Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas

Pilkey connects neurodiversity with creativity and—in doing so—celebrates neurodiversity through his work. The word “neurodivergent” describes people whose brains operate differently than neurotypical people’s brains. People who are neurodivergent may have different strengths and challenges. Sometimes, neurodivergent people have medical disorders, learning disabilities, and other conditions. They might also have certain abilities that don’t come naturally to most neurotypical people, like an excellent memory, the ability to mentally picture three-dimensional objects easily, and the ability to solve complex mathematical calculations (“Neurodivergent.” Cleveland Clinic).

Characters who are creative in Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, like Harold, George, and Li’l Petey, are celebrated and successful. Harold and George are purported to have created the content of the story, while Li’l Petey and 80-HD support Dog Man by creating incredible inventions such as the Dogmobile. The success of these characters connects to a recurring theme throughout Pilkey’s work, The Importance of Creativity.

Pilkey remembers his shame with his learning difficulties and the lack of support he received at school. Pilkey struggled with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and dyslexia as a child at school, and Pilkey’s characters, George and Harold, are somewhat autobiographical: “George and Harold are characters I like spending time with. They started out as different versions of myself.” Pilkey remembers that art allowed him to be “the funny kid, the artist” rather than drawing attention to his difficulties with reading and writing (Springen, Karen. “Q&A With Dav Pilkey.” Publishers Weekly, 25 Aug. 2016).

Pilkey’s character 80-HD is an intentional reference to ADHD, with which he hopes his young readers will identify. His work purports to shift the perception of neurodivergence. Pilkey points out that 80-HD “doesn’t communicate the same way everyone else does” (the robot cannot speak verbally but can explain himself demonstratively, such as through art). Pilkey hopes that readers will see that ADHD is “something to be proud of” because 80-HD is “powerful and creative, and very, very valuable” (Pilkey, Dav, and Amy Farley. “‘Captain Underpants’ Creator Dav Pilkey Turned ADHD Into a Superpower.” Fast Company, 25 Nov. 2019).

Similarly, Dog Man struggles with focus and impulsivity due to the duality of his half-dog, half-human nature; these are typical traits of ADHD. Pilkey’s plots always celebrate the unique talents of neurodivergent individuals, such as through the Supa Buddies’ defeat of The Fleas in Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas.