The Powerpuff Girls (TV series)

The Powerpuff Girls is an American superhero animated television seriescreated 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, as well as their father and creator, a scientist named Professor Utonium. The girls all live in the fictional city of Townsville, USA and are frequently called upon by the city's mayor to help fight nearby criminals using their powers.

McCracken originally developed the show in 1992 as a cartoon short entitled Whoopass Stew! while in his second year at CalArts. Following a name change, Cartoon Network featured the first Powerpuff Girls pilots in its animation showcase program What a Cartoon! in 1995 and 1996. The series made its official debut as a Cartoon Cartoon on November 18, 1998, with the final episode airing on March 25, 2005. Excluding the two pilot shorts, the series ran for a total of six seasons, totalling 78 episodes. Along with the episodes, a Christmas special and a feature film, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, were also made concurrently. Two additional specials were made after the show ceased to air in 2005 which included a tenth anniversary special (2008), and a CGI special (2014) which was made without McCracken's input.

Various spin-off media include an anime, three CD soundtracks, a home video collection, comic books, a series of video games and a 2016 reboot, 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. In all, the series won four awards and generally received positive reception.

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[6], personal hygiene[7], going to school, bed wetting[8], or dependence on a security blanket[9]. Episodes often contain hidden references to older pop culture (especially noticeable in the episode "Meet the Beat Alls"[10], 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.[11]

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."[12]

Characters
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 all three superpowers including wingless flight, super strength, superhuman speed, near invulnerability, x-ray vision, superhuman senses, red heat vision, pink-green-and-blue energy projection, invisibility, and control over lightning and fire. In the original pilot, the accidental substance was a can of "Whoopass", which was replaced by "Chemical X" in the aired version.[13]

The three girls all have oval-shaped heads, abnormally large eyes inspired by Margaret Keane's art,[14] flat feet with toes and stubby arms and legs, and lack noses, ears, fingers and necks. McCracken preferred them to look more animated rather than going for a "realistic" look, meaning fewer body parts were needed.[15] Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup normally wear dresses that match the colors of their eyes with black stripes, as well as white tights and black Mary Janes. The closing theme to the cartoon offers a nutshell description of the three Powerpuff Girls' personalities: ''Blossom, commander and the leader. Bubbles, she is the joy and the laughter. Buttercup, she is the toughest fighter.''
 * Blossom (voiced by Cathy Cavadini) is the self-proclaimed 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.[16] She was named for having spoken freely and honestly to the Professor shortly after her creation as shown in The Powerpuff Girls Movie. She is often seen as the most level-headed, and composed member of the group and also strong and determined. Her unique abilities include "Ice Breath" (develops in "Ice Sore"), microscopic vision, advanced intelligence, and is a master strategist and apt planner.
 * 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.[16] Her signature color is blue, her personality ingredient is "sugar", and she has blonde hair in pigtails. Bubbles is seen as kind and very sweet but she is also capable of extreme rage and can fight monsters just as well as her sisters can. Her best friend is a stuffed octopus doll she calls "Octi", and she also loves animals. She exhibits the ability to both understand multiple languages and communicate with various animals (squirrels, cats, monsters), and her unique power is emitting supersonic waves with her voice alone, and can speak and read any language; such as Spanish, French, and animal speech.
 * Buttercup (voiced by E. G. Daily) is described as a "tough hotheaded tomboy".[16] Her personality ingredient is spice, her signature color is green, and she has black hair in a flip. She loves to get dirty, fights hard and plays rough; she does not plan and is all action.[16] Buttercup is the only Powerpuff Girl without any unique superpowers (aside from being able to curl her tongue as shown in the episode "Nuthin' Special").[17] McCracken originally wanted to name the character "Bud" until a friend suggested the name Buttercup.[5]

