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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!pad-thai.aktis.com!pad-thai.aktis.com!not-for-mail From: Watch Ren And Stimpy <ngsippel@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu> Newsgroups: alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy,alt.fan.ren-and-stimpy,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: The Ren & Stimpy Show: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Supersedes: <ren-n-stimpy/faq_740116809@GZA.COM> Followup-To: alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy Date: 29 Jun 1993 00:00:21 -0400 Organization: none Lines: 1209 Sender: faqserv@GZA.COM Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu Expires: 27 Jul 1993 04:00:06 GMT Message-ID: <ren-n-stimpy/faq_741326406@GZA.COM> NNTP-Posting-Host: pad-thai.aktis.com X-Last-Updated: 1993/05/09 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy:7309 alt.fan.ren-and-stimpy:1120 alt.answers:478 news.answers:9799 Archive-name: ren-n-stimpy/faq Version: Sun May 09 12:44:44 EDT 1993 Written-by: Nick Sayer Edited-by: Norman Sippel The Ren And Stimpy Show: Frequently Asked Questions Written By: Nick Sayer Cowritten and Edited By: Norman Sippel Preface. The Explanation Of The FAQ. An F.A.Q. (from now represented without the dots) is a way to explain the topic of discussion and help newbies and veterans of a topic avoid repetitive posts about a topic. Before you post a question about R&S, you should read this document to see if your question has already been answered. If you have corrections, additions, suggestions, comments, or hairballs, send them to Norman Sippel at ngsippel@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu with $47 million. There is no guarantee that posted items will make it to my attention. For it to work, you have to MAIL it. Thank You. (I will only be on the Internet on the weekends definitely for the summer, so I will answer any and all questions as soon as possible, usually on the weekends.) Nick Sayer will probably be happy to answer newbie questions. His electronic mail address is below in his signature. My deepest apologies to Adam Frampton for mispelling his name on this document. Sorry Alan :). (I couldn't help myself:) This FAQ and the other Ren And Stimpy documents will be posted every two weeks, thanks to the local document poster on the internet. Thank You, Mr. Jonathan Kamens for helping me out and putting up with all the questions on form and posting these documents on the net! Abbreviations: FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions R&S = The Ren & Stimpy Show Nick = Nickelodeon - the network that first aired R&S MTV = Music Television - Nick's sister station WWDTT = What'll We Do Till Then? CHACS = Commander Hoek and Cadet Stimpy SSBL = Stimpy's Storybook Land -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table Of Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preface. The Explanation Of The FAQ. Abbreviations. 1. Who or What is Ren And Stimpy? 2. When and Where can I see Ren And Stimpy (Worldwide)? 3. My site has two Ren And Stimpy newsgroups. What's the deal? 4. How do I pronounce Ren's name? 5. Who makes Ren And Stimpy? Where do I send my mail about R&S? 6. What's the deal with the character and shows with "George Liquor"? 7. Commonly Asked Phrases, Places, And People 7a. What are the words to ... ? 7b. What is the meaning behind or origin of ... ? 8. Is it "No sir, I _DON'T_ like it", or "No sir, I _DIDN'T_ like it"? 9. Does anyone have a list of episodes? 10. What is the title of the cartoon that spoofs "Wild Kingdom"? 11. Does Nickelodeon censor Ren And Stimpy? 12. What about the music? 13. Where can I get R&S ... ? (Paraphernalia) 14. Is there a fan club? 15. What about the future of R&S? 16. What about the comic book? 17. Where can I find archived information on R&S? (Email and FTP) 18. Our Signatures (and Ren and Stimpy ASCII pictures) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ren And Stimpy Show: Frequently Asked Questions -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Who or What is Ren And Stimpy? "The Ren & Stimpy Show" is one of three new cartoon shows (collectively known as "The Nicktoons") produced by Nickelodeon, a Cable TV channel in North America. The two main characters are an "asthma-hound" chihuahua named "Ren Hoek" (with an umlaut over the o), and a cat named "Stimpson J. Cat". The show's attraction is its shameless and gross physical humor, often consisting of nose-picking and farts (though there's more to it than that). It is suitable (and funny) for the whole family, though some have called it an acquired taste. 2. When and Where can I see R&S (Worldwide)? A. United States Currently, R&S can only be seen via cable TV or satellite. It airs on Nickelodeon (aka SNICK on Saturday nights) Saturday evening at 9 PM (Pacific/Eastern). It also airs Sunday mornings at 11 AM (Pacific/Eastern), though it appears that this time slot will continue with reruns. MTV is also airing the second season, apparently, but no hard information has reached this author. MTV showings are inferior to the showing on Nick, since they stick the MTV logo on the lower right corner and have more commercials. (By the way, SNICK has also started adding their own logos to each cartoon.) MTV also compresses the audio badly and doesn't start the show on time. Incidentally, MTV Networks, Inc., owns Nick. Apparently MTV is owned in large part by Viacom. On the marathon of January 1993, MTV didn't have the logo but edited the music of "Sven Hoek" and most show's order of cartoons. By the way, during the second season of R&S and the fourth season of "The Simpsons," Nick gave permission to Gracie Films to use R&S during "A Brother From Another Planet." It was storyboarded or layed out (maybe both) by Chris Reccardi, one of the original people on R&S. On April 15, another mention of R&S made it onto "The Simpsons"; the set-up was at the Emmys. MTV has random airings of the show (see your local television book for times if any), and soon Nick will have a "Nick-Mania" weekend with 8 of the best Ren And Stimpys during the afternoon. Nick-Mania happened on April 24 and 25, 1993. Nick Mania for the weekend of May 8 and 9 has "SNICK Mania" so that R&S will be played two times, once for each SNICK. B. Canada From: Paul Engler (engler@cpsc.ucalgary.ca) Thanks for all the info you gave me yesterday. However, after reading the R&S FAQ I noticed that it is lacking the broadcast times in Canada. Up here