The Powerpuff Girls was a cartoon originally shown by the children’s channel Cartoon Network between 1998 and 2005. Celebrated as a pop culture icon, it has won short films, a Christmas special, a movie, an anime, comics and video games. .
Until nowadays, is one of the most outstanding and award-winning animations on contemporary TV – a very important fact because it is a drawing for children and pre-teens.
Thinking about it, how about knowing some curiosities about this production that marked an era? Check out!
1. Artistic conception was inspired by the work of Margaret Keane
(Source: Retro Universe/Reproduction)Source: Retro Universe
When Craig McCracken was studying animation production, he looked for a lot of references. While sketching, McCracken came into contact with the paintings of American Margaret Keane.
The artist is recognized for her paintings of women, children and animals with big eyes – her story was told in a film by Tim Burton, Big eyes. It was enough to decide to use the technique of the huge eyes in their characters.
2. Animation was the result of academic work
(Source: IMDb/Reproduction)Source: IMDB
In his sophomore year of Fine Arts at CalArts, Craig McCracken created a short film for a course. Whoopass Stew! told the story of a trio of child superheroes called the Whoopass Girls.
Aired at small festivals, it was selected by Cartoon Network for the show Incredible Drawings – The Show. The show featured short animated shorts, which later became drawings of sugarcanel. The Powerpuff Girls it’s such a case!
3. Characters with different names
(Source: IMDb/Reproduction)Source: IMDB
There is no lack of cases of programs, series and animations whose characters are known in the same way, regardless of the country in which they are being shown. it was not the case The Powerpuff Girls.
In Brazil, the trio is known as Docinho, Lindinha and Florzinha. In the United States, Blossom, Bubbles and Butch. In Spanish-speaking countries, Chocolate, Bubble and Acorn. In Italy, girls are called Lolly, Dolly and Molly.
4. Crazy Monkey was inspired by Japanese sci-fi
(Source: IMDb/Reproduction)Source: IMDB
Spectreman was a Japanese science fiction series aired in the 1970s. At the end of that decade, its episodes reached the United States.
Craig McCracken decided to pay tribute to the production by composing the great antagonist of The Powerpuff Girlsthe Crazy Monkey, with a look very similar to that of Dr. Gori, Japanese series villain.
5. Cartoon Network censored religious reference
(Source: IMDb/Reproduction)Source: IMDB
One of the villains that the trio of superheroes face in the episodes, He was not baptized this way by the creator of the animation.
In the first episodes of the cartoon, the character was called the Devil. Everything changed when a superior determination prohibited religious references in the network’s series.
6. Drew got a reboot in 2016
(Source: Cartoon Network/Reproduction)Source: Cartoon Network
Suffering from the drop in audience and fierce competition with streaming platforms, Cartoon Network decided to bring The Powerpuff Girls back in 2016.
To do so, he summoned producer Nick Jennings – who, for years, led the animation of SpongeBob SquarePants. With new voice actors, the design tried to revive the original mystique of the production, without the same success.
Despite having fewer seasons than the original (3 versus 6), it had more episodes in total (119 versus 78). Unable to reproduce the spirit of the new season, it ended up being canceled in 2019.
7. Paul Thomas Anderson’s Father Was Original Narrator
(Source: IMDb/Reproduction)Source: IMDB
Director Paul Thomas Anderson had art in his blood. Proof of this is that his father, Ernie Anderson, was a relatively successful voice actor on TV and radio.
It was his voice that narrated the episodes that were shown in Incredible Drawings – The Show and served for Craig McCracken to be hired by Cartoon Network. Unfortunately Anderson passed away, being replaced by Tom Kenny in the original – in Brazil, Luiz Feier Motta.
8. Crazy Monkey had a famous voice actor
(Source: IMDb/Reproduction)Source: IMDB
Panic it was a very successful film in the late 1990s. Roger L. Jackson is the voice of the killer Ghostface.
McCracken decided to invite the actor and voice actor to take on the voices of Crazy Monkey in The Powerpuff Girls. Said and done, Jackson has commanded the character in every season.
9. Craig McCracken ended the original series
(Source: IMDb/Reproduction)Source: IMDB
At the end of the sixth season, Cartoon Network approached McCracken to renew the animated series for another year. The creator and producer refused, much to the amazement of the channel’s staff.
- Also check: Courage the Cowardly Dog: 8 facts you didn’t know
McCracken claimed to be involved in other projects, as well as feeling unmotivated with so many changes the design had gone through in the production team.
10. Cartoon Network’s Highest Rated Premiere
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)Source: Wikimedia Commons
Of course, the history of the network is not limited to the trio of heroines, but The Powerpuff Girls hold the title of Premiere with the highest ratings on the channel. By the way, in the early years the success was so great that it was the most watched animation.
This resulted in many merchandising products, such as cereal and even a Delta Airlines plane wrap. Amazing the strength of a cartoon, isn’t it?
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