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Dog Man: Big Jim Begins

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SPOILER ALERT!!!
This article or section contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!

“
Every story has a beginning...
 ”

–The book's blurb

Dog Man: Big Jim Begins is the 13th consecutive book in the Dog Man series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey. It was released on December 3, 2024. This book mainly focuses on Big Jim, Grampa, and the origins of multiple Dog Man characters.

The book was announced on May 30, 2024, along with its first sneak peek at People Magazine's website[1], and the cover was revealed on July 31, 2024. A follow-up to this book, Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, was released on November 11, 2025.

Synopsis[]

In DOG MAN: BIG JIM BEGINS, discover the origin of our beloved characters from the Dog Man series as they join forces to stop the Space Cuties from destroying the city. Will the past predict the future for Dog Man and his friends? Will goodness and bravery prevail? Can anything happen if you truly believe?

Characters[]

Main Characters[]

  • Dog Man/Greg the Puppy - He's a dog/policeman hybrid who works at the Cop Station. His red stain is gone due to being affected by a stinky smell and washed with tomato juice in Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder. He also has a superhero alter ego as The Scarlet Shedder and teams up and joins with Commander Cupcake and Sprinkles. As a puppy, he's a part of the Junior Detective Club and dreams to become a police and eat yummy cake!
  • Big Jim/Little Jim - He's an inmate from Cat Jail. He also has a superhero alter ego named Commander Cupcake and teams up with Grampa and Dog Man. His parents died in a car crash, and he had to live with Mrs. Peirce
  • Little Jim's Parents - They are Little Jim's deceased parents whose names are simply Momma and Daddy.
  • Grampa/Disco Grampa - He's Big Jim's cellmate in Cat Jail. He also has a son, Petey, a former inmate who lives with his grandson Li'l Petey. He also got his superhero alter ego as Sprinkles and joins with Big Jim (as Commander Cupcake) and Dog Man (as The Scarlet Shedder).
  • Sarah Hatoff - An Australian Journalist who is also the "world's greatest reporter". She's one of the people who gets "cutie-fied" by the Space Cuties.
  • Zuzu - Sarah's "world's greatest poodle" and is always with her. She's also affected by the cuteness from the Space Cuties.
  • Clarence Bailey - He is the chief of the cop station and is married to Nurse Lady. In the past, he's the founder of the Junior Detective Club. He tries to help Little Jim find the Ring of Destiny of Stuff along with Greg the Puppy.
  • Mrs. Pierce - Manager of the Happy Home Shelter in Bedford Falls.
  • Genie S. Lady-Bailey - A nurse who is married to Chief. During her childhood, she's known as "The Helper" and is the "key to saving the universe". She was the Chosen One before a mix-up happened and Little Jim was considered to be the Chosen One.

Other Characters[]

The Past[]

  • Eye Alien - An alien who met young Grampa and gives him the letter and The Ring of Destiny and Stuff.
  • Grace - She appears in Grampa's flashback when Grampa proposed to her.
  • Dippy - She appears as a young child in flashbacks.
  • Booger Breath - A baby whose mother owns Glazed & Confused, a doughnut shop.
  • Booger Breath's Mother - A muscular baker at Glazed & Confused.
  • Judge - He appears as the judge in the court Little Jim goes in the imaginary flashback.
  • Dr. Scum - He appears as a baby in the imaginary flashback.
  • Tiny Tippy, Baby Fluffy and Wittle Whiskers - Little Jim's friends at Baby Jail.
  • Baby Jail Warden - The Warden who calls Little Jim to reunite with his parents.
  • The Hospital Nurse - A nurse who works at a hospital Little Jim went. She told Little Jim that his parents died after suffering a car crash injury.

