Questions
Who created Ren and Stimpy?
Animator John Kricfalusi created the show. He first dreamed up the characters back in 1978 while studying at Sheridan College.
When did the show premiere and on what network?
The Ren & Stimpy Show premiered on Nickelodeon on August 11, 1991. It ran for five seasons and 52 episodes before ending in 1995.
Who are Ren and Stimpy exactly?
Ren Höek is a scrawny, short-tempered chihuahua, and Stimpy (full name Stimpson J. Cat) is a good-natured but dim-witted Manx cat.
Who voiced the characters?
Billy West voiced Stimpy throughout the series and took over Ren starting in season two. Kricfalusi himself voiced Ren in the first season and part of the second.
What inspired Ren’s design?
Ren’s look was reportedly inspired by a 1950 Elliott Erwitt photograph of a chihuahua.
Why was the creator fired from his own show?
Nickelodeon fired Kricfalusi in September 1992 after chronic production delays and repeated clashes with the network’s Standards and Practices department over the show’s dark content.
Was there a banned episode?
Yes. The episode "Man’s Best Friend" was shelved by Nickelodeon and did not surface for years, eventually debuting as an unofficial pilot for the 2003 adult reboot.
What kinds of things did the censors cut?
Among other edits, they removed a cross from the Pope’s hat in "Powdered Toast Man" and shortened violent bits involving severed heads, face-grating, and stomach-punching.
How popular was the show?
It became a cable phenomenon, at times drawing double or triple the viewership of other Nickelodeon cartoons and ranking among the most-watched scripted cable programming in 1993.
Did the show have famous guest voices?
It did, including Mark Hamill, Randy Quaid, and Gilbert Gottfried. Frank Zappa also appeared in what was reportedly his final public performance before his death.
Who performed the opening theme?
The opening theme "Dog Pound Hop" was performed by Spümcø employees under the joke band name "Die Screaming Lederhosens."
Did Ren and Stimpy influence other cartoons?
Hugely. Its success on MTV helped lead to Beavis and Butt-Head, and its style influenced Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, and the grotesque close-ups seen in SpongeBob SquarePants.
Why was there so little merchandise early on?
Nickelodeon reportedly made a deliberate choice to avoid what it saw as over-exploitive marketing, so the show had almost no early merchandising.
Was there ever an adult version of the show?
Yes. A TV-MA revival called Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" aired on Spike TV in 2003, with Eric Bauza replacing Billy West as Stimpy after West declined to take part.
How is the show remembered today?
It is considered a landmark of the 1990s cable era, with its first season holding a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and its characters ranking #31 on TV Guide’s 2002 list of the greatest cartoon characters of all time.
