Wacky heroism returns in third ‘Dog Man’

Who fights crime and chews chairs?

Dog Man, the heroic hound in Dav Pilkey’s new graphic novel, “Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties.”

Dog Man is half pup and half police officer, said Pilkey, who invented the bravebut-wacky dog when he was in the second grade. Back then, Dav got into so much trouble, he said, that his teacher moved his desk to the hall. There, he dreamed up stories about Dog Man and Captain Underpants.

As an adult, he created more tales about them. The Dog Man book is the third in a series, but the character debuted in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants books, the author said by phone as he traveled to his home in Washington state.

Readers’ fondness for Dog Man inspired the separate series.

In the newest book, the blue-uniformed pooch battles destructive buildings that have come to life and an evil bionic fish. Dog Man’s biggest problem, though, is Petey, a villainous cat. Petey tries to clone himself but instead creates a sweet kitten named Li’l Petey. When the cranky feline dumps the kitten, Dog Man befriends him.

Pilkey credits his childhood pet, Halle, for Dog Man’s loyal, joyful personality.

Halle was a friend to him when he struggled to read as a child.

“I struggled with dyslexia and ADHD.”

Hoping her son would learn to read if he could find books he liked, his mom took Dav to a library to check out whatever he wanted.

He and Halle would curl up in his beanbag chair, where he liked to read and create comic books of his own. Sometimes he showed his work to his dog.

“Halle,” he said, was always patient and enthusiastic.”