Ren and Stimpy (characters)

Ren and Stimpy, created by John Kricfalusi, are the titular characters in the Canadian/American co-produced animated television series "The Ren and Stimpy Show" and first appeared in the pilot episode, titled "Big House Blues".

Kricfalusi described the characters as homosexual in a January 28, 1997 interview with the "San Francisco Examiner"."Cartoons Aren't Real! Ren and Stimpy In Review," "Animation World Magazine". [http://www.awn.com/mag/issue5.12/5.12pages/goodmanrenstimpy2.php3 2] .]

Ren Höek

Ren is a scrawny "Asthma-Hound" Chihuahua with a fairly long, rat-like, pink tail. Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman of "Animation World Magazine" described Ren as "scrawny," "dyspeptic," "Cartoons Aren't Real! Ren and Stimpy In Review," "Animation World Magazine". [http://www.awn.com/mag/issue5.12/5.12pages/goodmanrenstimpy.php3 1] .] and "violently psychotic." On some occasions Ren "lost his mind" in a "cumulative process," resulting in Ren becoming, in Goodman's words, a "screaming klaxon, neon-pink eyes dilating into twin novae inches above his jagged, monolithic teeth." Andy Meisler of "The New York Times" described Ren as "adventurous," "intelligent," and "emotionally brittle."" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7DB1130F935A2575BC0A964958260 TELEVISION; Ren and Stimpy's Triumphant Return] ." "The New York Times".]

Kricfalusi originally voiced Ren in a manner that he describes as "a bad imitation of Peter Lorre." Billy West said that he auditioned to play Ren; the creators of the series believed that having West voice Ren and Stimpy would give him too large of a workload." [http://www.ugo.com/channels/dvd/features/billywest/default.asp Billy West Interview] ." "UnderGroundOnline"] West voiced Ren after Nickelodeon fired Kricfalusi; Kricfalusi would return for the Spike TV episodes and unaired episodes of "The Ren and Stimpy Show". In the pilot, Pierre Decelles provided Ren's signature diabolical laughter, while West performed Ren's laugh in the series.

Ren's father made his first appearance on "Hermit Ren" as a farmer, and another on the Adult Party Cartoon episode "Ren Seeks Help" as a Preacher.

Kricfalusi complained about Nickelodeon executives requesting for Ren to have "a softer side."

Bill Wray said that Ren was his favorite character to write for; Wray described Ren as "fun" because "you can make him mean." In 1993 he added that "It drives me crazy when I tell people I work on the show and they always say, "Make Ren meaner." "(Laughter.)""Bill Wray." "David Anthony Kraft's Comics Interview" #122. 1993. 12.]

Stimpson "Stimpy" J. Cat

Stimpy is a fat, red and white, rotund cat with a blue nose, purple eyelids, no tail, human-style buttocks, flat feet, and a brain the size of a peanut (despite some intelligence, such as cooking and inventing; he is also a talented musician). Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman of "Animation World Magazine" described Stimpy as "obese," and "brain-damaged." Andy Meisler of "The New York Times" described Stimpy as "bosom," "barrel-chested," and "good-natured."

Stimpy's trademark facial expression is a blissfully ignorant smile with his tongue flopping out. Most of the time when he gets excited, he says his famous catchphrase, "Oh, Joy!" or simply "Jooooooy". Stimpy is named after an art school classmate of Kricfalusi, whose nickname was "Stimpy Cadogen" ("Killer Cadoogen" was Stimpy's pseudonym in several episodes, and in a few others he is referred to as Stimpleton Cadogen). West said that he based Stimpy's voice on a "sped up" Larry Fine of the "Three Stooges". West described Stimpy as one of his favorite characters. [http://www.billywest.com/index4.htm Billy West F.A.Q.] . Accessed October 26, 2006.] Eric Bauza voiced Stimpy in "Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon"".

Stimpy likes to create destructive electronic devices and feels a fixation for "sensory pleasures of fresh kitty litter."

Wray described Stimpy as his favorite character to draw. Wray said that Stimpy does not have "a huge range of emotion."

West said in an interview that he did not wish to voice Stimpy in the "Adult Party Cartoon" because he believed that the series was not funny and that voicing Stimpy in it would damage his career.

History

In a 1993 interview by a comics magazine, Bill Wray stated that he believes that Kricfalusi created the Ren and Stimpy characters around 15 years prior to the interview for Kricfalusi's and Kricfalusi's friends' personal amusement during the university years; Kricfalusi attended Sheridan College in Canada. Wray said that he had initially "forgotten about" the characters. When Nickelodeon requested new series, Kricfalusi assembled a presentation called "Our Gang," similar to a children's show with a live action host presenting various cartoons. Each cartoon parodied a genre, and Ren and Stimpy parodied the "cat and dog" genre. Vanessa Coffey, the producer of the show, said that she did not like the general idea, but that she liked Ren and Stimpy."Bill Wray." "David Anthony Kraft's Comics Interview" #122. 1993. 1.]

Kricfalusi originally created Ren and Stimpy as the pets of George Liquor and Jimmy The Idiot Boy. ["Who's Who in Animated Cartoons". [http://books.google.com/books?id=FVShFCjVzvIC&pg=PA192-IA7&lpg=PA192-IA7&dq=%22George+Liquor%22+unfunny&source=web&ots=TZU8FggYK_&sig=iVrlq5YR8fau-itvIg9ViSdR5a8#PPA192-IA8,M1 187] .]

See also

* The Ren and Stimpy Show characters
* "The Ren and Stimpy Show"
* "Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon""

References