| The Powerpuff Girls | |
|---|---|
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| Created by | Craig McCracken |
| Original work | Whoopass Stew! (1992) |
| Owners | The Cartoon Network, Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery) |
| Years | 1992–present |
| Print publications | |
| Comics |
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| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002) |
| Television series |
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| Television special(s) | |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) |
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The Powerpuff Girls is an Americananimatedmedia franchise created by animatorCraig McCracken and produced byHanna-Barbera (laterCartoon Network Studios). The franchise originated on the cartoon shortWhoopass Stew! in 1992 and centers onBlossom,Bubbles andButtercup, a trio ofgenetically engineered young girls withsuperpowers. They live in the fictional city of Townsville with their father and creator, the scientistProfessor Utonium, where-in they are frequently called upon by the city's mayor in order to help fight criminals and other enemies using their powers.
The Powerpuff Girls is a multimedia franchise trademarked byThe Cartoon Network, Inc.[1] It began withthe television series that aired between November 1998 and March 2005, later spawning afilm in 2002, ananime adaptation in 2006, areboot in 2016 and the upcoming second reboot. Spanning 33 years, it isCartoon Network's longest existing franchise to date. There is alsoThe Powerpuff Girls toy line manufactured byTrendmasters for the first two series andSpin Master for the 2016 reboot.
Three 44-minute specials based on the series have been released:The Powerpuff Girls: Twas the Fight Before Christmas,The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!, andPowerpuff Girls: Dance Pantsed, while acrossover withTeen Titans Go! and the 2016 series was also developed.[2]
| Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Showrunner(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||||
| The Powerpuff Girls | 1 | 13 | November 18, 1998 (1998-11-18) | May 27, 1999 (1999-05-27) | Craig McCracken | |
| 2 | 13 | June 25, 1999 (1999-06-25) | June 30, 2000 (2000-06-30) | |||
| 3 | 13 | July 28, 2000 (2000-07-28) | April 6, 2001 (2001-04-06) | |||
| 4 | 12 | April 14, 2001 (2001-04-14) | December 13, 2002 (2002-12-13) | |||
| 5 | 12 | September 5, 2003 (2003-09-05) | April 9, 2004 (2004-04-09) | Chris Savino | ||
| 6 | 15 | April 16, 2004 (2004-04-16) | March 25, 2005 (2005-03-25) | |||
| Powerpuff Girls Z | 1 | 52 | July 1, 2006 (2006-07-01) | June 30, 2007 (2007-06-30) | Megumu Ishiguro Yoshio Urasawa | |
| The Powerpuff Girls | 1 | 39 | April 4, 2016 (2016-04-04) | December 1, 2016 (2016-12-01) | Nick Jennings Bob Boyle | |
| 2 | 40 | March 3, 2017 (2017-03-03) | May 13, 2018 (2018-05-13) | |||
| 3 | 40 | April 8, 2018 (2018-04-08) | June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16) | |||
Craig McCracken originally developedThe Powerpuff Girls in 1992 as a cartoon short entitledWhoopass Stew! while in his second year atCalArts.[3] The series made its official debut as aCartoon Cartoon on November 18, 1998, with the final episode airing on March 25, 2005.[4][5] The series centers on Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, threekindergarten-aged girls with superpowers. The girls all live in the fictional city of Townsville with their father and creator, a scientist named Professor Utonium, and are frequently called upon by the city's mayor to help fight nearby criminals and other enemies using their powers.
