On July 9th, two of the most iconic animation teams from a totally different corner of cartoon history clash in Thundercats/The PowerPuff Girls #1. Written by Paulina Ganucheaau and drawn by Coleman Engle, Dynamite Entertainment’s all-new limited series is some nostalgic throwbacks, some playful rethinks, and all the hearts.
The story begins when Mojo JoJo locks up flowers, bubbles and buttercups in a crashed runaway rocket on Third Earth, the home of a thunderstorm. Their power? It’s gone. Their sass? Completely unharmed. Stranded in a strange world and forced to resort to borrowed weapons and new allies (surprisingly pivotal prowls), the Powerpuff girl must band together with the Lion-O and her crew to face off against the evil magician Mumm-ra.
I talked to both Ganuchi and Engle about how these two beloved worlds merged together, how Snarf became the emotional glue of the story, and what happens when he takes away the power of the Powerpuff girl.
Courtesy of Dynamite.
The origins of wild crossovers
So why did this strange yet perfect crossover happen? According to Ganucheaau (who worked on the latest PowerPuff Girls Series), it was all thanks to the inspired matchmaking of editor Nate Cosby.
“It was our editor Nate’s brain! He first brought me the idea,” Ganuchi Ciado said. “I might have had a millisecond of, ‘What’s that?’ The type of reaction, but it immediately says, “Yes, do that.”
Meanwhile, Engle was equally excited to fall into a loop.
“Nate and Paulina cooked the entire concept and asked if they wanted to come with us for an adventure,” Coleman said. “I’m so grateful that it included!”
Harmonize the world
Despite the sound bay between the two characteristics, Ganucho found a unified thread on shared chaos and heartfelt foundations.
“After rewatching both comics… it was clear that there was a lot they already shared,” Ganuchi said. “Each of them exists in a universe where there is practically something that could happen… The Thundercats’ stoic campy nature plays from the strange and often cheeky powerpuff girl. Jokes write their own.”
Courtesy of Dynamite.
Drawing conflict and unity
Engle was faced with the creative challenge of roaring the graphic abstraction of a powerpuff girl with lightning abstraction. The result is a dynamic, visually arrested blend that will make both styles shine.
“The Powerpuff girls are super graphic, expressive and almost abstract,” Engle said. “The Thundercats live in more “grounded” reality, but they exist together instantly create playfulness, visual tension and fun! ”
He adds that when PPGS lands on 3rd Earth it will pop visually.
Do you have no strength? no problem.
Removing the Girls Chemistry X abilities to PowerPuff opened up space for character development and adventure style storytelling.
“This change allows them to really grow and fight in the ways they’ve never had to do with the show before,” Ganuchi said. “And also, there was no power that allowed us to give them a fun weapon!
“The weapons are a great visual gag. You can see the PowerPuff girls fighting against them, and slowly become more skilled as your confidence grows.”
Courtesy of Dynamite.
Snarf as the soul of the series?
With a fun twist, Snarf appears as the central figure in a girl’s journey. Ganucho praised his often misused cat companions, describing him as “the third earth version of the nanny’s dog.”
Ganuchi added. “He doesn’t speak English technically in our series. He says Snarhu, haha, but bubbles can understand him, of course, in her animal communication.”
Engle leaned against McCracken-style designs and thrived, making Snarf feel at home with both franchises.
“Visually, Snarf is like a link between two worlds,” Engle says. “The idea was for Snarf to have a PowerPuff girl guided to the Third Earth.
Nostalgia meets new energy
Balancing respect and reinvention was a principle of guidance for both creators.
“We do our best to stay true to their cartoon heritage,” Ganuchi said. “I really love raising the ‘heart’ of stories. So it’s definitely pulling some emotional strings for a particular character. ”
Engle states, “In the nostalgia of the property, there is an inherent love already burned into the series, and Paulina creates something very special and completely new.”
Courtesy of Dynamite.
Dream collaboration
The real-life friendship between Ganucho and Engle was created for a seamless, creative partnership.
“Coleman and I were friends for what felt like thousands of years,” Ganuchi said. “When Nate came to me on this project, I quickly learned that Coleman was my number one pick. It just feels easy!”
Engle believes that this is the best explanation of how Column views comics.
“We know what we love, our influences, our inspiration, our work habits, and more. “We’re both proud of ourselves. We’re so excited to see everyone read it!”
Courtesy Dynamite
Bonus Round: Mojo Jojo with Thundercat Weapon?
Finally, I had to ask: if Mumm-ra could give Townsville gadgets, or Mojo JoJo a relic of Thunderlian, what would follow?
“Mumm-ra… I want him to have Anubis’ head,” Ganuchi joked. “It already matches his outfit and it’s hilarious to turn every thunderstorm into a cute dog. Mojo… Give him a chunk of sandylium and he’ll run Amok.”
Meanwhile, Engle said, “Mojo Jojo doesn’t actually have anything, he’s timed out.”
