Publisher IDW just announced that it would not go forward with a variant cover some found objectionable of ‘Powerpuff Girls’ #6 illustrated by female artist Mimi Yoon.  We previously reported that comic shop owner Dennis Barger took to Facebook to vent “Are we seriously sexualizing pre-teen girls like perverted fan fiction writers on the Internet???? Is that what this s*** has gotten to?  DISGUSTED!”  He further went to add, “taking grade school girls and sexualizing them as way older… they are wearing latex bondage wear mini dresses, which on an adult would be fine but on the effigies of children is very wrong… especially on an ALL AGES kids book marketed for children. These characters are supposed to be 6-7 years old, aren’t they?”  (Actually they’re in kindergarten so more like 5-6.)

‘The Powerpuff Girls’ comic is presumably aimed at children along with IDW’s other licensed properties such as ‘My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic’.  IDW’s VP of Marketing Dirk Wood stated that the variant cover was intended as a collectible for adult fans and that Cartoon Network itself had requested the variant and selected Mimi Yoon as the artist.  (The regular cover features artwork that emulates the normal style of the original cartoons.)  The publisher then announced that it would not publish the racy variant.

Some have defended the cover by pointing out that should the characters exist in real time, they would be in their late teens or early twenties now.  (Feel old?)

Yoon has since taken to Facebook herself to defend her illustration, stating “I find all of the accusations for my Powerpuff Girls image sexualizing minors not only ridiculous but also embarrassing for the accusers… When any girl who has interest in Powerpuff Girls (sees the controversial IDW cover) and grows up to be like the ‘ladies’ in the pictures… That would be one serious tragedy, wouldn’t it?… I’m curious to know why are all the arguments about trying to keep the image away from the girls? What about the boys?”  She then followed up by posting photographs of her accuser, Dennis Barger, at a strip club.  Zing!

The Regular Cover For ‘Powerpuff Girls’ #6

Fans have also rallied around Yoon and have posted encouraging messages to the artist.  Someone going by the nickname “Holly Golightly” posted “I’ve been defending your Beautiful Artwork from the Ridiculousness of Men (who) tell us Gals what we should be offended by or what is appropriate for us…Nutty and Silly- your work is hauntingly feminine and sly…I love it!”

Fellow comic artist Jenny Frison posted, “Just wanted to say that I thought your PPG cover was super cute and fun and sassy and totally appropriate for youngsters! Sorry some people’s negative opinions totally overshadowed how much hard work and love you put into that cover. Don’t let this make you second guess yourself. You are very talented and did a beautiful job!”

Yoon responded by posting “I promise this will no way deter me from doing what I love doing or change my views and ways, and I will always and forever passionately despise perverted, corrupted, and twisted minds and acts.”

Clearly neither party is willing to “agree to disagree.”  Is Yoon’s image inappropriate?  Or is it cheeky fun with a female empowerment message?  Yoon obviously aged the characters, so it’s not like she depicted them as five year olds in sexy clothing.  But considering that this book is aimed at a younger audience, is the Yoon variant cover too much?

Feel free to sound off below in the comments!

Source: GMA Network