The Powerpuff Girls

The Powerpuff GirlsTemplate:Efn is an American superhero animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera (later Cartoon Network Studios) for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three kindergarten-aged girls with superpowers. They 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.

While attending his second year at CalArts in 1992, McCracken created a short film, Whoopass Stew!, about a trio of child superheroes known as the Whoopass Girls, which was only shown at festivals. Following the name change to The Powerpuff Girls, McCracken submitted his student film to Cartoon Network, who aired the series' refined pilot, "Meat Fuzzy Lumpkins", in its animation showcase program World Premiere Toons on February 20, 1995, along with its follow-up, "Crime 101", on January 28, 1996. Network executives gave McCracken the greenlight for a full series, which debuted as a Cartoon Cartoon on November 18, 1998.

The Powerpuff Girls aired on Cartoon Network for six seasons, three specials, and a feature film, with the final episode airing on March 25, 2005. A total of 78 episodes were produced, in addition to the two pilots, a Christmas special, the film, a tenth anniversary special, and a special episode in computer animation. Various spin-off media include an anime, three CD soundtracks, a home video collection, comic books, a series of video games, a 2016 reboot series, and an upcoming reboot series, as well as various licensed merchandise. The series has been nominated for six Emmy Awards, nine Annie Awards, and a Kids' Choice Award during its run.

Premise

The show revolves around the adventures of three kindergarten-aged girls with an array of various superpowers: Blossom (pink), Bubbles (blue), and Buttercup (green). The plot of an episode is usually some humorous variation of standard superhero and tokusatsu shows, with the girls using their powers to defend their town from villains and giant monsters. In addition, the girls have to deal with the normal issues that young children face, such as sibling rivalries, loose teeth,<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> personal hygiene,<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> going to school, bed wetting,<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> or dependence on a security blanket.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> Episodes often contain hidden references to older pop culture (especially noticeable in the episode "Meet the Beat Alls",<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> which is a homage to the Beatles). The cartoon always tries to keep different ideas within each episode with some small tributes and parodies thrown in.<ref name="autogenerated2001">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The show is set mainly in the city of Townsville, USA. Townsville is depicted as a major American city, with a cityscape consisting of several major skyscrapers. In his review of The Powerpuff Girls Movie, movie critic Bob Longino of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said, "the intricate drawings emanate 1950s futuristic pizzazz like a David Hockney scenescape," and that the show is "one of the few American creations that is both gleeful pop culture and exquisite high art."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Episodes

Template:Main List of The Powerpuff Girls episodes

Characters

Three cartoon girls

The Powerpuff Girls (from left to right: Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup)

As depicted in the opening sequence of each episode, the Powerpuff Girls Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were created by Professor Utonium in an attempt to create the "perfect little girl" using a mixture of "sugar, spice, and everything nice". However, he accidentally spilled a mysterious substance called "Chemical X" into the mixture, creating three girls and granting them superpowers, including flight, superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman senses, limited invulnerability, x-ray vision, red heat vision, energy projection, space survivability, and thermal resistance. In the original concept, the accidental substance was a can of "Whoopass", which was replaced by "Chemical X" in the television show.<ref name="awn" />

The three girls all have abnormally large eyes inspired by Margaret Keane's art,<ref name="townsend">Template:Cite journal</ref> and stubby arms and legs, and lack of noses, ears, fingers, flat feet, toes, and necks. McCracken preferred them to look more symbolic of actual children rather than going for a "realistic" look, meaning fewer body parts were needed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup normally wear dresses that match the colors of their eyes with black stripes, as well as white stockings and black Mary Janes. They individually represent body, mind and spirit,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and despite being the same age, they adopt the characteristics of the oldest, middle and youngest child.<ref name=":casimir">Template:Cite news</ref> The closing theme song offers a nutshell description of their personalities: Blossom, commander and the leader. Bubbles, she is the joy and the laughter. Buttercup, she is the toughest fighter.

