DAV PILKEY'S DOG MAN GOES FOR A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ TITLE AT SPECIAL FREE EVENT FOR FANS

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Scholastic (NASDAQ:SCHL) will host a free Dog Man event on Dec 9, 2025 at The Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, IN, featuring a live performance of Dog Man: The Musical, a meet-and-greet with Dav Pilkey, and a signed copy of Dog Man: Big Jim Believes.

Fans can attempt a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest gathering dressed as a comic/graphic novel character (current record: 1,784). Tickets/registration open via a company link on Oct 30 at 10:00 AM ET. The campaign coincides with the book's Nov 11 publication and Global Dog Man Day events at thousands of bookstores, schools, and libraries, reaching nearly 7,000 schools and libraries. The release notes Dog Man has > 70 million books in print and references the franchise's film and sold-out tour milestones.

Dav Pilkey's "Power Up with Reading" Book Tour Sold Out, Global Dog Man Day Events Planned

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A supa epic treat! Scholastic, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, announced today a special one-night only free event to celebrate Dav Pilkey's global phenomenon Dog Man, giving fans a rare chance to be a part of Guinness World Record history. Attendees will experience a live performance of the acclaimed Dog Man: The Musical from TWTheatricals, receive a signed copy of the new book Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, and meet Dav Pilkey himself.

On the heels of a landmark year of Dog Man milestones including Dav Pilkey's completely sold-out "Power Up with Reading" Tour, this family-friendly free event will be held on Tuesday, December 9^th at The Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, Indiana (Tickets/advance registration can be obtained via this LINK beginning at 10:00 AM EST on October 30^th).

Fans—kids and adults—will be invited to dress up as Dog Man and attempt to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest gathering of people dressed as a comic book or graphic novel character. The current GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS holder is San Diego Comic-Con with 1,784 participants in 2015. For more about this special free event, visit LINK. 

To coincide with the November 11^th publication of his newest book, Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, Dav Pilkey, whose books have long been associated with getting kids to love reading, will be appearing at sold-out "Power Up With Reading" events across the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, throughout the month of November, Global Dog Man Day celebration events featuring fun activities and exclusive giveaways are planned at thousands of bookstores, schools, and libraries across North America, the U.K. and Ireland, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. For a list of Dog Man and Dav Pilkey events, visit CelebrateDogMan.com.

Pilkey, whose personal mission is to bring books into the hands of kids everywhere, will also visit kids from under-funded schools during his "Power Up With Reading" tour. Over the years, Dav Pilkey's on-going support for students and educators in underserved communities have reached millions of kids and families and launched national literacy initiatives in collaboration with Little Free Library, Book Trust, Scripps Howard Fund, the Alliance for Young Writers and Artists, among many other organizations and institutions.  

In a statement, Dav Pilkey said, "I'm humbled and honored that I get to play a part in getting kids excited about books. I'm looking forward to meeting and celebrating together the heroes behind the scenes who change many people's lives through the power of reading."

This year's fall celebration of Children's Book Week (November 3–9) will mark a significant milestone as Dog Man serves as the official anchor of the nation's longest-running literacy initiative. As part of the campaign, "Dog Man and Friends Power Up with Reading" celebrations will take place in schools, libraries, and independent bookstores across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Highlighting the importance of doing good, one of the themes in the Dog Man books, this initiative will reach nearly 7,000 schools and libraries and will include the distribution of thousands of books to young readers. For more information about Dog Man and Children's Book Week, visit [link].

Breaking a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title will cap off an epic year for Dav Pilkey's beloved canine superhero character. In January 2025, the iconic Empire State Building was illuminated in Dog Man colors to celebrate the theatrical release of the feature film Dog Man from DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures which made a triumphant debut at the top of the box office. Since the series launched to critical acclaim in 2016, each Dog Man installment has catapulted to the top of bestseller lists worldwide, amassing more than 70 million books in print to date, making it one of the bestselling graphic novel series of all time.

About Dog Man
The Dog Man books explore multi-generational family and champion empathy and doing good. The series follow the hilarious and heartwarming adventures of the "Supa Buddies": Dog Man, a lovable canine superhero, and his friends Li'l Petey, a curious kitten who embodies love, optimism, and hope, and 80-HD, a robot who expresses himself best through his art. The series explores universally positive messages including kindness, compassion, and striving to become a better version of one's self, while it also tackles more complex themes including death, shared custody, and forgiveness.

About Dav Pilkey
Dav Pilkey has created over 75 books for children and was awarded a Caldecott Honor for his picture book The Paperboy. When Dav Pilkey was in second grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and what is now widely known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because of his learning and behavioral issues in school, he was often sent out in the hallway. It was in his elementary school hallway where he created comic books about superheroes that eventually became Captain Underpants and Dog Man. The Cat Kid Comic Club series, a spin-off of Dog Man which highlights how lessons in creativity often reflect lessons in real life, is also a #1 worldwide bestseller, translated in 28 languages to date, and has been adapted to a hit musical from TheaterworksUSA. Dav's first graphic novel, The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, was published 23 years ago and became an instant national bestseller. Pilkey's pioneering Captain Underpants series which popularized the illustrated children's book category, has more than 90 million copies in print with translations in 37 languages, been made into a movie from DreamWorks, and adapted as an original TV series on Netflix. On April 7, 2026, Scholastic will publish Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga, written and adapted by Pilkey with full color illustrations by Japanese manga artist Motojiro. For more information about Dav Pilkey and his books, visit the Mediaroom.

TWTheatricals is a new division of TheaterWorksUSA dedicated to creating fully produced, full-length works for multigenerational audiences, including the upcoming Dog Man: The Bark Knight production. TWUSA believes that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital. Since 1967, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals, including Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical, currently on tour. Acclaimed alumni include EGOT recipients Robert Lopez (Disney's Frozen), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land), Grammy Award winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Disney's Frozen), and Mark Sonnenblick (KPop Demon Hunters). www.twusa.org | www.twtheatricals.com

About Scholastic
For more information about Scholastic, visit our mediaroom at https://mediaroom.scholastic.com/. 

 

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SOURCE Scholastic Inc

FAQ

When and where is Scholastic's free Dog Man event for fans (SCHL)?

The free event is on Dec 9, 2025 at The Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, Indiana.

How can I get tickets for the Scholastic (SCHL) Dog Man event and when do registrations open?

Tickets/advance registration open via the company link on Oct 30 at 10:00 AM ET.

What Guinness World Records title will be attempted at the Scholastic (SCHL) Dog Man event?

Attendees will attempt the record for the largest gathering of people dressed as a comic book or graphic novel character (current record: 1,784).

What does Scholastic (SCHL) include in the Dec 9 Dog Man event experience?

The event includes a live performance of Dog Man: The Musical, a signed copy of Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, and a meet-and-greet with Dav Pilkey.

How does this Dog Man campaign tie to Scholastic's publishing calendar (SCHL)?

The event coincides with the Nov 11 publication of Dog Man: Big Jim Believes and Global Dog Man Day activities throughout November.

What scale of outreach does Scholastic (SCHL) say the Dog Man campaign will reach?

The campaign includes celebrations at thousands of locations and will reach nearly 7,000 schools and libraries across multiple countries.