"The Powerpuff Girls" (1998) 25th anniversary

[Corwin Haught]

The network has decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Powerpuff Girls TV series tomorrow (not the franchise itself, which premiered with the "Meat Fuzzy Lumkins" short 28 years ago). Here's a new Los Angeles Times interview with Craig McCracken:

When 'The Powerpuff Girls' arrived 25 years ago, a cute, crime-fighting trio took over the world

On the 25th anniversary of its premiere, creator Craig McCracken spoke about 'The Powerpuff Girls' origins and how the animated trio became a pop culture phenomenon.

www.latimes.com

In it, he expounds upon the 2016 TV series (he felt that it featured little girls who had superpowers instead of superheroes who happened to be little girls) and the failed live-action 2021 pilot (he viewed as a generic superhero program which happened to have the PPG brand). No news on the still in development revival.

A livestream of the series on YouTube has been running since the 6th, and a marathon on linear CN will occur tomorrow.

I guess this was why the series isn't on Checkered Past.

 

[[classic swim]]

This show brings out such a warm feeling. Funny, full of wonder, and forget the UPA influence; still looks amazing for a late 90s cable cartoon.

In love with the cel animation, and the switch to digital was *visually* breathtaking in its own right when it wanted to be.

I underestimated how good PPG actually was. If you weren’t paying attention and only saw the merch everywhere at the time, you’d assume it was Hello Kitty and not Whoopass Stew.

Don’t get me started on the music.




Fan or no fan, the movie flopping was criminal. Ebert was an obnoxious boob sometimes when he wasn’t a genius. Just out of principle, the film belongs in a museum.

 

[JMTV]

Oh yeah, baby! I've been a Powerpuff Girls fan ever since when I was kid. And yes, I'm a boy! A fat, almost 9 year old boy LOVES Powerpuff Girls a lot. They are my childhood heroes.

I remember loving the main trio themselves because they are so funny and relatable, and super cute. Especially Bubbles for me since I had a huge cartoon crush on her back when I was kid.

Something about this show really clicks with me so much.

Is it because the animation? YES! I love the art style. It felt like a Hanna Barbara cartoon, but did it in a way it felt like its own thing. It's fast paced, colorful, and oozing with rich, hardcore action.

Is it because the colorful cast of characters and villains? Heck yeah! The cast are SO memorable. The villains are ICONIC! There are some of the best in the show.

Is it because of soundtrack? Yay-yuh! The boppin' soundtrack rivals Steven Universe in comparison. Yeah, I'm going there! The music of the show was phenomenal. The mix of sweetness and edge blends together perfectly.

Is it because of the voice cast? You bet! The voice cast are fantastic! They worked so well together! They cannot be replaced. I cannot imagine hearing Powerpuff Girls without Tara Strong, EG Daily, and Cathy Cavadini. Including others like Tom Kenny, Tom Kane, Jennifer Hale, and many more. They are that amazing!

Is it because of EVERYTHING? HELLZ YEAH! IT'S BECAUSE OF EVERYTHIG! That's why I love the show so much, and it was considered my favorite Cartoon Cartoon of all time.

Now, with that said. Even though I love PPG, there are some moments in the franchise that can have its flubs. There are some episodes in its first few seasons that weren't really all that good. The Bunny episode, for example. I kinda like the episode when I was a kid, now, it hasn't really aged well.

Post-movie/Savino era episodes weren't....terrible, but nowhere near as good as the first few seasons. Not to mention, some of the gross out humor were very unnecessary. Seriously? Who does that?! I remember seeing some of the Savino episodes when I was a kid, and I thought it was just boring, and I don't remember a single moment from it.

The 2002 movie? Don't get me wrong, seeing the movie flopped (and not James Gunn's Scooby Doo) was massively criminal and I blamed Warner Bros and AOL for crappy marketing, but with me, I'm not too crazy about the movie. I remember seeing the 2002 movie on Cartoon Network On Demand back in 08', and.....yeah, as a kid, it made me feel uncomfortable. The depressing mood, and seeing the girls fighting each other at the moon, it just a massive turn off for me. I can't even watch it. Not even nowadays. Yeah, I get it, it was supposed to be a origin story of the girls, but it did not really sit with me. I know people raving on the whole tagging scene, I thought it was boring and annoying AF. It just girls tagging for 15 freaking minutes, while destroying buildings unintentionally. Why? What's so special about it? I don't get it lol Yeah, not a big fan.

The PPG anime called Powerpuff Girls Z? Never saw much of it other than bits and pieces. I can’t really say how I feel about it other than that was a thing.

Dance Pantsed? I seen this special.....once back in 2014. Ehhhhhh. Not too fond of it. I mean, I do give the special credit for trying to do something different with its cel-shaded animation, but I absolutely hate the story. It is so DUMB! I don't like the fact that this special make the characters completely out of character. Especially, if it was handled by people who never did their homework. Personally, Powerpuff Girls Rule special back in 09' was much better, in my opinion.