File:2017 LA Comic Con - Powerpuff Girls cast.jpg

The show's main cast, from left to right: E. G. Daily, Tara Strong, Cathy Cavadini, and Tom Kane

• Blossom (voiced by Cathy Cavadini) is the self-appointed leader of the Powerpuff Girls. Her personality ingredient is "everything nice", her signature color is pink, and she has long orange hair with a red bow.<ref name="CN" /> She was named for having spoken freely and honestly to the Professor shortly after her creation, as shown in The Powerpuff Girls Movie. She often behaves as the most level-headed and composed member of the group, with a strong and determined attitude. Her unique abilities include ice breath, microscopic vision, lightning bolts, and advanced intelligence. As the leader, she is a master strategist and apt planner, so she figures everything out and keeps control of the situations.<ref name=":Lee">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Bubbles (voiced by Tara Strong in the series, and by Kath Soucie in the What a Cartoon! episodes) is the "softest and sweetest" of the three.<ref name="CN" /> She is the most innocent and childish, as she most enjoys the regular occupations of any child, such as playing games and coloring.<ref name=":Lee" /> Her personality ingredient is "sugar", her signature color is blue, and she has blonde hair in pigtails. Bubbles is kind and sweet, but she is also capable of extreme rage and fights just as well as her sisters. She loves animals and her best friend is a stuffed octopus doll she calls "Octi". She has the ability to both understand multiple languages and communicate with various animals. Her unique powers are projecting powerful sonic screams, and creating a shockwave of thunder with a single clap from her hands.
• Buttercup (voiced by E. G. Daily) is described as a "tough hotheaded tomboy".<ref name="CN" /> Her personality ingredient is "spice", her signature color is green, and she has short black hair in a bob cut. She loves to fight hard, play rough and get dirty; she does not plan and only wants to punish the bad guys instead of solving the crimes.<ref name="CN" /><ref name=":Lee" /> Her unique powers are curling her tongue, spinning into a tornado, and creating fireballs by rubbing her hands together until smoke comes out. This action forms a flaming ball that she throws at an opponent. McCracken originally wanted to name the character "Bud", until a friend suggested the name Buttercup.<ref name="ppgdocumentary">Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Production

File:Whoopass Stew - 1992.png

The first early animated versions of the Powerpuff Girls, who were originally known as the "Whoopass Girls"

During Craig McCracken's first year in the character animation program of CalArts,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> he wanted to produce an animated short film based on a wrestler-type character he made named "El Fuego". In June 1991, he drew three girls with large eyes, visually inspired by the paintings of Margaret Keane,<ref name="townsend" /> on a small sheet of orange construction paper as a birthday card design for his brother. Looking for some "diversity and balance" in the drawing, he had created a blonde, a redhead, and a brunette.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He liked how "cute" they looked and turned them into superheroes, thus replacing the aforementioned wrestler.<ref name="ppgdocumentary" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following year, the girls starred on McCracken's animated short Whoopass Stew! The Whoopass Girls in: A Sticky Situation.<ref name="lenburg">Template:Cite book</ref> Initially, McCracken wanted to animate all four Whoopass Girls shorts, but only one was produced.<ref name="ppgdocumentary" /> McCracken's shorts were selected to be shown at Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation in 1994.<ref name="lenburg" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