Powerpuff Girls Z (出ましたっ！パワパフガールズZ,Demashita! Pawapafu Gāruzu Zetto;lit.They're Here! Powerpuff Girls Z) is a 2006 Japanesemagical girlanime series based on the originalThe Powerpuff Girls, co-produced byCartoon Network Japan andAniplex and animated byToei Animation.[6] The series featured character designs by Miho Shimogasa, the character designer ofCutie Honey Flash andUltra Maniac and animation director ofSailor Moon, deviating from the original series in terms of genre and animation style.[7]Powerpuff Girls Z was aired in Japan onTV Tokyo between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007. In addition to Cartoon Network Japan, the anime was also broadcast onAT-X.[8][9]
Cartoon Network announced on June 16, 2014, thatThe Powerpuff Girlsreboot was to be produced byCartoon Network Studios.Amanda Leighton,Kristen Li, andNatalie Palamides were announced as the new voice actors of the main characters, playing Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, respectively,[10] replacing the original voice actorsCathy Cavadini,Tara Strong, andElizabeth Daily.[11] However,Tom Kenny reprises his roles as the Mayor and narrator, whileTom Kane reprises his roles as Professor Utonium[12] and Him. In April 2016, Jennings revealed that the producers had considered bringing back the original voice actors for the new series, but decided that recasting the roles would infuse new energy.[12] After the network revealed multiple promotional images from the new series in June 2015, writers from news sites described the visual look as similar to the original series,[10] despite the 15th-anniversary specialDance Pantsed, which was broadcast on January 20, 2014, featuring a different art stylerendered in 3D.[11] Meanwhile,Roger L. Jackson reprises as Mojo Jojo andJennifer Hale reprises as Ms. Keane, but not as Princess Morbucks.[13] On May 26, 2016, Natalie Palamides confirmed that the series has been renewed for a second season.[14] The reboot had a crossover withTeen Titans Go! that aired on June 30, 2016.[15] On September 17, 2017, a new and fourth Powerpuff Girl namedBliss was added in a five-part special of the reboot, "The Power of Four". Prior to the announcement, a one-shot footage of Bliss was leaked on Cartoon Network Russia.[16][17]
On August 24, 2020, a live-action television series based onThe Powerpuff Girls was announced to be in development atthe CW, according toVariety. It was planned to depict Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as "disillusioned twentysomethings" resentful at losing their childhood to fighting crime and faced with the choice of reuniting "when the world needs them more than ever". The project, produced byWarner Bros. Television Studios, was written by Heather Regnier andDiablo Cody, who were also reported to potentially serve as executive producers withGreg Berlanti,Sarah Schechter, andDavid Madden.[18] Craig McCracken was not involved; however, he declared his liking of Berlanti's superhero shows and admitted he was "curious" to see what they do with their adaptation.[19] A pilot was officially ordered on February 9, 2021, and Maggie Kiley was hired as the director.[20]Variety later reported thatChloe Bennet,Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault were cast as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, respectively.[21] On March 30, 2021, following the title change toPowerpuff,Donald Faison was cast in the role of Professor Drake Utonium, retaining the character's first name fromPowerpuff Girls Z.[22] On April 1, Nicholas Podany was cast as Joseph "Jojo" Mondel Jr., the son of Mojo Jojo.[23] On April 7, 2021, production on the pilot began.[24] On April 9, 2021,Robyn Lively was cast as Sara Bellum andTom Kenny was confirmed to be reprising his role as the narrator from the original series.[25] However, on May 18, 2023, the CW announced that the series had been cancelled by its new majority owners,Nexstar Media Group.[26] On July 5, it was reported that the series was no longer in development at Warner Bros. TV.[27] On March 6, 2025, a full-length trailer of the series' pilot was leaked by Lost Media Busters onYouTube.[28][29] It was later taken down byWarner Bros. Entertainment Inc. that same day.[30]
On July 18, 2022, a secondThe Powerpuff Girls reboot was announced with Craig McCracken returning as the creator, director, and producer. This reboot is meant to revisit and expand upon the world of the original series as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup face off against a variety of old and new villains and it will be produced byHanna-Barbera Studios Europe (which will be the firstThe Powerpuff Girls franchise not to produced by Cartoon Network Studios since theWhat a Cartoon! shorts ofThe Powerpuff Girls).[31] As of July 2024, the untitled second reboot is in development.[32]
The main characters include Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, along with supporting characters Professor Utonium, Ms. Keane, Ms. Bellum, and the Mayor, and villains Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins, HIM, Princess Morbucks, Sedusa, the Gangreen Gang, the Amoeba Boys, and the Rowdyruff Boys.