The Present[]

Summary[]

Chapter 1: Wakey Wakey[]

The morning sun rises and shines at Cat Jail at six in the morning, where Big Jim and Grampa are sleeping. Big Jim wakes up first and sings "Wakey Wakey" loudly, waking up Grampa. Annoyed by Big Jim's song, Grampa shouts, "WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT?!" because it is 6:00 AM. Grampa doesn't know why Big Jim was so happy. The two are stuck inside Cat Jail, have no freedom, friends or autonomy, while Big Jim is free, has many friends, and has an "autotummy". Grampa says to Big Jim that he'll never see things clearly. Big Jim thinks that he is right, so he gets his glasses from his drawer and wears them. Big Jim realizes that it has a long time since he wore his glasses and that it remind him of past memories. Grampa asks Big Jim if he's not going to tell one of his ridiculous stories again. Big Jim tells him that he'd never do that, and he's going to tell an awesome story. Annoyed, Grampa shouts, "NOOOOOOO!"

Chapter 2: The Chosen One[]

Big Jim tells a story of his childhood life as Little Jim, where he lived with his Momma and Daddy in a bungalow house. Their lives were quite ordinary until one night, when a beam of light shined at their house. Daddy went outside to investigate and saw UFO that landed above their house. Daddy told the UFO to go away, and it did. But then, a piece of crumbled paper falls onto Daddy's face. Daddy picks up and looks at the paper, goes back inside the house, and tells Little Jim and Momma that they just got the message from the UFO. They read the note, which says that their child is The Chosen One and will fulfill ancient prophecies and save the universe. Momma asked where the ring was, and Daddy replied by saying that he doesn't know. And so, they start searching for the ring. Back in the present, Big Jim tells Grampa that they searched and searched, but never found it. Grampa says "Aww, ain't that too bad????" and tells Big Jim that he saw a UFO once too, saying that it is better than Big Jim's.

Chapter 3: Grampa's UFO Story That's Way Better Than the One From Chapter 2[]

A few years ago, Grampa used to be a groovy disco king. One time, he walked out on a fateful night, and as he was passing Little Jim's bungalow, he saw a UFO landing there. A door from the UFO opened, and suddenly, an Eye Alien emerged. He tells Grampa about his epic mission to find and give the Ring of Destiny and Stuff to The Chosen One, which is a young Genie S. Lady who's gonna save the universe. Grampa lies by telling the alien that he knows where the girl lives and that he'll take the ring and give it to her. The alien falls for the lie and accepts Grampa's plan, so he gives the ring and a note to Grampa. After the alien leaves with his UFO, Grampa crumples up the note and throws it away, causing it to land on Little Jim's Daddy's head, which starts up the whole sequence of Chapter 2. Back in the present, Grampa tells Big Jim that he had other plans for that ring. Big Jim asks Grampa what those other plans were. It is revealed that Grampa used the Ring of Destiny and Stuff to propose to a calico cat named Grace, who we know is Petey's mom. Grampa, feeling guilty, says that he doesn't want to talk about it.

Chapter 4: The Quest For the Return of the Ring of Destiny and Stuff[]

While Big Jim sings a song and makes Grampa's superhero costume, Grampa goes into the Cupcake Command Center (AKA the Cupcake Cave), finds a flashlight, and creeps toward the Cupcake Exit. Just as he was about to press the exit button, Grampa remembers that he tried it in Mothering Heights and got punched in the face by a boxing glove. To prevent this from happening again, Grampa grabs a hammer and some nails and nails the danger sign to block the boxing glove from punching him. Thinking that nothing can go wrong now, Grampa presses the button, but instead, he gets squished by a giant foot. Big Jim (dressed up as Commander Cupcake) comes down shouting "GRAMPA!" and asks Grampa if he was okay. Weakly, Grampa asks, "Why, Big Jim? Why?" Big Jim reminds Grampa that he's not Big Jim and he's Commander Cupcake. Grampa says "Big Whoop-Dee-Doo" and tells Big Jim that he needs to leave and get the Ring of Destiny and Stuff back. Big Jim tells Grampa that he can't leave, "For it is written, only the pure of heart may use the cupcake exit". Grampa angrily says that he has a pure heart, pure as a "flipping snowflake." Big Jim tells Grampa that he wants to believe him, but he has to prove himself. Grampa asks how he can do so. Big Jim responds by showing Grampa the superhero costume he made for him, and tells Grampa that he needs to put it on, and together they'll fight for liberty, and (of course) cupcakes. Big Jim decides to call Grampa's superhero name, "Sprinkles". Annoyed by the costume, Grampa shouts, "I WILL NEVER WEAR THAT PREPOSTEROUS COSTUME!"