While he was working on 2 Stupid Dogs in 1992, McCracken's Whoopass Girls short was picked up for a series by Cartoon Network. The name Whoopass was dropped for inclusion as part of the What a Cartoon! animated shorts showcase. McCracken explained that Cartoon Network executives believed no one would make a children's show with the word "ass" in it, so the title changed to The Powerpuff Girls and the "can of whoopass" was renamed "Chemical X".<ref name="ppgdocumentary" /> McCracken's new short, titled "The Powerpuff Girls in: Meat Fuzzy Lumpkins", aired as part the network's World Premiere Toon-In on February 20, 1995.<ref name="apcm">Template:Cite web</ref> The short was not as popular as Dexter's Laboratory, a project McCracken and former classmate Genndy Tartakovsky (who also directed many episodes of The Powerpuff Girls) worked on together; being the most popular of the shorts, Dexter's Laboratory was the first to be greenlit by the network.<ref name="ppgdocumentary" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Furthermore, McCracken's cartoon did not do well with a test audience composed by 11-year-old boys; "They were saying, 'This is stupid, little girls can't be heroes'", he recalled in 1999. They also found the girls' designs to be disturbing, which caused McCracken to panic and attempt to redesign them in a more realistic style.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Cartoon Network executive Mike Lazzo convinced McCracken to stay true to his original vision, and allowed him to produce a second Powerpuff Girls short titled "Crime 101", which aired on What a Cartoon! in early 1996. Veteran ABC announcer Ernie Anderson, who narrated the pilot episodes and died of cancer in 1997, was replaced by Tom Kenny when it became a series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Following the second short, Cartoon Network picked up The Powerpuff Girls for a regular animated series. McCracken said that the show did not go through a large development process, but he was advised to change the name of the three main characters to Pink, Blue and Green, since the network executives found it hard to differentiate them by Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite AV media</ref> Instead, he put together a bible for the show, explaining the essential aspects of the characters.<ref name=":0" /> The Powerpuff Girls series debuted on November 18, 1998, and was the highest-rated premiere in Cartoon Network's history at the time. During its run, the series consistently scored the highest rating for an original series each week for the network across a wide range of demographics—from young children to adults.<ref name="awn">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In October 2000, Cartoon Network credited the series for its Friday night prime time ratings win among cable networks.<ref name="tw">Template:Cite web</ref> By the end of 2000, merchandising based on the series encompassed a whole variety of products, including T-shirts, toys, video games, lunchboxes, and dishware.<ref name="awn" /> Concerning the show's success, Craig McCracken has stated, "I thought it would get on Cartoon Network and college kids would watch it and there would be a few random T-shirts out there in the rave scene or in record shops. But I had no idea that it would take off to this extent."<ref name="awn" /> The cost per each episode was $500,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A theatrical film based on the show, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, was also commissioned that year and was released July 3, 2002. The film received positive reviews from critics but was a commercial failure, earning $16 million worldwide against its $11 million budget. The production of the film also marked the series' switch from traditional cel animation to the digital ink and paint technique.

Following the series' fourth season, the closing of Hanna-Barbera Productions and the death of its executive William Hanna in 2001, along with the muted reception to The Powerpuff Girls Movie, McCracken left the series to focus on developing his next animated series for the network, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, leaving Chris Savino to take his place while production of The Powerpuff Girls was moved to Cartoon Network Studios.<ref name="ppgdocumentary" /> The show's last original run episode was on March 25, 2005; in all, six seasons were made.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cartoon Network had offered to give McCracken and Savino a seventh season of the series, but they believed six was enough, and that the series had run its course.<ref name="ppgdocumentary" />

All of the original episodes were hand-drawn and produced at the Korean studio Rough Draft Studios,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> except the What a Cartoon! shorts, with the first one being animated at Animal House in Japan and the second being animated at Fil Cartoons in the Philippines. James L. Venable, Thomas Chase, & Steve Rucker composed the opening theme of the series, and Scottish band Bis performed the ending theme song,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as played during the credits. The opening theme uses a sped-up drum break sample of "Funky Drummer" performed by Clyde Stubblefield.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Tenth anniversary special

In August 2008, McCracken revealed on his DeviantArt account, as had been announced in that year's Comic Con, that he was working with Cartoon Network on a new half-hour The Powerpuff Girls special to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Titled "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!", it aired on the Pan-Euro Cartoon Network on November 29, 2008, during the Powerpuff Girls Birthday Marathon, and in the United States on January 19, 2009, as part of its 10th anniversary marathon. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Unlike all the previous episodes, the special was animated using Adobe Flash at Cartoon Network Studios.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It also provides a glimpse of Sara Bellum's face as an easter egg, which at the time could be captured with a TiVo digital video recorder.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2014 special

File:PowerpuffgirlsCGI.jpg

The Powerpuff Girls in the 2014 special.