the show airs at 8:30 EST, and 16:30 EST every Thursday, and again at 12:30 est Friday, on Much Music. (I'm sure this channel is available off of satellite although I can't remember where. It should be in any of the many monthly satellite guides.) The interesting thing about this is that they are still broadcasting all the episodes, including PTM which ran last Thursday, March 6. From: ecurrent@zooid.guild.org Don't forget that it's shown in Canada on MuchMusic (basically our version of MTV) on Thursdays at 12:30 PM (and since Much programs in blocks that are repeated several times a day, it is also repeated at 8:30 PM, and 4:30 AM & 8:30 AM on Friday). Much started airing R&S in September, 1992, and there was much happiness and rejoicing amongst those of us who had been surviving for months on bootleged videos smuggled across the border. :-) They first aired all of the first season episodes in the same order as thier original airings on Nick. They were then shown a second time, in the same order, and then during the third "loop" of first season episodes (sometime in January, 1993), they began airing the second season, once again in the same order as the original Nick showings. As of the end of February, 1993, they had aired all of the second season shows except for "Fake Dad" and "Monkey See, Monkey Don't" and they have started repeating the second season from the beginning once again. It's also worth noting that Much always airs episodes in the same form as their *original* Nick airings, so edits that appear in later Nick airings (i.e. the cuts to "PTM", etc.) are not reflected in the Much airings. Much also aired "Son of Stimpy", which was only aired on MTV in the US, not on Nick. C. United Kingdom Apparently, some posters of R&S newsgroups have reported that the BBC has bought R&S. Details are sketchy right at the moment, but a scandal between the Princess, Ren, and 47 million pounds is imminent :). D. New Zealand From: Mark Weatherhead (ZOOL175@csc.canterbury.ac.nz) At the moment R&S is being aired on Channel 2 at 6:00pm on Saturdays. They are currently showing (again) mostly episodes from the first series, we have hardly seen any of the second series. Unfortunately, R&S seems to attract alot of attention from the sort of people who believe that they "know best" what people should and shouldn't be watching, so probably the programme will be re-scheduled at a different time--again. From: Paul Q. (physajh@otago.ac.nz) Ren & Stimpy in NEW ZEALAND has gone from obscurity to dementia. Not only is it now prime time T.V. (yes,yes I knew it was on WHAT NOW but I'm usually still unconcious at 0800 hrs Saturday, and Yes, Yes I saw SOME episodes at 4.30pm but I usually still have a headache then too!!) Anyway in NEW ZEALAND our major national T.V. and Radio Magazine stated in an entire one page article the following facts. E. Other Nations, Countries, and Uncharted Regions Of Space Dozens of other countries have or will be getting R&S. Please email the times, places, and other relevant information if you want your country (especially United Kingdom) added to this section. (And no, home video airings don't count :) 3. My site seems to get two R&S newsgroups. What's the deal? At the time a newsgroup for R&S was being discussed, the original idea was for the alt.fan group. Many (including Nick Sayer) counter-proposed that it should be under alt.tv. When it came time to create the groups, both newsgroups went out. It is the poster's opinion that since it is a TV show, it belongs in alt.tv. The alt.tv group is not called 'ren-and-stimpy' because that would be too long for certain (broken) news programs and operating systems. 'ren-&-stimpy' is inappropriate because it contains a non-alphanumeric character other than '- or _'. Many sites, like the editor's, have both newsgroups' postings going into one newsgroup, so duplicate postings will be prevalent at times. Currently, UseNet considers alt.fan.ren-and-stimpy bogus, but people are still using it. They are trying to stop using it, but it doesn't seem too successful. If you know about the current situation about the "bogusness" of alt.fan.ren-and-stimpy, please email me. 4. How do I pronounce Ren's name? The name is apparently Dutch [*], and thus an English pronunciation will only be approximate. It ends up as "Hork" (rhymes with "pork"). They play with this in the show and intentionally mispronounce it "HO-ack" or "HO-ehk" from time to time. His first name rhymes with "pen," of course. * Note: From what we know about Ren's cousin Sven, he is Danish. It seems like they're a mixture of different cultures. 5. Who makes R&S? The creative force behind R&S is John Kricfalusi. He is also Ren's voice. John K.'s last name is pronounced "KRIS-fah-loo-see". He is 36 and from Ottawa. John K is "stunned" that so many adults watch R&S. From ebh@mink.att.com: He [John K] was a major creative force (under the [Ralph] Bakshi umbrella) behind the New Adventures of Mighty Mouse, and he was also involved with The Jetsons. Stimpy's voice is Billy West. Billy West is also the voice of "Doug," one of the other Nicktoons. West used to work at WBCN in Boston, which is famous for shock-radio. He is also "Announcer," "Sven," "Ren," and "Flies (from Ren's Toothache)" according to _Film_Threat_ (and what I know). When John K. left R&S, Billy West is doing Ren on an interim basis until a new person could be found. He debuted on "What'll We Do Till Then?" with Stimpy blowing himself up like a balloon. Vanessa Coffey, the producer for all the Nicktoons, has announced that they are looking through talent agencies for a replacement. Second season credits list "The Spumco Players" or "The Players", presumably the voice artists. They include (from "In The Army / Powdered Toast Man"): Harris Peet, Cheryl Chase, Michael Pataki, Bob Camp, Vincent Waller, John K., Jim Smith, Henry Porch, Charlie Birssette and Billy West. Many of these are people with other jobs within Spumco. So far there have been two acknowledged guest stars: Gary Owens as Powdered Toast Man, and Frank Zappa as The Pope (both in "Powdered Toast Man"). Gary Owens has also appeared in several bumpers as the part of the announcer. Three unannounced guest stars have appeared on R&S. In "Stimpy's Fan Club," Soleil Moon Frye (of "Punky Brewster" fame) was one of the fans. In "Visit To Anthony", Randy Quaid guest stars, and Anthony plays himself. The creative organization is called "Spumco". The company motto is "The Danes call it quality." ("Spumco" has also been reportedly