On July 9, two of the most iconic animated teams from totally different corners of cartoon history will collide in ThunderCats/The Powerpuff Girls #1. Written by Paulina Ganucheau and illustrated by Coleman Engle, the an all-new limited series from Dynamite Entertainment is part nostalgic throwback, part playful reimagining — and all heart.
The story kicks off when Mojo Jojo traps Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup in a runaway rocket that crash-lands on Third Earth — the home of the ThunderCats. Their powers? Gone. Their sass? Totally intact. Stranded in a strange world and forced to rely on borrowed weapons and new allies (like a surprisingly pivotal Snarf), the Powerpuff Girls must band together with Lion-O and crew to face off against the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra.
I spoke with both Ganucheau and Engle about blending these two beloved worlds, how Snarf became the emotional glue of the story, and what happens when you take away the Powerpuff Girls’ powers — and hand them swords instead.
Courtesy of Dynamite.
The Genesis of a Wild Crossover
So how did this oddball yet perfect crossover even happen? According to Ganucheau (who worked on the most recent Powerpuff Girls series), it was all thanks to editor Nate Cosby’s inspired matchmaking.
“It was our editor Nate’s brain child! He brought me the idea initially,” Ganucheau siad. “I may have had a millisecond of a ‘Whoa what?!’ type of reaction, but that was quickly overshadowed by, ‘Yes, please. Yes, let me do this.’”
Meanwhile, Engle was equally thrilled to be looped in.
“Nate and Paulina cooked up the whole concept, and asked me if I wanted to come along for the adventure,” Coleman said. “Very thankful to be included!”
Writing the Worlds into Harmony
Despite the tonal gulf between the two properties, Ganucheau found a unifying thread in their shared chaos and heartfelt foundations.
“After rewatching both cartoons… it was clear there was so much they already shared,” Ganucheau said. “Each exist in a universe where practically anything can happen…The stoic campy qualities of the Thundercats play off of the quippy and often sassy Powerpuff Girls so well. The jokes write themselves.”
Courtesy of Dynamite.
Drawing Clash and Cohesion
For his part, Engle faced the creative challenge of uniting the graphic abstraction of The Powerpuff Girls with the more grounded fantasy of ThunderCats. The result is a dynamic, visually arresting blend that lets both styles shine.
“Powerpuff Girls are hyper-graphic, expressive, almost abstract,” Engle said. ‘While the Thundercats inhabit a more ‘grounded’ reality… them existing together instantly creates playfulness, visual tension, and fun!”
He adds that when the PPGs land on Third Earth, they pop visually — adding that they’re “weird little beacons on the page.”
No Powers? No Problem.
Stripping the Powerpuff Girls of their Chemical X abilities opened up space for character development and adventure-style storytelling.
“This change really allows them to grow and struggle in ways they never had to in the show before,” Ganucheau said. “No powers also allowed us to give them fun weapons! [It] really ups the adventure vibes of the whole series.”
Added Engle, “The weapons are a great visual gag. You get to see the Powerpuff Girls struggle with them, then slowly become more proficient as their confidence grows.”
Courtesy of Dynamite.
Snarf as the Soul of the Series?
In a delightful twist, Snarf emerges as a central figure in the girls’ journey. Ganucheau praised the often-maligned feline companion, describing him as a “Third Earth version of a nanny dog.”
Added Ganucheau, “He technically doesn’t speak English in our series. He just says Snarf, haha, but… Bubbles, with her animal communication, can, of course, understand him.”
Engle leaned into McCracken-style design flourishes to make Snarf feel at home in both franchises.
“Visually, Snarf is kind of like the link between the two worlds,” Engle said. “The idea was to have Snarf usher the Powerpuff Girls onto Third Earth while still looking like he could potentially exist in both properties.”
Nostalgia Meets New Energy
Balancing reverence and reinvention was a guiding principle for both creators.
“We’re really doing our best to stay true to their cartoon heritages,” Ganucheau said. “I really love to up the ‘heart’ of a story. So I definitely pull on some emotional strings for certain characters.”
Engle agreed, adding, “With the nostalgia of the properties, there’s an inherent love already baked into the series, and Paulina creates something very special and completely new.”
Courtesy of Dynamite.
A Dream Collaboration
Ganucheau and Engle’s real-life friendship made for a seamless creative partnership.
“Coleman and I have been friends for what feels like a millennia,” Ganucheau said. “When Nate came to me with this project I instantly knew that Coleman was my No. 1 pick. It just feels easy!”
Engle thinks that cohesion is best described in how they view comics.
“We know what one another likes, our influences, inspirations, work habits… and thankfully they all align very well,” Engle said. “We’re both proud. I’m so excited for everyone to read it!”
Courtesy Dynamite
Bonus Round: Mojo Jojo with a ThunderCat Weapon?
Finally, I had to ask: If you could give Mumm-Ra a Townsville gadget, or Mojo Jojo a Thunderian relic, what chaos would ensue?
“Mumm-Ra… I’d want him to have the Anubis Head,” Ganucheau said with a joke. “It already matches his outfit and it would be hilarious to turn all the Thundercats into cute little dogs. Mojo… give him a chunk of Thundrillium and he’d be running amok.”
Engle, meanwhile, noted that “Mojo Jojo actually can’t have anything, he’s in time-out.”
ThunderCats/The Powerpuff Girls #1 is due out July 9. (FOC is Monday, June 16.)
You must be logged in to post a comment.