Captain Underpants

“George and Harold were usually responsible kids. Whenever anything bad happened, George and Harold were usually responsible.”

In a play on words, Pilkey suggests that George and Harold are “usually responsible” or well behaved, but then amends this by saying that they are usually responsible for “anything bad.” This characterizes George and Harold as mischievous troublemakers. Pilkey uses short, declarative sentences to bring home his humor.

“It’s just that George and Harold each had a “silly streak” a mile long. Usually that silly streak was hard to control. Sometimes, it got them into trouble.”

Pilkey celebrates George and Harold’s silliness. He pairs mischief with individuality and creativity, and associates sensible behavior with disciplinarian and cruel characters such as Mr. Krupp. The above lines allude to George and Harold’s getting into trouble when Krupp films their pranks.

“The two boys spend hours and hours writing and drawing their very own comic books.”

Harold and George’s creativity is also paired with entrepreneurship and the ability to sell The Adventures of Captain Underpants. Pilkey uses illustration styles, characters, and tropes typical of the comic book genre.