an acronym which has long been forgotten.) See #7b for details. The boy whose picture is shown with the motto is Jimmy, the hapless boy - the company mascot (From lazlo@triton.unm.edu). After John K. was fired, there was a split. A "puppet" company called "Games Productions" (a.k.a. "Stabco" and "Milkmen") makes and creates Ren And Stimpy. John K. is on his own with Spumco making "George Liquor" and "He Hog" for this fall. Games Productions is very tightly controlled by Nick, so their scripts don't seem to be half as funny as John K.'s where he was wild, wacky, and funny. Billy West ended up getting the job of Ren, and Ron Hughart is now directing some of the shows. Ron H. works within the organization as a Timing Director. Recently, Games Productions changed its name to Games Animation. What this exactly means for R&S is yet to be seen. Where can I send my mail about R&S? If you don't like what's going on with R&S and Nickelodeon, write them a letter! Here are some important addresses: From eediot@bloated.sack.usa: Ren Hoek And Stimpy Hollywood, Yugoslavia, Europe :) From zuckerma@aludra.usc.edu: Spumco International (that's how it's listed in the Greater LA phone book) 5625 Melrose Avenue Hollywood, CA 90038 It's located a few blocks west of the Paramount Studios lot. Other important addresses from donnell@polyp.micro.umn.edu: President Of Viacom: Nickelodeon: Sumner Redstone Nickelodeon Headquarters 98 Baldpate Hill Road 1515 Broadway Newton, Mass. 02160 New York City, N.Y. 10036 Editor's Notes: If you send letters to bring back the funniness and wackiness into Ren and Stimpy or something similar, please treat these people with respect. Is there a public address for Games Productions/Animation? **** Write In! John Switzer (from alt.fan.ren-n-stimpy) wrote in and got into _Ren_And_Stimpy_Exposed_ magazine! (And thanks for submitting our slogans, John!) Tell them you want the real R&S--no substitutes! And comments, suggestions, additions, deletions, and/or corrections should be sent to ngsippel@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu. See the preface and #17 for more details. 6. What's the deal with the character and shows with "George Liquor" ? Nick has had a struggle with the character "George Liquor." He is a "typical" macho man (similar to "Earl Pitts, American," if you have heard his funny commentaries created by Gary Burbank on 700 WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, but without the beer) who likes to treat R&S like they're in the army. He likes guns (as shown in _Film_Threat_) and wants to win at everything. He is your average plain egotistical guy who treats everyone rough especially Mr. Horse and The Judge in "Dog Show." Nick shudders at this character because he is so "adult." His cartoons are probably the ones which John K. got in trouble for. We see a glimpse of him in "The Boy Who Cried Rat!" as the man who runs R&S out of the trash cans; he also appears in "Robin Hoek" as the sheriff. The second season basically revolves around him. He was the one who sent R&S to the army (and gave Ren the $20 which he in turn gave to the Sergeant), dog show (and gave Ren the barbed treatment), and many other places (including in "In The Army" where R&S have a picture of him on the wall between their beds). He treats them with little respect and kindness, so when Ren revolts against George, he throws a fit. In "Man's Best Friend," there is a scene where Ren hits George over the head with a oar for 3 minutes and in slow motion once (which will be cut out of the final version, by the way) for a total of over twenty hits. This type of violence wasn't taken lightly by Nick; they banned "Dog Show" and "Man's Best Friend." In _R&S_Exposed_ magazine, they totally ignored the character completely. When George was first presented, someone in Nick thought his last name was "lick her"; Nick still didn't like the idea of a character named after a chemical depressant. The jury is still out on the future of his cartoons and his character. The official word is that George Liquor was given back to John K. (because of Nick's so-called ruined image) and will be appearing in future Spumco projects. Currently, there is a deal in the works for George to appear in his own show for FOX or another network. By the way, George is played by Michael Pataki. He has appeared in many movies and series, including the most recent appearances as the voice of "The Cow" on "The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse" and "Sewer King" on "Batman: The Animated Series." He's been on several "Star Trek" shows and movies, both new and old. Update: "Man's Best Friend" is being re-animated according to _Cinfantastique_ magazine, June 1993, so George is going soft for Nick. John K. is going to bring back George in a show with Jimmy The Hapless Boy in a similar format and attitudes as R&S in the fall. 7a. What are the words to... ... the 'Log' song? "What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs rolls over your neighbor's dog? What's great for a snack and fits on your back? It's Log, Log, Log! It's Log, Log, it's big, it's heavy, it's wood. It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good! Everyone wants a log! You're gonna love it, Log! Come on and get your log! Everyone needs a Log!" ... the words to Stimpy's insane ravings in "Mad Dog Hoek"? From _Cinfantastique_ magazine, June 1993, p. 46: "I like Darren, he is my friend! I like you AND him--he likes me and I like him!! He likes you, I HOOOOPE! I LIKE HIS AUTOGRAPH, IT IS A NICE PICTURE!!!!! HE IS NIIIIICCEE!!!" ... the Oath? "I do hereby promise only to watch the Ren & Stimpy show, to make under-leg noises during the good scenes, to wear unwashed lederhosen every single day of the rest of my life." At least one poster claims 'under-leg' is underling, but the consensus is for the former. Under-leg noises being farts, of course. (Hardly an episode goes by that someone doesn't cut one). Underlings are people working under a boss. So the former makes more sense. By the way, Under-leg is the proper spelling, not "underleg," according to the R&S calendar. ... Nurse Stimpy's oath? "I do solemnly swear by the sacred bedpan to fix the patient, and ease his wretched suffering, even until all hope is lost." ... The Muddy Mudskipper theme song? "Who's the greatest mudskipper of them all? Who can skip in the mud with the greatest of ease? What kind of wonderful guy? Who can crawl like a dog without scraping his knees? Who's got segmented eyes? It's Muddy