LOVE HIM MORE. I HAD THE CHANCE TO WITNESS
FIRSTHAND THE MAGICAL POWERS OF
DAV PILKEY.
DAV PILKEY. >> Reporter: HIS BEAUTIFUL
PICTURES AND POWERFUL WORDS
LAUNCHED HIM INTO LITERARY
STARDOM.
STARDOM. DAV PILKEY IS FILLING UP
STADIUMS ON HIS RECENT BOOK
TOUR, WITH THOUSANDS OF
SCREAMING FANS, ALL DEVOTED
READERS.
READERS. "CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS" AND "DOG
MAN" SERIES INSTANT BEST
SELLERS, WITH HILARIOUS
CHARACTERS BELOVED BY KIDS,
PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY WERE
CREATED BY ONE.
TALK TO ME ABOUT WHEN YOU FIRST
INVESTED CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE?
>> I WAS IN SECOND GRADE, AND I
WAS HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE IN
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. I HAD JUST BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH
WHAT THEY CALL ADHD.
I HAD DYSLEXIA.
MY TEACHER DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO
DO WITH ME, SO SHE WAS SENDING
ME OUT INTO THE HALLWAY.
I WAS KIND OF ALONE OUT THERE.
I DIDN’T WANT THE KIDS TO THINK
OF ME AS THE BAD GUY.
I STARTED DRAWING.
CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS WAS ONE OF
THE CHARACTERS I STARTED DRAWING
TO ENTERTAIN MY FRIENDS.
>> Reporter: DAV’S SECOND GRADE
SUPERHERO SKETCHES NOW A
PUBLISHING FRANCHISE.
PUBLISHING FRANCHISE. MORE THAN 100 MILLION COPIES IN
42 LANGUAGES.
42 LANGUAGES. >> CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS!
>> Reporter: A MOVIE AND A
NETFLIX SERIES.
NETFLIX SERIES. ♪ HE’S THE DOG MAN ♪
>> Reporter: NOW AN OFF BROADWAY
MUSICAL.
MUSICAL. WE’RE ON THE STAGE OF THE "DOG
MAN."
MAN." WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WATCH YOUR
CREATION COME TO LIFE?
>> IT WAS SURPRISINGLY
EMOTIONAL.
EMOTIONAL. EVERYONE WAS HAVING SUCH A GOOD
TIME WITH SOMETHING THAT STARTED
WHEN I WAS A KID.
TO SEE IT START THERE AND TO
CONTINUE ON HERE WAS A DREAM
COME TRUE.
COME TRUE. >> Reporter: RIGHT BY HIS SIDE,
ONE OF HIS GREATEST SUPPORTERS,
HIS MOM.
HIS MOM. >> I THINK I OWE A LOT TO MY MOM
BECAUSE SHE KNEW I WAS HAVING
ALL THESE TROUBLES IN SCHOOL
READING, SO SHE WOULD TAKE ME TO
THE LIBRARY EVERY WEEK AND LET
ME PICK OUT WHATEVER I WANTED TO
READ.
READ. I STARTED TO ASSOCIATE READING
WITH LOVE, AND IT CHANGED
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> Reporter: YOU SAID BEFORE
THAT YOUR MOM CREATED THIS SAFE
SPACE.
SPACE. >> I WAS DRAWING THESE COMICS IN
SCHOOL, AND I WAS GETTING IN
TROUBLE FOR IT.
MY TEACHERS WOULD SOMETIMES RIP
UP THE COMICS.
MY MOM AND MY DAD COMMISSIONED
ACTUAL COMIC BOOKS.
THEY WANTED ME TO WRITE COMICS
JUST FOR THEM.
THEY’D SIT DOWN AND READ THEM
WITH ME AND LAUGH AT THE RIGHT
PLACES.
PLACES. IT WAS SO ENCOURAGING FOR ME.
>> Reporter: DAV’S CHILDHOOD
CREATIONS BECAME A CHILDHOOD
TREASURE.
TREASURE. >> WHEN I GOT MY FIRST BOOK
PUBLISHED AS AN ADULT, THEY
SAVED ALL THE COMICS I MADE AS A
CHILD AND THEY GAVE THEM BACK TO
ME.
