Ren and Stimpy are the eponymous characters of two animated series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. Ren Höek, a neurotic "asthma-hound" chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a fat simpleton (but occasionally intelligent) cat, wander around in nonsensical adventures reminiscent of the golden age of cartoons. Kricfalusi created the characters in 1979 while working for low-budget TV cartoons after moving to the USA.
Although a product of the children's cable network Nickelodeon, The Ren & Stimpy Show had a reputation for subversiveness. In fact, the show pushed the bounds of good taste further than any cartoon had to its day: its level of gross-out humor, particularly fixated on boogers and flatulence, was exceeded only by the antics of Beavis and Butt-head or The Brothers Grunt. While sometimes seen as low-brow, the series also lampooned culture and made many viewers and studio executives uncomfortable. One episode in particular that was only made availiable on VHS implied that Ren and Stimpy might actually be lovers. Nickelodeon eventually fired Kricfalusi from his own creation and systematically censored the cartoon down to little more than a remnant of its former self. Eventually, several episodes were deemed unairable and have never been broadcast by Nickelodeon again. In July 30, 2005, NickToons, Nickelodeon's counterpart channel, started to air reruns of Ren and Stimpy.
The Relationship of Ren and Stimpy
Ren and Stimpy are the stereotypical odd couple. Ren is sarcastic, cynical, and anal retentive; he speaks somewhat like Peter Lorre with a quasi-Hispanic accent. Stimpy is dimwitted (Ren is fond of the phrase, "Stimpy, you eedeeot!"), pleasant, and clumsy. To showcase the mismatch, consider Stimpy's favorite song, "Happy Happy Joy Joy", a silly children's tune that drives Ren to convulsions when he hears it.
It is often debated as to whether Ren and Stimpy are homosexual. Kricfalusi has stated that the characters are comedians much in the same way that the Three Stooges are. In a later interview, however, Kricfalusi stated in no uncertain terms that they were homosexual, almost as if by default, because both Ren and Stimpy lack other mates due to anal retentiveness and stupidity, as it were. They play characters that have discernable personalities of their own, yet episodes do not directly correlate to one another, and thus the characters can be homosexual at times and heterosexual at others, if it serves the comedy.
Main Characters
- Ren Höek: Ren is a chihuahua who often calls Stimpy an idiot ("eeediot", to quote the character) and slaps him around, quite literally. Ren is vain, spiteful, abusive, and gets irritated (especially by Stimpy) very easily. His lifelong ambition is to have huge pectoral muscles (which somehow, in real life, is uncommon). Ren's name is the real name of Kricfalusi's building manager. Originally read (in a voice homaging that of Peter Lorre) by Kricfalusi, later by Billy West after Kricfalusi was fired, although Kricfalusi would return for the Spike TV episodes.
- Stimpson J. Cat (Stimpy): A red, rotund cat, with a blue nose and no tail, Stimpson J. Cat is idiotically yet adorably cheerful and completely devoted to Ren, as he is, to him at least, a good friend. However, Ren abuses Stimpy constantly with both physical and verbal abuse. His trademark facial expression is a blissfully ignorant smile with tongue flopping out. Stimpy is named after an art school classmate of Kricfalusi, whose nickname was "Stimpy Kadogan" (the classmate appeared in one episode as the wrestler "Killer Kadogan"). Voiced by Billy West in the Nickelodeon series and later by Eric Bauza in the Spike TV episodes.
Supporting Characters
In addition to Ren and Stimpy, there are a host of supporting characters in the show. However, Ren and Stimpy are the only characters to appear in every episode; the supporting characters may recur, or they may only appear in a single episode. Some supporting characters will factor directly into the storyline (such as George Liquor) while others make brief cameos. Some, such as Mr. Horse, are exclusively cameo-based, appearing in many episodes in bits that have little bearing on the plot.
- George Liquor: George is an ultra-patriotic American and is so conservative that he thinks Republicans are Communists. His last name was removed from being uttered in the episodes he appeared in by Nickelodeon. Instead, the scene would pause and a record-scratching sound effect would be played instead of George speaking the word Liquor. He is voiced by Michael Pataki.
