Sugar, Spice, And Everything Nice: Talking ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ With Kelly Thompson And Paulina Ganucheau

There were two things I was obsessed with growing up: Pokémon and The Powerpuff Girls. This July, The Powerpuff Girls are getting a new comic book series from Dynamite and I got to ask writer Kelly Thompson and artist Paulina Ganucheau all about it:

Rachel Bellwoar: It’s been nearly 26 years since the first episode aired and we’re still talking about the Powerpuff Girls. What do you think accounts for the series’ longevity?

Kelly Thompson: We were on a podcast together the other day and Paulina said they’re timeless – and I’m just going to 100% steal that answer. It’s perfect. They don’t feel weighted down to any particular time to me. I think some of that is the art style – which takes inspiration from a lot of different time periods – and some of it is that the Powerpuff Girls always feel relevant and relatable, but are rarely loaded down with pop culture references that date the property. The humor is… well, timeless. Sorry, Paulina! Good luck answering now! Bwaahahaha!

Paulina Ganucheau: Oh no, Kelly the answer THIEF! I mean she said it all. The all encompassing stylization of the writing and visuals sets it apart from a lot of other media. So I’ll just say it again too: TIMELESS.

Bellwoar: When did you first become aware of each other’s work, and what do you love the most about working on all-ages projects?

Thompson: Gosh. I think I was mostly seeing Paulina’s covers at first – or maybe just illustration work – but I read her in a Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends at IDW I think. It was so fun – you know that series – like Powerpuff Girls has so many crazy looking character designs – and she just nailed them all with ease.

Ganucheau: It was definitely Kelly’s stint on Jem and the Holograms that drew me in first. I was, unsurprisingly, very obsessed with that book. So I’ve pretty much been a huge Kelly Thompson fan from the start. I think being able to do all-ages properties really showcases the skill of the creatives working on it. You have to make it digestible for everyone while still making it interesting and engaging. Which Kelly nails with effortless ease.

Bellwoar: I believe the last time The Powerpuff Girls appeared in comics was IDW’s ‘Time Tie’ arc, where each issue skewed more towards one of the girls. Will this run follow a similar format or will the sisters be sticking together for the most part?

Thompson: It’s funny you ask this, because the first issue is very much about that very thing. With a villain character basically trying to separate the girls and create distance between them, KNOWING that a lot of their strength comes from their powerful bonds with one another. So I think it’s something we’ll be playing with quite directly if more in a “one-and-done” sort of way.

Ganucheau: I’ve always loved how different, but the same The Powerpuff Girls were always portrayed. The show does such a good job of unifying them and setting them apart. Focusing on that very thing in the very first issue is a good reminder that despite them all being cut from the same cloth (or same bowl of sugar, spice, and everything nice I suppose), they’re each so unique and different!

Bellwoar: Given that the Powerpuff Girls have such an established look, was there much wiggle room to play around with their appearance or attire?

Thompson: I’m not terribly interested in making any permanent visual changes to the girls – they’re so perfectly designed – why would you even try? But what I AM interested in, is seeing the girls through new styles or lenses or in different environments. So we’ll for sure be playing with that.

Ganucheau: Yeah, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I would never want to take part in the herculean task of redesigning them. I adore them as is. But agreed, I think seeing iconic characters through the guise of different artists’ eyes is always the best part of working on any IP.

Bellwoar: Over the course of writing and drawing this series so far, is there anything the IP owners have said you can’t do?

Thompson: Not so far! And the pitch approval was a breeze, which is always a delight and starts the project off with tons of positivity and optimism… in my experience.

Ganucheau: We’re having a lot of fun!

Bellwoar: In your Livestream with Amy Ranniello for Dynamite’s YouTube page you revealed that Him is going to be in the first issue. What made you go with Him?

Thompson: Him is one of the most interesting Powerpuff Girls villains to me because while I find him quite funny (like most the PPG villains) he’s one of the only legitimately scary ones (to an adult). And that’s of course fun to play with – the contrast between funny and terrifying is rich stuff to mine. His motives are strange, that laugh is creepy as hell. A lot of awesome contrasts.

Ganucheau: Him is probably my favorite villain so I may have cheered when I got the script. My hope is that you’ll read all of his dialogue in the voice he has in the show. Cause I sure do.

Bellwoar: Going into this arc, are there any episodes you’d recommend fans rewatch or that helped inform your take on the characters?

Thompson: I definitely do recommend people – old fans or those that have never tried it – to watch some Powerpuff Girls as it’s basically pure comedy joy injected into your veins. And the creativity is wild. Truly. For our stories I was basically inspired by EVERYTHING. It’s all so good and smart. My biggest concern as a creator is that the show is so creative and the girls have done nearly everything and been everywhere, that genuinely new scenarios are a bit hard to find.

Ganucheau: Yeah just go ingest the show. For your soul. It’s so great.

Bellwoar: As someone who still hasn’t had the heart to get rid of the mobile they made from a Powerpuff Girls coloring book as a kid, I know how good the merch has been over the years. Do you have a favorite piece of Powerpuff Girls-themed memorabilia in your collection or have you resisted so far?

Thompson: I’ve had quite a bit over the years – though I’m older than Paulina so I’m sure she’s going to destroy me here. My two favorite things I had were a small Bubbles figure – that I THOUGHT I got on a novelty cake – but it’s really nice and cool and pretty high quality so I think it actually might be real merch? I also have the greatest Bubbles keychain ever… which I do not use because I don’t want it to get dirty. [laughs]

Ganucheau: My all time favorite piece of merch is the CD they released in the year 2000, The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes and Villains. I still listen to this and have had it on loop again since getting this gig. Genuinely go listen to it on youtube if you’re a PPG fan. As far as specific toys, oh jeez, it’s been so long. I know we had most of the vinyl plastic toy figures of them, especially the bigger sized ones. Then I think we had the plushes also. I loved those. We lost all of it to a hurricane years and years ago though. Otherwise I would definitely still have them. So it’s a shame to admit I don’t have any merch as an adult! Working on this comic now, hmm… I might need to fix that.

Bellwoar: Who do you think is the most unsung Townsville citizen and which Powerpuff Girl’s voice and aesthetic do you enjoy channeling the most?

Thompson: Well, it’s clearly Sara Bellum. She’s the best. She’s maybe not “unsung” but we can always use more of her. Bubbles is my favorite and is maybe aspirational for me (I’m not like Bubbles but I’d like to be?), but Buttercup is probably the most like me and so comes the most naturally to write.

Ganucheau: If the answer isn’t Sara Bellum, because she is truly the best, then it’s clearly Talking Dog. Iconic king. The best. I will be drawing him in this issue. You can count on that. As far as the girls, I really love them all, but I’m finding the most joy in drawing Buttercup! I love her attitude and expressions. Along the same lines as what Kelly said, she is the opposite of me (I’m more of a blossom/bubbles hybrid) so I think that’s why I feel so drawn to her!

Bellwoar: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Kelly and Paulina!

The Powerpuff Girls #1 goes on sale July 17th from Dynamite Comics.