'Dilbert' goes to bat for fired Iowa man

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- A new story line for the popular "Dilbert" comic strip takes up the plight of an Iowa casino worker who was fired after posting a strip in his office.

Dave Steward was let go last fall after managers linked him to a "Dilbert" cartoon anonymously posted on the office bulletin board. The offending comic compares the cartoon bosses to "drunken lemurs."

Scott Adams, the creator of the workplace protagonist, is using Steward's dismissal as the topic and taking his supervisor and the human resources director to task -- particularly for the decision by the Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington to deny unemployment benefits for Steward.

The Des Moines Register said the players are represented by familiar "Dilbert" characters, with slacker-drone Wally playing the role of Steward.