Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of one of the most iconic animated shows of all time.
The documentary from filmmakers Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood charts the development of The Ren & Stimpy Show from its conception all the way through to becoming a pop-culture phenomenon, to its untimely end following constant production dramas and a falling-out between Nickelodeon executives and the show’s controversial mastermind, John Kricfalusi. The film speaks to all of the key players involved in the show’s history, including Kricfalusi and his right-hand man, Bob Camp, who was just as influential in the success of the iconic series.
The filmmakers do an excellent job of offering a look into the mind of Kricfalusi (aka John K), and the inspiration behind his characters. The interviews with John K and all of the creators, including the animators, background artists, writers, and voice-over artists give a rare insight into the processes involved in creating an ultra-quirky, hand-drawn animated series. The process was gruelling, and John K’s eccentricities often too much to handle, but the outcome was undeniable. For a time, the creative team behind The Ren & Stimpy Show were the rockstars of the industry, and with rockstar status comes rockstar lifestyles and rockstar ego’s, which would be the reason behind the show’s demise.
The entire concept behind The Ren & Stimpy Show was madness, its characters grotesque and psychotic, with stories and themes that make you wonder how the show was ever targeted to children. Such a concept could only be dreamt up by a mad creator, and the filmmakers do not falter in their accurate representation of John K’s fitting personality, and the controversies surrounding him. The key controversy being his romantic involvement with an underage woman while at the height of his popularity, which is a story that can be hard to absorb, and one that’s forever tarnished the creator’s legacy.
Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story takes its time getting to the details of the controversy, which is one of the more interesting aspects of the show’s history. By the time the details are revealed, we’d have learned all about the creative players behind the scenes and what drove their careers, which is a clever way to set the stage before the big reveal, but comes at the cost of feeling like a bit of a slog. The account of John K’s controversial, inexcusable act feels somewhat anti-climactic, as the filmmakers never aim to sensationalise the events, staying respectful to their interview subjects.
Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story is a fairly rudimentary documentary film which gives an account of the events that led to the creation and success of one of the most unique television cartoons, with deep insight from everyone involved. It doesn’t shy away from revealing the highs, lows, and controversies surrounding the show’s creator, which is a requirement for riveting viewing, yet it misses a melodramatic punch that a story like this could have benefited from.
Fun Fact:
John K. based the voice of Ren from The Ren & Stimpy Show on Peter Lorre. While that of Stimpy (voiced by Billy West) is based on Larry Fine of The Three Stooges.
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