Dog Man (Series)

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Overview

Dog Man is a series of children's graphic novels by Dav Pilkey about a police officer with the head of a dog. The series is a spin-off of Pilkey's Captain Underpants series, with Dog Man first appearing in the 2012 book Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Re-Turn of Tippy Tinkletrousers as a comic book character created by the book's protagonists, Harold and George. The first Dog Man novel was released in 2016 and was followed by 12 sequels between then and 2024. In December 2020, an animated Dog Man film was announced. The first trailer was released in September 2024 along with a release date of January 31st, 2025. The series garnered a strong online presence throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, inspiring fan art, memes and other fan content.

History

The character Dog Man first appeared in the graphic novel Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Re-Turn of Tippy Tinkletrousers, released on August 28th, 2012. In the book, Dog Man is an amateur comic created by students Harold and George. According to the book, Dog Man's origins stem from a bomb explosion, which left Police Officer Knight's head dying and his dog Greg's body dying. To remedy this, a surgeon attached Greg's head to Knight's body, creating Dog Man, a mute, hybrid police officer.^[1]

The first official Dog Man graphic novel was released on August 30th, 2016,^[2] which features a retelling of Dog Man's origin story (shown below, as narrated by YouTuber^[3] AnimaZing Story). Between 2016 and 2024, 12 other Dog Man novels.^[4]

The series has won several awards and received critical acclaim, with the ninth entry in the series, Dog Man: Grime and Punishment, reportedly becoming the bestselling book in the U.S. and Canada upon its release in 2020.^[5]

2025 Film

On September 17th, 2024, the first trailer for the animated Dog Man film was released, with the YouTube^[6] upload by Universal Pictures garnering over 4.3 million views in a day. The trailer received praise from many viewers, who appreciated that Dog Man remained a silent character and complimented the animation style.

The film is set to release on January 31st, 2015.

Online Presence

Dog Man garnered a notable online presence throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s. Leading up to and following the September 17th, 2024 release of the Dog Man trailer, fan art, memes and content referencing the series increased online.

Fan Art / Memes

On January 14th, 2024, X^[7] artist @slihtly_akursed posted fan art depicting Dog Man and his rival, Petey, garnering over 1,400 likes in eight months.

On September 17th, X^[8] artist @StarzSyd posted an edit recreating the disaster girl meme with a scene from the Dog Man trailer, garnering over 5,400 likes in a day.