"The Ren & Stimpy Show" (1991) TV series 1991-1996

Creator:

John Kricfalusi

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | unknown

Release Date:

11 August 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

The gross misadventures of a hyper chihuahua and a stupid cat.

Plot Keywords:

Chihuahua | Fireman | Cartoon Dog | Animal That Acts Human | Dog

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 6 nominations

Cast

Billy West

...

Stimpson J. Cat / ... (53 episodes, 1991-1996)

Also Known As:

VH-1 Ren and Stimpy Rocks (USA) (cable TV title)

Runtime:

30 min (52 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (DVD rating) | UK:12 (season 3 DVD) | Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:M (season 3 DVD) | UK:PG (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | USA:TV-PG | UK:U | South Korea:All | USA:TV-Y7 | Canada:G (Quebec)

Company:

Games Animation

Trivia:

"Dog Pound Hop", the theme song of the cartoon, was written and performed by some of the animation team at Spumco.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Ren's tail disappears and reappears at times. In some episodes, he has no tail at all.

Quotes:

[the guys are applying for jobs as firehouse dogs. Ren paints them both with "Dalmatian Paint"]
Ren: Now, what do you see, Stimpy?
Stimpy: Ugly black spots.
Ren: RIGHT. Now shut up and look stupid.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Motives (2004)

Soundtrack:

The Toy Trumpet

Brilliant but vulgar

Now that the first two seasons are out on a 3-disc set, I was able to reacquaint myself with one of the best cartoon shows to ever grace TV. Sheer genius, mad genius at that, as a neurotic dog with Peter Lorre's voice and a moronic cat sounding remarkably like Stooge Larry Fine roam the universe in search of the perfect cat litter and large pectoral muscles. Watching three discs of this craziness, I am struck by its incredibly gay sensibility, something I had not noticed as readily when it was on the air. The episodes are full of men's often naked asses, ongoing threats of rape and sodomy, over-sized and/or bizarrely costumed men in tiny and sometimes bulging underwear, tutus and kilts, a dog and cat constantly in bed together, references to sword swallowing, etc. John K. said in 1994 the duo was gay, so no real surprise there. Plus we have endless vomiting, profuse displays of verboten bodily fluids long before SCARY MOVIE, SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and American PIE, endless screaming, eviscerations, self-immolations, disembowelings, head crushings, the consumption of lawn cigars and countless other no-nos, beheadings, endless bleeding, rotting teeth, closeups of various diseased body parts and sections, the touching of terrible things, and so on. Some of this stuff is laugh-out-loud funny and the rest of it is cringe-inducing, especially viewed in large doses. Obviously, John K. was working out some serious internal demons. He clearly must have had a "funny" uncle or other male relatives. The animation and background art are worthy of a theatrical cartoon. The sound effects and music and voices are all superb. Even in a crapola episode -- and there are a few -- the music is superb. The show pretty much went to hell after JK left. A typical great episode: Ren's encounter with the tooth nerve fairy. Or Stimpy's invention of the happy helmet. A horrible episode: Stimpy's Stinky Christmas. See for yourself. The set is budget-priced (under $30) and readily available at Target.