On January 28, 2013, a CGI special titled Powerpuff Girls: Dance Pantsed was announced to premiere that year, though it was later delayed to January 20, 2014.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Former Beatle Ringo Starr promoted the special on Cartoon Network singing a new original song "I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl" with previews leading up to the airdate. Ringo also voiced a new character named Fibonacci Sequins in the episode.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The special was directed by Dave Smith, who directed episodes for the series in the past, and featured the original cast members reprising their roles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This Powerpuff Girls special marked the first time that series creator Craig McCracken had no input.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The episode's plot has Mojo Jojo kidnap Fibonacci along with an opera singer and a badger. The girls rescue all of them, and the Powerpuff Girls defeat Mojo yet again. Not deterred, he then goes on to invent an evil video game called "Dance Pants R-EVILution" (a parody of the video game Dance Dance Revolution) to take over Townsville.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Common Sense Media gave the special 3/5 stars citing the "tasteful update of the original animation style" however recommends it for older kids around the age of 7.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Geeked Out Nation gave the show a B rank and described it as "...a good special with the return of the characters that many of us grew up [with]", while they said that the special has few flaws.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Den of Geek gave the special a 2.5 out 5 said "The Powerpuff reboot needs those paddles to jump-start it. I want more. But I want better."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

Critical reception

In a 2000 Entertainment Weekly review, Marc Bernardin complimented the show on its "spot-on pop-culture acumen" and "unparalleled sense of fun", giving it a warm welcome from earlier "lame" superhero cartoons that he grew up with.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Peter Marks of The New York Times noted the show's use of adult humor and pop culture references, declaring it "the sort of playful satire that can appeal as much to a viewer of 37 as 7."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Joly Herman of Common Sense Media described the show as a "cute, highly stylized series [that] thrills the senses with its strange characters, funny situations, and lots of lowbrow humor". She went on to say, however, that the show does go from innocent to violent in no time and that there is not much protecting young viewers against the violent undertones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Robert Lloyd of the LA Times said that the series might be "transgressive" based on little violence, but "also cute."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In another review, he had called it "perfectly drawn, perfectly written and perfectly voiced."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The show began airing at the height of the "Girl power" trend in entertainment media.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":olympian2">Template:Cite news</ref> The Powerpuff Girls were often compared to the likes of Sailor Moon, Lara Croft, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who are also strong and heroic female leads.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":olympian2" /> Craig McCracken argued that he did not create the show to fill a gap in the market encompassed by the "Girl Power" slogan, but that its true vehicle was "good, strong characters" that made for good storytelling.<ref name=":nydailynews">Template:Cite news</ref> However, he did believe that it gained momentum from being considered a "girl power" cartoon, and that it became successful among boys and girls for the inclusion of action scenes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Terrence Briggs of Animation World Network noted that, "at the very least, Powerpuff Girls works as an interesting comic deviation from the more sexual presences" of other fictional heroines.<ref name=":1" />

TV Guide chose the Powerpuff Girls as No. 13 in a list of the 50 Greatest cartoon characters of all time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> IGN ranked the series 18th in its Top 25 Primetime Animated Series of All Time list in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Entertainment Weekly gave it the number one spot in its list of "10 Best Cartoon Network Shows" in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Awards and nominations

The Powerpuff Girls series has won two Primetime Emmys, two Annie Awards, and including those four wins, has been nominated a total of sixteen times for various awards.

