Dog Man: Grime and Punishment

“Sorry cop Dude—but your head is dying!”

Pilkey intentionally uses colloquial language, the style used by his elementary-school-aged narrators, George and Harold. He creates an outlandish premise—the head of a dog is attached onto the body of a man—to appeal to his target audience of elementary school readers.

“Petey, the world’s most evil cat…was transformed by love…And now he’s a good guy! But even though Petey’s heart has changed…his mind is still haunted by the ghosts of his past.”

Petey is pictured holding his son, Li’l Petey. These introductory lines imply Li’l Petey’s role in inspiring his father to be more loving and forgiving. Petey’s “haunted” mind alludes to his still strained and bitter relationship with his father, Grampa. It is Li’l Petey who will help Petey to relinquish his hatred. This alludes to the book’s key theme, The Corrosive Impact of Hatred and Resentment.

The line “And now he’s a good guy!” and its exclamation mark typify Pilkey’s informal, conversational style.

“Thanks for joining us on this auspictious nice occasion.”

Pilkey maintains the premise that the reader is flicking through a comic book produced by George and Harold; messiness and spelling mistakes (“auspicious” is spelled incorrectly and crossed out) remind the reader of this.

“He slobbered all over my glasses…he got grime all over my new suit…and he dug up my rose garden.”

The Major angrily criticizes Dog Man’s behavior at the award ceremony. Pilkey creates humor, here and elsewhere, through outlandish situations: Dog Man operates in the human world as a cop but struggles to curb his dog-like tendencies caused by his half-dog persona.

“Rip! Crack!”

Pilkey uses onomatopoeia, which accompanies the illustrations of the Mayor’s hat being ripped in half and Dog Man destroying columns of City Hall. This literary device is typical of comic books; here, Pilkey aims for readers to continue feeling as if they are immersed in George and Harold’s comic.

“Gimme your badges!!”

Angrily, the Mayor fires Dog Man. Dog Man’s surrendering of his badges symbolizes his loss of status within the police force, caused by his doggish misdemeanors. The Mayor’s resentment and anger toward Dog Man will persist through the majority of the story; it is only resolved when Dog Man saves the Mayor and his teddy, Mr. Snookums, from their burning home. This line is typical of the book’s colloquial language (“gimme”).

“We’ll help ya get your job back!!! Don’t worry about a thing! Just come upstairs…and lie on your bed. And I’ll read you a bedtime story!”

Pilkey characterizes Li’l Petey as kind and caring, shown by the way he treats his friend, Dog Man. Li’l Petey recognizes that Dog Man is distressed after losing his job; he soothes him by reading to him and reassures him that he will help. After this, Li’l Petey and 80-HD stay up to invent the cat mask, allowing Dog Man to return to the police station in disguise. The multiple exclamation points and colloquial language (“ya”) are typical of how elementary-school-aged boys like George and Harold would write a comic book.

“I never said I liked you! I said I NEEDED you!”

Grampa is characterized as cruel and selfish via these uncaring comments to his grandson, Big Jim. Grampa is not motivated by human connection, even to his own family; instead, he is driven by an angry and bitter desire to destroy and gain power for himself. Grampa adheres to the trope of the comic book villain, who is hyperbolically evil in his desire to destroy the cities, homes, and lives of others. The all-caps “LIKED” and “NEEDED” are again typical of how elementary-school-aged boys like George and Harold would write a comic book.

“A cat-headed man would be perfect!”

The Mayor hires Dog Man on the spot, believing that Dog Man is a cat. This is an example of dramatic irony, where the reader is privy to something the Mayor isn’t; Dog Man is obviously still Dog Man wearing a very unconvincing cat disguise.

“Because he does terrible things!” “Why?” “Because he only cares about himself!” “Why?”

Through Petey’s unresolved anger and fury toward Grampa, Pilkey introduces the recurrent theme of The Corrosive Impact of Hatred and Resentment. Here, Pilkey alludes to Li’l Petey’s role in helping Petey to forgive his father for Petey’s own sake.

“Crud exit and wreak havoc!” “Crud punch!” “Crud kick!”

The Motor Brain exemplifies the tendencies of the wearer. In this case, Grampa’s aggressive and destructive traits are clear in Crud’s joyful destruction of the city. He is further characterized as a stereotypical comic book villain. Crud’s speech is childlike with imperfect grammar, distinguishing him from Grampa.

“Oh, I forgave Grampa a long time ago.”

