History WesternAnimation / TheRippingFriends

Intended to be Kricfalusi's SpiritualSuccessor to ''Ren and Stimpy'', it's production was stymied by his usual creative differences with network and studio heads, who [[http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2007/10/maintaining-guts-from-department-to.html dismissed his trademark off-model custom poses]] for something more conventional, spoiling his vision for the show until he came to outright loathe it, resulting in it's short run.

The series aired on Canada's Creator/{{Teletoon}} and, in America, on Creator/FoxKids in the twilight years of the block (and of Saturday morning cartoons in general) and once aired on Creator/AdultSwim (since this show, like ''Ren and Stimpy'', looks way too gross and sexual to be considered "children's entertainment") in 2002.

!!Tropes:

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: No, there's no such thing as a fart gland.

''The Ripping Friends'' (2001-2002) was a ''very'' short-lived animated series created by Creator/JohnKricfalusi of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' fame. It was about four brothers who are superheroes: Crag (the leader), Rip, Slab and Chunk. Their chief is their mother, He-Mom, who is a [[LadyLooksLikeADude very masculine woman]]. Their servant and biggest fan is Jimmy the Idiot Boy from ''The George Liquor Show'' (and the "Spumco" production card at the end of the John K-produced episodes of ''Ren and Stimpy''): a brain-dead, idiotic 8 year who can't speak properly. Their RoguesGallery included Citrocet, a MadScientist; the Indigestible Wad, a living wad of gum; Flathead, a sapient tapeworm; and Frictor.

''The Ripping Friends'' (2001-2002) was a ''very'' short-lived animated series created by Creator/JohnKricfalusi of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' fame. It was about four brothers who are superheroes: Crag (the leader), Rip, Slab and Chunk. Their chief is their mother, He-Mom, who is a [[LadyLooksLikeADude very masculine woman]]. Their servant and biggest fan is Jimmy the Idiot Boy from ''The George Liquor Show'' (and the "Spumco" production card at the end of the John K-produced episodes of ''Ren and Stimpy''): a brain-dead, idiotic teenager who can't speak properly. Their RoguesGallery included Citrocet, a MadScientist; the Indigestible Wad, a living wad of gum; Flathead, a sapient tapeworm; and Frictor.

* AchievementsInIgnorance: Jimmy, an ordinary moron, is able to fly perfectly while emulating Pooperman. It's possible that the Ripping Friends let a complete moron wear an anti-gravity device, but... yeah.

** [[ArtisticLicenseBiology Artistic License: Biology]]: No, there's no such thing as a fart gland.

* KidSidekick: Parodied with Man Man's sidekick, Boy Boy; Crag notices how Man Man tends to put Boy Boy in ridiculously dangerous situations and goes to stop him, taking Jimmy along as his own KidSidekick.

* KryptoniteFactor: Riptonite, created by bombarding the Ripping Friends' DNA with radiation. It's actually a ruse Crag created when fighting The Man From Next Thursday; the villain was getting all his info from a comic book, so Crag had the comic print the baloney story about their weakness.

* TokenMinority: The Ripping Friends are brothers, yet Slab is black. Of course, since they're all not very bright, Slab has to remind them of it sometimes.
** Characteristically, Slab went from doing Creator/MrT-esque one liners to saying a thing or two that [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar might upset the more politically correct audience]].

** According to the concept art of the show in a early 90's issue of "Wild Animation Kingdom" Slab was originally white.

* StockScream: The Insane Tantrum Scream is used when the titular villain of the two-part episode "The Man from Next Thursday" zaps him with Riptonite.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: The Ripping Friends stand for Excessive American Vigilantism, which usually means buttloads of destruction, excessive and abusive violence on all beings, and a general pandering to Right-Wing Extremists. Still, they're definitely the heroes compared to their archenemy Citrocet, Yugoslavia's most famous Villain/Torture Expert/Tyrant/OmnicidalManiac.

* StockScream: The Insane Tantrum Scream is used when the titular villain of the two-part episode "The Man from Next Thursday" zaps him with Riptonite.

* SuperHero

The hallmark of Kricfalusi's work is the custom poses for acting purposes. Unfortunately, as the Canadian studios apparently decided that [[http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2007/10/maintaining-guts-from-department-to.html in order to be successful the show needed to be perfectly on-model,]] almost all of the entertainment value that should have existed is gone, and John K. seemingly loathes this series.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/RippingFriends_2685.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:IT'S RIPPING TIME!]]

* ShoutOut: Guess who "[[{{Superman}} Pooperman]]" is a CaptainErsatz of.

** Characteristically, Slab went from doing Mr. T-esque one liners to saying a thing or two that [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar might upset the more politically correct audience]].

