Scholastic has announced Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga, a new take on the bestselling series, scripted by series creator Dav Pilkey, and featuring art by children’s manga creator Motojiro (Time Warp, Battle Brave). Due out early next year, the book will retell the story of the original 1997 book, in which two boys hypnotized their school principal into becoming the “greatest superhero of all time.”
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga cover by MotojiroCombining humor and action with empowerment and empathy, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga features the amazing adventures of best friends George Beard and Harold Hutchins and their waistband warrior superhero creation, Captain Underpants. Following the story arc of the original chapter book, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga is reenvisioned as an engaging graphic novel that will read in the traditional English language tradition (left to right), include new and fun Flip-o-Ramas® that will captivate existing fans, capture new readers, and appeal to comics, manga, and anime aficionados alike.
Pilkey states, “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.”
Motojiro adds, “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.”
The book will be released digitally, in paperback, and hardback in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand on April 7, 2026. It marks the first entry in the series since 2015’s Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot, not counting spin-offs like Dog Man (which launched in 2016), or the full color rereleases (which ended in 2022), and builds on Scholastic’s recent foray into manga, which launched last year with the reimagining of Osamu Tezuka‘s Unico, Unico: Awakening (by Samuel Sattin and Gurihiru).
In the meantime, Pilkey’s next book, Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, will be released by Scholastic on November 11, 2025.
English (US) · 