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Dav PilkeyA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Pilkey uses comic book features throughout his series to depict George and Harold’s comic book hero, Dog Man. The illustrations rely on many components usually employed in comic books, rather than illustrated children’s novels. Text is supported by illustrations laid out in panels, or frames, in multiple-panel sequences that convey action. Pilkey includes numerous flip-e-rama sections in the story, where one flips pages so that the illustrations seem animated. He also employs onomatopoeia (such as “KA-BOOM”), where a word looks how it sounds; this is also a feature typical of comic book action scenes.
Furthermore, Grampa’s penchant for destruction, as well as his maniacal and sinister manner, are recognizable tropes of many comic book villains, such as Batman’s Joker or Penguin. Dog Man’s haphazard approach to defeating criminals is a satirical take on comic book superheroes, such as Superman or Spider-Man, who are motivated to defeat the forces of evil that threaten their respective cities, despite the destruction it causes to their cities.
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment is the ninth installment of Pilkey’s Dog Man series. Dog Man is Pilkey’s second serial publication, following the widely successful Captain Underpants series. Both series are framed around the creators George and Harold, fourth-grade friends who create comic books of the characters Captain Underpants and then Dog Man.
The character Dog Man features in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants; Dog Man is mentioned in the first and ninth books of the Captain Underpants series. When Pilkey noticed that fans of the book were drawing Dog Man more often than they were drawing Captain Underpants, he decided that he should create a spin-off series dedicated entirely to Dog Man (Springen, Karen. “Q&A With Dav Pilkey.” Publishers Weekly, 25 Aug. 2016).
Pilkey celebrates neurodiversity in his work and connects neurodiversity with creativity. The word “neurodivergent” describes people whose brains operate differently than neurotypical people’s brains. People who are neurodivergent may have different strengths and challenges. Sometimes, neurodivergent people have medical disorders, learning disabilities, and other conditions. They might also have certain abilities that don’t come naturally to most neurotypical people, like an excellent memory, the ability to mentally picture three-dimensional objects easily, and the ability to solve complex mathematical calculations (“Neurodivergent.” Cleveland Clinic).
Characters who are creative in Dog Man: Grime and Punishment, like Harold and George, are celebrated and successful. Even Grampa, who channels his creativity for destructive purposes, is undoubtedly powerful. This connects to a recurring theme through Pilkey’s work: The Value of Creativity and Silliness.
Pilkey’s characters George and Harold are somewhat autobiographical; Pilkey struggled with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and dyslexia as a child at school: “George and Harold are characters I like spending time with. They started out as different versions of myself.” Pilkey remembers that art allowed him to be “the funny kid, the artist,” rather than drawing attention to his difficulties with reading and writing (Springen, Karen. “Q&A With Dav Pilkey.” Publishers Weekly, 25 Aug. 2016).
Pilkey remembers his own shame with his learning difficulties and the lack of support he received at school. His work purports to shift the perception of neurodivergence. Pilkey hopes that readers will see that ADHD is “something to be proud of.” Pilkey’s character 80-HD is an intentional reference to ADHD, which he hopes that his young readers will identify. Pilkey points out that 80-HD “doesn’t communicate the same way everyone else does” (the robot does not have the ability to speak verbally but can explain himself demonstratively, such as through art). At the same time, “he’s powerful and creative, and very, very valuable” (Pilkey, Dave, and Amy Farley. “‘Captain Underpants’ Creator Dav Pilkey Turned ADHD Into a Superpower.” Fast Company, 25 Nov. 2019).
Furthermore, Dog Man’s unconventional behavior and communication and his frequent clashes with authority are also typical of ADHD. Both 80-HD and Dog Man are celebrated characters who lead successful lives characterized by creativity and strong and loving relationships, exemplifying Pilkey’s goal to normalize and celebrate neurodiversity.
By Dav Pilkey