Mark McDermott
283 Fir St., Park Forest, IL 60466

Markm    @    MarkMcDermott    .    com


"Ren & Stimpy Show, The" (1991-1994), was an animated show on Nickelodeon that
energized parents to get worried over cartoons again. The adventures of Ren
Hoek, the asthma-hound chihuahua, and his dopey pal Stimpson J. Cat, indulged
kids' anal and oral compulsions with gags about bodily functions and odors,
gross-out jokes and plain foolishness. It attracted a huge cult of adult fans,
until battles with Nickelodeon censors resulted in John Kricfalusi's being
forced off his own creation.

     Canadian native Kricfalusi (1956- ) apprenticed on Saturday morning shows
through the 1970s before teaming with Ralph Bakshi to design the Rolling Stones'
animated "Harlem Shuffle" video. "John K." became a director for Bakshi's 1987
series "Mighty Mouse: the New Adventures," then helmed the ill-fated 1988
revival of "Beany & Cecil." Nickelodeon purchased his "Ren & Stimpy" for the
cable network's new Sunday morning animation bloc.

     "The Ren & Stimpy Show," like many cartoon teams, owed much to George and
Lenny from Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." Ren, voiced by Kricfalusi, was the
little schemer, prone to histrionic outbursts combining Kirk Douglas with Peter
Lorre ("You eediot! You bloated sack of protoplasm!"). Stimpy (Billy West),
suggested the Three Stooges' Larry Fine, and liked nothing better than squatting
in his litter box and "hwarfing" up hairballs.

     The show immediately found devoted viewers, aided by occasional showings on
Nickelodeon's parent, MTV. Its cultural contributions include Log from Blammo
("It's big! It's heavy! It's wood!"), Yak Shaving Day, and Powdered Toast Man.
The "Happy Happy Joy Joy Song" got plenty of airplay on the Dr. Demento show and
other pop radio stations. The pair even made cameos on "The Simpsons."

     The show was plagued by production delays. Nickelodeon, which had
successfully marketed Slime from its game show "Double Dare," found similar
bodily emissions unsuitable in "Ren & Stimpy." Censor-driven delays resulted in
only half the planned first season episodes making it on the air. The Christmas
special "Stimpy's First Fart" aired only on MTV, retitled "Son of Stimpy." The
episode "Man's Best Friend" was banned completely: Nickelodeon had fretted over
its Archie Bunker-type protagonist George Liquor, thinking his name to be a
double entendre. Finally, Nickelodeon fired John K. in September, 1992.
Production was turned over to an in-house studio formed by some of Kricfalusi's
staff, but the show only lasted three seasons.

Bibliography:

Gore, Christian. "Celling out." Film Threat Dec. 1992: 22-39. 

Meisler, Andy. "Television: While Team 2 Works to Reform Ren and Stimpy." New
     York Times 21 Nov. 1993: 2,36

Persons, Dan. "Ren & Stimpy Revolution: Nickelodeon's In-House Games Productions
     Pledges to Continue Shaking up Animation." Cinefantastique Feb. 1994: 15.

--.  "Spumco's Ren & Stimpy Revolution: Cartoon Creator John Kricfalusi Tried to
     Redeem an Art Form Long Corrupted." Cinefantastique June 1993: 24-56. 

                                                                  Mark McDermott

from: The Guide to United States Popular Culture, Ray B. Brown & Pat Browne,
editors. Copyright 2001 Bowling Green State University Popular Press. p.675-676