Reading gets a comic-book makeover as Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures prepares to turn letters, sounds and words into superpowers when the animated series premieres on PBS Kids on 5 October 2026.
Produced by 9 Story Media Group and animated by Brown Bag Films, the new series builds on the Emmy-nominated Super Why! franchise and its shorts. The seven-minute adventures will take preschoolers and kindergartners into a colourful comic-book universe where reading takes centre stage.
The series follows the Super Readers – Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto, Alpha Pig and new reading hero Power Paige, as they take on a gang of mischievous super villains threatening Reader Valley, which is an urban city that is seen in Attack of the Eraser and Attack of More Man!. And this time, viewers are not just along for the ride. They become Super You, joining the heroes in their literacy-powered missions.
PBS Kids senior vice president and general manager Sara DeWitt commented, “Literacy-focused content that engages, entertains, and supports young learners is needed now more than ever, which is why we’re thrilled to expand on the Super Why universe. Through its fresh, comics-inspired format and fun-filled stories, the new series will help young audiences jumpstart a lifelong love of reading.”
Super Why co-creator and executive producer Angela C. Santomero shared, “It’s a full circle moment to reimagine Super Why! after 20 years in a way that ups the adventure, includes Super You, and feels true to the literacy power of the original series. We know that kids and families will benefit from this new series as they learn, laugh, and help save the day.”
Brown Bag Films VP of production Coral Schoug mentioned, “Bringing Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures to life has been an exciting opportunity for our team to push the visual storytelling in a bold new direction. From the dynamic, comic book-inspired world to the pace and energy of each story, the series is designed to immerse young viewers while supporting the show’s core literacy mission in a fun and engaging way.”
Under the hood, the series is powered by literacy learning. Its stories and games incorporate foundational skills including letter and letter-sound knowledge, phonological awareness, phonics and decoding, spelling, vocabulary and oral-language comprehension. The series has also been developed with the Science of Reading in mind.
New original songs will reinforce the curriculum, while additional games and digital storybooks are set to launch on pbskids.org and the PBS Kids Games app following the series premiere.
Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures was co-created by Angela C. Santomero, Sarah Wallendjack and Alex Breen, and developed by Jill Cozza-Turner and Sean Calligan, who also serves as series director. 9 Story holds worldwide distribution and consumer products rights, while Brown Bag Films Toronto operates as a business unit of 9 Story Media Group.
With literacy lessons wrapped in comic-book chaos, Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures is betting that the best way to get young readers hooked is to make every letter, sound and word part of the adventure.
