DreamWorks’ Dog Man movie is full of spelling errors, and while they are intentional, it may still strike some viewers as odd. Billboards, signs, truck decals, and more are spelled incorrectly throughout the movie, with viewers who are unfamiliar with the source material undoubtedly being confused by this odd choice. Luckily, the Dog Man books do provide an explanation that the movie doesn’t show, so here’s why so many words are misspelled throughout the movie.

Dog Man is a unique film from DreamWorks Animation, and while it is getting positive reviewers, some viewers are confused by many elements of the film’s style. The crude jokes, simplistic art direction, and seemingly basic story would all be flaws in any other film, but these elements are what fans of Dog Man love about the franchise. In carrying this style over, Dog Man is being faithful to the source material, and here is why it works for the movie.

Dog Man Is A Comic Written By Two Kids From Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

George And Harold Are Dog Man’s In-Universe Authors

In the world of the Dog Man books, Dog Man is a comic written by kids. Dog Man started out as an in-universe comic in the Captain Underpants books, which were already adapted into a DreamWorks movie тιтled Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. The comics are written by the series’ protagonists, George and Harold, with the in-universe comics eventually becoming so popular that Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey began a series of standalone Dog Man books.

Since George and Harold are children, and portrayed as not very bright ones at that, the Dog Man comics that they write reflect this. Dav Pilkey adds intentional spelling errors and a crude art style in order to reflect the types of things you would expect to see in a real comic made by little kids. Thus, the Dog Man movie carries this style over, even if its doesn’t explain its connection to Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.

Why Dog Man Never Addresses its Captain Underpants Connections

Even Though There Is A Cameo

Despite Dog Man being a spinoff of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, the 2025 film never addresses its franchise past in the film. It hasn’t been revealed why Captain Underpants isn’t addressed in Dog Man, but it could be for the same reason that Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie never got a sequel. The first film wasn’t a big enough hit for DreamWorks to be interested in making more. This combined with the fact that Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie came out in 2017 may have made the studio hesitant to risk confusing audiences.

However, George and Harold do get a brief cameo in Dog Man. Stylized versions of the two characters can be seen sitting on a bench near the end of the film. So, while Dog Man may not have referenced Captain Underpants in the way many expected, it did manage to sneak an Easter egg in there.