Writer's Guide 101 (Wattpad Edition)

LXXVII. Writer's Choice Series (Captain Underpants)

[Oops! I forgot he was supposed to have ears. I simply drew this from my imagination.]

Captain Underpants has got to be one of those ridiculous books with oddly long titles regurgitated by some kid.
Seriously, you have Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants and my personal fave "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman."
To be honest, I never read any of the books growing up. I know they're quite popular amongst pre-schoolers but I was more of a comic book fan.

I thought it was so gross to see a big grown man in just his undies flying around in public. Now as an adult, I decided to give it a try.
I remember having a bad day this week and suddenly thought of reading something fun. I manage to read a couple of books that night as I started chuckling so much that I momentarily forgot all of my woes.
I head over to bed now inflicted with that childlike wonder ready to take on anything. It's one of those feel-good books that somehow encouraged me to believe in myself and never give up.
The story follows two best friends, Harold Hutchins and George Beard, who attend fourth grade in Jerome Horwitz Elementary School. One day, they got to make their own superhero comic called Captain Underpants.
Of course, these two are a bunch of silly troublemakers who have a knack for pulling nasty pranks on everyone. Their biggest nemesis (no pun intended) is the principal, Mr. Krupp, who hates them so much that he was willing to order them around and humiliate them.
The boys had enough so they went to hypnotize him with a 3-D hypnoring they ordered and with a snap of a finger the principal turns into the iconic superhero in tight undies.

Here's a fun fact: The character was inspired by the author Dave Pilkey's childhood experience. Being diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, he was often reprimanded by his teachers for his behavior and made to sit in the school hallways. He was always told that he will never get anywhere drawing silly comics but he never listened.

The way they'd add some silly disclaimers in case there are any cartoony violence and stuff really makes me laugh.
I wish we could get away with saying stuff like "This chapter contains violence and our heroes dooking it out, drama, boogers, toilets, dirty undies and jokes not meant for babies!"
Oh, did I mention the Flip-o-rama? Try flipping the pages as if the drawn pictures were moving. It is like a kid really wrote this book for kids in mind! Yes, it's silly and nonsensical but those are what makes them fun. I wish they'd also have more fun silly stories like these for older audiences as well.
I often see how there aren't that many pieces of media for teens and adults which appeal to me. Sure, you have Harry Potter and Scott Pilgrim but those are just about it.
The rest are just slice-of-life romance genres that remind me of real life and have protagonists who act like adults who've never had fun in their lives.
No offense to anyone who ever likes them but why would I be interested in Hazbin Hotel, Colleen Hoover, Game of Thrones, True Beauty and other adult shows? Being an adult sucks. They have characters who are just as miserable, spiteful and unimaginative as anyone I've met in my life. It doesn't at least offer any lesson aside from "Yeah, it sucks deal with it! Hey, how's the stock market going?"
This is why a lot of grownups tend to gravitate to stories with younger protagonists and unrealistic but entertaining plotlines. It can be just as crazy and defy all logic as possible.
It is also why some of my books like TCOTRB tend to be written as if a kid wrote it. After all, adults are just kids in taller bodies and don't have to worry about homework or being nagged around by their parents to do chores.