Professor Utonium
Professor Utonium (voiced by Tom Kane) is a scientist who works in his home in the suburbs of the City of Townsville. A stereotypical scientist, his general attire is a white lab coat and black pants. The Professor once housed a chimpanzee named Jojo (later to become Mojo Jojo) as a lab assistant who proved to be reckless and destructive. Jojo was "monkeying around" while the Professor was stirring his perfect girl concoction, causing him to accidentally break through a glass containing the mysterious "Chemical X" which spilled into the perfect girl formula, thus creating the Powerpuff Girls. The Professor is a genius in many fields of science, having shown knowledge in fields such as physics, chemistry, and biology as well as being a skilled inventor. Aside from his role as a scientist, he acts as a parent in The Powerpuff Girls' lives, doing fatherly things such as preparing their school lunches or cheering up the girls when they have been hurt. Although he apparently did not legally "adopt" the girls, everyone who addresses him calls him "their father" and they as "his daughters". The Professor can be strict, easily manipulated and overprotective at times, but still retains his caring fatherly image. In the episode "Keen for Keane", the girls set up Professor Utonium and their kindergarten teacher Ms. Keane on a date for Valentine's Day, resulting in the two temporarily becoming an item. The character of Professor Utonium is based on J.R. "Bob" Dobbs.

Mayor
The Mayor of Townsville (voiced by Tom Kenny in the series and by Jim Cummings in the What a Cartoon! episodes) is generally referred throughout only as "Mayor", although he is referred to as "Barney" by his wife in the episode "Boogie Frights". He is short and elderly with a fringe of white hair around a bald scalp and a thick white mustache. He wears a monocle over his left eye and a small top hat that “floats” just above his head. The Mayor is rather dimwitted, but cares deeply about his city. He has a love for pickles, and is very childish at times. He sometimes calls the girls for very silly reasons, as seen in the episode "Bubblevicous" when he calls because of a traffic jam. The What a Cartoon!episode "Meat Fuzzy Lumpkins" featured a different Mayor who was younger and taller than the Mayor of the series.

Ms. Bellum
Ms. Sara Bellum (voiced by Jennifer Martin in the series) is The Mayor's very competent, pretty, statuesque, and apparently beautiful secretary who often handles issues that the Mayor cannot. She has long, curly red hair, wears a red dress and red high heel shoes for a secretary look. Her face is never shown onscreen, although The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!! briefly revealed part of it. Running gags include other onscreen characters often finding her very beautiful, the camera focusing on her chest, her face always being obscured. Her name is a pun on the word cerebellum presumably due to her intelligent and wise nature. She has advised and helped the girls defeat the Rowdyruff Boys in the episode The Rowdyruff Boys. She also proved to be a capable fighter, battling the villain Sedusa by herself when the girls were disabled. She is given a extremely limited role in one episode of the reboot before being completely written off due to female modifications.[1]

Ms. Keane
Ms. Keane (voiced by Jennifer Hale and by Kath Soucie in the What-a-Cartoon!episodes) is the kindergarten teacher of Pokey Oaks Kindergarten. She wears an orange shirt, a red vest, brown pants, and has short black hair and light blue eyes. She is patient, understanding and very protective of her students, making her a well-liked, motherly figure. She is also an animal lover, owning a ginger cat named Valentino, and the class pet hamster, Twiggy. Although Ms. Keane is a kindergarten teacher, she is quite smart. Ms. Keane forbids any fighting in school, even if there is a crisis taking place within it; she convinces the girls that there are other ways to solve problems other than fighting as demonstrated in the episodes "Schoolhouse Rocked" and "Imaginary Fiend". In the episode "Keen for Keane", the girls set up Ms. Keane and Professor Utonium on a date for Valentine's Day, resulting in the two temporarily becoming an item.