- Powdered Toast Man: Melodramatic and oblivious superhero and spokesperson for Powdered Toast, the breakfast treat that "tastes like sawdust". His alter ego (or day job) is a deacon. He can fly by launching himself from a toaster, or dispensing a healthy amount of flatulence; hence, he flies backwards. Oddly, Powdered Toast doesn't taste right unless Powdered Toast Man passes gas while it is being consumed. His favourite phrase is "Cling tenaciously to my buttocks, man!" Voiced by Gary Owens.
- Muddy Mudskipper: A mudskipper (a species of fish capable crawling out of water and breathing air directly) with the voice and personality of a grizzled vaudeville comedian who hosts an afternoon kids' show. Calls everyone he meets "a bum." Besides being a huge television star, Muddy dabbled in villainy, at one point kidnapping the Pope (voiced by Frank Zappa) before being foiled by Powdered Toast Man.
- Mr. Horse: One of the original and classic characters, with his catch phrase "No sir, I don't like it". Mr. Horse has variously been a victim of a fall from a skyscraper, a GI returning from war in love with a sheep, a dog show judge, a tester for Gritty Kitty Litter, a doctor, and someone running from a dark past.
- Mr. and Mrs. Pipe: A pair of square, white suburban parents who are seen only from the waist down, similar to many characters over the years, including Ms. Sara Bellum in The PowerPuff Girls, and Mom & Dad in Cow and Chicken. Mr. Pipe is typically clad in a bathrobe, slippers, and black socks supported by sock-suspenders. Mrs. Pipe appears to wear a dress and nondescript women's shoes.
- Abner and Ewalt: A pair of incredibly stupid hicks who are sheriff and deputy of a small Wild West town. They have a strong proclivity for hanging. They eventually hang themselves in absence of a suitable hangee.
- Svën Hoëk: Ren's Swedish cousin who Ren has not seen since they were in the whelping box together. He longs to have an intellectual conversation with his cousin, but much to Ren's chagrin, Svën is even stupider than Ren's feline pal, and Svën forms a bond of stupidity with Stimpy. Last seen in Hell.
- Wilbur Cobb: A demented, decaying old man who was once the foremost cartoon producer in the world. He speaks in malapropisms.
- Mrs. Buttloaves: An incredibly obese and homely woman dressed in a bulging pink night gown..
- Haggis McHaggis: A short, bald stereotypical Scotsman. Voiced by Alan Young.
- The Fire Chief: Has a psychotic hatred for circus midgets and a penchant for slamming his fire axe into concrete as a response to answering the door.
- The Gilded Yak: The shaven icon of Yak Shaving Day. Rides through the sky in a canoe; capable of emerging and disappearing into sink and tub drains. Although he is shaven, he is on a constant vigil against getting a five o'clock shadow.
- Dr. Stupid: A "show within a show" context pitted Stimpy as Dr. Stupid in the program "Ask Dr. Stupid". Dr. Stupid would read a letter from a loyal viewer asking questions and then activate his "patented Stuponitron helmet", which appeared to give him a stiff electrical shock to his brain. Afterwards, he would offer odd and weird advice.
- Old Man Hunger: A strange, and always naked, skinny old man with a chicken drumstick leg on his head. He can be found showing up randomly at inopportune moments for Ren and Stimpy.
- Kowalski: Serving a 32-year life sentence for crimes against humanity, Kowalski is an extremely large and burly hulk of a man with incredible strength. However he also has the mind of a 7 year old boy. In his first appearance, Kowalski is temporarily adopted by Ren as Kowalski's surrogate father. In subsequent appearances, he is mostly seen as a general multipurpose goon. Not to be confused with Bubba, Ren's Kowalski-like nephew who featured in only one Ren and Stimpy cartoon.
- Hey, It's That Guy!: "That Guy" serves as the multi-purpose loudmouth in the Ren and Stimpy show. Sometimes, he is a salesman. Other times, he is a narrator, an announcer, a dog show judge, a real estate agent, etc. The character is never referred to by any name in the series, but the name of "Hey, It's That Guy" seems to be the official name given by Billy West, who voiced him. It's also rumored that this was how he was also referred to by the animators at Spumco, although this last bit is purely speculation.
The Firing of Spümcø
Ren and Stimpy was written, directed, and produced by Kricfalusi and his animation studio Spümcø only in the first two seasons. During this time, he was constantly harassed by Nickelodeon over content issues, of which he often pushed the limits. The last straw, so to speak, was the episode entitled "Man's Best Friend," in which Ren and Stimpy are bought by George Liquor and put through a cruel and unusual training session, which ends with Ren bludgeoning George to death with an oar. The brutal violence, murder, and the overall theme of animal cruelty in the episode were deemed unairable by Nick.