Mudskipper, it's Muddy Mudskipper It's the Muddy Mudskipper show!" ... Stimpy's "Gritty Kitty" poem? "Gritty Kitty ain't so pretty, but it's really thick It fills my cat box oh so snug, it always does the trick I like to rub it on my toes and squish and squish and squish It ne'er offends my tender nose, like a smelly fish Its texture is a joy to me, it's just as smooth as silk It makes my little whiskers twitch, it stays crunchy even in milk I may not be the president, I may not be the pope But as long as I have Gritty Kitty, I shall never mope." ... The "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song? "Hello, boys and girls. This is your old pal, Stinky Wizzleteats. [*] This is a song about a whale. No! This is a song about being happy! That's right! It's the Happy Happy Joy Joy song! [chorus] Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy Joy Joy! I don't think you're happy enough! That's right! I'll teach you to be happy! I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs! Now, boys and girls, let's try it again! [chorus] If'n you aint the grandaddy of all liars! The little critters of nature... They don't know that they're ugly! That's very funny, a fly marrying a bumblebee! I told you I'd shoot! But you didn't believe me! Why didn't you believe me?! [chorus without last line] Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Joy Joy Joy!" * Stinky's last name debate is over. The calendar of R&S and the flood of fall 1992 articles about our twisted twosome (including USA Today newspaper) has supported "Wizzleteats." ... Ren's speech just before going to sleep in "In The Army?" "Good night, Stimpy. Now all I need is eight hours of uninterrupted sleep." ... Ren's speech after the peeling-H-bombs scene in "ITA?" "Psst. Hey Guido. It's all so clear to me now. I'm the keeper of the cheese. And you're the lemon merchant. Get it? And he knows it. That's why he's gonna kill us. So we have to beat it. Yeah. Before he lets loose the marmosets on us! Don't worry, little missy! I'll save you!" ... The Hangin' Song in "Out West"? "OOOOhhh, Lord loves a hangin', that's why he give us necks It tightens up our vocal chords, and loosens up our pecs. So if you are a horse thief and guilty to the bone, Go ahead and blame a friend and you won't hang alone! It may be hard to swaller, but you'll be three feet taller, And find new ways to entertain your friends. You say you are a villian, but can't abide by killin', Go ahead and steal yourself a horse. Two three eleven or five seven [take it, boys]. I'm a pickin' and I'm a swingin'! I'm ignorant, and I'm ugly! That you are, boys. OOOOhhh, The Lord loves a hangin', and so do we by heck! So go and get a lasso and decorate your neck! Oh we is awful ignorant and uglier than sin, so go ahead and cut us down... And hang us all again! Hangin', that is. Swing a spell. (Ya'll bring the kids next time, ya hear?)" [*] * This line was edited out at the last minute. This line came from the article from _Film_Threat_ magazine. ... Ren's crazy speech in "Space Madness"? "...I'll just lie back and think pleasant thoughts. Chicken pot pie... Chocolate covered RAIsins... EEGlazed Hammmmm... They think I'm crazy... But I know better... It is not I who am crazy... It is I who am MAD!... Didn't you hear 'em? Didn't you see the crowds?!! Oh my beloved ice cream bar... How I love to lick your creamy center... eeyaaarghruch... eeyaarghrunch... eeyaarghrunch... And your oh-so-nutty chocolate covering... You're not like the others... You like the same things I do... Wax paper... Boiled football leather... Dog breath... WE'RE NOT HITCHHIKING ANYMORE... WE'RE RIDING... (Stimpy: "Stop it. You're talking crazy") Oh no... I know what you want... You coveteth my ice cream bar! (Stimpy: "Come on now") No you don't! You can't take it from me now! I've had this ice cream bar since I was a child... People... Always trying to take it from me... Why don't they leave me ALONE?!!! (Stimpy: "Easy now...") Back off man!!!... Don't make me use this... One step closer, I'm warning ya... Don't make me use it! Now you've done it! You... forced me to use it!!!... ... the words to Stimpy's Ode To Ren commercial? "What is a friend? A friend misses you when you are away, for even for a short while, A friend is always there to try your latest inventions and to protect you from yourself, and only a true friend would scratch your back, pluck your eyebrows, do your nails, and brush your teeth all out of the goodness of his heart. Ren is my best pal. [Announcer: R&S - an ode to friendship.]" ... the words to the song about the board game in "Sven Hoek" ? "Don't whiz on the electric fence!" (Someone timed a test print of the segment of this song and reported to the group that 3-4 lines of song is missing. Maybe a verse is missing?) ... the words Sven repeats in "Sven Hoek" ? From: David R. Zinkin (zinkin@eerie.acsu.buffalo.edu) I just checked my tape of "Sven Hoek" to confirm the quote. It's "Daaaah, he is Ole, you are Sven. He is Ole, you are Sven." Sven says it twice, once after Sven tells him to "say something intelligent" and once after Stimpy says "Daaah, hello, superior creature!" ... the words to the "New Fan Initiation" Oath Of Servitude? (Bring $1 million in small change before reciting:) I, (Insert Full Name Here), human, promise to watch the R&S Show until my eyeballs implode, even if it goes into 10 years of reruns! (And?) I promise to memorize whole episodes and recite the lines shamelessly in unwelcome situations. (And? And? Oh Yeah!) I promise to wear unwashed lederhosen every single day of the rest of my life! (That's It! You're in our secret club!) 7b. What is the meaning behind or origin of... [ Much of the items that seem like obscure or trivial humor are in fact non sequiturs. There's no meaning. They're just there for the hell of it. ] ... Hwarfing? The action of Stimpy coughing up a hairball (usually on Ren). (This should end the debate on its spelling.) ... "Raymond Spum" or "Spum"? Raymond Spum is a joke and a made-up alias for John Kricfalusi. Anytime he didn't like a cartoon he worked on or was in protest, he used this fictitious name. All the stories about him are fiction, even though they was a guy named "Ub Iweks" who did get fired from Disney during "Snow White" and was ripped off of his major role in the film, according to Norman Soley (soley@trooa.enet.dec.com). Blaine Erickson (erickson@uhunix.uhcc.hawii.edu) has posted to the group adding that "spum" is not a real Danish word, and that the Danish word for