Narrator
Narrator (voiced by Tom Kenny in the series and Craig McCracken in Whoopass Stew and by Ernie Anderson in the What a Cartoon! episodes) is the enthusiastic but unseen narrator, known for opening nearly every episode with "The City of Townsville!" and ending most of them with "So once again, the day is saved, thanks to... the Powerpuff Girls"! He often comments on the proceedings of the episode, says things which happen to be hints about the plots of certain episodes, and frequently breaks the fourth wall. He is also shown to be the only connection between the audience and the girls, as he can "talk" to both and even be involved, such as Mojo Jojo transforming him into a dog. In the episode "Simian Says", he is kidnapped by Mojo Jojo, who promptly takes his place as the episode begins. He is only seen at one point in the series (in the episode "A Made Up Story" he wakes up the mayor who is sleeping under the podium. Viewers see only his hand and part of his arm), though he is a person and not just a disembodied voice.

Talking Dog
Talking Dog (voiced by Tom Kane in the series and by Paul Mercier in the What a Cartoon! episodes) is a small white dog with black ears and nose and a black spot on his back, wearing a red collar with a yellow dog tag. He mostly appears as a background character, but always has something humorous to say. In the episode "Shut the Pup Up", he was taken in by the Girls when he became the sole witness to a mystery crime. When he stays with the girls he is shown to be blunt, abrasive and insulting, though his demeanor remains straightforward and earnest. He is frequently abused in almost every appearance he makes; as a running gag, no one ever seems to regard his pain and simply ignore him.

Mitch Mitchelson
Mitch Mitchelson (voiced by Tom Kenny in the series): The bully at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten. Mitch has brownish hair, and wears a black T-shirt with the words "MITCH ROCKS" on the front. Usually talks in a gruff voice; he torments the kids in the class in a few episodes, though he is not a major threat. He is Buttercup's close friend, according to Buttercup in her interview in the DVD features of The Powerpuff Girls Movie. For a brief time he hosted a short segment on Cartoon Network called "Mitch Rocks", where he looked at or watched various things and said whether they "rock" or not.

Mojo Jojo
Mojo Jojo (voiced by Roger L. Jackson) is a mad scientist anthropomorphicchimpanzee with great intelligence, who speaks with a Japanese accent in an overly repetitive and redundant manner. As the main antagonist of the series and the Powerpuff Girls' arch-enemy, Mojo Jojo was Professor Utonium's reckless laboratory assistant, Jojo, before Professor Utonium created the Powerpuff Girls, the same accident that created the Girls gave Jojo his super-intelligence.[2] He has green skin, pink scleras, and wears a white glass dome-shaped helmet that covers his oversized, protruding brain. The helmet is often broken in fights with the Girls, partially exposing his enlarged brain. He wears white gloves and boots, a blue suit with a white belt, and a flowing purple cape. Despite his high intelligence, his plans often contain flaws that he overlooks, and he rarely has much success against the girls, as their superpowers are too much for his inventions. However, he is a master at manipulation and trickery, often fooling the girls into thinking he has changed despite their constant encounters.

Him
Him (voiced by Tom Kane in the series) is a mysterious, supernatural, effeminate, immortal, androgynous, and demonic monster. His physical appearance is an amalgamation of sorts with lobster-like claws, red skin, pointed ears, a hooked nose, yellow/green eyes and a long curled beard, wearing makeup, a woman's red jacket and skirt with pink tulle at the collar and hemline, and black, thigh-high, spike-heeled boots. His voice ranges from a high-pitched falsetto to a deep, booming basso profondo. According to the narrator in Him's first appearance, he is "so evil, so sinister, so horribly vile, that even the utterance of his name strikes fear into the hearts of men" and that "Him" was the only safe way to refer to him. He is shown to feed off the negative emotions of human beings. Him's plans are usually psychological in nature, and often consist of manipulating events to either drive the Powerpuff Girls insane, or simply drive wedges between them. Craig McCracken has stated that the character "Him" was inspired by the mannerisms of the Chief Blue Meanie in the 1968 film Yellow Submarine. Craig McCracken stated Him is his favorite villain.[3]

