Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas

Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas is filled with references to mainstream superhero comics like Batman and Superman, also called cape comics. Cape comic tropes in this iteration of Dog Man include the giant robot monster, the Robo-Brontosaurus, and fantastical sci-fi gadgets, such as the Dogmobile (a nod to Batman’s Batmobile). In the exposition, Li’l Petey and 80-HD are problem-solving, designing, and building this complex machinery in Dog Man’s home. Their ingenious creations allude to the pivotal theme The Power of Creativity. Creative characters are celebrated, even if they’re different, such as 80-HD, a robot who is nonverbal. Other cape comic tropes include Dog Man’s unique origin story and his constant efforts to save a city that is under siege from villains of the week, political corruption, and constant prison breaks. Furthermore, the story’s villains—Piggy, Crunky, and Bub—are motivated by long-standing resentments and grudges, for which they have planned elaborate revenge, which is typical of cape comic arch villains such as the Joker or the Penguin from Batman.

Dog Man also contains visual motifs and elements that are commonly found in cape comics, such as omniscient narration in text boxes, action poses, splash pages, and onomatopoetic sound effects, such as “CRASH!,” “RUFF!,” and “wee-ooo-wee-ooo!” (70-71). These elements reflect George and Harold’s love of superhero comics; Dog Man is a loving parody of their favorite media.

Humor is created through character tropes. Li’l Petey conforms to the character trope of the curious and over-inquisitive child, with his constant stream of “whys” and other interruptions of Petey’s story: “‘SIT DOWN!!!’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because we need to talk!’ ‘Why?’ ‘Look—it’s very irritating when you’ ‘Hey Papa, you got weird hairs in your nose!’” (37). Petey’s expression grows increasingly incensed. The reader is positioned to recognize his mounting frustration, of which Li’l Petey is humorously unaware. The humor throughout Dog Man is intentionally childish. This highlights George and Harold’s youth and appeals to Dog Man’s intended audience of elementary-aged children.

Similarly, Dog Man displays classically doglike behaviors, which can frustrate those around him. Like many of Pilkey’s characters, including Li’l Petey, Dog Man struggles with impulsivity and behavioral disturbances. His doglike behavior may also be read as a metaphor for the challenges with impulse control that can be associated with neurodiversity, such as ADHD. Many of Pilkey’s characters aim to redefine and normalize neurodiversity. Dog Man’s impulsivity, despite his good intentions, is illustrated when he is late to work due to chasing squirrels and when he jumps excitedly over Chief, which allows Piggy, Crunky, and Bub to escape.

The novel’s title is a reference to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies; intertextuality is present in the plot of Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, which imitates plot points of Lord of the Flies, such as when the Critter Scouts pretend that they are stranded on an island and then start to bully Piggy. Pilkey’s work satirizes elements of Golding’s novel; Piggy is a literal pig in Lord of the Fleas (rather than a human with a nickname of Piggy). The work puns on Golding’s title, creating a Dog Man version of the classic with the word “fleas,” which alludes to fleas on a dog. Satirical intertextuality is also evident in Dog Man’s nickname in the Supa Buddies club: The Bark Knight, which is a take-off of the 2008 Batman action/drama film, The Dark Knight; as in the case of Lord of the Fleas, Pilkey creates a humorous, dog-version of another text.

Satire is also evident in the literal use of books to overcome the villains in Chapter 3; traditionally, the power of books is used in terms of providing ideas and education, whereas Chief and Milly beat the villains with literal books: “We ran to the Jail Library…and fought back using the Power of Books” (76). The subsequent panels show Milly and Chief whacking the villains with books and shutting Piggy’s tail in a heavy volume, causing him to yell in pain. Pilkey creates humor through outlandish and ridiculous situations, such as the unexpected literal (rather than metaphorical) use of books to beat villains. This humorous fight establishes Silliness as Joyful and Important as an important theme in the story.  

Pilkey also utilizes puns, such as when Chief and Milly, holding the heavy tomes aloft, yell together, “Let’s Book These Bozos!” (76). This phrase would usually refer to charging an individual with a specific crime, but Chief and Milly (as becomes clear in the subsequent page) mean to physically overcome them by injuring them with the books.

The Power of Love is alluded to as an important theme through the loving pseudo-family of Dog Man, Li’l Petey, and 80-HD. The members of this blended family are all unique but accept each other without question. Their individuality and acceptance of one another are illustrated in their breakfasts: “Cat food and cream for me…Dog Food and gravy for you…and nuts and bolts and motor oil for 80-HD!” (19). As in the case of Dog Man, neurodiversity is celebrated through the nonverbal character 80-HD, a clear reference to ADHD. 80-HD is a valued character who makes positive contributions, such as through their work on the Dogmobile and in helping to save their friends in the action scene. Love is also present between Petey and Li’l Petey; despite Petey’s irritable and explosive tendencies, he escapes from jail to protect Li’l Petey after Piggy threatens to “destroy” Li’l Petey.