Scholastic to Publish Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga" on April 7, 2026

Scholastic will publish "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga" on April 7, 2026, simultaneously in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The manga adaptation of the popular children's series, written and adapted by Dav Pilkey and illustrated by Motojiro, aims to attract a broader audience and capitalize on the growing popularity of manga in Western markets. The book has sold over 90 million copies worldwide and is available in 37 languages.

Scholastic, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, is set to release "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga" on April 7, 2026, simultaneously in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This manga adaptation of the popular children's series, written and adapted by Dav Pilkey, will feature illustrations by Motojiro and aims to attract a broader audience by capitalizing on the growing popularity of manga in Western markets.

The original "Captain Underpants" series, created by Dav Pilkey, follows the adventures of fourth graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins, who love to create comics and hypnotize their school principal into becoming their superhero creation, Captain Underpants. The series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide and is available in 37 languages. The manga adaptation will follow the same story arc as the original chapter book but will be presented in a graphic novel format, featuring new and fun Flip-o-Ramas® that will captivate existing fans and attract new readers.

Dav Pilkey, the creator of both "Captain Underpants" and "Dog Man," expressed his gratitude towards Motojiro for his dynamic style and the opportunity to reimagine the story in a new format. Motojiro, an accomplished Japanese manga artist, has been working as a freelance illustrator in Tokyo for over 30 years and has created manga for educational materials for kids. He is a member of the Japan Cartoonists Association.

Scholastic's Graphix imprint, which publishes graphic novels for early, middle grade, and young adult readers, is set to release this manga adaptation. The imprint has previously published bestselling series such as "Dog Man" and "Cat Kid Comic Club" by Dav Pilkey, as well as works by Raina Telgemeier and Kazu Kibuishi.

The release of "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga" comes at a time when the manga market in the West is experiencing significant growth. According to a report by the Japan External Trade Organization, the manga market in the US alone has seen a 25% increase in sales over the past five years. This trend is expected to continue, making the manga adaptation of "Captain Underpants" a strategic move for Scholastic.

The financial implications of this release are yet to be fully understood, but the success of similar manga adaptations and the strong brand recognition of "Captain Underpants" suggest that the manga adaptation could be a significant addition to Scholastic's portfolio.

References:
[1] https://people.com/captain-underpants-manga-coming-in-2026-11782193
[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scholastic-to-publish-dav-pilkeys-captain-underpants-the-first-epic-manga-on-april-7-2026-302518659.html