Scholastic Launches "Dav Pilkey's Epic Comic Club," A
Virtual Platform Where Kids Around the Globe Can Create
Their Own Comics
NEW
YORK, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Readers and
retailers rejoice! Scholastic, the world's largest publisher and
distributor of children's books, announced today that 2023 will be
a big and exciting year for kids and families everywhere with the
publication of a new Dog Man graphic novel. DOG MAN: TWENTY
THOUSAND FLEAS UNDER THE SEA, the newest book in the #1
global bestselling and critically-acclaimed series will release on
March 28, 2023, simultaneously in the
U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, New
Zealand, and throughout Asia. This eleventh installment in the series
follows Dog Man: Mothering Heights which dominated both
children's and adult bestseller lists, and was the #1 bestselling
book overall in 2021, selling more than 2 million copies to date in
the U.S. alone. In just over five years since Dog Man launched to
multiple starred reviews, there are more than 50 million copies of
the Dog Man books in print with translations in 42 languages.
DreamWorks Animation is currently developing a movie adaptation of
Dog Man.
The phenomenal success of Dog Man has also helped to drive the
comic book industry, and Dav
Pilkey's global domination continues on November 29, 2022 with the release of Cat Kid
Comic Club: Collaborations, the newest book in his #1 worldwide
bestselling Cat Kid Comic Club graphic novel series, a spin-off of
Dog Man. With more than 90 million copies in print to date, the
Captain Underpants series will soon mark its 25th anniversary. To
celebrate the milestone of Pilkey's popular series widely-credited
for helping to create the illustrated children's chapter book
category, Scholastic will publish on March
7, 2023 a special anniversary edition of the first Captain
Underpants book, The Adventures of Captain Underpants,
featuring a bonus 32-page all-new comic mash-up starring Dog Man
and Captain Underpants, bringing together two iconic characters in
a never-before-told story.
In a statement, Caldecott Honoree Dav Pilkey said: "I am humbled
and grateful to do what I love for a living. Since the pandemic
began, I have been inspired to create even more stories and to
learn and grow as an artist–from experimenting with various mediums
to make comics using photography, poetry, and calligraphy, to
building character models and sets by hand, as well as exploring
different themes and storylines. My hope is that my books foster
creativity and imagination, and instill a lifelong love of
reading."
To engage and bring together its millions of fans worldwide,
Scholastic also announced the official launch of Dav Pilkey's Epic Comic Club, a new global
online platform where kids can create their own comics. The
COPPA-compliant site, www.EpicComicClub.com, opens up with a
special message from Dav Pilkey
encouraging kids to have fun making comics, and features a place
where kids can upload their stories in a safe and moderated
environment, along with an "Epic Comic Club Wall" to showcase their
comic creations. The online hub includes free monthly downloadable
activities including comic starters, customizable official
membership cards, collectible character badges, special sneak
peeks, exclusive book news, and more. The Epic Comic Club site also
will serve as a destination for educators, booksellers, parents,
and caregivers around the globe to access free resources including
tips on how to start their own Epic Comic Clubs at home, in
bookstores, classrooms, or libraries. Additionally, Scholastic has
created a special section on its existing HomeBase platform
(www.scholastic.com/homebase) as another portal where kids can
submit their comics and access more games inspired by Dav Pilkey's beloved characters.
Ellie Berger, President of
Scholastic Trade, said: "Dav is one of the most inspiring and
creative storytellers of this generation and the anticipation and
strong demand for his books has been extraordinary. With the launch
of 'Dav Pilkey's Epic Comic Club,' we can't wait to see kids'
creativity and imagination come to life in their own comics."
About Dog Man
The Dog Man series follows the hilarious and heartwarming
adventures of the "Supa Buddies": Dog Man, a lovable canine
superhero, and his friends Li'l Petey, a curious kitten who
embodies love, optimism, and hope, and 80-HD, a robot who expresses
himself best through his art. With each Dog Man book, readers see
the growth and development of the main narrators George and Harold
through their comics. Their artwork, grammar, as well as their
spelling improve as the series progresses. The series explores
universally positive messages including empathy, kindness, and
striving to become a better version of one's self, while it also
tackles more complex themes including loss, forgiveness, and
self-acceptance. All ten books in the Dog Man series published to
date have clinched the #1 spot on renowned bestseller lists. A live
stage adaptation inspired by the books, Dog Man: The Musical
from TheaterWorksUSA, will resume its tour across North America starting in August 2022.
About Dav Pilkey
The publication of Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under
the Sea marks Dav Pilkey's
35 years of writing and illustrating award-winning and bestselling
books for children. His first-ever graphic novel, The Adventures
of Super Diaper Baby, was published in 2002, fourteen years
before the release of the first Dog Man book. When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he was diagnosed with ADHD
and dyslexia. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made
him sit out in the hallway every day. He spent his time in the
hallway creating his own original comic books -- the very first
adventures of Dog Man and Captain Underpants. In college, Dav met a
teacher who encouraged him to write and illustrate for kids. He
took her advice and created his first book, World War Won,
which won a national competition in 1986. Dav made many other books
before being awarded the California Young Reader Medal for Dog
Breath (1994) and the Caldecott Honor for The Paperboy
(1996). Dav's stories are semi-autobiographical and explore
universal themes that celebrate friendship, empathy, and the
triumph of the good-hearted. When he is not making books for kids,
Dav loves to kayak with his wife in the Pacific Northwest. For more
information about Dav Pilkey and his
books visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/davpilkey.
About Scholastic
For more information about Scholastic, visit our media room
at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/
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SOURCE Scholastic