Fuzzy Lumpkins
Fuzzy Lumpkins[4] (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a large, husky, furry pink Bigfoot-like hillbilly monster with a wide jaw, a green nose, two antennas on his head, big blue overalls, and brown boots, who commonly plays a banjo which he calls "Jo." He was the first villain introduced in the series, appearing in the pilot "Meat Fuzzy Lumkins," in which he turned the people of Townsville into meat after he lost in a jam contest. He speaks in a southern accent, and lives in the woods next to the city of Townsville. Fuzzy is of extremely limited intellectual capacity, and is not nearly so active and ambitious as most of the villains in the series. He usually limits himself to shooting anyone whom he finds trespassing on his property, though also prone to destructive fits of rage, particularly when others touch his belongings; in these fits he gains enough physical strength to overpower (and sometimes intimidate) the girls. When angry, Fuzzy turns dark red, grows claws, and his teeth (usually square and blunt) become sharp fangs. Fuzzy (according to Professor Utonium's research) belongs to a race of "Lum(p)kins"; he has three siblings (Furry, Fluffy, and Hairy), three nephews (Buzzy, Wuzzy, and Scuzzy), and several dozen cousins who closely resemble him.

Princess Morbucks
Princess Morbucks (voiced by Jennifer Hale) is a spoiled, rich, and bratty little girl, whose partially unseen and mostly mute father allows her to finance various evil plots to destroy the Powerpuff Girls. Her supervillain outfit consists of a yellow, Powerpuff-style dress, black gloves and boots, and a tiara. Her hatred of the girls stems from her rebuffed attempt to become one of them. Her father is "Daddy" Morbucks, a large, rotund man whose face and head are always hidden from the viewer. He dotes on his daughter and usually indulges in her whim, but it is hinted that his patience is limited and Princess fears truly angering him. Thanks to him, Princess has access to virtually unlimited financial resources. Her last name, "Morbucks", is a reference to Daddy Warbucks from the musical Annie.

The Ganggreen Gang
The Ganggreen GangA are a gang of five teenage hoodlums who are green-skinned and unhealthy-looking, as though infected top-to-bottom by gangrene. They originally appeared alongside The Amoeba Boys in McCracken's original short, Whoopass Stew, as the villains the girls are shown fighting in the introduction (rather than every major recurring villain on the show). According to Craig McCracken, the Ganggreen Gang are a cross between the characters from Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and Rat Fink. Not possessing any powers or exceptional abilities, the Gang is normally not too much of a threat to the girls, but have shown themselves to be very dangerous when motivated, such as when they received training from Sedusa to help her steal a series of magical artifacts. They each have unique characteristics, and they did temporarily obtain powers in the episode "Power Lunch". They also delight in tormenting those weaker than themselves, especially children and the elderly, giving them more of a role of bullies rather than evil villains.
 * Ace D. Copular (voiced by Jeff Bennett): The Gang's leader, Ace Copular is a mean-spirited, opportunistic rogue. He sports a slick-back hairdo, a colored vest-jacket, a peach-fuzz mustache, a pair of shades, and also has fangs. As the Gang's smartest member, he is the instigator of most of their antisocial activities, and he does possess a certain charismatic charm that allows him to sweet-talk people who ought to know better, such as Ms. Keane in episode "School House Rocked" and even Buttercup in episode "Buttercrush". He speaks in a nasally Italian/New Yorker accent. In 2018, Ace temporarily became the replacement bassist of the virtual band Gorillaz while Murdoc Niccals was in prison.[5]
 * Snake (voiced by Tom Kenny in the series): A slippery character with a forked tongue, skinny body, and a hissing voice, Snake is the Gang's second-in-command, but this mostly makes him a yes-man to Ace. He does have a personality of his own, but it is usually silenced due to Ace punching him when he speaks out of line (or asks a foolish question). This could imply that Snake is more loyal to his friend Ace than he is independently evil. It is revealed in episode "School House Rocked" that his real name is Sanford D. Ingleberry.
 * Lil' Arturo (voiced by Tom Kenny and by Carlos Alazraqui in his first appearance): A malevolent Mexican midget boy, Lil' Arturo seems to take the most amusement from the Gang's activities. In episode "School House Rocked" he carries around a switchblade-styled comb he calls "Maria", a treasured gift from his incarcerated father. He has a rather prominent underbite. His full name is Arturo de la Guerra, which is Spanish for "Arthur from the War". His small size allows him to sneak through cramped spaces and passages that the rest of the gang cannot reach.
 * Grubber (voiced by Jeff Bennett): The Gang's most physically grotesque member, Grubber is a barefoot hunchback with untidy hair, grubby clothes, and protruding eyes, resembling the combination of an Ed Roth cartoon, a zombie, a drunk, and Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He also appears to be mostly mute, communicating instead through blowing a raspberry. He does, however, occasionally demonstrate unexpected talents, such as playing the violin, speaking eloquently or performing impersonations. When attending the girls' school for a short time, Grubber showed that he was able to horribly contort his body, making him briefly resemble a well-spoken and handsome-looking young man before snapping back to his normal self. His full name is Grubber J. Gribberish.
 * Big Billy (voiced by Jeff Bennett): A hulking colossus who acts as the Gang's muscle. Though he does at times display a childlike innocence, he mostly just does the bidding of his more savvy and vindictive friends. In episode "School House Rocked", it is revealed that his real name is William W. Williams and that he is a cyclops, with his single eye always hidden beneath his shaggy red hair. Although he rarely fares any better in combat against the girls than the rest of the gang, he has the muscular power to stop a speeding train from running down citizens from the track and tackle 10-story monsters to the ground with his bare hands. He is shown to speak in two different ways: like a normal person, and like a caveman. He is also shown as not very bright. He is fiercely loyal to anyone he considers to be a friend, and briefly tried to help the Powerpuff Girls after they saved him from a train. However, his clumsiness and lack of intelligence made him more destructive as a hero than he was as a villain.