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
1999	Annie Awards	Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a99" />	Craig Kellman Template:Small	Template:Nom
		Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a99" />	John McIntyre Template:Small	Template:Nom
		Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a99" />	Tara Strong (Template:Small	Template:Nom
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Craig McCracken, John McIntyre, Amy Keating Rogers, Jason Butler Rote, and Genndy Tartakovsky Template:Small	Template:Nom
2000	Annie Awards	Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Chris Savino Template:Small	Template:Nom
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation<ref name="emmys">Template:Cite web</ref>	Don Shank Template:Small	Template:Won
		Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)<ref name="emmys" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Robert Alvarez, Craig McCracken, John McIntyre, Randy Myers, Amy Keating Rogers, and Genndy Tartakovsky Template:Small	Template:Nom
2001	Annie Awards	Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music Score an Animated Television Production<ref name="a01">Template:Cite web</ref>	James L. Venable, Thomas Chase, and Steve Rucker Template:Small	Template:Won
		Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a01" />	Don Shank	Template:Won
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)<ref name="emmys" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Robert Alvarez, Lauren Faust, Craig McCracken, John McIntyre, Amy Rogers, and Genndy Tartakovsky Template:Small	Template:Nom
	Template:Nowrap	Favorite Cartoon<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	The Powerpuff Girls	Template:Nom
2002	Annie Awards	Outstanding Character Design in an Animated Television Production<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Paul Rudish Template:Small	Template:Nom
2003	Annie Awards	Outstanding Character Design in an Animated Television Production<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Andy Bialk Template:Small	Template:Nom
2004	Annie Awards	Character Design in an Animated Television Production<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Chris Reccardi Template:Small	Template:Nom
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Robert Alvarez, Lauren Faust, Juli Hashiguchi, Craig Lewis, Craig McCracken, John McIntyre, Brian A. Miller, Randy Myers, Amy Keating Rogers, Chris Savino, James Tim Walker Template:Small	Template:Nom
2005	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation<ref name="emmys" />	Frank Gardner Template:Small	Template:Won
2014	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Cartoon Network Studios Template:Small	Template:Won
2015	Annie Awards	Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production<ref name=":emmys15">Template:Cite web</ref>	Dave Tennant, David P. Smith, Chris Mitchell, and Will Mata Template:Small	Template:Nom
		Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production<ref name=":emmys15" />	Kevin Dart, Chris Turnham, Jasmin Lai, and Elle Michalka Template:Small	Template:Nom

Other media

Film

Template:Main The Powerpuff Girls Movie was released in the United States on July 3, 2002, by Warner Bros. Pictures.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The movie, a prequel to the series, tells the story of how the Powerpuff Girls were created, and how Mojo Jojo became a supervillain.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The movie received a rating of 63% at review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as well as some criticism for the violence involved.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In all, the movie grossed $16 million worldwide with an $11 million budget.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Anime adaptation

Template:Main In April 2005, plans for a Japanese anime series based on the cartoon, Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z, were announced.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The series premiered in Japan the following year with 52 half-hour episodes, airing each Saturday from 2006 to 2007. It was made as a way to exploit the popularity that PPG was having on Japanese satellite television; however, in order to broadcast it on a channel like TV Tokyo, it had to be produced locally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Powerpuff Girls Z deviates from the original series in terms of genre and animation style.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It features junior high school students Momoko Akatsutsumi (Hyper Blossom), Miyako Gotokuji (Rolling Bubbles), and Kaoru Matsubara (Powered Buttercup) as the three heroes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

McCracken told NPR's Talk of the Nation that he had little involvement in this version: "I said, well, as long you keep that core foundation the same, feel free to reinterpret or re-imagine it in a way that you feel is going to better play in your marketplace [...] once we did the initial development on it, I kind of gave them my blessing and said, you guys can go off and make this show [...] I was really just there in the initial conception of it."<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Aviation

File:PPG Boeing 737-232.jpg

Boeing 737-232 decorated with the Powerpuff Girls

Delta Express promoted the series by having a Boeing 737-232 jet painted with a special livery featuring the characters Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup on its exterior.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The plane's inaugural flight was held at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 17, 2000.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> It was approved to serve in 21 airports.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2002 the aircraft was repainted with a different Powerpuff Girls theme to promote The Powerpuff Girls Movie.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Cancelled live-action adaptation