| Film | U.S. release date | Directed by | Written by | Produced by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Powerpuff Girls Movie | July 3, 2002 | Craig McCracken | Story by : Craig McCracken,Charlie Bean,Lauren Faust,Amy Keating Rogers,Paul Rudish & Don Shank Screenplay by : Craig McCracken, Charlie Bean, Lauren Faust, Paul Rudish & Don Shank | Donna Castricone | Released |
The film serves as aprequel to the series, the film tells theorigin story of how thePowerpuff Girls were created and how they came to be the defenders of Townsville.[33]
TheChristmas special promotes minor antagonistPrincess Morbucks to the position of main antagonist, following her as she attempts to trickSanta Claus into physically transforming her into a fourth Powerpuff Girl, while in the process making him believe that the Powerpuff Girls have been "very, very naughty".[34]
In August 2008, McCracken revealed on hisDeviantArt account, as had been announced in that year's Comic Con, that he was working with Cartoon Network on a new half-hourPowerpuff Girls special to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary.[35] The 22-minute special, titled "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!", aired on the Pan-Euro Cartoon Network on November 29, 2008, on the Powerpuff Girls Birthday Marathon, and in the United States on January 19, 2009, as part of its 10th-anniversary marathon.[36] Unlike previous episodes in the series, the anniversary special was animated usingAdobe Flash at Cartoon Network Studios.[37] Originally an idea for season 4, the special was meant to be the final episode of the series, but Cartoon Network was against giving their series a definitive ending at the time.[38]
On January 28, 2013, a newCGI special titledPowerpuff Girls: Dance Pantsed was announced to premiere that year, though it was later delayed to January 20, 2014, intended to serve as a potentialpilot for a newThe Powerpuff Girls series.[39][40] FormerBeatleRingo Starr promoted the special onCartoon Network, singing a new original song "I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl" with previews leading up to the airdate. Starr also voiced a new character namedFibonacci Sequins in the episode.[41] The special was directed by Dave Smith, who directed episodes for the series in the past, featuring the original cast members reprising their roles.[42] ThisPowerpuff Girlsspecial marked the first time that series creatorCraig McCracken had no input.[43] The main plot sees Mojo Jojo kidnap Fibonacci alongside an opera singer and a badger. After the Powerpuff Girls rescue them all and defeat Mojo, an undeterred Mojo then goes on to invent an evil video game called "Dance Pants R-EVILution" (aparody of thevideo gameDance Dance Revolution) to take over Townsville.[44]
This episode was produced byWarner Bros. Animation primarily in the same art style asTeen Titans Go! despite being an episode ofThe Powerpuff Girls, making it the first episode produced by a studio other than Cartoon Network Studios since 1998The Powerpuff Girls series episode "Superfriends". After using a repellent to temporarily hinder Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, Mojo Jojo uses a teleportation device to teleport himself to Jump City in theTeen Titans Go! universe. There, he recruits an oblivious Beast Boy and Cyborg to help him build his monkey army. The girls try to follow him, only to run into Robin, Raven, and Starfire. Rather than showing concern for their predicament, the Titans then proceed to rope the girls into a contest to see who's the better team over the goal of stopping Mojo.
The first incarnation of the Powerpuff Girls was a short titled "Whoopass Stew", which he made during his time as a student at theCalifornia Institute of the Arts. Much more adult oriented, the backstory of the Powerpuff Girls, here known as the Whoopass Girls, is very much the same. The extra ingredient is not Chemical X, but a "can of whoopass". The short is four minutes long, and introduces the Powerpuff Girls, Professor Utonium, the Narrator, The Gangreen Gang, who are only depicted in the short's opening, and the Amoeba Boys. The main plot of the short is titled "A Sticky Situation" in which the Amoeba Boys are robbing the bank. The Whoopass Girls go to stop them, which results in the Amoeba Boys getting stuck to them. The girls then quickly fly up to the sun where the Amoeba Boys are painfully melted off of them, presumably killing them. There were three other Whoopass Girl shorts that Craig made, but never finished. They saw the light of day in the 10th Anniversary Complete Collection DVD set.
Two Powerpuff Girls pilot shorts were released on the cartoon anthology seriesWhat a Cartoon!.
The Powerpuff Girls host a jam making competition, one of the contestants being Fuzzy Lumpkins, in his first appearance. Also first appearing in this short are the Mayor and Miss Keane. By not picking Fuzzy's meat jam as the winner, Fuzzy vows revenge on Townsville, making a gun that transforms whatever it shoots into meat and eating said transformed meat. The girls are called into action and face Fuzzy, in the ensuing battle, one of Bubbles' pigtails gets turned into meat, infuriating her. Fuzzy is defeated by Bubbles, and defeated by being turned into meat by his own Meat Gun.
The Amoeba Boys, in their second appearance, decide to get the Powerpuff Girls to fight them by committing a "crime of the century". However, they are incredibly inefficient at doing crimes, only doing basic misdemeanors like jaywalking. Reluctantly, the girls decide to teach them how to be proper criminals by having them rob a bank. After the girls end up accidentally robbing the bank in order to show the Amoeba Boys what to do, they're arrested. At their trial, before the judge can sentence them, the Amoeba Boys interrupt, asking the girls what to do with the money. This results in the boys being arrested, much to their delight, and the girls free of all wrongdoing.
The game franchise has many different formats. The video games franchise started in 2000 with the release ofThe Powerpuff Girls: Bad Mojo Jojo for theGame Boy Color, developed by Sennari Interactive, published byBAM! Entertainment and distributed byCartoon Network Interactive andWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Developed byGenndy Tartakovsky,The Powerpuff Girls comic series revolves around the continued adventures of the Powerpuff Girls, set during and after the events of the original series. The first comic run, an adaptation of the original animated series, was published byDC Comics between 2000 and 2006, running for 70 issues. The series was preceded by a story inCartoon Network Presents #1 (1999) written and penciled by McCracken (with Tartakovsky as co-writer).