Li’l Petey explains that he has forgiven Grampa in spite of his wrongdoings. Li’l Petey is calmer and more relaxed than Petey; illustrations depict Petey looking angry and concerned, while Li’l Petey looks neutral and calm. Pilkey implies that hatred and resentment are corrosive and detrimental for the psyche; this is a key and recurring theme, as is its inverse: The Power of Forgiveness and Love.

“Crud need buddy!”

Grampa, as Crud, admits that he is lonely. This implies that Grampa’s bitter and angry attempts at destruction and mayhem may be a cry for help and an indication of unhappiness. Pilkey implies that people are happier, and less likely to engage in harmful behavior, when they are connected to friends, family, and community.

“Hey Papa…how come I met my Grampa…but I never met my Gramma?” “Just eat your food!”

Petey is still grief-stricken and angry that Grampa abused him and Petey’s mother and then abandoned them. Petey’s unresolved grief is evident in his reluctance to talk about Gramma.

“I don’t know Papa…hate has caused a lot of problems in this world…But it hasn’t solved one yet.”

As Petey tries to convey why he hates Grampa so much, Li’l Petey continues to insist that hatred is unproductive and that forgiveness is preferable. This exchange alludes to Li’l Petey’s positive influence on Petey and foreshadows Petey’s decision later in the story to let go of his hatred for Grampa. Li’l Petey exemplifies the recurring theme of The Power of Forgiveness and Love.

“Dog Man belongs in jail!!! And if you’re helping him, you belong in jail too!”

Dog Man and other cops are arrested at the crucial moment of Crud’s rampage. The Mayor, swept up by resentment for Dog Man, doesn’t notice Crud’s violent destruction. This alludes to The Corrosive Impact of Hatred and Resentment. The multiple exclamation points are again characteristic of how young boys might write a comic; Pilkey wants the reader to feel as if they are reading George and Harold’s work, not his.

“WARNING: Please do not spray this giant Lunch Bag with LIVING SPRAY (now available in our gift shop).”

The pairing of a warning and information about where the living spray can be purchased is meant to be humorous. The creation of a live, giant Lunch Bag—Munchy—seems inevitable given this display, as a warning will only entice someone to buy the spray.

“Only hate can defeat hate!”

Petey gestures to Munchy and suggests to Li’l Petey that only a hateful approach will vanquish him. Li’l Petey will disregard this advice and approach the situation lovingly, after which Munchy will befriend the children. Petey’s declaration illustrates that he still does not understand the importance of prioritizing love and forgiveness. This foreshadows the important lesson he will learn from his son: Letting go of hatred leads to a happier life and allows for peaceful conflict resolution.

“We ALL love to draw!”

Li’l Petey suggests that he and the other children can use their love of drawing to solve the problem of Munchy holding Flippy hostage and destroying the town. His approach highlights the recurring theme of The Power of Forgiveness and Love.

“Everybody grab a crayon…and let’s show this dude some love!”

The children collectively draw the things that they love most on Munchy. Munchy becomes a symbol of the power of love: The children emblazon him with the things they love most, and he transforms from hateful to loving when the children show him attention and invite him to join their club. The phrase “let’s show this dude some love” is a play on words: The children literally show him what they love when drawing these things on him, and they also show him love through attention and inclusion. Pilkey suggests that creativity is powerful in connecting people to their communities; this alludes to the recurring theme of The Value of Creativity and Silliness. 

“I’m done hating you. I’m gonna ffff…forgive you.”

Inspired by his son’s example, Petey decides to forgive his father and to let go of the hatred that has impacted his life. This exchange explores interrelated themes: The Power of Forgiveness and Love and The Corrosive Impact of Hatred and Resentment. Petey realizes that hating his father only burdens himself, rather than solving anything. Pilkey suggests that a loving approach allows for more productive and peaceful interactions, as well as unburdening one’s soul.

“Hey! Get back here!”

Grampa remains entrenched in he and Petey’s traditional dynamic of hatred. However, Petey’s decision to “turn the other cheek” de-escalates their argument and allows Petey to leave peacefully. Grampa’s expression in the accompanying illustration is one of fury, whereas Petey’s is one of calm contentment; this illustrates The Power of Love and Forgiveness and how it eclipses The Corrosive Impact of Hatred and Resentment.

“Thank you, Dog Man!”

The Mayor, joyful about the rescue of Mr. Snookums from his burning home, forgives Dog Man. Their relationship, once marred with resentment and anger, shifts to gratitude and positivity. This reaffirms Pilkey’s message about The Power of Love and Forgiveness.