Asok (Dilbert character)
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Asok (pronounced "a-shoke") is an intern in the Dilbert comic strip. He is a brilliant graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology. The character is named after a friend and co-worker of strip creator Scott Adams at Pacific Bell. "Asok" is a common Indian name, though it is usually spelled "Ashok" and pronounced "Ah-shoke". The name is an English variation of the name of an ancient king of India, Ashoka. Asok himself is Indian, but that fact was initially never mentioned in the strip. Adams says in Seven Years of Highly Defective People that this is because "I only like characters who have huge, gaping character flaws. The world is far too sensitive to let me get away with a highly flawed minority member."
In recent times, Wally had become a sort of bizarre mentor to the innocent Asok, and explained his pathetic worldview to the intern.
Asok often solves difficult problems in a few keystrokes, but he is still naïve to the cruelties and politics of the business world. As a result, he often ends up being the scapegoat for his coworkers' antics. Despite many years as an intern, and performing the functions of a senior engineer, Asok has been denied permission to be a regular employee and the usage of company resources for his work.
It has been mentioned that Asok once lived in the handicapped stall of the bathroom; he later moved to a storage facility (but was only allowed an hour leave for moving by the Pointy-Haired Boss). Asok is also trained to sleep only on national holidays, a trait that he allegedly carried over from his alma mater. In addition, he is able to perform telekinesis, using it once to vaporize an obnoxious Texan. Asok appears to be a fan of Indian music: in the animated episode "Art" he is shown listening enthusiastically to a female vocalist singing in Hindi.
The Dilbert TV series offerred conflicting views of Asok's athletic abilities. In the episode entitled "The Company Picnic" Asok is shown to be unable to throw a baseball with either hand. In the episode entitled "The Security Guard", Wally calls Asok "a woman", citing the fact he has little upper body strength (it is also mentioned that he once needed assistance to lift a computer monitor). However, Asok is also shown demonstrating impressive athletic feats as well. In the episode entitled "The Shroud of Wally", Asok is able to hurl a briefcase several dozen yards high through the open window of a rocket and sprint away from it in only seconds to escape being engulfed in flames.
Recently, Asok was laid off when his job was outsourced to India; so he got a job at the company where his job was outsourced to, and arranged to telecommute from his old cubicle. Now employed by an Indian company, Asok works on Indian Standard Time, so he can avoid direct contact with his former coworkers and the Pointy-Haired Boss[citation needed].
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| Characters: | Alice • Asok • Catbert • Dilbert • Dogbert • Phil, the Prince of Insufficient Light • Pointy-Haired Boss • Ratbert • Wally • Minor characters |
| In other media: | Animated series • Books • Plop: The Hairless Elbonian |
| Terms: | Cow-orker • Imaginary productivity |
| Other: | Scott Adams • Dogbert's New Ruling Class • Elbonia • Dilberito |