Kricfalusi was soon fired from the show, and his ownership of the characters was revoked. Billy West took over his role as the voice of Ren. Animation duty was taken from Spümcø and given to Games Animation. Many fans felt the quality of the show suffered greatly from the loss of its creator and original animation studio, though others still enjoyed the show regardless.
After his separation from Nick, Kricfalusi retained ownership of George Liquor and has used him extensively in projects by Spümcø. He was a major character in John K.'s short-lived comic book, simply titled "Comic Book." Of note: One of the conditions of retaining ownership of George Liquor was that he couldn't become "a child molester or mass murderer." Kricfalusi reportedly responded by asking how many murders he would need to commit to make him a mass murderer.
Ren and Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon
In June 2003, the show returned to US television as Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoonon Viacom's Spike TV (formerly the New TNN), with decidedly more adult content and Kricfalusi back in control. The network also aired digitally remastered episodes of the original series. The premier episode fulfilled a long-running ambition of Kricfalusi's, which he had wanted to do since first selling the original Ren and Stimpy in the early 1990s: An entire episode revolving around jokes that became progressively more disgusting as the episode went on. This episode also put to rest speculation that Ren and Stimpy are supposed to be gay lovers: In once scene, Ren informs Stimpy, "I'm the pitcher, you're the catcher." We then see Ren (dressed like a baseball player) diving into bed with Stimpy, mounting him, and having anal sex.
A few of the head storyboard artists, writers, and animators returned from the original Ren and Stimpy series, such as Vincent Waller and Jim Smith, but most of the new animation and writing team was a new team of artists, specifically instructed and headed by Kricfalusi himself.
Some of the notable, new talent, that worked on Adult Party Cartoon are Katie Rice and Nick Cross.
Ren & Stimpy on DVD
A DVD set of seasons one and two of the original series was released October 12. 2004. Some fans were angered by the fact that the set, billed as "Ren & Stimpy Uncut," had a few missing scenes removed for time issues and fade outs where commercials had been inserted from the "remastered" versions played on Spike TV. Kricfalusi said in a statement that all of the cut footage he knew about had been returned. Additionally, another Spümcø member (Steven Worth) has also attributed the time-snipped footage and fade outs to the DVD encoders who could not obtain the original master tapes.
The "Seasons Three and A Half-ish" DVD box was released on June 28, 2005, while the "Season 5, and More of 4" set of the original series is due on September 20, 2005 and an Adult Party Cartoon set, aka "The Lost Episodes" is planned for release on November 8, 2005. An "Ultimate Ren & Stimpy Collection" DVD (which will be a re-issued box set of the previous DVD sets with new supplements) is also in the works.
Ren & Stimpy on other home video formats
The Ren & Stimpy Show was previously released on VHS video tape in the USA and Canada by Sony Wonder. These tapes contain mainly the original Spumco episodes of the show.
The tapes contained the same edits as Nickelodeon's first screenings. However, "Ren & Stimpy: More Stinky Stories" contains a censored version of the short "The Big Baby Scam". The entire sequence where the family take a bath is very crudely deleted from the cartoon, meaning that it no longer makes sense.
Eventually, the rights for Nickelodeon's programming on home video were transferred to Paramount Home Video and taken away from Sony. Only one cassette was released under the Paramount label, "Have Yourself a Stinky Little Christmas". Like all of the other Paramount cassettes of Nickelodeon shows, they were recorded in the EP/SLP format which gives very poor image quality.
Several tapes, mainly containing episodes produced by Games Animation, were released in the United Kingdom in the PAL format (not playable on conventional US VCRs). These included: "Ren's Brain", which contained that particular cartoon as well as some others, "Space Madness", which includes that episode as well as four other space-themed episodes, "For the Love of Stimpy", and "As Stinky as They Wanna Be". Bill Wray painted the covers for each of these UK-only cassettes. Each one is rated PG by the British Board of Film Classification, which contrasts to the earlier tapes consisting mainly of Spumco shorts that typically received U (all ages) ratings.
Ren & Stimpy was also released on LaserDisc in the USA by Sony Wonder. The disc is called "Ren & Stimpy: The Essential Collection" and has the same program content (but of course, in much higher quality) as the Ren & Stimpy Classics and Classics II VHS tapes. The disc is recorded in CLV mode, is double-sided, and has Digital Sound.