The Amoeba Boys
The Amoeba Boys (voiced by Chuck McCann in the series and the What a Cartoon! episodes and by Lou Romano in Whoopass Stew) are a trio of amoebaewho are the villains featured in McCracken's original short, Whoopass Stew in A Sticky Situation. They reappear in the What a Cartoon! short Crime 101. With their gangster affectations, these aspiring criminals would love nothing more than to be regarded as serious villains worthy of fighting, and even getting beaten up and sent to jail by the Powerpuff Girls. Unfortunately, their brains are too primitive to devise a crime above the level of littering or jaywalking. Indeed, they considered stealing an orange to be their greatest crime ever in the episode "Divide and Conquer". They are Townsville's least malicious villains, even having a friendship-of-sorts with the girls. They are generally harmless, but their actions have on occasion endangered both the girls and the town purely by accident. The greatest threat they have posed to Townsville and the girls was in episode "Geshundfight", when they each caught a cold that, when merged with their DNA, created a severe virus that quickly spread through the city, making even the healthiest person fall ill instantaneously.
 * Bossman: The leader and general spokesman of the Amoeba Boys. He wears a gray fedora.
 * Junior: The smallest one of the Amoeba Boys. He wears a black cap and usually repeats whatever Bossman says. In the episode Crime 101, he is named Tiny.
 * Slim: The tallest one of the Amoeba Boys. He wears a brown fedora and is even more incompetent and slow than the other amoebas. In the episode Crime 101, he is called Skinny Slim.

SedusaEdit
Sedusa (voiced by Jennifer Hale in the series) is a young, beautiful Gorgon-like mistress of disguise and seductress who uses her feminine wiles to influence men to do her bidding. When her identity is revealed, she typically doffs down to her leotard battle suit and fights with her whip-like prehensile hair (which she can control). In her introduction episode "Mommy Fearest", she poses as an ordinary woman named "Ima Goodlady" in order to allure Professor Utonium into dating her, thus being able to ground the girls so they couldn’t stop her from committing crimes. She becomes powerless when her hair becomes wet (or cut off). Her eyes also change color depending on her mood. When she is acting benevolent her eye color is green, but when she is angry, revealing her true villainous nature, her eyes turn red. Her name is a combination of the word "seduce" and Medusa from Greek mythology. Similar to Ms. Bellum, Sedusa remains completely dropped from the reboot also due to female modifications.[1]

