Dog Man

“CALLING ALL COPS! Come to my office!!!! You can watch me break in my new couch!!!”

Much of the humor in Dog Man is written in character by George and Harold. However, this line from the chief is an example of meta humor; its comedy is intended by Pilkey but not by George and Harold. The joke here is that George and Harold don’t seem to understand how adults behave in the workplace.

“PETEY: Officer Knight is a tough cop…but he ain’t got brains! And Greg the dog is smart…but his body is his weakness!

PETEY’S SIDEKICK: Yeah, but what if they work TOGETHER???

PETEY: Hmmm…That might be a problem!”

This section sets up the core conceit of Dog Man as a superhero. Dog Man embodies the best traits of both Greg and Officer Knight: Greg’s intelligence, Knight’s physical strength, and their shared desire to do good. Dog Man represents the benefits of teamwork and collaboration, especially between friends.

“OFFICER KNIGHT: Hmmm…Which wire should I cut? Red or green???

GREG THE DOG: Grrr!

OFFICER KNIGHT: Ok! Green it is! […] Oh no! I forgot dogs are colored [sic] blind!!!!”

The reader spends little time with Greg and Officer Knight but is told that Greg is smart, and Knight has “no brains.” This quote helps to illustrate Greg’s intelligence and Knight’s lack thereof. Greg is able to communicate effectively even though he can’t speak, but Knight causes a life-threatening explosion because he forgets dogs are color-blind.

“DOCTOR: I’m sorry, Greg, but your body is dying. And your head is dying too, cop.

OFFICER KNIGHT: Rats! I sure hate my dying head.”

This gag helps to keep the tone of Dog Man light and humorous. Even though two characters are dying in a hospital, Harold and George treat their deaths as a comic episode, highlighting the ridiculous nature of Greg and Knight’s situation.

“This has thousands of dollars of the latest technology!!!”

This line is another example of Harold and George’s childish perspective. To a child, “thousands of dollars” is sufficient money to build a state-of-the-art giant killer robot.

“PETEY: This vacuum has a 6000 H.P. motor… …and an endless power supply… …and the bag expands, so it can suck up almost anything!

NARRATOR: When Dog Man heard the word ‘almost’… …he got a good idea.”

Dog Man getting a “good idea” in the nick of time is a running motif in Dog Man. These ideas result in elaborate schemes that always save the day. This emphasizes Dog Man’s intellect and creativity as his true superpower.

“Who chewed up all my dirty tissues?!!? And who ate my slippers?? And who peed on my floor?”

Though these questions initially appear rhetorical, the chief later behaves as though he really wasn’t sure who created these problems. To the reader, it is obvious that only Dog Man would do these things. He is part dog, and these are common behaviors for dogs. However, the oblivious chief interrogates every officer in the building to identify the culprit.

“You are in big trouble, chief! You better straighten up… …or I’ll replace you with a robot!!!”

Here, the mayor is berating the chief in the same way the chief reprimands Dog Man. When the mayor leaves, Dog Man comforts the chief. He apparently empathizes with the chief as someone who is also subjected to frequent scolding, even though the chief is also the authority figure who scolds him the most. This emphasizes Dog Man’s kindheartedness. The chief’s grateful response to being comforted reveals his softer side and indicates that he and Dog Man have a positive relationship.

“Suddenly, Dog Man’s supa [sic] ears heard something.”

This section highlights Dog Man’s chimeric powers. He has not only Greg’s intelligence but also his superior canine hearing. The misspelling of “super” reflects the construct that the text was written by a child.

“EVIL MAYOR: So Dr. Scum…How is our evil robot coming along?

DR. SCUM: Pretty good.

EVIL MAYOR: Awesome! Soon I shall use him to take over the city! My evil plan will begin in 33 seconds!!!

DR. SCUM: Cool!”

The humor in this sequence comes from the characters’ unusual vernacular. They speak both like verbose supervillains from comic books—“Soon I shall use him to take over the city!”—and like children—“awesome” and “cool”. This supports the illusion that these comics are created by precocious children; it also prevents the story’s conflict from being taken too seriously.

“Be a good boy. Make me proud!”

This is a rare serious moment in Dog Man. It emphasizes the importance of the relationship between Dog Man and the chief, as well as Dog Man’s desire to do good and please his superior.

“You must stop Invisible Petey! Use your dog nose to sniff him out! Go get him!”

