Dog Man: Mothering Heights

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Background

Genre Context: Comic Book Features and Tropes

Dav Pilkey uses comic book features throughout his series to depict Dog Man’s adventures. As is typical of graphic novels, the illustrations rely on many components usually employed in comic books rather than illustrated children’s novels. Text is supported by illustrations laid out in panels, or frames, in multiple-panel sequences that convey action. Important moments have whole pages dedicated to them, known as splash panels. The story is designed to be interpreted through these visuals as well as through the words. Furthermore, Pilkey includes numerous flip-o-rama sections in the story, where one flips pages so that the illustrations seem animated. He also employs onomatopoeia (such as “BOOM,” “KLUNK,” and “STOMP”), where a word looks how it sounds; this is also a feature typical of comic book action scenes.

Comic book conventions are also evident in the story’s characters, who conform to comic character tropes. Grampa’s penchant for destruction, as well as his maniacal and sinister manner, are recognizable tropes of many comic book villains, such as Batman’s Joker or Penguin. On the other hand, Dog Man and Chief’s haphazard approach to defeating criminals is a satirical take on comic book superheroes, such as Batman or Superman, who are motivated to defeat the forces of evil that threaten their respective cities. Unlike these more effective superheroes, Chief and Dog Man are often unable to defeat the villains or, like Dog Man in Dog Man: Mothering Heights, end up needing to be rescued themselves.

Pilkey encourages his readers to emulate the journey of his fictional characters, George and Harold, in creating their own comic books. In his step-by-step “How 2 Draw” section after the story’s conclusion, he demonstrates how his simple character illustrations can be recreated. This section further aligns the series with the world of comic books.

Series Context: Captain Underpants and the Dog Man Series

Dog Man: Mothering Heights is the 20th installment of Pilkey’s Dog Man series. Dog Man is Pilkey’s second serial publication, following the widely successful Captain Underpants series.

The character Dog Man features in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants; Dog Man is mentioned in the first and ninth books of the Captain Underpants series. When Pilkey noticed that fans of the book were drawing Dog Man more often than they were drawing Captain Underpants, he decided that he should create a spin-off series dedicated entirely to Dog Man (Springen, Karen. “Q&A With Dav Pilkey.” Publishers Weekly, 25 Aug. 2016).

Authorial Context: Dav Pilkey and Neurodiversity

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: Mothering Heights, 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 the incredible Cone of Destiny. The success of these characters connects to a recurring theme through Pilkey’s work, The Value 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, Dave, and Amy Farley. “‘Captain Underpants’ Creator Dav Pilkey Turned ADHD Into a Superpower.” Fast Company, 25 Nov. 2019).