The Rowdyruff Boys
The Rowdyruff Boys are the male counterparts of the Powerpuff Girls created by Mojo Jojo using a mixture of "snips, snails, and a puppy dog tail" in the Townsville Prison in the episode called "The Rowdyruff Boys". His replacement for chemical X was in fact prison toilet water as Mojo Jojo believed that would have the same potency as Chemical X. The Rowdyruff Boys are essentially violent bullies who have the same powers as the Powerpuff Girls, with their own techniques as well. They were ultimately destroyed when the girls kissed them. After being resurrected by Him in the episode "The Boys Are Back in Town", the Boys' hairstyles become noticeably spikier. The Boys wear long-sleeved shirts with a black stripe in each, black trousers and black, low-top sneakers with white laces and white soles.
 * Brick (voiced by Rob Paulsen in the series: Blossom's equivalent, he is the short-tempered self-proclaimed leader of the Rowdyruff Boys. His personality is "puppy dog tail". He has an abrasive and rash attitude, which often causes conflict with his brothers. He wears a backwards red baseball cap compared to Blossom's bow. He also originally had bangs, which were replaced with long spiky hair down his back when he was revived.
 * Boomer (also voiced by Paulsen in the series): Bubbles' equivalent, he is a loud-mouthed dimwit, as opposed to Bubbles' naive sweetness and has been known to like disgusting things. His personality is "snips" (armpit hair). After his resurrection, Boomer is implied to be the least intelligent of the boys and he is often the victim of Brick's orders or punishments. Boomer's hair parts in a curved fashion like Bubbles', but is longer and spiky on each end, in a wings haircut.
 * Butch (voiced by Roger L. Jackson in the series): Buttercup's equivalent, his personality is "snails". After his resurrection, Butch becomes more hyperactive and overly excited. Butch's hair is spiked upwards, abandoning his previous cowlick from his first appearance. He also shares Buttercup's small triangular hair parting.

Production
During Craig McCracken's first year in the character animation program of CalArts,[18] he created a series of short cartoons based on a character called "No Neck Joe".[5] In June 1991, he created a drawing of three girls on a small sheet of orange construction paper as a birthday card design for his brother.[5][19] The following year he included the three girls as the main characters of his short film ''Whoopass Stew! The Whoopass Girls in: A Sticky Situation.[20] Initially, McCracken wanted to animate four Whoopass Girls'' shorts, but only one came to be.[5] McCracken's shorts were selected to be shown at Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation in 1994.[20][21]

While working on 2 Stupid Dogs in 1992, McCracken's Whoopass Girls short was picked up for a series by Cartoon Network. However, the name Whoopass had to be dropped for the channel to include it as part of its new What a Cartoon!animated shorts showcase. McCracken explained it was because many executives at Cartoon Network didn't think that anyone would make toys for kids with the word "ass" in it. So the title was changed and became The Powerpuff Girls and the name Whoopass was also changed to Powerpuff by Craig McCracken, and the "can of whoop ass" was renamed "Chemical X".[5]McCracken's new short, entitled "The Powerpuff Girls in: Meat Fuzzy Lumpkins", aired as part the network's World Premiere Toon-In on February 20, 1995.[22] The short was not as popular as Dexter's Laboratory, a project McCracken and former classmate Genndy Tartakovsky (who also directed many episodes of Powerpuff Girls) worked on together; being the most popular of the shorts, Dexter's Laboratory was the first to be greenlit by the network.[5][23] Cartoon Network executive Mike Lazzo (who later serve as the executive producer for Williams Street in the fifth season of Samurai Jack) allowed McCracken to produce a new Powerpuff Girls short titled "Crime 101", which aired on What a Cartoon! in early 1996. Announcer Ernie Anderson, the narrator of the pilot episodes, died of cancer in 1997, and he was replaced by Tom Kenny for the remainder of the series.[24]

