Posted By Leo Reyna on January 27, 2014

Source: IDW Publishing

Artist Mimi Yoon took to Facebook this weekend to address the controversy surrounding her withdrawn variant cover for The Powerpuff Girls #6, which was deemed “too sexy” for its intended younger audience.

The controversy began last week when Dennis Barger Jr., owner of Wonderworld Comics in Detroit, criticized Yoon’s cover for “sexualizing pre-teen girls like perverted writing fan fiction writers on the internet.”

Shortly after Barger’s comments and others spread online, Cartoon Network, who “mandated” the cover with the artist of their choosing, pulled it before its release to retailers. Dirk Wood, IDW’s vice president of marketing, rationalized Cartoon Network’s original intent of the cover, saying they viewed it as a form of female empowerment than sexual exploitation. When contacted by ICv2 about pulling the variant cover, Cartoon Network’s licensing division said “We recognize some fans’ reaction to the cover and, as such, will no longer be releasing it at comic book shops.”

Yoon previously alluded to the controversy regarding her aged depiction of the Powerpuff Girls dressed in latex outfits last Thursday, but made her opinion well known on Friday.

i’ve been keeping quiet because of my respect for the other parties involved, but i feel it’s about time i say something.

DO KNOW THAT I AM DAMM PROUD OF THIS WORK OF MINE.
my objective was to illustrate modern, pop cultured, SASSY (not sexy), and humanized Powerpuff Girls who have just beaten the crime lord and have him on the ground. yes, the girls are wearing latex costumes… SO?!?!?! don’t all superpowered heroes wear latex?

unfortunately, the comic book will never make it to the stores… yes, i’m truely disappointed… because a perverted mind decided to see in this image what his dirty mind has conjured up, and barked loud enough. worse, he brought up kids and used protecting kids and kids’ perspective in his reasoning/excuse. does he think kids are dumber than him?

She continued on Saturday, attacking Barger more directly and linking to photos of him posed with strippers.

i am quite overwhelmed but will try to reply all of the supportive messages as soon as i can. and i will continue to create art embracing the beauty of women and femininity. i find all of the accusations for my Powerpuff Girls image sexualizing minors not only ridiculous but also embarrassing (for the accusers) and disturbing especially since it’s started by a person of such value as seen in the pictures below.
a person argued that i’ve gained popularity from the situation, but I’VE NEVER ASKED FOR ANY OF THIS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS MANNER. and i’m curious to know why are all the arguments about trying to keep the image away from the girls? what about the boys?

by the way, it’s too late now…. the image has spread wider now than it would ever have as a comic book cover in stores.
computer savvy children are seeing it and will see it for a long long time easily too on their computer monitors, even the ones who would never have if this nonsense has not started by that one perverted mind who conjured up the nonsense in his dirty mind. how is he going to stop the kids from seeing the image on the internet now?

Fans of Yoon’s artwork will be happy to hear IDW are already planning another cover for her, as  IDW Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall tweeted it’s “Going to be a fun one.”

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Categories: Comics
Tags: Cartoon Network, IDW, Mimi Yoon, Powerpuff Girls