Chapter 5: Commander Cupcake And Sprinkles[]

Humiliated, Grampa cannot believe that Big Jim talked him into wearing his superhero costume. Grampa looks in a mirror and thinks that he looks ridiculous in his costume, but Big Jim adds that he looks ridiculously awesome. Grampa asks Big Jim for weapons like knife claws, and Big Jim thinks that it is a swell idea, so he grabs some crayons for Grampa. Big Jim tells Grampa to use his imagination, for they are the "music makers" and the "dreamers of dreams". Disappointed, Grampa drops the crayons and shouts, "JUST OPEN UP THE DOOR, YA WERIDO!". Big Jim proceeds to press the exit button, but before doing so, Grampa moves Big Jim into a certain position so the giant foot can squish Big Jim. He then hides by the Cupcake Exit and tells Big Jim to press the button. Big Jim presses the exit button, which instead causes the exit door to open and squish Grampa in the process. Big Jim pulls Grampa out from under the door by grabbing his tail, and runs out to save the world with Grampa. Annoyed, Grampa shouts at Big Jim to let go of his tail. Grampa tells Big Jim that he only agreed to wear the costume so he could escape from Cat Jail. As Grampa takes off his right glove, mask, left boot, and cape, he rudely yells at Big Jim that he's done with costumes, done with superheroes, and done with him. Discouraged, Big Jim calls for his friend Dog Man, much to Grampa's shock. Dog Man appears and he and Big Jim hug each other. Big Jim tells Dog Man that Grampa just escaped from Cat Jail and is being mean. This prompts Dog Man to chase and bark at Grampa, causing him to get scared and climb up a stop sign. After nearly getting bitten by Dog Man a few times, Grampa shouts, "NOW WAIT JUST A DOGGONE MINUTE!" and tells Dog Man that he's a good guy, not Grampa. Grampa jumps down from the stop sign and proves Dog Man that he's a hero by putting his costume parts back on and telling Dog Man that he's Sparkles. Big Jim corrects Grampa by saying that he's Sprinkles. Grampa shouts, "That's what I said!!!", and tells Dog Man to scram. Big Jim pets Dog Man on the head and reassures him that he can handle it from here. After Dog Man leaves the scene, Grampa says to Big Jim that he didn't know that Big Jim was friends with Dog Man. Big Jim tells Grampa that he and Dog Man go way back and decides to tell him the story, much to Grampa's annoyance.

Chapter 6: The Junior Detective Club[]

Previously, on Big Jim's flashback, Little Jim's parents are still looking for The Ring of Destiny and Stuff, but it was never found. So Little Jim decides to find the ring himself. Grampa asks Big Jim how he did that, as he was just a baby during that time. Big Jim tells Grampa not to forget that he's The Chosen One, despite Grampa knowing darn well that Big Jim is not The Chosen One. Little Jim sets out to find the ring, but he knew he needed help, so he hired the professionals of the Junior Detective Club, consisting of young Clarence Bailey (aka Chief as a kid) and a puppy Greg. Clarence and Greg start helping Little Jim find the ring, so they got into an imaginary helicopter, and looked for clues. In the present, as Big Jim uses the cupcake emblem from his shirt and as a grappling hook to climb a building, Grampa asks Big Jim how they got a helicopter. As he and Grampa climb a building, Big Jim says that they used their imaginations. Back in the flashback, the 3 kids fly all over town and encounter a young Dippy. Clarence questions Dippy about where she was on the night that Little Jim can't remember, and Dippy responds, "I don't remember." But then, Greg picks up a scent, so the kids follow the scent, with Clarence saying his catchphrase, "Oh boy, this is gonna be great!" The scent leads the kids right to a donut shop, in which Greg confuses the donuts for the ring and starts eating them. Clarence tells Greg that these aren't the rings they were looking for and that he shouldn't eat things that don't belong to him (even though he and Dippy are eating the donuts themselves). Just then, Booger Breath's mom, holding a young Booger Breath, appears and shouts at the kids about who's going to pay for the eaten donuts. Clarence, Dippy, and Greg run away, while Little Jim stays behind. Booger Breath's mom sees Little Jim and tells him that he's going to Baby Jail, thus beginning his journey toward "enlightenment." Grampa realizes that Big Jim doesn't know the meaning of "enlightenment" and asks him if he is just making up this story. Big Jim replies with a "maybe".

