The Adventures of Ook and Gluk

Lore & Background

The plot involves George and Harold, the lead characters from Pilkey's Captain Underpants series, complaining that scientists do not know everything, so they make a comic book about science facts. The story is set in Cave-land, Ohio, 500,001 BC, where tribal leader Big Chief Goppernopper forces Gak, the sister of Ook, to marry him. Ook and Gluk befriend a dinosaur named Mog-Mog and her baby, stop the wedding, and later encounter Goppernopper's descendant J.P., CEO from 2222 A.D., who steals natural resources through a time portal. The cave-kids are taken to 2222, escape, and train under Master Wong at his School of Kung-Fu for seven years. They eventually free their people, confront the Goppernoppers, and restore a peaceful future.

Reader's Guide

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk was a commercial success, reaching #2 on the New York Times hardcover graphic novel best-sellers list its first week and remaining at #1 for six consecutive weeks, with 33 weeks total on the list. School Library Journal described its humor as 'completely immature, and for the target audience, completely hilarious.' Booklist suggested it would appeal to fans of silly adventures and kung-fu fighting. However, Common Sense Media gave it three out of five stars, stating 'Asian stereotypes mar Captain Underpants spin-off.' In March 2021, a Change.org petition with 289 signatures by Korean-American Billy Kim accused the book of harmful stereotyping of Asians, citing the kung fu master's attire, use of 'stereotypical Chinese proverbs,' and a storyline where the non-Asian protagonists rescue the master. Pilkey and Scholastic removed the book from print, with all author proceeds donated to charities promoting diversity and combating anti-Asian hatred. The decision was criticized by some commentators who defended the book as charming and not racist. Following removal, physical copies sold for $160 on eBay.

Did You Know?

• The book was removed from print in March 2021 after a Change.org petition with 289 signatures.
• All proceeds from the book were donated to charities that provide free books, art supplies, and theater for children, and organizations promoting diversity and stopping Asian hatred.
• The character J.P. Goppernopper is based on John D. Rockefeller.
• After the book's removal, physical copies were reported selling for $160 on eBay.

Creative Origins & Framing Device

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future stands as the second spin-off branching out from Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants franchise, taking the form of a graphic novel. In a clever meta-fictional twist, the book's authorship is attributed not to Pilkey himself but to the series' two mischievous protagonists: George Beard is credited as the writer, while Harold Hutchins takes the illustrator credit. This framing device is woven directly into the narrative premise, where George and Harold grow frustrated by the notion that scientists claim to have all the answers. Their solution? They decide to craft their own comic book centered on science facts, which becomes the vehicle for the Cave-kids' story. This layered structure—characters within a story creating a story within a story—gives the book a distinctly self-aware quality that mirrors the playful, irreverent tone Pilkey has cultivated throughout the Captain Underpants universe. The result is a work that feels both like a standalone adventure and a natural extension of the world readers already know and love.

Narrative Arc & World-Building

The story unfolds across two radically different eras: the prehistoric settlement of Cave-land, Ohio, in 500,001 BC, and the corporate-dominated future of 2222 and 2229 AD. The inciting incident sees tribal dictator Big Chief Goppernopper coercing Gak, Ook's older sister, into a forced marriage to silence the two Cave-kids. Their rescue of Gak and their bonding with a T-rex named Mog-Mog and her baby sets off a chain of events that pulls them into a far larger conflict. Goppernopper encounters his own descendant, J.P. Goppernopper, a CEO in 2222 who exploits a time portal to extract natural resources from the past. The Cave-kids are enslaved, then transported to the future, where they find refuge at Master Wong's School of Kung-Fu. After seven years of training—punctuated by the recurring question "Who is the greatest man?"—they earn black belts and return to liberate their people. The climax in 2229 turns on that same question, triggering a catastrophic argument between J.P. and Chief that erases both from history and grants 2229 a peaceful, brighter future.

Commercial Performance & Critical Response

Upon its release, the graphic novel immediately captured the attention of readers and the publishing industry. It debuted at number two on the New York Times hardcover graphic novel best-sellers list and quickly climbed to the top spot, where it held for six straight weeks. In total, the book spent 33 weeks on that list, with its run overlapping the paperback edition's simultaneous presence on the paperback best-sellers chart—a testament to sustained reader interest across formats. Critically, the book drew praise for its comedic energy. School Library Journal characterized the humor as entirely immature yet perfectly hilarious for its intended young audience. Booklist noted its appeal to readers who enjoy absurd adventures, bodily-function comedy, and martial-arts action. However, not all reviews were uniformly positive. Kate Pavao of Common Sense Media awarded the book three out of five stars, specifically flagging that the Captain Underpants spin-off was undermined by Asian stereotypes—a critique that would later gain far greater significance in the book's post-publication history.

The 2021 Controversy & Market Withdrawal

On March 25, 2021, Dav Pilkey took to his YouTube channel to announce that he and publisher Scholastic had pulled the book from print. The decision was a direct response to a Change.org petition bearing 289 signatures, initiated by Korean-American Billy Kim. Kim's complaint centered on what he described as harmful stereotyping of Asian characters, specifically pointing to Master Wong's depiction in what he called a traditional-style Tang coat, the use of stereotypical Chinese proverbs, and a narrative structure in which a kung-fu master is ultimately rescued by non-Asian, biracial protagonists wielding their own martial-arts skills. In the same video, Pilkey made a notable pledge regarding the book's financial legacy. He stated that all money he and his wife had earned from the title would be directed toward charitable causes, including organizations that provide free books, art supplies, and theater programs to children in underserved communities, groups working to promote diversity in children's publishing, and organizations dedicated to stopping Asian discrimination.