The Powerpuff Girls series debut on November 18, 1998, 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.[13][25] In October 2000, Cartoon Network credited the series for its Friday night prime time ratings win among cable networks.[26] 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.[13] 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."[13] Following the series' fourth season, the closing of Hanna-Barbera Productions and the death of its executive William Hanna in 2001, McCracken left it to focus on his new animated series, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, leaving Chris Savino to take his place and the production of The Powerpuff Girls was moved to Cartoon Network Studios.[5]The show's last original run episode was on March 25, 2005; in all, six seasons were made.[27] Cartoon Network had offered to give McCracken and Savino a seventh season of the series, but they believed the series had run its course.[5]

All of the original episodes were hand-drawn and produced at Rough Draft Studios in South Korea,[28] 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, & Stephen Rucker composed the opening theme of the series, and Scottish band Bisperformed the ending theme song,[29] as played during the credits. The opening theme uses a sped-up drum break sample of "Funky Drummer" performed by Clyde Stubblefield.[30]

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 Powerpuff Girls special to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary.[31] The 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. Unlike previous episodes in the series, the anniversary special was animated using Adobe Flash at Cartoon Network Studios.[32] In March 2012, the series returned to Cartoon Network in reruns on the revived block, Cartoon Planet.[33]

2014 special
On January 28, 2013, a new CGI special titled Powerpuff Girls: Dance Pantsedwas announced to premiere that year, though it was later delayed to January 20, 2014.[34] The 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.[35] 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.[36] This Powerpuff Girls special marked the first time that series creator Craig McCracken had no input.[37] 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 with his kidnapping plan. Not deterred he then goes on to invent an evil video game called "Dance Pants R-EVILution" to take over Townsville.[38] 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.[39]GON (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.[40] 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."[41]

Anime and manga
Main article: Powerpuff Girls Z

In April 2005, plans for a Japanese anime version, ''Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z'', were announced.[42] The series premiered in Japan the following year with 52 half-hour episodes, airing each Saturday from July 1 to December 23, 2006, and from January 6 to June 30, 2007. The series deviated from its American predecessor in terms of style, storyline, and characterization, but only minimally retained the essential themes that made the original a success.[43] The characters feature three junior high school students Momoko Akatsutsumi (Hyper Blossom), Miyako Gotokuji (Rolling Bubbles), and Kaoru Matsubara (Powered Buttercup) as the three heroes.[44] A manga adaptation, illustrated by Shiho Komiyuno, was serialized in Shueisha's Ribon magazine between June 2006 and July 2007.[45]

Film
Main article: The Powerpuff Girls Movie

The Powerpuff Girls Movie was released in the United States on July 3, 2002, by Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network.[46] The movie, a prequel to the series, tells the story of how the Powerpuff Girls were created, and how Mojo Jojo (voiced by: Roger L. Jackson) became a supervillain. After Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup were created by Professor Utonium to help the city against crime, they end up only causing chaos in Townsville. Down about how everyone refers to them as freaks, they turn to Mojo Jojo, a monkey who says he is there to help make people like them again. Unknown to the girls, Mojo Jojo was Professor Utonium's lab chimp helper who was mutated as a cause from the Powerpuff Girls being made and has become super smart as a result and jealous of them. Mojo Jojo ends up tricking the girls into helping him make a machine to mutate other chimps. Seeing what they have done the kids run away in shame but come back after seeing Professor Utonium in trouble, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup end up beating Mojo Jojo and his army of mutated smart chimps and saving the day, thus becoming Townsville's new defenders.[47] The movie received a rating of 63% at Rotten Tomatoes, and received some criticism for the violence involved.[48][49] In all, the movie grossed $16 million worldwide with an $11 million budget.[50]