* {{Expy}}: Rip is basically just Kirk Douglas, one of the many references John K. makes to his favorite actor.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Each of the Ripping Friends had an episode devoted to them.
* AffectionateParody: Of Superheroes

* DestructiveSavior: THeir usual modus operandi.

''The Ripping Friends'' (2001-2002) was a ''very'' short-lived animated series created by Creator/JohnKricfalusi of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' fame. It was about four brothers who are superheroes: Crag (the leader), Rip, Slab and Chunk. Their chief is their mother, He-Mom, who is a [[LadyLooksLikeADude very masculine woman]]. Their servant and biggest fan is Jimmy the Idiot Boy from ''The George Liquor Show'' (and the "Spumco" production card at the end of the John K-produced episodes of ''Ren and Stimpy''): a brain-dead, idiotic teenager who can't speak properly. Their RoguesGallery included Citrocet, a MadScientist; the Indigestible Wad, a living wad of gum; Flathead, a sapient tapeworm and Frictor.

The series aired on Canada's Teletoon channel and, in America, on FOXKids in the twilight years of the block (and of Saturday morning cartoons in general) and once aired on Creator/AdultSwim (since this show, like ''Ren and Stimpy'', looks way too gross and sexual to be considered "children's entertainment") in 2002.

* GrossoutShow: Not as much as ''Ren&Stimpy'', but there were moments of this (and there would have been a lot more if John Kricfalusi had more control of the show).

* TheAce: Rip. In a twelve episode series where every character has at least one spotlight, Rip is the central character in at least three episodes. He's often shown as the strongest, angriest, and most impulsive in a universe where brute strength and anger are superpowers.

* {{Fartillery}}: One episode features Citrocet magically gaining flatulence-based powers and calling himself "Stinky Butt the Foul". His farts are[[GreenLanternRing all-purpose]]: not only are they noxious, but he can fly, create monsters, and [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking SKYWRITE]] with them.

* {{Fartillery}}: One episode features Citrocet magically gaining flatulence-based powers and calling himself "Stinky Butt the Foul". His farts are[[GreenLanternRing all-purpose]]: not only are they noxious, but he can fly, create monsters, and [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking SKYWRITE]] with them.

* {{Fartillery}}: One episode features Citrocet magically gaining flatulence-based powers and calling himself "Stinky Butt the Foul". His farts are[[GreenLanternRing all-purpose]]: not only are they noxious, but he can fly, create monsters, and [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking SKYWRITE]] with them.

* StylisticSuck: As with all John K. cartoons. The goal when drawing the characters on this show was to make them "Stiff, but stylish." as a tribute to old fashioned superhero comic art.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: The Ripping Friends stand for Excessive American Vigilantism, which usually means buttloads of destruction, excessive and abusive violence on all beings, and a general pandering to Right-Wing Extremists. Still, they're definitely the heroes compared to their archenemy Citrus Head, Yugoslavia's most famous Villain/Torture Expert/Tyrant/OmnicidalManiac.

* ChildSoldier: Citrus Head deploys these to take over Europe. They're better fed and healthier than they claim to be, but that's still a ''two-year old girl using an assault rifle'' in a poverty-stricken war-zone. It's about as [[{{Bathos}} funny-disturbing]] as you'd expect.

** Averted in the episode "Jimmy's Kidnapped": Jimmy might be a moron who gets beaten up by his family on a regular basis, but even he knows what torture is, especially when it's performed by Citrus Head and his Gorilla Head Examiner. Rip and company feel his pain.

''The Ripping Friends'' (2001-2002) was a ''very'' short-lived animated series created by Creator/JohnKricfalusi of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' fame. It was about four brothers who are superheroes: Crag (the leader), Rip, Slab and Chunk. Their chief is their mother, He-Mom, who is a [[LadyLooksLikeADude very masculine woman]]. Their servant and biggest fan is Jimmy the Idiot Boy from ''The George Liquor Show'' (and the "Spumco" production card at the end of the John K-produced episodes of ''Ren and Stimpy''): a brain-dead, idiotic teenager who can't speak properly. Their RoguesGallery included Citrocet, a MadScientist given the ability to use [[{{Fartillery}} farts as a weapon]]; the Indigestible Wad, a living wad of gum; Flathead, a sapient tapeworm and Frictor.

The hallmark of Kricfalusi's work is the custom poses for acting purposes. Unfortunately, as the Canadian studios apparently decided that [[http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2007/10/maintaining-guts-from-department-to.html in order to be successful the show needed to be perfectly on-model]], almost all of the entertainment value that should have existed is gone, and John K. seemingly loathes this series.

The series aired on Canada's Teletoon channel and, in America, on FOXKids in the twilight years of the block (and of Saturday morning cartoons in general) and once aired on AdultSwim (since this show, like ''Ren and Stimpy'', looks way too gross and sexual to be considered "children's entertainment") in 2002.