Episode list
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Pilot Episode (1991)
Season 1 episodes (1991–1992)
- Stimpy's Big Day/The Big Shot
- Robin Höek/Nurse Stimpy
- Space Madness/The Boy Who Cried Rat!
- Fire Dogs/The Littlest Giant
- Marooned/Untamed World
- Black Hole/Stimpy's Invention
Season 2 episodes (1992–1993)
- In the Army/Powdered Toast Man
- Ren's Toothache/Big House Blues ¹
- Out West/Rubber Nipple Salesmen
- Svën Höek
- Mad Dog Höek/Haunted House
- Big Baby Scam/Dog Show
- A Visit to Anthony
- The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen
- Monkey See, Monkey Don't/Fake Dad
- The Great Outdoors/The Cat That Laid the Golden Hairball
- Stimpy's Fan Club
- Stimpy's First Fart (retitled "Son of Stimpy")
¹(Originally, Man's Best Friend was to be aired instead of Big House Blues, but the episode was banned and would not be seen on television until 2003)
Season 3 episodes (1993–1994)
- To Salve and Salve Not/A Yard Too Far
- Circus Midgets/No Pants Today
- Ren's Pecs/An Abe Divided
- Stimpy's Cartoon Show
- Untamed World 2: Lair of the Lummox (retitled "Lair of the Lummox")
- Jiminy Lummox/Bass Masters
- Ren's Retirement
- Jerry the Bellybutton Elf/Road Apples
- Hard Times for Haggis
- Eat My Cookies/Ren's Bitter Half
Season 4 episodes (1994–1995)
- Hermit Ren
- House of Next Tuesday/A Friend In Your Face
- Blazing Entrails/Lumber Jerks
- Prehistoric Stimpy/Farm Hands
- Magical Golden Singing Cheeses/Hard Day's Luck
- I Love Chicken/Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman
- It's A Dog's Life/Egg Yolkeo
- Double Header/Scotsman in Space
- Pixie King/Aloha Höek
- Insomniac Ren/My Shiny Friend
- Cheese Rush Days/Weiner Barons
- Galoot Wranglers/Ren Needs Help!
- Superstitious Stimpy/Travelogue
Season 5 episodes (1995–1996)
- Ol' Blue Nose/Stupid Sidekick Union
- Space Dogged/Feud for Sale
- Hair of the Cat/City Hicks
- Stimpy's Pet/Ren's Brain
- Bellhops/Dog Tags
- I Was a Teenage Stimpy/Who's Stupid Now?
- School Mates/Dinner Party
- Sammy and Me/Big Flakes
- Terminal Stimpy/Pen Pals
- The Last Temptation of Ren/Reverend Jack Cheese
- A Scooter for Yaksmas
Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon
- Man's Best Friend¹
- Onward and Upward
- Ren seeks Help
- Fire Dogs/Fire Dogs 2: Part 1
- Fire Dogs 2: Part 2
- Naked Beach Frenzy (originally titled "At the Beach")²
- Altruists: Part 1²
- Altruists: Part 2²
- Stimpy's Pregnant: Part 1²
- Stimpy's Pregnant Part 2: The Blessed Event²
¹(Man's Best Friend was originally to be aired in the second season, but the episode was banned and had not been aired until Adult Party Cartoon. Spike TV's official episode lineup on their website seemed to suggest that they consider Man's Best Friend a part of the Adult Party Cartoon season.)
²(These have not yet been officially aired on television in the US but are known to be complete, and finished episodes. These will be released on the forthcoming Adult Party Cartoon (Lost Episodes) DVD set.)
Music
- Dog Pound Hop (Opening Theme) written and performed by Jim Smith, and John K.
- Big House Blues (Closing Theme) written and performed by Jim Smith, and John K
- The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen Anthem (from the episode The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen)
- Happy Happy Joy Joy (From the episode Stimpy's Invention) written and performed by Stinky Wizzleteats (John K)
- Lord Loves a Hangin (From the episode Out West)
Ren & Stimpy was also referenced in the Primus song "Nature Boy".
External links
- Ren and Stimpy at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- Members Of The Loyal Order Of Stupids The biggest message board source for exclusive Ren and Stimpy news and discussion.