On August 24, 2020, a live-action television series based on The Powerpuff Girls was announced to be in development at The CW. According to Variety, it would 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 by Warner Bros. Television Studios, was being written by Heather Regnier and Diablo Cody, who were also serving as executive producers with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Madden.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Craig McCracken was not involved; however, he declared his liking of Berlanti's superhero shows and admitted he was "curious" to see what they would do with their adaptation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Genndy Tartakovsky, who directed and produced several episodes of the original show, also expressed a similar sentiment, suggesting that the idea was "strong" and could work if there's "good people attached to it".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A pilot was officially ordered on February 9, 2021, and Maggie Kiley was hired as the director.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Variety later reported that Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron and Yana Perrault were cast as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On March 30, 2021, following the title change to Powerpuff, Donald Faison was cast in the role of Professor "Drake" Utonium.<ref name="Deadline2">Template:Cite web</ref> On April 1, Nicholas Podany was cast as Joseph "Jojo" Mondel Jr., the son of Mojo Jojo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 7, production on the pilot began.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 9, Robyn Lively was cast as Sara Bellum and Tom Kenny was confirmed to be reprising his role as the Narrator from the original series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 24, The CW announced that the pilot would be reworked off-cycle, with the cast and crew remaining on board.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The script was later leaked to overwhelmingly negative reviews on social media.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mark Pedowitz, the head of The CW, stated that the script would be largely rewritten.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On August 11, Bennet dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2022, it was said to be in "some stage" of redevelopment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, on May 18, 2023, The CW announced that the series had been cancelled by its new majority owners, Nexstar Media Group, and that the rights had been returned to Warner Bros.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On July 5, it was reported that the series was no longer in development at Warner Bros. Television.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On March 6, 2025, a full-length trailer of the series' pilot was leaked by Lost Media Busters on YouTube.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was later taken down by Warner Bros. Entertainment that same day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Merchandise

In 2001, Warner Bros. Consumer Products deemed The Powerpuff Girls their flagship brand, given the success of the show's merchandise.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association (LIMA) named it License of the Year at their 2001 awards ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The array of products was so extensive in 2002 that, according to Janan Sheria of the Dayton Daily News, even people without cable television could recognize the Powerpuff Girls.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The franchise made nearly $1 billion in retail sales by 2002, according to Cartoon Network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Beginning in 1999, Trendmasters made Powerpuff Girls dolls, playsets, and action figures, aimed primarily at girls ages 6–11.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Craig McCracken and Genndy Tartakovsky were initially involved in the conception of these toys.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> From August 21 to October 1, 2000, Subway promoted the series with four toys in their kids' meals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A set of six kids' meal toys was available as part of an April 2001 Dairy Queen promotion, which also included a sweepstakes offering the Powerpuff Girls VHS Boogie Frights.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Jack in the Box released six Powerpuff Girls toys in July 2002 as a tie-in for The Powerpuff Girls Movie.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On February 10, 2003, Burger King began a four-week promotion featuring The Powerpuff Girls and Dragon Ball Z toys as well as special codes to redeem online for Cartoon Network's Cartoon Orbit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the United Kingdom the characters of Buttercup and Mojo Jojo were given away in Kellogg's cereal boxes as part of the Cartoon Network Wobble Heads in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From 2000 to 2006, DC published a series of seventy comics based on the television show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Golden Books also published a series of Powerpuff Girls-themed activity books and storybooks, including one written and illustrated by Craig McCracken, titled Big, Terrible Trouble?.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Around 400,000 total units of these books had been sold by 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 2013 to 2017, IDW Publishing published a range of comics based on the series. In 2014, that company published a variant cover which showed aged-up versions of Powerpuff Girls with breasts and dressed in latex. The cover was designed by an artist working for Cartoon Network who was "thinking of it more along the lines of 'female empowerment' than the kind of thing you guys are talking about". Cartoon Network said in a statement: "We recognise some fans' reaction to the cover and, as such, will no longer be releasing it at comic book shops."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On October 12, 2023, Dynamite announced a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to create a new line of comics based on various properties, including The Powerpuff Girls.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first issue was released in July 17, 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Music

