Happy, Happy, Joy Joy!!! Ohh, the animation Gods are smiling on us this week!! As you know I love animation with a passion that sometimes falls into the category of obsessive. Not all animation mind you, but most of it. Certain styles kind of annoy me, while other can take my breath away with the simplest of brush strokes. What is generally hard to find is animation that might not appeal to me aesthetically, but the writing is so inspired and hysterically funny as to forgive the limitations of the artists. Such is the case with the Original “Ren & Stimpy Show.” If there ever was an animated series that could hold the terms ‘irreverent’ and ‘creative’ on the same level as ‘disgusting’ and ‘offensive’ is would have to be “The Ren & Stimpy Show.” (A similar case could be made for “South Park”, but that’s not the subject of this review.)

1991 marked the beginnings of a little show about a Chihuahua named Ren Hoek and his feline best friend (and perhaps more…) Stimpson J. Cat. The animation was rudimentary at best, but it was a wonderful throwback to the old Tex Avery cartoons that creator John Kricfalusi watched growing up. The pair often got themselves into all sorts of trouble, which is pretty much a staple of any good ‘buddy’ show, but I guarantee many of the situations were far removed from anything anyone had ever seen in an animated TV series before.

The series started out on Nickelodeon, and for two years Kricfalusi, along with his team of animators churned out cartoon short after cartoon short. The show was insanely popular, but that really didn’t matter to the ‘powers that be’ of the network who often butted heads with Kricfalusi over the show’s content. They held the upper hand as well because they owned the rights to the series (it was the only way Kricfalusi was able to get them to agree to air it). Fights over editing continued until Nickelodeon finally decided they didn’t need Kricfalusi in order to keep producing the show. He left, along with a good portion of his animation team and the series just went into the toilet from there. Fans could immediately tell the difference in the quality of “The Ren & Stimpy Show”, and the series was eventually cancelled.

I always considered it an incredible shame to see such a stifling of talent. Left to his own devices, Kricfalusi has the ability to stretch and skew the world with his animation in ways that have only been copied since. If you watch newer shows like “Spongebob Squarepants”, you’ll see some of his influence in the way close-ups of extremely gross items or situations are drawn. (On a side note, if you’ve never watched “Spongebob Squarepants”, I recommend you do. I refused to watch it for several years, only to catch a couple of episodes one night by accident. Now I’m hooked!)

For the most part, it was nearly impossible to see any of the original 32 “The Ren & Stimpy Show” episodes. Some were released on home video in little ‘Best of…’ packages, but that’s about it. Now, however Paramount has made it possible to own every single stinking episode from those first two seasons on a 3-disc DVD set!! Even better, it includes “Man’s Best Friend” which was originally banned by the network for its over-the-top scenes of violence.

The package promotes the episodes as being ‘uncut’, which has recently come under fire by hardcore “Ren & Stimpy Show” fans. They claim that the episodes are not being released totally uncut. They are able to point out specific scenes that are missing (whether this is based on their collective photographic memories or really old homemade video tapes, I have no idea) and are raising all kinds of ruckus. As it turns out, it looks like they are correct. However Kricfalusi addressed the situation directly, via the Internet, and responded that if the episodes in question did have scenes missing, he was not aware of them. He worked with Paramount to put them back together to the best of his memory utilizing all the materials they had, and yes it may be possible that some parts may be missing. (I say, “Get over it…)

I think the fact that the DVD set has some great extra features more than makes up for any frames that may have been lost to the black hole of the cutting room floor. There are no less than 6 commentaries available, as well as a short but entertaining documentary. You’ll also find the banned episode I mentioned before, a pencil test of Sven, and a gallery of storyboards. The documentary runs a little over ten minutes and features interviews with Kricfalusi and artist Eddie Fitzgerald. Here we learn a whole lot about the creation and evolution of the characters. The commentaries are nothing less than priceless.

I was as a fan of the series as it was created under Kricfalusi’s watch, more for the writing than the animation itself. It often mocked the conventions of the time, and the send-ups of familiar styles of TV commercials were often my favorite part of the show. Make no mistake about it, “The Ren & Stimpy Show” is rude, crude and can be considered offensive at times. It won’t appeal to everyone, but a lack of a sense of humor really isn’t anyone’s fault, I believe it’s genetic.

Episodes:
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
Ren’s Toothache & Rubber Nipple Salesmen
Svën Höek (Uncut)”, “Haunted House & Mad Dog Höek
In The Army & Big House Blues (Nick version)
Big Baby Scam & Dog Show (Uncut)
Big House Blues (Unedited Pilot, Uncut)
Monkey See...Monkey Don’t & Powdered Toastman (Uncut)
Fake Dad & Out West
Stimpy’s Fan Club
The Great Outdoors & The Cat That Laid The Golden Hairball
A Visit To Anthony
The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen
Son Of Stimpy/Stimpy’s First Fart

Extras: The Banned Episode - “Man’s Best Friend”, “Ren & Stimpy: In The Beginning” Featurette, Audio Commentary on Six Episodes by the Original Spumco Team, Storyboard and Spumco Image Gallery, Sven Hoek Pencil Test
Specifications: Full Screen, English Dolby Stereo
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 10/12/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give The Ren & Stimpy Show: Seasons 1&2 an A.