said he became aware of the issue on Friday afternoon, but because comic strips are preprinted, the newspaper was not able to remove it over the weekend.
"There was some discussions with senior staff here Monday morning and it became very clear what we needed to do," he said, adding he announced the decision on Twitter Monday morning.
Samyn said the Dilbert comic strip will be blocked out of the upcoming printed editions of the Free Press with a note explaining the decision. He said the newspaper is asking its readers for patience as it looks to find the best comic strip to replace Dilbert.
-with files from the Associated Press
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