quality is "kvalitet". John K. has claimed that "spum" is a brand name of a product in Denmark. ... "George Liquor"? In _Film_Threat_ magazine, John K. said that he saw a sign in the late seventies with the words "George Liquor". He was so crazy over the name (and the fact that someone forgot to put in the possessive) that he went and drew the picture. (The sign was for a business selling alcohol, obviously.) By the way, his cousin's name is Corn Liquor and was going to appear in a future episode called "Hillbilly Hoek" (_Cinfantastique_ magazine). ... "Stinky Wizzleteats"? According to _Cinfantastique_ magazine, it came from "The Littlest Giant" when Bob Camp talked about Ren's Cow's "Wizzled Teats". John K. loved it so much, he used it as a name. ... The Croco-stimpy Bus? [ "Untamed World" ] Non sequitur. For the original joke according to _Cinfantastique_ magazine, the Crocostimpy was going to say "What's The Big Sleep, Ren?" (a reference to Big House Blues quote by Stimpy) and hop onto the bus. A bunch of lady Crocostimpies were going to follow the bus on foot and yell "He's dead, you idoit! Don't you know what dead is?" Now you know the rest of the story. ... "We're not hitchhiking anymore! We're riding!" [ "Space Madness" ] From jeffy@athena.mit.edu: This is apparently from the movie "Centurion." The line was delivered by Kirk Douglas (see below). ... The face that rises and sets over Hollywood during "Stimpy's Big Day?" From ebh@mink.att.com: The face is apparently Kirk Douglas. According to John K., Kirk Douglas was the [partial?] inspiration for Ren. ... The various narrations in the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song? "I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs" This apparently paraphrases an old saying. There are many film and TV uses of this phrase. It means (roughly) to teach someone what they already know. Furthermore, "to suck eggs" is apparently a euphemism for nosing into other people's business. From zeus@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu: "The little critters of nature -- They don't know that they're ugly." This is a line from the film "Summer Magic" starring Berl Ives and Hayley Mills. ... Ren's various insane ravings? So far Ren has been portrayed as being outright insane in at least two cartoons (his general level of sanity is as questionable as any cartoon character's, of course, but we're talking serious psychosis here): "In The Army" after he's done peeling H-bombs, and in "Space Madness". During both of these intervals Ren gives speeches that are as nutty as a fruitcake. Talking about running from marmosets, boiled football leather, things like that. As far as the net knows (at the moment), these are simply things that the writer(s) thought were silly enough for a raving looney to think sensible. ... the man playing the accordian in "Sven Hoek" ? This is the first live action character on the show. From the many pictures I have seen in the different pictures, it looks like Bob Camp. It appears to be a "throw together" opening. ... Husband and Wife from "The Boy Who Cried Rat!" and several others? John Kricfalusi is said to be a big fan of J. R. "Bob" Dobbs and Connie of the SubGenius culture. They are in incarnation of a married couple of the 1950s and the like. Otherwise known as "Mr. and Mrs. Pipe". (If you want any other quotes or segments explained or included with explanations, please email me.) 8. Is it "No sir, I _DON'T_ like it", or "No sir, I _DIDN'T_ like it"? Both. "Don't" is heard in "Stimpy's Big Day/The Big Shot," and "didn't" is heard in "Fire Dogs," and "Marooned." In Season II we have a new variation in "Out West:" "WELL sir, I don't like it." Another variation is in "Rubber Nipple Salesmen:" "WEll sir, I don't think I have a use for rubber nipples!" By the way, Billy West is now doing Mr. Horse. Games Production plans to use Mr. Horse as a remembrance to John K., not as a weapon against him. 9. Does anyone have a list of episodes? It is posted at the same time as this FAQ list. A more complete breakdown of showings and background is also posted at the same time called "The Ren And Stimpy Extra." See #16 for more information about archived information. 10. What is the title of the one that spoofs "Wild Kingdom"? This is a point of controversy. The titles read "A Cartoon / Written by Jim Smith & John K. / Storyboards by Jim Smith / Directed by John K. / Untamed World". Some believe it is titled simply "Untamed World" under the theory that the first thing you see doesn't have to be the title. It would have been awkward to put the credits after "Untamed World" because of how the action goes. It would have been similarly awkward to start off with "Written by". "A Cartoon" was thus simply used to intro the credits. Some believe that since "A Cartoon" is capitalized and appears by itself that it must be a title, and call it "A Cartoon" or "A Cartoon: Untamed World". Official word from Spumco has reached the author (from jeffy@athena.mit.edu) that Spumco folk internally referred to it as "Nature Show". In one of the new cartoons, a sequel named "Untamed World 2: Lair Of The Lummox" may prove the name to be "Untamed World." Keep your VCRs ready, folks, because they are getting close to airing this one soon. 11. Does Nickelodeon censor R&S? The opening titles contain scenes from "Big House Blues" and point to the possibility that Nickelodeon has cut scenes from the show. In particular, Nick's rendering of BHB does NOT show the scene where Ren is 'drinking from the porcelain bus.' Additionally, although Nick originally showed the entire "Magic Nose Goblins" ending, they have since then started doing a quick fade as the scene panned over the 'field of green.' There are other places in the series where editing may have taken place. In particular, in "Untamed World", there is a blackout, then a wipe to the next scene. Nowhere else does this take place. From jeffy@athena.mit.edu: There were a few incidences in "Big House Blues." In one scene, the dogcatcher asks R&S if they like to have fun; R&S agree. "Well go ahead, have fun!" [then, in the missing footage, the dogcatcher turns his back, and says in a feminine voice, "See if I care."] [If you freeze frame it, you can see the dogcatcher turn around and put his hands on his hips in a rather feminine stance. Just a brief glance.] Also, during the sleep sequence, Ren ends up kissing Stimpy, then wakes up, screams, says something about having to "clean himself," and goes to toilet, drinking out of it (not