Chapter 7: Meanwhile, in Outer Space[]

A UFO flies in outer space, consisting of a part of the Space Cuties From Space, led by Captain Cuddles. As Doctor Dimples pilots the UFO, Captain Cuddles asks Captain's Log some questions. Captain's Log answers by saying that they are about three kazillion gloopsnocks from Earth and that The Chosen One has not found The Ring of Destiny and Stuff due to there being a big mix-up (demonstrated from the first three chapters of the book). Captain Cuddles is confident that nobody can stop them now and becomes ready to conquer Earth. He and his other members of the Space Cuties plan to crush the Earth by spreading cuteness all over it.

Chapter 8: Three Kazillion Gloopsnocks Later...[]

Back on Earth, Big Jim throws his grappling hook to another building and continues to tell his story as he and Grampa start swinging from one building to another. In the flashback, Little Jim was arrested and tried by a jury of his peers, which consist of human babies. Soon, the verdict came in, whereas one baby took a pacifier out of his mouth and said, "Ba ba!", which means guilty in baby talk. In the present, Big Jim and Grampa land on another building, with Grampa being shaken from swinging at a huge height. Getting to the point in the flashback, Little Jim was taken to Baby Jail. Baby Jail was a rough place for Little Jim at first, but he soon made friends with other kittens who defended him from a baby Dr. Scum. Their names were Tiny Tippy, Baby Fluffy, and Wittle Whiskers. Soon, Little Jim's parents come to visit Little Jim. Momma reassures Little Jim that it's going to be okay and that whenever something bad happens, he should ask himself, "How can I turn this bad thing into something good?" Momma gives Little Jim her glasses, and after putting them on, Little Jim could see clearly and discovered his purpose: No matter how dark things got, it was his job to find the light. As Little Jim says "Goodbye" to his friends and leaves with his parents, it is revealed that almost everything in the flashback was imaginary. It turns out that Big Jim's story was made-up, but Big Jim claims that it's "imagination", much to Grampa's annoyance. But then, something swooshes past Big Jim and Grampa. Big Jim uses his "Supa Binoculars" (two cardboard toilet paper tubes taped together) to take a look at the object, which is the UFO (that we saw earlier in Chapter 7) setting up something. When Grampa looks through the "binoculars", he sees that the UFO has set up some sort of big circus tent. Big Jim doesn't believe that it's a circus tent, so he plans on checking it out with Grampa. In order to get down from the building, Big Jim ties his and Grampa's capes together and they leap off of the building. The capes act like one big parachute, which allowed Big Jim and Grampa to land safely on the ground. Grampa is happy that they survived without a scratch, but while expressing himself, he accidentally hits a lamppost, causing a big light bulb to fall down and hit his head pretty hard. Big Jim tells Grampa to continue the adventure with him, "for the night is young, and my cupcake sense is tingling." Enraged, Grampa shouts, "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS CUPCAKE SENSE!"