(sighs) The 2016 reboot? If it was me when the reboot came out (when I was 16 at the time), I would rip it to sherds!!!! Now, many years later after the reboot ended, I grew older and begin to have a different perspective. The 2016 reboot was not good, but......I don't hate it as much as I used to. It's just...mediocre. Now, to be fair, I'll give the reboot SOME points that did some things made it better than the original. Doesn't mean it's good? NO! However, it's not the worst thing that came out on Cartoon Network in the 2010's. It's still bad, it's still a soulless cash grab and it completely misses the point on what made the original good, but....it's not worth getting upset about. It's just mediocre.

The 2021 CW Powerpuff, on the other hand? Oof. The less said about that, the better.

Now, with Craig McCracken came back to worked on the new PPG reboot (alongside with Foster's) at Hanna Barbara Studios Europe, hopefully, it does retain the charm of the original and give something new and fresh for today's audiences, and learn form their mistakes from their previous attempts. Now, that's my little TED Talk, if there's one lol. But, I digress.

Despite its flubs, the good always outweighs the bad. The show left a very special place in my heart. Butt-kicking girls saving the world before bedtime will always be an icon (along with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse; Happy 95 to them, too).

I wanna say, HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY TO THE POWERPUFF GIRLS!!! You girls are the greatest heroes of our generation. Cheers for another 25 years!

 

[Goldstar!]

I remember loving the main trio themselves because they are so funny and relatable, and super cute. Especially Bubbles for me since I had a huge cartoon crush on her back when I was kid.

Interesting. My favorite Powerpuff Girl has always been Buttercup because she's basically me if I were a little girl. Although I'm far geekier than Buttercup is.

 

[Nexonius]

25 (technically 31, but who's counting) years! Whoo!

My Top 10 favorite episodes:

1. Bubblevicious

2. Speed Demon

3. Meet the Beat-Alls

4. Criss Cross Crisis

5. The Rowdyruff Boys

6. Just Another Manic Mojo

7. Mommy Fearest

8. Octi Evil

9. Collect Her

10. Supper Villian


Of course, there are other amazing episodes throughout the near entirety of the show like Telephonies, The Bare Facts, Twisted Sister, basically the first four seasons and a half before Savino took over.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

The 2002 movie? Don't get me wrong, seeing the movie flopped (and not James Gunn's Scooby-Doo) was massively criminal and I blamed Warner Bros and AOL for crappy marketing, but with me, I'm not too crazy about the movie.

It also didn't help that it came out a month after Spider-Man and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. WB could've moved it to a suitable date than competing with those two aforementioned films but nope.

 

[JMTV]

It also didn't help that it came out a month after Spider-Man and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. WB could've moved it to a suitable date than competing with those two aforementioned films but nope.

Oh yeah. That did not help it whatsoever. It almost like if WB didn't have any faith in it.

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

(I can’t believe I haven’t posted in this thread yet)
I was never a gigantic PPG fan, but I did watch it quite a bit in the early 2000’s when I watched CN religiously. I loved Criss Cross Crisis and Meet the Beat-alls. I haven’t seen the movie in years but I want to see it again got some reason.

 

[Vuxovich]

Oh yeah, baby! I've been a Powerpuff Girls fan ever since when I was kid. And yes, I'm a boy! A fat, almost 9 year old boy LOVES Powerpuff Girls a lot. They are my childhood heroes.

I remember loving the main trio themselves because they are so funny and relatable, and super cute. Especially Bubbles for me since I had a huge cartoon crush on her back when I was kid.

Something about this show really clicks with me so much.

Is it because the animation? YES! I love the art style. It felt like a Hanna Barbara cartoon, but did it in a way it felt like its own thing. It's fast paced, colorful, and oozing with rich, hardcore action.

Is it because the colorful cast of characters and villains? Heck yeah! The cast are SO memorable. The villains are ICONIC! There are some of the best in the show.

Is it because of soundtrack? Yay-yuh! The boppin' soundtrack rivals Steven Universe in comparison. Yeah, I'm going there! The music of the show was phenomenal. The mix of sweetness and edge blends together perfectly.

Is it because of the voice cast? You bet! The voice cast are fantastic! They worked so well together! They cannot be replaced. I cannot imagine hearing Powerpuff Girls without Tara Strong, EG Daily, and Cathy Cavadini. Including others like Tom Kenny, Tom Kane, Jennifer Hale, and many more. They are that amazing!

Is it because of EVERYTHING? HELLZ YEAH! IT'S BECAUSE OF EVERYTHIG! That's why I love the show so much, and it was considered my favorite Cartoon Cartoon of all time.

Now, with that said. Even though I love PPG, there are some moments in the franchise that can have its flubs. There are some episodes in its first few seasons that weren't really all that good. The Bunny episode, for example. I kinda like the episode when I was a kid, now, it hasn't really aged well.