vomiting into it). Or maybe it's eating, who can say. From ja1r+@andrew.cmu.edu: Like that other Jeff said, Ren dreams he's having a romantic encounter and ends up kissing Stimpy, at which point he instantly wakes up wide-eyed and dashes over to the PHENOMENALLY rusty and filthy prison toilet, takes a loooong drink to wash his mouth out (!), glares back and Stimpy and shouts, "HAVE YOU *NO* SENSE OF PERSONAL HYGIENE???" Editor's Note: I have finally seen unedited BHB at a local animation festival. Most people have forgotten about Stimpy's "sleeper" eyes, and at the end of the credits, there is a skull and crossbones. I have also read that John K. said that Ren was dreaming of a female chihuahua. Furthermore, several cartoons have been nixed by Nick including "Man's Best Friend (starring George Liquor)" and "Dog Show" because they are too "adult." The list seems to continue to grow. "Powdered Toast Man," besides it political punch at the end, has caused Catholicism to condemn it because of its portrayal of the Pope. "Out West" uses the word "Lord" and "hangin'" in the same sentence, which makes Nick weary. On "Sven Hoek," I have seen a test print. Nick edited the nose goblins down and took away the Sven's line "I finally get a good look at them!" They took out the sequence where Sven and Stimpy play circus in the closet (and Stimpy pretends to be a sword swallower who has a bad accident). They also edited out where Ren looks into the camera and says "And I'm going to gouge your eyes out! Yea, that's what I'm gonna do!" On a side note, Nick edited the new WWDTT. It aired "eat olive loaf" and when it should be "eat olive loaf till you puke!" And on MTV's airing of "Sven Hoek" certain pieces of music were changed for unknown reasons. Some other cuts are mentioned below in the questions, but their is one final stop in our journey of edits and lost footage. In "Haunted House," George Liquor was supposed to be the bloody head fairy, not a knock-off of "Doug." (_Cinfantastique_ magazine) Here are some circumstances I have a questions about: 1. What is on Kowalski's butt in "Fake Dad" ? 2. Is it true that Sven and Stimpy had a dinner ala Lady and the Tramp in "Sven Hoek" ? 3. What happened to Stimpy teaching Ren how to rub two squirrels together in "The Great Outdoors" ? 4. Why did Bob Camp change the soundtrack in "Sven Hoek" ? 5. Will Nick release R&S uncut on VHS? LaserDisc? 6. Why and what did they cut out of in "Rubber Nipple Salesmen" with George Liquor? 7. Why did "The Cat Who Laid The Golden Hairball" end so stupidly? 8. What were the original lyrics to the song in "Sven Hoek" ? 9. What will they edit in "Man's Best Friend" ? 10. Is "Hollywood Hoek" a real episode or a dream? 11. Why does "Untamed World" have a unfocused camara during the chase? 12. What (and why) is missing from "Visit To Anthony" that was so bad that part of it was reanimated with Billy West doing Ren? (The scene is the one where Ren bulges his eyes out--the cut to the scene looks funny) (6.) After reading _Cinfantastique_ magazine, I finally found out what happened in "Rubber Nipple Salesmen" with R&S. Ren knocks on the door, and George pops out with the oar (a reference to Man's Best Friend), beats them up, takes them inside, and scales them. Then George cleans them and throws their parts into the sink, and they say "I think this is going to be a hard sell." (9.) Another edit mentioned in _Cinfantastique_ magazine was "Man's Best Friend". Nick will air it only after the violent parts are re-animated (including definitely the oar hitting scene, the greatest scene in R&S history). 12. What about the music? Apart from a few selections, there is not a single piece of original music in the whole show. Instead, R&S quotes extensively from the classical repertoire, as well as 50's style TV themes and takes. In the second season, Raymond Scott's works including "Powerhouse" and "Toy Trumpet" have made it onto the show. (Carl Stalling, the famous Warner Brothers musical composer and director, used his pieces quite frequently.) Space prohibits a complete listing of music here. For some reason, "Sven Hoek" has two versions of background music for reasons unknown. One version has aired consistently on Nick, and the other on MTV. MTV's version has the Raymond Scott and "Death March of a Marionette" pieces missing. From Jeffy@athena.mit.edu: John K apparently wrote "The Muddy Mudskipper Show" theme, and the [words to the (?)] "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song. From jondr@sco.com: Chris Reccardi wrote the [music to the (?)] HHJJ song. He has done work for Tiny Toon Adventures, among other things. Editor's Note: The "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song has made it big. It has hit several charts on different programs (like Dr. Demento, see rec.music.dementia) and radio stations. It also appears in "Rubber Nipple Salesmen" and "Sven Hoek" as a single instrument solo. It has recently appeared in "Haunted House" when Stimpy sings it in the shower. From otg@csi.compuserve.com: The closing theme is not an original composition. It's a version of the Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett) classic blues "Killing Floor". No doubt. In fact, it's VERY similar to the arrangement on the Howlin' Wolf Chess Box. Editor's Note: Official word is that Howlin' Wolf's song is NOT the closing theme, but it may sound like it. Plans for "Der Screamin' Lederhosen" and their record have been scrapped. The musical group plays the opening and closing music of R&S, which was created in a jam session. Members of the group include Chris Reccardi (bass), Scott Huml (drums), and Jim Smith (guitar). 13. Where can I get R&S... ? ... videos? Unfortunately, there is no way to obtain R&S except to tape it or find someone else with it (which the writers of this FAQ do NOT promote because it is against copyright laws). Previous announcements that at least BHB was available on "Tournee of Animation" tapes were in error. Rumors have been spreading that Nick plans to start selling them in Summer 1993. (Commentary: Let's hope they are uncut.) ... animation cels? Some are going to be auctioned off in December 1992. Rumor has it that the cell from Big House Blues went for the most at a price (I believe) $7500. (Details are sketchy about this auction.) If you want one and don't have a lot of money, enter the contest that _Ren_And_Stimpy_Exposed!