Chapter 9: Hero Party[]

A thunderstorm suddenly begins. Grampa complains about it while Big Jim starts dancing happily. Grampa doesn't know what Big Jim is happy about since they're wet, cold, and Big Jim doesn't even seem to care that he and Grampa were trapped in Cat Jail for "years". Big Jim tells Grampa that jails aren't only made of concrete and steel, but they're also in their minds. He continues by saying that he isn't good enough, he isn't smart, and he's made too many mistakes, but tells Grampa freedom is also in their minds, too. Grampa says that that's easy for Big Jim to say because he believes that he's never suffered. Big Jim recalls back to a time in his past where he and his parents got into a big car crash and his parents were severely injured. It is shown in the flashback that Little Jim and his parents were taken to the hospital. In the hospital, Little Jim helplessly watches as his injured parents are taken to the emergency room. The Helper (a young Nurse Lady) notices Little Jim and helps him by giving him her pacifer and a hug. "When I was little, and scary things would happen, my mother would say to me: 'Look for the helpers... you will always find people who are helping.'" Back in the present, Li'l Petey and Molly suddenly appear. Molly interrupts Big Jim's story by asking him if he is Commander Cupcake. Big Jim says "yes" and Molly tells him that her brother has a poster of him in his room. She then acknowledges Grampa (as Sprinkles) and tells him that he doesn't know who he is. Grampa tells Molly that he is also a big shot and that he's way cooler than Big Jim, and Molly responds by telling him that he should shave. Big Jim wonders why Li'l Petey and Molly are up so late, and they respond by saying that they're going to a "hero party" where free cake is being given away to every hero in town. Grampa is excited about having free cake, but Big Jim asks if it is cupcakes. Li'l Petey says that it's just normal-sized cake, so Big Jim rejects the invitation because he vows to only eat cupcakes with Grampa. Therefore, as the other heroes go inside the tent, Big Jim decides to stay behind and be a helper with Grampa, much to Grampa's disappointment.

Chapter 10: Free Cake[]

Grampa expresses his disappointment about not going into the party and eating free cake, but Big Jim tells him that: "Thou shalt not eat normal cakes. Only cup-sized cakes shalt thou eatest. Amen." Grampa gets angry and shouts, "THAT'S NOT WRITTEN ANYWHERE!" He throws a tantrum about his hate of being a superhero and decides to quit being one. Because of this, Big Jim calls for Dog Man, making Grampa scared. However, there is no response from Dog Man, much to Big Jim and Grampa's confusion. Therefore, Big Jim and Grampa sneak into the Hero Party tent to investigate where Dog Man is. Big Jim sees a door and tries to open it by pulling it really hard, not realizing that he has to push, so Grampa corrects Big Jim by showing him the "Push" sign and opening the door by pushing. When they enter, Big Jim and Grampa notice that all of the heroes in town are asleep. Suddenly, Dog Man wakes up and notices the two. Dog Man tries to explain to Big Jim and Grampa what happened by using hand gestures, but they can't understand him. Big Jim acts with kindness and asks Dog Man to think about what happened by using his imagination like a good doggy. Dog Man uses his imagination to tell Big Jim and Grampa that he walked to the party and was happy to see his friends, then he was about to eat free cake, but Chief stopped him because the cake is made of chocolate, which is bad for dogs, then he noticed that everyone fell asleep after eating a piece of cake, so he decides to sleep with them, until he noticed Big Jim and Grampa and was happy to see them. Grampa thinks that the whole imagination sequence was a big waste of time and that it made no sense at all, but Big Jim thinks that it does make sense because he comes to a conclusion that whoever threw the hero party spiked the cake with sleeping potion. Therefore, Big Jim, Grampa, and Dog Man are now the only heroes left to save the planet.

Chapter 11: A Buncha Stuff That Happened Next[]

As they head into the hero party room, Captain Cuddles asks Doctor Dimples if all of the heroes were asleep. Doctor Dimples says yes, which makes Captain Cuddles think that nobody could stop their evil plan. However, when they enter the room, Captain Cuddles and Doctor Dimples notice that Commander Cupcake, Sprinkles, and Dog Man are still awake. After concluding that the heroes didn't eat their SleepyCake, Doctor Dimples uses a scanner to find out if the heroes are too smart for them. The scanner tells Captain Cuddles and Doctor Dimples that the heroes aren't a threat and that they have no superpowers. The two both assume that the heroes are not heroes at all, laugh about it, and walk out the door to start the invasion. Then, Dog Man jumps onto 80-HD and goes inside him to do something privately. Grampa wonders how a robot can eat cake and fall asleep. Soon, Dog Man pops out of 80-HD as The Scarlet Shedder and uses his bone-copter to fly to the door. Big Jim and Grampa are sort of in awe of Dog Man's Scarlet Shedder costume, with Grampa saying that he and Big Jim really needed to get cooler costumes. Meanwhile, the Space Cuties' UFO pops off of the circus tent and starts hovering over the city. As the Space Cuties get ready to conquer the planet, Captain Cuddles is confident that nobody could stop the invasion. But, at that very moment, the world's salvation was already in progress, even though it shows Big Jim and Dog Man trying to push the door open, not realizing that they have to pull, with Grampa expressing utter disappointment.

