25 years of "The Powerpuff Girls", franchise continues to thrive

A quarter of a century ago, on November 18, 1998, Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls made their television premiere with Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. The animated series, which was created by Craig McCracken, recounted the story of how a professor's attempt to create the "perfect little girl" went wrong when Chemical X was inadvertently added, transforming three kindergarten-aged girls into superpowered crimefighters.

These days, the only ways to watch The Powerpuff Girls are through reruns and streaming services; sadly, a recent live-action version was canceled after only one pilot episode. But before you can say "Fuzzy Lumpkins," Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup will be back with new tales thanks to upcoming comic books and even a TV series.

A summary of the franchise till now:


1. The series
Tara Strong, E.G. Daily, and Cathy Cavadini portrayed Bubbles, Buttercup, and Blossom in Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls, which ran for six seasons between 1998 and 2005. The three girls stood for "sugar, spice, and everything nice," respectively.

2. Movie
In 2003, a McCracken-directed movie titled "Powerpuff Girls" debuted in theaters. It told the story of the trio's origins.

3. Z
The Japanese anime adaptation of the novel, Powerpuff Girls Z by Toei Animation, was released in two volumes between 2006 and 2007 for viewers outside of Japan. Powerpuff Girls Z went after Hyper Blossom, Rolling Bubbles, and Powered Buttercup instead of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.

4. Video games
In the 2000s and 2010s, a number of Powerpuff Girls video games were released for computers, mobile devices, and game consoles.

5. Reboot
Developed by Nick Jennings and Bob Boyle, the 2016 revival of The Girls on Cartoon Network starred Amanda Leighton as Blossom, Kristen Li as Bubbles, and Natalie Palamides as Buttercup.

6. Comic books
Over the years, DC Comics and IDW Publishing have both published Powerpuff Girls comic novels.