The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung Fu Caveman from the Future (2010) is the second Spin-Off graphic novel of the Captain Underpants series by George Beard and Harold Hutchins (actually Dav Pilkey) about Ook and Gluk, two of the coolest caveboys to arrive from the Stone Age.
Ook and Gluk live happily in their hometown of Caveland, Ohio, but the ruthless former leader of Caveland — Chief Goppernopper — seeks revenge on the duo for driving him out. As his luck would have it, his descendant J.P. Goppernopper, an equally ruthless CEO from the future, arrives into the past to invade it.
With their people enslaved and the two Goppernoppers teaming up taking over the past and the future, Ook, Gluk and their dinosaur friend Lily go to a school to learn kung fu. It's up to them to learn the secret to save both worlds from the clutches of the Goppernoppers.
Due to complaints about the book's implications of harmful Asian stereotypes, Pilkey and Scholastic ceased the book's publishing
in 2021.
Contains examples of:
- Accidental Misnaming: A Running Gag is people saying Chief Goppernopper's name wrong.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: Gak Schadowski is forced to marry Gophernopper, after he threatens to attack her younger brother.
- Artistic License – Paleontology: George and Harold claim that dinosaurs coexisted with humans. However, the message at the beginning of the book downplays their claim.
- "Back to Camera" Pose: The title page for the chapter "The Heros Jerney [sic]" shows Ook, Gluk, and Lily being shown from the back as they look at the Goppernopper Tower.
- Bad Future: The future shown in Ook and Gluk is so polluted and resource-depleted that they use a time machine to mine the prehistoric past. Chief Gobbernopper's death results in a Retcon that results in a way happier future.
- Cessation of Existence: After J.P. disintegrates Goppernopper with a laser gun, he and his company fade into oblivion.
- Comically Missing the Point: When first being trained by Master Wong, Ook and Gluk ask him if they can use weapons as part of their training. Master Wong replies that eventually weapons are not needed after time under his supervision, as basic arms and legs can be used to inflict damage, and demonstrates so. After he does this, the boys ask him if they can use nunchuks. Master Wong reacts by slapping his head in frustration.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Mr. Goppernopper the CEO, who uses time travel to find more forests to raze.
- Eyes Out of Sight: Ook has long stringy hair that obscures his eyes.
- Future Primitive: Averted- Ook and Gluk hail from Prehistory and travel to the future before returning to the past.
- Got Me Doing It: After Goppernopper's guards say his name wrong for the umpteenth time:Goppernopper: It's "gobstopper," I mean "Goppernopper" you idiots! Now you've got me doing it!
- The Guards Must Be Crazy: Are they ever! Goppernopper's two guards are utterly incompetent, both before and after they get supervised by his future ancestor. When chasing after Ook and Gluk, they are easily fooled by Master Wong pointing them in the wrong direction. And when facing against the two boys again years later, when they're all grown-up and fully trained, the guards don't stand a chance at all.
- History Repeats: Ook loses his baby tooth while riding down a waterfall with Gluk as children. Years later, Ook grows a tooth in the same place, much to his delight. But when facing off against Goppernopper's forces, he loses his adult tooth in the exact same spot.
- I Lied: Invoked by Mr. Goppernopper after he gets Ook and Gluk to surrender.Mr. Goppernopper: I know I promised to let your friends go, but I changed my mind. I'm going to kill all of you!
- Inventing the Wheel: Chief Goppernopper tries to invent the wheel and the spear and discover fire, but Ook and Gluk have already not only done it, but also implemented them in cooler ways (like a motorcycle).
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen From The Future is Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
- Non-Human Sidekick: Lily. She stays with Ook and Gluk after the Goppernoppers take over. She even frees Ook and Gluk from the device by first biting the toes of the villains and then chomping through the rope.
- Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: At the beginning of the book Ook and Gluk had a rivalry with Mog-Mog, a nearby dinosaur. It turns out, however, that she was only going after them as a means to protect Lily. When Ook and Gluk realize this, they decide to save Mog-Mog from the quicksand. Afterwards, Mog-Mog and Lily become close friends with Ook and Gluk.
- Overly Long Gag: When Ook and Gluk are convinced by Lily to save her mother, which they actually lured into quicksand, the two find a gorilla and taunt it. The gorilla is mostly bored as the insults go on, but it slowly starts to get angry, to the point that it finally snaps. And when the two boys climb up a tree, Ook and Gluk still carry on their mocking of the gorilla in order for it to knock the tree down as part of their plan.
- Portal to the Past: An artificially made one by J.P. Goppernopper.
- Quicksand Sucks: After stumbling upon Mog-Mog, a T-Rex, Ook and Gluk are chased by her until they lure her into quicksand. The dinosaur slowly starts to sink, but after being convinced by her baby that she is not so bad, Ook and Gluk decide to save the mother by having a palm tree knocked down for Mog-Mog to climb up out of the quicksand pit.
- Ret-Gone: J.P. Goppernopper, after a squabble with his prehistoric ancestor Chief Goppernopper, disintegrates him. This causes him, his corporation, and everything he has ever built to be erased from existence.
- San Dimas Time: Happens to Ook and Gluk after they spend seven years in the future learning martial arts. Justified, as they use an artificial Portal to the Past.
- Seashell Bra: Gak wears a pair of these.
- Shout-Out: Ook and Gluk has homages to the posters for The Empire Strikes Back and Jurassic Park.
- Take That!: In the back of Ook and Gluk, there is a section where one can learn "Cavemonics", caveman speak. "I'd like to eat at Applebee's" is translated as "Me go to barf place." A further extension on Dav Pilkey's website translates "He's riding on a Segway" as "Hims riding on world's dumbest invention."
- Time Travel: How Ook and Gluk get to future by the use of a time portal. J.P uses the same portal to travel back to the past to take resources since his future is so polluted and depleted of resources
- Time-Travel Romance: Ook falls in love with Lan Wong, who is from the future. They get Happily Married at the end and Lan Wong eventually goes back to prehistoric times.
- Trumplica: J.P. Goppernopper is a ruthless businessman who resembles a short version of Trump. He wears a wig and has a tower named after his last name too.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Every time Lily tries to do a kung fu spin attack, she throws up, which is always shown on-panel. She eventually puts this to use by throwing up in J.P. Goppernopper's mouth.