Chapter 12: The World's Cutest Invasion[]

Sarah Hatoff interrupts this new series with breaking news, saying that the UFO has been sighted hovering over the city and is zapping everything around it, turning buildings from normal to "supa cute." Sarah wonders if that zapper also works on people. Suddenly, Sarah and Zuzu get zapped and are transformed into supa cute versions of themselves. Roscoe, Sarah's cameraman, informs Sarah that her cuteness made her approval ratings go through the roof. Sarah then calls for the new, improved Supa Buddies, but there is no response. She also tries calling for the Friendly Friends, but to no avail. As the UFO continues zapping the city, including Roscoe, Sarah wonders where all the heroes are. But then, Dog Man, Grampa, and Big Jim zoom by to stop the UFO from taking over the Earth.

Chapter 13: Attack of the Space Cuties from Space[]

The heroes enter the UFO through a small thermal exhaust port. The Space Cuties immediately notice the heroes and grab silly swords to attack them. Big Jim uses his patented "Frosting-Shooter™" and shoots Doctor Dimples and the rest of the Space Cuties with it, quoting that "With great power comes great frosting in your gloves." Grampa views that as nonsense and tells Big Jim that they can't fight off a whole army of space weirdos because there were only 2 of them. Big Jim tells Grampa not to forget about Dog Man, but all Dog Man is doing is licking the frosting (from Big Jim's gloves) off of the walls. Grampa insults Dog Man by saying, "SOME SUPERHERO YOU ARE!" Soon, the three heroes were surrounded by the Space Cuties and Grampa knew that they were doomed. Big Jim reminds Grampa that they must be positive, so Grampa says that they are positively doomed. Captain Cuddles says, "You can say that again," and presses a trapdoor button on a remote.

Chapter 14: Space Jail[]

A trapdoor beneath Big Jim, Grampa, and Dog Man opens, causing the three to fall into it. Grampa crashes into a hard floor while Big Jim and Dog Man safely land on fluffy pillows. Grampa tries to say something, but every time he does, an object (Dog Man's bone-copter, Dog Man's superhero mask, and a first aid kit) falls and hit his head. Big Jim asks Grampa what's wrong, and Grampa tells them that they are in Space Jail, after everything they've been through. Grampa asks Big Jim how he can turn being stuck in Space Jail into something good. Big Jim recalls another memory from his childhood. In the flashback, Little Jim and The Helper are resting with each other until a nurse comes and sadly informs Little Jim that his Momma and Daddy have passed away due to the car crash. "New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. Yet, in these dark places, when we think that maybe we have been buried, actually, we have been planted." Little Jim is taken to the Happy Home Shelter by Mrs. Pierce, where she has set up a special place for Little Jim in her office. Little Jim asks Mrs. Pierce if she is a helper, and she says that she is, and that anyone can be a helper, especially Little Jim. On that day, Little Jim became a helper to the people in the Happy Home Shelter, "because sometimes, the thing we need the most is the thing we must give." Back in the present, Big Jim comes up with an idea and knows just what to do.

