Less potty humor, more love: Captain Underpants creator comes to Raleigh with latest Dog Man book

Dav Pilkey has sat atop national best-seller lists, won major literary awards, seen his characters come to life on the big screen, captivated millions of kids and gotten on a few banned book lists too. And it all started decades ago in the hallway of his grade school where his second grade teacher banished him for misbehavior.

That's when Pilkey, now 52, first came up with the idea for Captain Underpants, the white brief-wearing superhero from his popular book series, which also inspired last year's summer family hit "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" and, more recently, an animated TV series.

Back in grade school, Pilkey, who has both ADHD and dyslexia, had trouble behaving in class and spent much of his time at a desk in the hallway. But he used that time to his advantage, creating comics that cracked up his classmates.

"I was out there every single day practically," Pilkey said in an interview with Go Ask Mom. "I felt disconnected from my friends. I didn't want to be known as the bad kid or the kid who had trouble reading. I wanted a more positive connection to my friends. That's why I created ... It really helped me stay connected and it helped my identity as well. They knew me as the funny kid who made really cool comics. It was kind of my salvation at school."

Pilkey in Raleigh, Winston-Salem this week

Pilkey will be in Raleigh this weekend with his latest book from a spin-off of the Captain Underpants series - Dog Man. "Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas" came out last week.

Tickets for Pilkey's 2 p.m., Saturday, presentation at the Hunt Library on N.C. State's Centennial Campus sold out lightning fast. But you still can meet him. Purchase his new book for about $10 from Quail Ridge Books and get two greeting-line tickets to meet Pilkey and have him sign any books that are purchased at the event. Those with greeting-line tickets also will have access to activities in the lobby, including photo opportunities with costumed characters from Pilkey's books. Doors will open at 1 p.m., Saturday. Quail Ridge's website has the details.

If you're up for a drive, you also can catch Pilkey at Bookmarks, a reading festival in Winston-Salem. Pilkey will deliver the Kids' Keynote at 6:30 p.m., Friday, at Reynolds Auditorium. Tickets are still available and start at $15.

Pilkey said he loves getting on the road to meet young readers.

"It’s a real big deal for me," he said. "I think reading for pleasure is one of the things that changed my life. Not only did it turn me into a writer, but more important, it turned me into a reader. I still read for pleasure today. And it all started in my childhood with my parents encouraging me to read for fun. That was the thing that changed me."

'Two wonderful parents'

And it's at the readings where Pilkey said he's reminded of his own relationship with his parents. As a grade schooler, Pilkey may not have gotten the support he needed from his teachers, but, when he went home, his parents were there for him.

"The big thing for me was having a very supportive relationship with my parents," he said. "... I would come home from school and I had these two wonderful parents. They knew I was having a hard time. They always had my back. They encouraged me to practice my creative side. They wanted me to make comics just for them."

In fact, Pilkey said, they even commissioned a series from him called Water Man, which they returned to him years later when his first books were published. In pristine condition, they are among the few comics that survived Pilkey's childhood.

As he looks out on the crowds at his book readings and presentations, Pilkey said he sees a lot of the same kinds of supportive parent-child relationships. He has more than a few fans who are dealing with the same challenges that Pilkey faced as a child.

"That's one of the nice things I see when I go out on the road," he said. "These kids who have these challenges. They are standing next to their parents who brought them there. ... There's a lot of love in that. It's really very encouraging to see."

Not really a superhero story

It's called Captain Underpants, but, as anybody who is familiar with the series, this isn't really a superhero story. It's more about George and Harold.

"I intended it to be a superhero story, and it ended up being a series about these two boys with this creative friendship," he said. "I didn't expect that. It really ended up being about the adventures of George and Harold, not really Captain Underpants."

In the same way, the newer Dog Man series might be as much about Dog Man's nemesis Petey, an evil cat, and Lil' Petey, a cute and less evil sidekick kitten.

The series explores the story of Dog Man, a lovable canine superhero who is part dog and part policeman and is created by George and Harold of Captain Underpants fame. Various adventures ensue as Dog Man attempts to fight crime and restrain his "canine urges," as the series' description says.

"I think that's relatable to a lot of kids," Pilkey said. "Sometimes we have good intentions. We want to be well behaved. We want to do well in school. Sometimes that's not the reality. So I think that's why kids relate to that character."

But the character to grow the most so far in the five-book series is Petey, Pilkey said.

"By book five ... he wants to be a better cat," he said. "He's trying so hard to improve. And he has this little kitten who believes in him and really needs him to be a good person and role model."

In fact, for Pilkey, Lil' Petey reminds him a bit of his own parents, who believed in him growing up regardless of his classroom behavior.

"I really love writing about these characters," he said. "I didn't really think it was going to turn into this. But I think the characters are moving the storylines forward and taking it to a place I didn't expect it to go."

Potty humor subsides

Captain Underpants is among the most banned books in America. That's not because there's graphic violence, profanity or sex in the series. What troubles adults is the kind of potty humor you'll hear most seven-year-olds giggling about on the playground. Pilkey wrote a few years ago that his goal has always been to make kids laugh.

"When kids look at the books, they know, 'This is just for me. This isn't for Grandma. This isn't for Mom and Dad,'" he said. "I think that's nice when kids have ownership of the books. That gives them a real connection with it."

And, he said, his own characters are changing. There's not as much potty humor anymore.

"I'm beginning to move away from that," he said. "George and Harold ... they are older now. They are beginning to explore new concepts. Their sense of humor is beginning to change. They are interested in empathy and kindness and being true to yourself. ... The potty humor is going away as they're growing."

Right now, in the new Dog Man series, the boys are in fifth grade. And, Pilkey said, he expects readers will see them get older and older.

"I really like exploring these characters as they get older and tackle new things," Pilkey said. "I think that's going to be around the corner ... in one Captain Underpants, we see them as adults. I'd like to get there eventually."

Kids: Pay attention to your ideas

I'd prepared for the interview by asking my nine-year-old daughter, a Captain Underpants super fan, what questions she'd ask Pilkey if she had the chance.

Her question: "How do you get your ideas?"

Pilkey focused on the big picture in his answer.

"I would tell [her] that the children are very, very powerful," he said. "A lot of times, they come up with the best ideas. I’m in my 50s now, and I’m still writing about characters that I thought of when I was eight years old."

He added: "That’s a good message for them to learn - that they are not second-class citizens. They have great ideas and they should pay attention to those ideas and they should work on developing those ideas. It’s good for kids to spend time with their creativity."

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall is Go Ask Mom's editor.