'Captain Underpants' author pulls 'racist' book, apologizes to Asian readers

Scholastic

29/03/2021 20:58

By Barbara Goldberg
    NEW YORK, March 29 (Reuters) - Publisher Scholastic Corp has
halted publication of a book by children's author Dav Pilkey,
best known for his "Captain Underpants" series, who offered an
online apology for the title's unintended "racist imagery."  
    Pilkey, author of more than 40 books, said "The Adventures
of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future," first
published in 2010, would be pulled from retail and library
shelves.
    "I hope you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my
mistakes that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and
racism is harmful to everyone," said Pilkey, 55, in a statement
on YouTube on March 26.
    The graphic novel about a group of friends who save the
world using kung fu actually was "intended to showcase
diversity, equality and non-violent conflict resolution" but it
ultimately backfired, he said.
    "It was brought to my attention that this book also contains
harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery," Pilkey
said. "It was and is wrong and harmful to my Asian readers,
friends, and family, and to all Asian people."
    The move came during national soul-searching over anti-Asian
harassment and violence that followed the killing of eight
people, including six Asian women, at Atlanta-area day spas.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2LK2SI
    The decision to pull the book followed the removed this
month of a handful of titles written decades ago by Dr. Seuss.
The books were found to contain racist and insensitive imagery.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2L02YM
    With Pilkey's "full support," Scholastic said it halted
publication on March 22, removed the book from its websites,
stopped fulfillment of any outstanding orders and sought a
return of all inventory, including from schools and libraries. 
    "Together, we recognize that this book perpetuates passive
racism," Scholastic said in a statement. "We are deeply sorry
for this serious mistake."
    Pilkey has said that his own disruptive behavior as a child
led him to create his own comic books. He later achieved
international recognition with his "Captain Underpants"  series,
which was adapted as a film. 
    The "Captain Underpants" books are among the American
Library Association's list of the top 100 most banned and
challenged books from the past decade, due to complaints from
parents about violent imagery.

 (Reporting by Barbara Goldberg
Editing by Alistair Bell)
 ((Barbara.Goldberg@thomsonreuters.com; 646-875-2130; Reuters
Messaging: Barbara.Goldberg.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))