Chapter 15: Free Hugs[]

Big Jim calls for Doctor Dimples, who opens the trapdoor and asks what's up. Big Jim tells Doctor Dimples that he will give him the "most valuable thing in the universe." Captain's Log thinks that Big Jim is lying, so Doctor Dimples uses his scanner to find out, which says that Big Jim is telling the truth. Blinded by greed and with no hesitation, Doctor Dimples jumps down into the jail to claim his gift. Big Jim reveals the gift, which is a hug. Shocked at the truth, Doctor Dimples tries to run from Big Jim, but is quickly cornered. Big Jim hugs Doctor Dimples, which unexpectedly causes Doctor Dimples' head to bounce off of his body. Big Jim realizes that he "killed" Doctor Dimples, making him and Dog Man burst into tears over the "death". Annoyed, Grampa tells Big Jim that Doctor Dimples was simply a robot that he just broke. Big Jim says that the Space Cuties are allergic to hugs, which gives Grampa an idea. So Grampa grabs Dog Man's bone-copter, activates it, and starts flying out of Space Jail. Big Jim asks Grampa where he is going, and Grampa replies with a courageous smile, "TO HUG TOWN!"

Chapter 16: Night of the Loving Hugs[]

Grampa hugs and destroys Captain Cuddles and the other Space Cuties in Hug-O-Rama. Captain's Log calls the Space Cuties' home planet, Planet Precious, to tell them that they're under attack and to send more spaceships, before being hugged and destroyed by Grampa. Satisfied, Grampa tells Big Jim and Dog Man that he just nuked the aliens, until he realizes that he destroyed the alien who was flying the UFO. The UFO loses altitude, destroys a part of a building, and splashes into the ocean. Using the bone-copter, Grampa flies himself, Big Jim, and Dog Man out of the crashed UFO and the ocean. After surfacing, Grampa is so happy that he saved the world and "finally understands the true meaning of kindness." Big Jim angrily tells Grampa that he just "killed" all of the Space Cuties, which isn't how kindness works. Grampa tells Big Jim to give him a break since the Space Cuties were just robots. After flying back to the circus tent, Big Jim, Grampa, and Dog Man enter the room where the rest of the heroes are still sleeping. Grampa wonders how they can wake up the other heroes. Big Jim has an idea and starts to sing a certain song, even though Grampa really doesn't want him to.

Chapter 17: Wakey Wakey (Reprise)[]

Big Jim sings a reprise of Wakey Wakey as he and Dog Man dance to it, much to Grampa's annoyance. All of the heroes wake up as Big Jim sings his song. After the song is finished, everyone cheers, "HOORAY FOR COMMANDER CUPCAKE!" Annoyed by this, Grampa claims that he was the one who saved the world, and Molly says, "Yeah, right!" Grampa also points out that 80-HD is still asleep. Li'l Petey tells him that this is because 80-HD's solar battery ran out of juice. Li'l Petey rolls 80-HD out into the sun, which immediately charges up 80-HD's battery to the max and makes him as good as new. After that, Big Jim and Grampa start walking back to Cat Jail. Big Jim says that their work here is done, but Grampa says that it isn't. Grampa points out that the buildings look like cartoons, the Ring of Destiny and Stuff was never found, and Sarah, Zuzu, and Roscoe are also cutified, implying that this story has more loose ends than a spaghetti dinner. Big Jim tells Grampa that those loose ends can only mean one thing: a sequel! Grampa yells, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO", as he and Big Jim walk back into Cat Jail.

The book ends with a teaser for Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, with Big Jim and Grampa saying, "It's a brand-new series, with the same old characters!"

Gallery[]

Covers[]

Others[]

Trivia[]

Notes and Fun Facts:[]