Like quote #10, this quotation highlights Dog Man’s unique canine powers. This time, the focus is on his “dog nose” or keen sense of smell, which functions as a superpower for him.

“As usual, they did exactly what they were told not to do (see attached comic book). When I confronted George about his disobedience, he claimed that this was not a comic book, but a ‘graphic novella.’ I am getting fed up with George’s impudence. I have told both boys numerous times that the classroom is no place for creativity, yet they continue to make these obnoxious and offensive ‘comix.’”

Pilkey characterizes Ms. Construde, the teacher who speaks here, as repressing George’s creativity. Her opinions on comic books reflect some teachers’ and critics’ view of comics and graphic novels as “low art” that is inferior to “real books.” By mocking this stance through a caricature, Pilkey defends comics as a respectable art form.

“George’s silly, disruptive behavior, as well as these increasingly disgusting and scatological comic books, are turning my classroom into a zoo. I have spoken to Principal Krupp about Dog Man on numerous occasions. We both believe that you should consider psychological counselling for your son, or at the very least some kind of behavior modification drug to cure his ‘creative streak.’”

This is another passage from the teacher’s letter to George’s parents. Although this letter home is played for humor, the teacher’s suggestion that George be placed on “behavior modification” medications reflects some authority figures’ misuse of psychiatric drugs to control children’s “disruptive” behavior. Pilkey implies that these attempts to quell disruption target nonconformity and creativity.

“So…reading makes you smart, eh? Then I must destroy all the books!!!”

Petey’s plans to “destroy all the books” and rob Dog Man of his intelligence are comical in their simplicity. It also imparts an overt pro-reading message to Dog Man’s young readers, who witness the negative impact on the characters when they are forced to live without books.

“Yoo reeka!”

This is another gag at George and Harold’s expense. As first graders, their grip on spelling rules is tenuous. Here, George spells “eureka” phonetically, resulting in a pun on the phrase “you reek.”

“Read, darn ya, read!!”

Pilkey celebrates nonconformity and challenges to authority in his books. He presents George and Harold’s clowning and “disruptive” behavior as creative and entertaining. However, he also makes it clear that he is not anti-learning or anti-intellectual; he actively promotes the importance of reading and literacy.

“HOT DOG: Let’s be friends!

PETEY: Let’s not! Go get me the keys to this jail cell… …and make it snappy!

HOT DOG: Here’s your keys! […] Can we be friends now?

PETEY: Friends?!!? FRIENDS? YOU?!!? Wanna be friends with ME?!!? HAW HAW HA!”

This scene presents the sentient hot dog’s tragic backstory. Here, Petey brings the hot dog to life and then rejects his creation. Saddened by his creator’s rejection, the hot dog raises an army and lays siege to the city, but his army is too diminutive to be a threat. “Weenie Wars” offers a comical spin on an archetypal Frankenstein story.

“Philly, don’t be a gyro! Don’t be a fool with your life!”

This quote is a play on words that refers to the 1974 pop hit “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero” by British rock group Paper Lace. Pilkey was eight years old when this song was released. His audience of 21st-century children is unlikely to recognize the reference, but it is likely to amuse their parents and teachers.

“Dog Man tried to stop the crushing pointy thingies… …but his human strength was giving out.”

This line highlights Officer Knight’s contributions to Dog Man’s roster of powers. Though Knight was apparently a normal human, Dog Man’s “human strength” is greater than a dog’s strength and, therefore, counts as a superpower.

“Klank! Thonk! Blunk!”

Pilkey often writes gags that rely on the conventions of the comic book genre. Here, he riffs on onomatopoeic sound effects that frequently appear in action comics.

“HOT DOG: So you think you’re a tough guy, eh? You think you’re smart, do ya? You think you’re a hero, huh? Well, when I get through with you… …you’re gonna wish you were never, ever—

DOG MAN: CHOMP!”

Here, Dog Man silences the hot dog’s derision by eating him. This reflects Dog Man’s high self-esteem: He doesn’t listen to people (or hot dogs) who belittle him. Instead of internalizing this criticism, Dog Man proceeds with optimism and earnestness. This is also true of George and Harold, who keep making comics despite their teachers’ nay-saying.

“Dog Man? Are you OK?”

Though each chapter of Dog Man is a stand-alone story, this moment solidifies the chief’s character arc. Instead of worrying about his destroyed couch or getting angry, he checks to make sure Dog Man is all right after he is catapulted onto the new furniture. Over the course of these four chapters, he learns to care for Dog Man and treat him with kindness.