_ magazine is running for us loyal fans; the cel is from "The Boy Who Cried Rat!" where R&S are in front of the house looking for a plan. Unfortunately, it's over, and I didn't win. ... GIFs? Check Adam Frampton's R&S FTP list. He posts it bi-weekly on alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy. (See #17) ... sounds? See Also #17 about the FTP site guide. From rogue@cellar.org: ab20 was closed back in May. The entire archives have been shuttled to wuarchive.wustl.edu and nic.funet.fi. The Ren & Stimpy sounds are part of the Amiga archives. (wuarchive has done some shuffling of the ab20 files, and no longer has a mirror of the old site. The sounds may have been moved to another directory.) From bkariger@aunix.fullerton.edu: We can rightly claim to be the first to have contributed digital samplings of Ren & Stimpy audio to INet and several other networks. (Well, OK, we are 98% sure of it; and we would like to know of any other uploads, both earlier and later.) They originally appeared in the Info-Mac archives. (The Info-Mac archives are available (by using FTP, account anonymous, any password) in the info-mac directory on sumex-aim.stanford.edu [36.44.0.6]. Help files and indices are in /info-mac/help.) They are in the /info-mac/sound directory: ... posters and shirts? They've now spread to most any mall T-shirt store. ... coffee cups? A company called "Custom Screenprinting" makes them (from bub@vuse.vanderbilt.edu). ... calendars? "Advance Comics Catalog" reports that a 18 month calendar for 1993 and 2nd half 1992 will be available in August from Andrews & McMeel. It'll cost $8.95 and will be in full color (from michaelb@sol.cse.fau.edu) Editor's Note: I have one which is a 12 month from the same company. Forget about finding it this year. Look for it next year. (What'll we do till then?:) ... postcards? They have turned up in novelty stores like Spencer Gifts. Thirty-two postcards for $5.99. ... R&S moving stickers? Cracker Jacks is holding a advertising gimmick with Nick putting these beauties in their boxes. Make Stimpy hwarf onto Ren by changing your viewpoint. Cracker Jacks are at a grocery store near you (or me:). ... comic books? See Also #16 and #17 for more information) Marvel Comics have released the first issue in late October 1992. Future updates about the comics will be going into its own document. Email Fred Ochs at ochs@cs.wmich.edu for your copy of it when it was ready to be published! (Coming soon to an ftp site near you:) ... dolls and action figures? Nick has a deal with Mattel to make Ren and Stimpy dolls. According to _Previews_ magazine, there will be four dolls. One set of two (one Ren and one Stimpy) will each say six phrases from the show. (Stimpy's string to talk will be a hairball on his mouth.) The other set will make flatulating sounds. The "Farting" dolls cost about $15 and the "Talking" dolls cost $35 or so. Mattel is also producing action figures: Cmdr. Hoek and Cadet Stimpy, Army R&S, and plain ol' R&S. Deluxe R&S figures are a "bathtub" Ren and a "catbox" Stimpy. Dakin also has a deal with Nick and has produced two plush toys. They are available at stores like "Cartoon Corner" and "Spencer Gifts." Prices run from $14.99 to $35 apiece. ... key chains? Details are sketchy for this hot little item. ... further information? _Film_Threat_ magazine has a 18 page article in its December 1992 issue (number 7). _Ren_and_Stimpy_Exposed!_ is entire magazine devoted to our favorite heroes. (I don't know its date though) There is a new spread about R&S on a magazine called _Cinfantastique_. It's supposed to rival _Film_Threat's_ spread in the amount of information. Look for it at Walden Books. ($5.50) It carries through the story _R&S_Exposed_ and _Film_Threat_ began and includes edits of our favorite cartoon. Go to the library and check out Reader's Guide To Periodicals. There are a whole slew of R&S articles from the year of 1992 and 1993. (Newspapers had many articles too.) ... "Frontier Log," "Powdered Toast," "Gritty Kitty Litter," etc? "You sick little monkey!" "Don't you know cartoons will ruin your MIND?!" -- Ren, "Stimpy's Big Day" ... other products for the drooling fanboy in each of us? Stay tuned. 14. Is there a fan club? From jeffy@athena.mit.edu: Hahaha! It never occured to me, until I was looking at a just-finished copy of X Magazine #10 ("Big Ren & Stimpy Blow-Out" issue, plug plug) to post the address of the Almost-Official Ren and Stimpy Fan Club. So: Ren & Stimpy Fan Club 2930 Jacob St. Hamtramck, MI 48212 15. What about the future of R&S? We are now towards the end of Season 2. The future of R&S is very murky at the moment. Rumors are flying of John K's dismissal for submitting inappropriate material and being behind schedule. The rights to the characters are owned by Nick, so it's conceivable that R&S could go on under new management. All of this is way up in the air as this goes to print. John K. has been removed as head of R&S, and Spumco has lost the rights to produce R&S. Bob Camp, one of John's partners at Spumco, will head a new studio. The name of the company, who is still working on R&S, and other facts are all still up in the air as the public is concerned. Nick announced in late fall 1992 that new Ren And Stimpys will be playing starting on November 7, 1992 and play new ones bi-weekly. Nick is also looking for a replacement for Ren (and probably Mr. Horse) because John K. has decided to quit doing the voice. (Billy West is doing the interim Ren, as mentioned above. Although its more like Ren and Peter Lorre combined, it's just not John K. But I am biased on this point, though.) According to a recent poster, John K. now believes that R&S are "dead." He may correct in the sense that some of their best material is now banned including the disputed "Out West" cartoon. Nick has six shows left to air but will hold out as long as possible to keep them fresh; it looks like re-run mania until February, a ratings month. It looks like Ren And Stimpy cult fans are in for a bumpy ride. Nick has ordered 65 (sixty-five) episodes for Season 3, which means the creativity will go down for sure (if they don't it will be a surprise). The remaining Season 2 shows have episodes when Ren is played by Billy West. "Monkey See, Monkey Don't" and "Fake Dad" were the only two new R&S from February sweeps--not to mention an edited Powdered Toast Man reappeared with the title of the "pope" changed to "the funny little man with the pointy hat." On the other end of the spectrum, John K. is now working on two shows for the fall: "He Hog" (a superatomic pig) and a variety show hosted by George Liquor ("Hello! I'm George