  • The story is based from the Placebo Effect, where a person's beliefs inspires positive changes and occurs if it's incorrect or not having facts.
  • The foot that stomped Grampa on page 49 is a tribute to Monty Python, a British comedic troupe.
  • Big Jim's saying, "For we are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams" is based from "Ode", a poem written by Arthur O'Shaughnessy in 1873.
  • Big Jim's dialogue on page 113-115 is inspired by the song "Yellow Bird" by Halie Loren.
  • Big Jim's quote on page 117-119 is also based from a quote from Fred Rogers, the creator and host of Mister Roger's Neighborhood:
    • "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people that are helping.'" -Fred Rogers
  • Dog Man's thoughts on pages 135-139 are drawn using dichromatic colors - yellow and blue-violet with shades of grey, in which dogs can only see. It is because the dogs' retinas can see two colors. Human eyes have three types of color receptors or cones while dogs have two which uses mentioned colors to see and cannot distinguish between red and green.
  • In page 138, Chief warns Dog Man that chocolate is bad for dogs. It has theobromine, causing toxic effects to canines, which could either make them sick or kill them. Feeding chocolate to dogs is a serious crime in real life.
  • In page 158, the small thermal exhaust port of the Space Cuties' UFO is a reference to the Death Star's critical vulnerability in Star Wars: A New Hope.
  • Big Jim's dialogue in page 168, "With great power comes great frosting in your gloves" is a misinterpretation of the famous Spider-Man quote "With great power comes great responsibility", used in Amazing Fantasy #15 written by Stan Lee. It is based from the writings by Voltaire.
  • The quote from page 178 where Little Jim knew his parents are deceased is attributed by Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher.
  • The following pages on page 179-180 is a reworked quote from Australian activist and evangelist Christine Caine:
    • "Sometimes when you're in a dark place you think you've been buried, but you've actually been planted." - Christine Caine
  • Big Jim's characteristic is inspired by the following bible verse:
    • "Truly I will tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 18:3 NIV

General[]

  • Dog Man's bio in Meet the Cast is based from Barf's quote "I'm a mawg: half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend!" from the 1987 movie Spaceballs.
  • This is the first book to...
    • End in a cliffhanger.
    • Not include Petey the Cat in any way, except on the back of the book.
    • Not have Dog Man introduced in the first chapter.
  • In the bonus fun fact promoting Power Up! Magazine in Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder, it said that Little Jim would be in the How to Draw section, however it is replaced with The Scarlet Shedder and Ninja Shark. Little Jim's How to Draw moved to Big Jim Begins.
  • On page 116 on the fifth and sixth panel, Momma has her glasses despite giving them to Big Jim before that happened.

Others[]

  • This is one of the two Dog Man books alongside the first self-titled book without "The End" at the end of the book.
  • Unlike other Dog Man books, the title of this book doesn't follow a spoof of a literature title, along with Dog Man, Unleashed and Dog Man and Cat Kid. However, the title is similar to the 2005 film Batman Begins.
  • This book is very different from the other books, as it is a prequel instead of a sequel. However, the actual book is a story set in the present with several flashbacks.
  • Dog Man The Movie: Official Sticker Book was also supposed to be release on the same day with Big Jim Begins. However, it got pushed to December 24, 2024 in North America and January 2, 2025 in the United Kingdom.
  • As shown on the book's cover, Dog Man's costume is red, the same as it was in Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder. However, he seems to have normal colored fur and skin now as the red stain is gone, but it remains on his tuxedo he wore at Chief and Nurse Lady's wedding, turning into his Scarlet Shedder costume.
  • When Molly is saying that her brother has a poster of Commander Cupcake, her brother reffers to Curly.
  • This is one of a few Dog Man related media in which Dog Man cries. He also cries in Dog Man and the Wrath of Petey and is heard sniffling in the 2025 Dog Man movie.
  • The Book is dedicated to Dorian Horvat a fan of Pilkey's Novels.

Trailer transcript[]

Dav Pilkey's Dog Man is back! Join Big Jim on a big new adventure! When space aliens invade, our heroes must team up to save the city from being destroyed. Who will help them in their quest? How will past events influence the future? And will goodness and bravery prevail? Get ready to read Dog Man: Big Jim Begins! It's out of this world!

References[]

  1. ↑ https://people.com/new-dog-man-book-to-publish-this-winter-see-inside-exclusive-8655516
Dog Man Books
Dog Man (2016) | Dog Man: Unleashed (2016) | Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties (2017) | Dog Man and Cat Kid (2017) | Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas (2018) | Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild (2018) | Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls (2019) | Dog Man: Fetch-22 (2019) | Dog Man: Grime and Punishment (2020) | Dog Man: Mothering Heights (2021) | Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (2023) | Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder (2024) | Dog Man: Big Jim Begins (2024) | Dog Man: Big Jim Believes (2025)
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