ME. IT WAS A GIFT.
THESE ARE ALL THE COMICS.
>> Reporter: DID YOU DRAW THESE
FOR THEM?
FOR THEM? >> I DID.
>> I DID. THIS IS PAPER MY FATHER USED TO
BRING HOME FROM WORK FOR ME.
>> Reporter: WHEN YOU WRITE, DO
YOU STILL CONSULT THAT SECOND
GRADE BOY?
GRADE BOY? >> OH, YES, YES, YEAH.
I THINK THE KID IN ME IS ALWAYS
DRIVING THE CAR.
>> Reporter: KID-TESTED AND
APPROVED.
APPROVED. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> Reporter: DAV AND I GAVE A
GROUP OF HIS FANS A SNEAK PEEK
AT HIS YET-TO-BE-RELEASED "DOG
MAN" BOOK.
MAN" BOOK. >> THAT RIVER ISN’T PRETTY.
IT’S POLLUTED.
IT’S POLLUTED. >> I AM INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO
BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND SEE KIDS
AND HEAR THEM LAUGHING AND
REALIZE THAT I STILL FEEL LIKE
THAT SECOND GRADE NER AR IN A WA
THESE KIDS ARE TURNING INTO
LIFELONG READERS.
LIFELONG READERS. YOU KNOW CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> Reporter: DAV HAD A DRAWING
WORKSHOP OF THEIR DREAMS.
>> WE’RE ALL GOING TO CREATE OUR
OWN SUPERHERO.
OWN SUPERHERO. EVERYBODY READY?
EVERYBODY READY? >> YEAH!
>> YEAH! >> Reporter: THEY LET THEIR
IMAGINATIONS RUN WILD.
>> I LOVE THE EYEBALLS.
THOSE ARE SO COOL.
>> Reporter: THE RESULTS
COULDN’T BE SWEETER.
>> THIS IS DONUT GIRL AND LITTLE
DONUT GIRL.
DONUT GIRL. >> PIZZA DOG.
>> PUNKY.
>> PUNKY. >> HEART MAN.
>> PIZZA BAGEL.
>> DOG MAN.
>> THIS IS JERRY.
>> Reporter: TEACHING KIDS THAT
CREATIVITY CAN BE THE GREATEST
SUPERPOWER OF THEM ALL.
>> HOW GREAT IS HE?
>> I LOVE HIM.
>> WHAT A GREAT IDEA.
I WAS JUST SAYING, MY SOON-TO-BE
SECOND GRADE SON, "DOG MAN," HE
IS OBSESSED WITH IT.
THAT’S HOW I GOT HIM TO READ.
HE WENT TO THE SCHOOL BOOK FAIR
AND HE PICKED ALL "DOG MAN"
BOOKS.
BOOKS. I LOVE IT.
>> IT WORKS FOR ADULTS AND FOR
KIDS.
KIDS. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> YOU CAN READ IT WITH YOUR
KIDS.
KIDS. >> ALSO HIS MOTHER, BOTH HIS
PARENTS, SHOULD TEACH A MASTER
CLASS IN PARENTING.
>> THEY LET HIM BE EXACTLY WHO
HE WAS AND ENCOURAGED IT.
I LOVE HOW THEY BOUND THE COMIC
BOOKS AND REALLY MADE HIM HAVE A
VISION FOR HIMSELF.
>> HE WAS LONELY AT SCHOOL.
HE DIDN’T -- YOU KNOW, HE WAS
OUT IN THE HALLWAY ALL OF THESE
DAYS AND FELT LONELY.
THEY GAVE HIM THIS SAFE SPACE TO
CREATE.
CREATE. >> YOU GOT TO DO A READING WITH
HIM.
HIM. IT IS LIKE PLAYING A SHOW WITH A
ROCK STAR.
ROCK STAR. >> I HAD SO MUCH FUN.
>> HIS NEW BOOK IS PERFECT.
>> WE SHOULD MENTION, YOU CAN
PREORDER "DOG MAN: FROM WHOM THE
BALL ROLLS" AT TODAY.COM.
>> EXCELLENT.
>> EXCELLENT. >> LIKE HEMINGWAY.