Artists that make their living through institutions with national reach - so, newspaper syndicates, Hollywood, network television - are basically beholden to fo

Artists that make their living through institutions with national reach - so, newspaper syndicates, Hollywood, network television - are basically beholden to following national interest in some degree; that doesn't necessarily mean that they have to fall within the same lines as someone running for political office, but it does mean that as the sociopolitical winds shift, national culture is implicitly called upon to follow parallel narratives and "do what's good for the country". Falling too far outside the narrative means marginalization; it's a subtle distinction, because what they say can be outwardly critical but still be part of the narrative, still describe "a place where our culture should go". The original "Dilbert" premise has become dated in the same way as Dagwood Bumstead of "Blondie": it's office work from another generation, one that is now retiring. And increasingly it critiques trends that are political darlings. Whether Adams was right or wrong in his personal statements, this was coming, because he's stayed in the context of circa 1990.