Template:Main Three CD soundtracks were officially released for the series. The first, titled Heroes & Villains, features original songs about the Powerpuff Girls characters by a number of artists, including the new wave group Devo, Bis, The Apples in Stereo and Frank Black.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mark Mothersbaugh, who originally sought out to be the series' composer, produced the album along with Bob Casale, his bandmate of Devo.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album did well, topping the BillboardTemplate:'s children's music chart for six weeks.<ref name="autogenerated2001" /> Another album titled The City of Soundsville features electronica-style character themes and also did well with critics.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The third album, titled Power Pop, features a more teen-oriented variety of pop songs. This third and final album was considered a "big disappointment" and was not received as well as the previous albums.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The British girl group Sugababes also released a song called "Angels with Dirty Faces" to promote The Powerpuff Girls Movie. The song received generally positive reviews from critics and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="UK">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn The music video hearkens to "Nano of the North", an episode from the fourth season of The Powerpuff Girls,<ref name="Video">Template:Cite AV media</ref> in which each Sugababes member portrays a Powerpuff Girl.<ref name="Video" />

Parodies

A crossover parody of The Powerpuff Girls and 2 Broke Girls was done in the second season of Cartoon Network's TV series MAD, known as "2 Broke Powerpuff Girls". The episode, which aired on January 30, 2012, is of Bubbles and Buttercup, who are broke and work for "Him" in a diner after the show got placed on permanent hiatus. Tara Strong (Bubbles) and Tom Kane ("Him") reprised their roles here.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The MAD episode with the parody ranked #26/30 for the week with 1.903 million viewers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Video games

Template:Main Several video games were made for this show all being action in genre. The Powerpuff Girls: Bad Mojo Jojo, released on November 14, 2000, follows Blossom as she tries to beat Mojo Jojo.<ref>GameSpot. Tech Info for the Powerpuff Girls: Bad Mojo Jojo Template:Webarchive</ref> The game was called "simple and boring" by GameSpot and was a failure critically.<ref name="GameSpot">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Powerpuff Girls: Paint the Townsville Green, another game released in November 2000, follows Buttercup as she fights crime.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Powerpuff Girls: Battle HIM follows Bubbles in her fight against HIM and was released in February 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-traction was released in October 2001, where the girls battle enemies in a variety of settings in order to reclaim Chemical X and track down Mojo Jojo, who fed the material to all the villains in Townsville. IGN gave the game a positive review while giving the PSone version a 2.0/10 bad review.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Powerpuff Girls: Relish Rampage was released in November 2002. All three girls are playable in a 3D world, and the game received mixed reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Powerpuff Girls: Mojo Jojo A-Go-Go released in 2001 centers around the name of the Powerpuff Girls' mission to stop Mojo Jojo and his minions. The game received mixed reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Powerpuff Girls: HIM and Seek was released in 2002 where the girls battle their variety of enemies through Townsville while on a scavenger hunt. The game received mostly positive reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> PC games were also made for the series. These include: The Powerpuff Girls: Mojo Jojo Clone Zone, The Powerpuff Girls: Princess Snorebucks, The Powerpuff Girls: Mojo Jojo's Pet Project, and The Powerpuff Girls: Gamesville.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The girls, with a skin that changes them to The Rowdyruff Boys, are featured in the platform fighter MultiVersus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Cartoon Cartoons
• List of female action heroes
• List of works produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions

External links

• Template:Official website (archive)
• Template:IMDb title
• Template:Toonopedia