Post-movie/Savino era episodes weren't....terrible, but nowhere near as good as the first few seasons. Not to mention, some of the gross out humor were very unnecessary. Seriously? Who does that?! I remember seeing some of the Savino episodes when I was a kid, and I thought it was just boring, and I don't remember a single moment from it.

The 2002 movie? Don't get me wrong, seeing the movie flopped (and not James Gunn's Scooby Doo) was massively criminal and I blamed Warner Bros and AOL for crappy marketing, but with me, I'm not too crazy about the movie. I remember seeing the 2002 movie on Cartoon Network On Demand back in 08', and.....yeah, as a kid, it made me feel uncomfortable. The depressing mood, and seeing the girls fighting each other at the moon, it just a massive turn off for me. I can't even watch it. Not even nowadays. Yeah, I get it, it was supposed to be a origin story of the girls, but it did not really sit with me. I know people raving on the whole tagging scene, I thought it was boring and annoying AF. It just girls tagging for 15 freaking minutes, while destroying buildings unintentionally. Why? What's so special about it? I don't get it lol Yeah, not a big fan.

Dance Pantsed? I seen this special.....once back in 2014. Ehhhhhh. Not too fond of it. I mean, I do give the special credit for trying to do something different with its cel-shaded animation, but I absolutely hate the story. It is so DUMB! I don't like the fact that this special make the characters completely out of character. Especially, if it was handled by people who never did their homework. Personally, Powerpuff Girls Rule special back in 09' was much better, in my opinion.


(sighs) The 2016 reboot? If it was me when the reboot came out (when I was 16 at the time), I would rip it to sherds!!!! Now, many years later after the reboot ended, I grew older and begin to have a different perspective. The 2016 reboot was not good, but......I don't hate it as much as I used to. It's just...mediocre. Now, to be fair, I'll give the reboot SOME points that did some things made it better than the original. Doesn't mean it's good? NO! However, it's not the worst thing that came out on Cartoon Network in the 2010's. It's still bad, it's still a soulless cash grab and it completely misses the point on what made the original good, but....it's not worth getting upset about. It's just mediocre.

The 2021 CW Powerpuff, on the other hand? Oof. The less said about that, the better.

Now, with Craig McCracken came back to worked on the new PPG reboot (alongside with Foster's) at Hanna Barbara Studios Europe, hopefully, it does retain the charm of the original and give something new and fresh for today's audiences, and learn form their mistakes from their previous attempts. Now, that's my little TED Talk, if there's one lol. But, I digress.

Despite its flubs, the good always outweighs the bad. The show left a very special place in my heart. Butt-kicking girls saving the world before bedtime will always be an icon (along with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse; Happy 95 to them, too).

I wanna say, HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY TO THE POWERPUFF GIRLS!!! You girls are the greatest heroes of our generation. Cheers for another 25 years!

You forgot the certain Powerpuff Girls anime. On the other hand, I have watched the entire PPG anime, as well as the entire original 1998 series. I can't wait for the upcoming reboot.

 

[JMTV]

You forgot the certain Powerpuff Girls anime. On the other hand, I have watched the entire PPG anime, as well as the entire original 1998 series. I can't wait for the upcoming reboot.

Oh okay. I never saw much of Powerpuff Girls Z, so I can’t really say.

 

[Vuxovich]

I have just discovered in my head that the most likely reason why Powerpuff Girls Z never aired in the United States was because of The Powerpuff Girls Rule! special. As far as the United States is concerned, you can't have two PPG projects running at the same time. What do you think?

 

[JMTV]

I have just discovered in my head that the most likely reason why Powerpuff Girls Z never aired in the United States was because of The Powerpuff Girls Rule! special. As far as the United States is concerned, you can't have two PPG projects running at the same time. What do you think?

Wrong! What does PPG Rule have anything to do PPG Z not airing in the US? That is so irrelevant and it's not even worth mentioning. As @Goldstar! said to you about Tom and Jerry in the other thread. Powerpuff Girls Rule has NOTHING to do with Powerpuff Girls Z not airing in the US. NOTHING! ZERO! ZILCH!

I don't know what "sources" that you had, but whoever told you that is wrong.

 

[Fone Bone]

Wrong! What does PPG Rule have anything to do PPG Z not airing in the US? That is so irrelevant and it's not even worth mentioning. As @Goldstar! said to you about Tom and Jerry in the other thread. Powerpuff Girls Rule has NOTHING to do with Powerpuff Girls Z not airing in the US. NOTHING! ZERO! ZILCH!

I don't know what "sources" that you had, but whoever told you that is wrong.

You know what? I don't think anyone told him that. I think he made it up wholesale.

 

[Vuxovich]

I don't know what "sources" that you had, but whoever told you that is wrong.

You know what? I don't think anyone told him that. I think he made it up wholesale.

Apologies to everyone. On the other side, I celebrated 25th anniversary of the PPG franchise watching the original 1998 show, as well as the PPG anime. You?