Amanga adaptation of Powerpuff Girls Z, illustrated by Shiho Komiyuno, was serialized inShueisha'sRibon magazine between June 2006 and July 2007.[45]
From 2013 to 2017,IDW Publishing published comics based on the characters. IDW's adaptation of the original series ran from 2013 to 2014. The 2015 IDWminiseriesThe Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up! features the titular characters teaming up with other characters from Cartoon Network television series such asDexter's Laboratory,Courage the Cowardly Dog, andJohnny Bravo.
In 2014, a cover illustration by Mimi Yoon was pulled by Cartoon Network due to complaints of sexualization.[46][47]
The IDW comics based on the 2016 series written by Halen Macini and Jake Goldman was published from 2016 to 2017. The first miniseriesThe Powerpuff Girls: The Time Tie features the titular characters trying to escape the dimension they are stuck in. The second and final miniseriesThe Powerpuff Girls: Bureau of Bad features the villains to explain why they want to destroy the Powerpuff Girls. Such as Princess, the Fashionistas and Mojo, who explain their backstories about the Powerpuff Girls.
On October 12, 2023,Dynamite announced a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to create a new line of comics based on various properties, includingThe Powerpuff Girls. On April 22, 2024, the creative team was announced as writer Kelly Thompson and artist Paulina Ganucheau. The comic was released in July 17, 2024.[48]
In a 2004bumper to promoteSamurai Jack andJohnny Bravo, featuring thetitular characters of each doing their laundry together, Blossom makes acameo appearance retrieving her dress from awashing machine, leavingJack's robes colored pink.[53][54]
The Powerpuff Girls appear in the game as playable characters, with their character designs changed to be more realistic compared to other Cartoon Network properties such asBen 10. In the game, Bubbles and Blossom work together after Buttercup is apparently killed by Mojo Jojo. While Professor Utonium and Blossom refuse to believe that she is gone, Bubbles is shown to be engulfed in anger and stronger than ever. Blossom also serves as the character mission guide if the main guide is selected as Dexter fromDexter's Laboratory.
The Powerpuff Girls appear in the game as playable characters, with the primary character being Buttercup, freed from the corruption of the Null Void by Chowder andBen Tennyson. Blossom and Bubbles are "summons" in the game. After the three findVilgax and are brought to Primus to fight UltimateKevin Levin before Vilgax's escape, they are saved by Dexter, who allows them access to a machine he built that allows them to travel between different dimensions, using it to return to Buttercup's own, where she reunited with Blossom and Bubbles, defeating Mojo Jojo on a rampage in a giant robot before their dimension is destroyed, returning home following saving the universe from the Announcer's remote.[55]
Following the success ofThe Powerpuff Girls animated TV series and films, variousThe Powerpuff Girls merchandise has been released for general sale. These items includecomic books, board games, card games (such asTop Trumps),video games,Lego construction sets, bedding,coloring books, and footwear. All three animated shows have also been released on DVD.
The Powerpuff Girls was released on both VHS and DVD throughout its run on television from 2000 to 2003.
The first season in its entirely was released on DVD on June 19, 2007 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of franchise's inception in 1992.
For the 10th anniversary of the show, a complete series dvd compilation of the first TV series was released on January 20, 2009. A re-issue of this set was released on May 21, 2024.
From 1999 to 2002,Trendmasters made Powerpuff Girls dolls and action figures. From August 21 to October 1, 2000,Subway promoted the series with four toys in theirkids' meals.[56] A set of six kids' meal toys was available as part of an April 2001Dairy Queen promotion, which also included a sweepstakes offering thePowerpuff Girls VHSBoogie Frights.[57]Jack in the Box released sixPowerpuff Girls toys in July 2002 as a tie-in forThe Powerpuff Girls Movie.[58] On February 10, 2003,Burger King began a four-week promotion featuringThe Powerpuff Girls andDragon Ball Z toys as well as special codes to redeem online for Cartoon Network'sCartoon Orbit.[59] In the United Kingdom, the characters of Buttercup and Mojo Jojo were given away inKellogg's cereal boxes as part of the Cartoon Network Wobble Heads in 2003.[60]
Before the 2016 series premiered, a promotional toy line was announced to be released in 2016 bySpin Master, with more toys released in 2017. The toys include the new 2-in-1 playsets and more.[61] AMcDonald'sHappy Meal promotion for the series ran from June 14 to July 5, 2016, in the United States, including mini action figures, rings, and collectibles.[62] On August 24, 2018, 2Lego sets were released in the United States and United Kingdom.[63][64][65][66][67][68]
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