Liquor, American!"). "Out West," BTW, did make a come back unedited in February sweeps. I believe Nick wanted to save their newest song until the "HHJJ" song died down in popularity. "The Great Outdoors" and "The Cat Who Laid The Golden Hairball" have premiered. Nick is premiering the rest of the cartoons by single airings. MTV is showing R&S at erratic times; keep an eye on your local listings. April 24, 1993 Update: "Stimpy's Fan Club" airs, and Nick-Mania is showing eight shows of our favorite duo. Oh Joy Of Joy! May 8, 1993: Other new shows have aired and unaired episodes have been in limbo. They have been covered in the guide and encyclopedia. John K. is planning to bring back the show in a similar format an attitudes with George Liquor (Ren-type personality) and Jimmy The Hapless Boy (Stimpy-type dufus) in a television show, according to _Cinfantastique_ magazine. Nick Mania has SNICK Mania so that R&S gets played two more times than usual--Oh Joy! "Visit To Anthony" has been aired. 16. What about the comic book? The comic book is produced by Marvel Comics. It is currently up to issue seven or eight. My friend Jamal can explain the going's on with it better than I can. (Thanks Jamal for the info!) From: Jamal Hannah (jamal@silver.lcs.mit.edu) I also recently talked to an animation-student friend of mine on the phone who knows the main artist of the Ren & Stimpy comic pretty well. (Mike Kazaleh is the main artist.. he's also known for his work on his own comic: "Captain Jack", from Fantagraphics Books, as well as some stories in the comic "Critters", also from Fantagraphics Books. More recently Mike has done work on "The Mighty Mutimals" from Marvel Comic's "Archie Series" of Kid's comic books. All of these comics would be in the back-issue's section of a comic store. They are worth looking up, because Mike Kazaleh has an art style and a zany type of humor of his own that is quite enjoyable. Mike has also done animation work for Ralph Bakshi-he designed "The Cow" in "The Adventures of Mighty Mouse" (as well as animated sequances with him)... in fact, if you really want more Ren & Stimpy info from Mike himself, you can try writing to him through Marvel comics or Fantagraphics Books (Editor's Note: what are their address?) Supposivly, John K. didn't like Mike Kazaleh's work in the Ren & Stimpy comic, but that's most likly because Mike puts alot more of "himself" into the work than John K.. (I'm sure John is rather cynical about most of what is going on with his characters at this point.. to think that if he had just kept the rights to the characters and gotten a loan, and released the cartoons on local access cable stations, or somethign simmilar, he may have made less money at first, but would have kept complete creative control of his creations and storylines!) 17. Where can I find archived information on R&S? The official spot for R&S information stored at aug3.augsburg.edu via ftp (This is anonymous ftp.). To get the FAQ and other documents through email: send an electronic mail message to ren-n-stimpy@aug3.augsburg.edu and it will autoreply. With each new updated FAQ, I will be sending a message telling the people who asked for it to resend to the listserver if they want the updated version. I have written a supplemental guide to Nick Sayer's Not-So-Official-Episode-Guide called "The Ren and Stimpy Encyclopedia." It contains miscellaneous info. which the other guide doesn't cover, including the components of shows, SNICK airings, and titles of scripts that are in production. It is under the filename called "ren-n-stimpy.encyclopedia". (It was called "The Ren And Stimpy Extra" previously.) FTP Sites For Ren And Stimpy are what you are searching? Then try Adam Frampton at frampton@access.digex.com for a list of them! (Look for his periodic postings on alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy.) 18. Our .SIGs and ASCII Pictures If you want your ASCII Ren and Stimpy cartoon pictures in here, please email them to me. ___________________ / CLING \ ___________ / TENACIOUSLY TO \ (_( ___ ___ ) \ MY BUTTOCKS! / /_/-( c) (c )< \ \ ________________/ | | <_ | | / |_| ` () ' | ___/ __\_ ( __ ) _/__ / /| \ / |\ \ ( ) ~ ~ ( ) ( |\ ( . . ) /| ) ( ) \ -- -- / ( ) | ,| | ___ | ,| | \__/ \| / - | - \ |/ \__/ \oooO\_____________/Oooo/ \ _____ / \. p | m ./ | \_____/ | / / \ \ (____) (____) /_____| |_____\ ___| | | |___ (_______| |_______) Powdered Toast Man From: Anthony J Pierre (pierre@mari.acc-admin.stolaf.edu) If you want to use Stimpy in a signature within four lines, use the smiley face of =O). It is a smiley I created which represents Stimpy. -- Nick Sayer <mrapple@quack.sac.ca.us> | "Now we can talk to cheese N6QQQ @ N0ARY.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM | anywhere in the world, regardless 37 19 49 N / 121 57 36 W | of their foreign tongues!" +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest' | -- Stimpy ____ ,------------------------------------------, . _ . /# /_\_ | "The FAQ Is Over. See You Next Time!" | |\_|/__/| | |/o\o\ | "What'll Do Till My Next FAQ?" | / / \/ \ \ | \\_/_/ | "You Could Clean Your Belly Button" | /__|O||O|__ \ / |_ | | "You Could Eat Olive Loaf Till You Puke" | |/_ \_/\_/ _\ | | ||\_ ~| | "I Know...Read alt.tv.ren-n-stimpy!" | | | (____) | || | ||| \/ | | \/\___/\__/ // | |||_ | Norman "Stimpy" Sippel | (_/ || \// | | Alias "Shawn" "Killer Kadoogen" | | || || | | | | ||\ ||_ \ | Thought To Be Emailed At ._________| \ //_/ \_| o| | ngsippel@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu | HAPPY | \______// /\___/ | ngsippel@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu | HAPPY | __ || __|| / ||||__ | ngsippel@komodo.ham.muohio.edu | JOY JOY | (____(____) (___)_) |------------------------------------------| /***********\ ____ ,----------------------------------, . _ . /# /_\_ | | |\_|/__/| | |/o\o\ | "Lord Loves A Hangin', | / / \/ \ \ | \\_/_/ | That's Why He Gave Us Necks, | /__|O||O|__ \ / |_ | | It Tightens Up Our Vocal Chords, | |/_ \_/\_/ _\ | | ||\_ ~| | And Loosens Up Our Pecs!" | | | (____) | || | ||| \/ | | \/\___/\__/ // | |||_ | Norman "Stimpy" Sippel | (_/ || \// | | Alias "Shawn" "Killer Kadoogen" | | || || | | | | ||\ ||_ \ | Thought To Be Emailed At | \ //_/ \_| o| | ngsippel@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu | \______// /\___/ | ngsippel@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu | __ || __|| / ||||__ | ngsippel@komodo.ham.muohio.edu | (____(____) (___)_) |----------------------------------| /***********\