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TV

The Powerpuff Girls

Taught Young Girls That
They Could Save the World
A look back at the revolutionary animated
series, which soon celebrates its 20th
anniversary.

BY LAUREN REARICK

NOVEMBER 16, 2018

An eternal love for cartoons, strong

characters, and being able to work
collaboratively with some of the brightest
minds in animation. These were the
ingredients chosen to create the perfect little
girls. And thus, The Powerpuff Girls were
born.

Behind the scenes of this animated classic,

there was no Professor Utonium overseeing
carefully laid out ingredients only to
accidentally add some Chemical X. In fact, as
the show’s creator Craig McCracken revealed
to Teen Vogue, it really all started with a
dream of pursuing animation in college. And
nearly 20 years later as the revolutionary
series celebrates its 20th anniversary on
November 18, 2018, those involved with the
Cartoon Network series can hardly believe
how impactful a tale of kindergarten girls
saving the day really ended up being. The
show, which started airing in 1998, included
78 episodes and a movie, went off the air in
2005. It later returned in 2016, featuring
entirely new voices and updated animation.

Craig shared with Teen Vogue that he thought

the show would resonate with a smaller
audience and only exist for a short period of
time. He knew that the cartoon would be fun
and that people would enjoy it, but never
expected for it to continue on for two
decades. "The fact that it's grown into this
thing and it's still resonating with people,
that means a lot to me," he said. "The whole
goal of making cartoons is to create that one
character that resonates with audiences for
generations. You hope that your cartoon
speaks to people, and the fact that it does,
that really means a lot to me."

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Since its inception, The Powerpuff Girls has

centered on three super-powered sisters
named Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles.
Each of the characters has a distinct
personality: Bubbles represents a sense of
wonderment and childlike curiosity, Blossom
serves as the fearless and strong-willed
leader, and Buttercup is often portrayed as
brave albeit a little brash. Despite their
differences, the three have a close bond and
their perpetual love and care for one another
has always been a hallmark of the series.

Amy Keating Rogers, one of the show's

original writers, has similar feelings as Craig
about the show's legacy. She can now
acknowledge how successful the show
became during its original run, but in its first
stages, she never anticipated that it would
have such a place in pop culture. Amy credits
the Powerpuff Girls lasting influence to the
show's main characters, saying, "The fact
that it was kindergarten girls kicking butt
was fun and unusual. The music was great,
and all these elements came together to
create something really special."

AMY KEATING ROGERS, ONE OF THE SHOW'S ORIGINAL

WRITERS. | COURTESY OF CARTOON NETWORK

And both Craig and Amy pointed out that

part of what made the show so beloved was
how it broke cartoon barriers. The Powerpuff
Girls may have seemed cute and innocent at
first glance, but as viewers know, the three
heroes weren't afraid to use their strength
and powers to save the city of Townsville.
Their hometown may have seemed like a
bright, bustling metropolis, with many of its
residents moonlighting as notorious
evildoers, but the show embraced their
identities, using humor and themes that
weren't always associated with a cartoon
intended for a younger audience.

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Craig specifically pointed to Him, an

androgynous demon that came with an eerily
high-pitched voice and an enviable makeup
palette. Inspired by the Blue Meanies that
appear in the video for The Beatle's "Yellow
Submarine," Him was meant to be one of the
show's edgiest villains. The terrifying
evildoer was joined by fellow Townsville
troublemakers that included Mojo Jojo, a
pint-size monkey with a penchant for
causing trouble and Sedusa, an identity-
changing resident that used romance and
hair made of black whips to get her way.

"We always knew we were writing for the

adults who were watching the show as well,"
Amy said. "We would purposefully put jokes
in there for them. There was a balance of
stuff that kids would get and then stuff that
the parents walking by would get. We were
very aware of why that could be so
appealing."

As Elizabeth (E.G.) Daily, who voiced the

original Buttercup, explained to Teen Vogue,
the show embraced material that viewers
latched onto. "Anything that's real and that's
sold will resonate with people," she said.
"The show was all about helping the people
of Townsville and making things better.
These girls were for all the people, and that's
such a global concept that we even have to
deal with today."

E.G. DAILY (L) AND NATALIE PALAMIDES (R), THE ORIGINAL

AND CURRENT VOICES OF BUTTERCUP. | COURTESY OF
CARTOON NETWORK

Although the show might pack its message of

heroics in a cartoon that features a group of
villainous amoebas and a monkey set on
destroying the world, Natalie Palamides,
who voices the current Buttercup,
acknowledged that the show's themes are an
important one for viewers to see.
"Superheroes are often portrayed as adults or
males, and it's good for young girls to see
other young girls representing them as
strong, valiant, heroic members of the
community," she said. "It's inspiring for kids
to see strong characters that resemble
themselves."

It's hard to know what adventures or rescues

these animated heroes will get into next, but
the show's cast and crew expressed their
hope for viewers to find continued, renewed
meaning from the show. "The Powerpuff Girls
was all about these tiny little girls that are
might and fierce, doing good for the planet,"
E.G. said. "We continue to need all that, not
just from girls, but everyone. We really need
to stick together as a team to make sure our
word is filled with kindness."

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KEYWORDS POWERPUFF GIRLS

CARTOON NETWORK

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