Captain Underpants Manga Coming | News

Captain Underpants, the best-selling illustrated children’s chapter book series, is being adapted into the manga format.

Creator Dav Pilkey is writing and adapting Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga, based on the story arc of the original book. It will be illustrated in color by Motojiro, read left to right, and be published by Scholastic’s Graphix imprint. It will be available in paperback ($14.99), jacketed hardcover ($24.99), and ebook formats ($14.99) for ages 7 and up on April 7, 2026. (Publication is simultaneous in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.)

The series features the adventures of best friends George Beard and Harold Hutchins. They love to create comics, and they hypnotize their principal into becoming the titular superhero.

The first book in the series, The Adventures of Captain Underpants, launched the illustrated children’s chapter book category almost 30 years ago. With more than 90 million copies of the books in print, the series was also adapted into an animated feature film in 2017 and a Netflix original series. Pilkey also created the successful Dog Man graphic novel series and its spinoff Cat Kid Comic Club.

Said creator Dav Pilkey, “It is a huge honor to see Motojiro’s rendering of the Captain Underpants illustrations into manga. His vibrant art inspired me to dig deeper, write new dialogue, and flesh out the story even further. Fans of the series will be thrilled about the new look and new content, and fans of manga will be impressed with Motojiro’s dynamic style. I am grateful to Motojiro for his help in taking Captain Underpants to a whole new level and exciting format that I hope will create a new generation of readers.”

In a statement, Motojiro said, “When I was chosen to draw Captain Underpants, words couldn’t express how thrilled I was. I had the chance to meet Dav Pilkey in Japan and read his amazing reimagined text. It was a wonderful experience to hear about his deep love and care for the series. I hope even more kids and families will enjoy the Captain Underpants manga that I had so much fun drawing. I am truly thankful for this wonderful opportunity.”

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