The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network. The series began as a student film called Whoopass Stew, made by McCracken while he attended the California Institute of the Arts in 1992. Two additional shorts, "Meat Fuzzy Lumpkins" and "Crime 101", later aired on Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons. The series officially premiered on November 18, 1998, lasting 6 seasons with 78 episodes total. A feature film, a Christmas special, and a 10th anniversary special were produced for the series. Episodes of The Powerpuff Girls have seen numerous VHS and DVD releases as well. The musical episode "See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey" was never aired in the United States, but was broadcast on YTV in Canada in 2004–2005 as well as in other countries (including Japan), and is included on the complete series DVD box set.

Series overview

Episodes

Whoopass Stew

Craig McCracken made a short titled "Whoopass Stew! The Whoopass Girls in: A Sticky Situation" as a student at the California Institute of the Arts. Four shorts were intended, though only the first one was finished. The other three were presented on the Complete Series DVD set accompanied by the original storyboards and their original audio. McCracken submitted "A Sticky Situation" to Cartoon Network, and some time later the name "Whoopass Stew!" was changed to "The Powerpuff Girls".

What a Cartoon! shorts

Both shorts are written and directed by Craig McCracken, with Genndy Tartakovsky as animation director, Paul Rudish as art director and Mike Moon as layout designer.

Season 1 (1998–99)

Series creator Craig McCracken directs every episode alongside co-directors. Craig Kellman serves as art director of each episode.

Season 2 (1999–2000)

Craig McCracken directs every episode alongside co-directors.

Season 3 (2000–01)

As with previous seasons, Craig McCracken directs every episode with different co-directors. Don Shank serves as art director of every episode, with Craig Kellman co-directing the art in "Monkey See, Doggy Two".

Season 4 (2001–02)

For the final time, Craig McCracken directs every episode of the season. Don Shank serves as art director for the final time.

Season 5 (2002–04)

For the remainder of the series, Paul Stec serves as art director, although he is uncredited for the first two episodes of the season.

Season 6 (2004–05)

Specials

Christmas special (2003)

10th anniversary special (2009)

A special 22-minute episode titled "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!" was produced to celebrate the series' 10th anniversary. The episode aired on January 19, 2009, and is included as a bonus feature on the 10th anniversary DVD box set.

CGI special (2014)

On January 28, 2013, it was announced that a new CGI special titled "Dance Pantsed" starring the girls would premiere late 2013. By the end of the year however, it was announced that the special would air on January 20, 2014. Craig McCracken did not participate in the production and has had no say regarding the special.

Home media

The following is a list of VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray releases for The Powerpuff Girls. Season one was first released in 2007 on Region 1 (US) and Region 4 (Australia); no other seasons were released separately in the United States, though seasons 2 and 3 were released in Australia. To mark the 10th anniversary of the show in 2009, the complete series DVD box set containing all the seasons, the Christmas TV movie, and "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!" special was released in the US; in 2015, the complete series was released on DVD in Australia.

VHS

At least eight different VHS tapes were released before the format gradually switched to DVD & Blu-ray. Some of the releases mentioned below were subsequently re-released on DVD, the VHS format came to an end in 2003 for the series.

DVD

Complete collections