Music
Main article: List of The Powerpuff Girls soundtracks

Three CD soundtracks were officially released for the series. The first, entitled 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.[51] The first album did well, topping the Billboard 's children's music chart for six weeks.[11] Another album entitled, The City of Soundsville, features electronica-style character themes and also did well with critics.[52][53] The third album, entitled Power Pop, features a more teen-oriented variety of pop songs. This third and final album was considered a "big disappointment" and not received as well.[54] The British girl group Sugababesalso 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.[55][a] The music video channels "Nano of the North", an episode from the fourth season of The Powerpuff Girls,[56] in which each Sugababes member portrays a Powerpuff Girl.[56]

Parodies and comics
A crossover parody of The Powerpuff Girls and 2 Broke Girls was done in Cartoon Network's TV series MAD's second season known as "2 Broke Powerpuff Girls". The parody 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.[57] The MAD episode with the parody ranked #26/30 for the week with 1.903 million viewers.[58] In February 2013, IDW Publishing announced a partnership with Cartoon Network to produce comics based on its properties and this series was one of the titles announced to be published.[59]

A fan-produced webcomic series called PowerPuff Girls Doujinshi was created in 2004 and released through Snafu Comics. The girls are shown to be a bit older, but with the same personalities as, their T.V. counterparts, and the comic includes many characters from other cartoon shows. The story has the kids now going to school in a neighboring city of Townsville known as Megaville.[60]The comic was the "Outstanding Superhero Comic" and "Outstanding Character Art" winner on the Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards in 2005.[61]

In 2010, an anime produced by Gainax, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, used an art style very similar to that of the Powerpuff Girls.

Shortly after the 2014 CGI special's release, a comic which was published by IDW Publishing was withdrawn after retailers complained that they wanted to boycott the issue. The comic, which shows the Powerpuff Girls with breasts and dressed in latex, was designed by an artist who works for Cartoon Network. The artist 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."[62]

Toys
From August 21 to October 1, 2000, Subway promoted the series with four toys in their kids' meals.[63] 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.[64] Jack in the Box released six Powerpuff Girls toys in July 2002 as a tie-in for The Powerpuff Girls Movie.[65] 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.[66]. In the United Kingdom the characters of Buttercup and Mojo Jojo were given away in Kelloggs cereal boxes as part of the Cartoon Network Wobble Heads in 2003 .[67]

Video games
Main article: List of The Powerpuff Girls video games

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.[68] The game was called "simple and boring" by GameSpot and was a failure critically.[69][70] The Powerpuff Girls: Paint the Townsville Green, another game released in November 2000, follows Buttercup as she fights crime.[71] The Powerpuff Girls: Battle HIM follows Bubbles in her fight against HIM and was released in February 2001.[72] 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. IGNgave the game a positive review while giving the PSone version a 2.0/10 bad review.[73][74] 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.[75] 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.[76][77] 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.[78]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.[79][80][81][82]

International broadcast
The original series aired in the Philippines on TV5 from 2015 to October 2016, being dubbed in Filipino. By October 2016, the original series was replaced by the 2016 reboot that aired on the same network, again dubbed in Filipino.

The original series aired in the Middle East on Cartoon Network Arabic from 2011 to 2015, MBC3 from 2006 to present and Spacetoon from 2005 to 2014 and Spacetoon English from 2005 to 2011.

Critical reception
In a 2000 Entertainment Weekly review, Marc Bernadin 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.[83]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."[84] Joly Herman of Common Sense Mediadescribes the show as a "cute, highly stylized series thrills the senses with its strange characters, funny situations, and lots of lowbrow humor". She goes 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.[85] Robert Lloyd of the LA Times said that the series might be "transgressive" based on little violence but "also cute."[86] The TV Guide chose the Powerpuff Girls as No. 13 in a list of the 50 Greatest cartoon characters of all time.[87]

IGN ranked the series 18th in its Top 25 Primetime Animated Series of All Time list in 2006.[88] Delta Express promoted the series by having a Boeing 737-200jet painted with a special livery featuring the characters Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup on its exterior.[89] The plane's inaugural flight was held at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 17, 2000.[90] In 2002 the aircraft was repainted with a different Powerpuff Girls theme to promote The Powerpuff Girls Movie.[91] 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.