Dilbert embraces deep personalization

[May 24, 2011]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The office life depicted in Dilbert often preys on real-life attitudes and fears. Now, readers of the character can swap places with the eternally befuddled office drone and his not-so-sharp cubicle dwellers.

Peanuts Worldwide, the marketing agent for Dilbert, says readers can now personalize up to 25 separate Dilbert comic strips with their own images and share them online with others.

Created by Scott Adams, Dilbert is carried by more than 2,000 publications worldwide, printed collections and was even an animated series.

Using technology created by PixFusion, readers can upload a photo to http://www.pixfusion.com/, select an animated strip and personalize it with their own image, becoming Boss, Wally, Alice or Carol.

The strips, based on Dilbert animations originally created by Ring Tales LLC, can be shared via Facebook and other social networking sites and cost 99 cents per strip.

Rich Collins, CEO of Big Tent Entertainment, which represents PixFusion, said making Dilbert a focal point for personalization was common sense, given the longevity of the character and its reference to business experiences that are not only amusing but infuriating.

"At one time or another nearly everyone in today's workplace, no matter where they are in the world, has seen a Dilbert comic strip and immediately related to it from their own personal experience," Collins said.

"Chances are you probably know someone like Dilbert or have had a crazy boss, so it seemed only natural to enable fans to personalize their favorite comic strips and put themselves into one of the many hilarious Dilbert scenarios that they often recognize from their own workday experiences," he said.

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Online:

http://www.dilbert.com/

[Associated Press]

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