Ren and Stimpy

Ren and Stimpy is the crowning achievement of Canadian animator John Kricfalusi[?]. Ren Hoek, a Mexican Asthma hound, and Stimpy, an oversized cat wander around in nonsensical adventures reminiscent of the golden age of cartoons.

While a product of the children's cable network Nickelodeon, the cartoon 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 was only exceeded by the antics of South Park after it. And though sometimes seen as low-brow, the series also cleverly lampooned culture and made many viewers and studio executives uncomfortable. 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.

Recurring characters:

• Ren Hoek
• Stimpy (full name - Stimpson J. Cat)
• George Liquor
• Powdered Toast Man
• Muddy Mudskipper
• Haggis McHaggis

Ren and Stimpy are the stereotypical odd couple. Ren is sarcastic, cynical, and anal. Stimpy is dimwitted (Ren is fond of the phrase, "Stimpy, you eee-diot!"), 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.

After his separation from Nickelodeon, Kricfalusi retained ownership of George Liquor and has used him extensively in projects by Spumco (http://www.spumco.com), his animation studio. Of note: One of the conditions of retaining ownership of George Liquor was that he couldn't become "a child molestor or mass murderer." Kricfalusi responded with something like "how many murders consist of mass murder?"