Why don't people like Ren and Stimpy's Adult Party Cartoon?

While I disagree with many of John K's opinions, he's my favorite cartoonist of all time. Do I like him as a person? Ehhhh. Well, he was nice when I met him on AIM, I guess...where was I?

I love writing-driven cartoons like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Phineas and Ferb, and IMHO the two most well-written cartoons, Futurama dn South Park. However, my favorite kind of cartoon is the kind that makes my eyes melt. John K. is great at this. He's posting some layouts from an unfinished APC episode on his blog...and they're beautiful.

http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/

Just ignore the part where he rips on writing for cartoons (PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD IGNORE IT) and enjoy the beautiful pictures.

My point is: what is it people have against APC? I'm trying to figure it out. The only real critcism I've heard is that it's too gross...and that only applies to ONE episode: Onward and Upward, which was written because of fan requests for a nothing-but-gross-jokes episode. Besides that, I've yet to hear one decent explanation for its problems other than "the guy who makes it is mean"...as true as that may be.

I liked maybe half to two-thirds of the episodes actually. The ones I didn't like were too raunchy for my tastes, but I do think this series gets more flak than it deserves.

Ruined Forever would probably describe Ren and Stimpy's adult party cartoon. Although in my own view, I think the show itself gets too much hate for granted. It Needs More Love though, but YMMV. Now some of these APC episodes were funny while others had flaws(what doesn't have flaws anyways? You can't have anything perfect you know). From my understandings Onward and Upward was originally to be part of the Nick R&S, but it never came to be. Same went with Stimpy's pregnant, although it never happened at Nick. If my memory was right, it never happened for Nick because nobody was pregnant though?

I haven't watched the show in a long time, but I do liked three episodes. Fire Dogs II, Naked Beach Frenzy, and Ren Seeks Help. Fire dogs had me laughing hard since the fire-chief was voiced by an old friend of John's. NBF had some great animation on the chicks. Ren Seeks help was flat out the best episode. I am a bit annoyed on Spike's part, they chickened out big time. They didn't show Naked Beach Frenzy but however they managed to air Striperrella. Hypocritical isn't it? A episode that never happened called Life Sucks(however John's blog has an storyboard video of it) which was to be part of APC's second season. Never happened thanks to Spike screwing up. A bit off the subject though, anyone hear about Cartoon Network asking John for a new R&S cartoon?

edited 15th Apr '11 2:54:23 AM by Theoriginalblader

Apparently, John thinks it's his best work in terms of animation, but he disliked the amount of adult humor he was forced to put in.

I didn't watch the whole run, but from what I saw, it honestly just wasn't funny. I did like Ren Seeks Help, but other than that... and I have to say that John K's post-R&S track record makes it hard to take some of his opinions seriously.

Besides, some of the characterization choices, uh, kind of invited backlash.

From what I know about John K, he wants cartoons to take advantage of it's medium.

Not necesarily saying that things like story and writing should be ignored, but there's not really a point in making are cartoon if you won't put effort into the animation.

I can respect that to a point, but I think if something entertains me, I think it desrves credit regardless of it takes full advantage of its medium.

I won't deny he has talent though.

I guess it mostly gets its Hatedom from fans who loathed the darker, grosser approach it took compared to the original show—which, i constantly stress, was not really John K's fault, but just typical Executive Meddling—even though most people claim that he alone derailed the show by having too much creative control, and some even go as far as to claiming that the original show was made good because of its meddling.

Anyways, some of it is good (Naked Beach Frenzy, Ren Seeks Help) but some of it is awful (Fire Dogs II).

Wow. I said APC is good and I HAVEN'T been called a retard, a faggot, or even a jerk.

This is..amazing.

And yes, I admit a lot of the gross stuff felt forced...because technically it was. But it still had great VA, music (all of which was stock, but still), sound effects, and animation. Firedogs II was HILARIOUS, regardless of how gross it was. I have about 15 storyboards NOBODY on eBay wanted.

APC is actually closer to John's vision than Ripping Friends, which was butchered by a Canadian layout department without him even knowing.

I do know the first episode left a bad taste in users mouths during a discussion topic on Game FA Qs.

I did! Yeah I don't understand it either.

They had a few funny gags, but too much mandated vulgarity.

Didn't the original show have that?

I thought Fire Dogs II was painfully funny. The awkward horribleness of the chief is done just right.

Someone who agrees!

According to the DVD intros:

Firedogs II: Made because people wanted the Fire Chief to come back.

Naked Beach Frenzy: Made because people wanted more Lovely Assistant-style girls.

Onward and Upward: Made because people wanted more gross stuff.

So 3 of the 6 stories were based on fan requests.

Man, I totally agree - I don't get why people hate it so much either. All of the episodes had splendid artwork, and I thought that while some of the episodes pushed the vulgarity too far, they were still pretty funny. Think "Stimpy's Pregnant" and "Onward and Upward", which had some great jokes. But "Ren Seeks Help" remains my favourite out of all the episodes made.

I'm still kinda pissed that "Life Sucks" and that George Liquor cartoon John posted the layouts for recently never got made. Those would be interesting to see.

I used to watch the originals on Nick all the time. Back then I was younger and unaware of the drama between John K and Nickelodeon. I loved the animation and it was just funny and gross without going over the top. It was the right balance most likely because of nick's meddling..I dont know what happened with APC but I watched the first episode back in 03 and was totally turned off by it. It wasn't funny at all. I'm no homophobe but the homoerotic stuff between Ren and Stimpy was too much. At least in the originals it was very subtle, almost non existent. I honestly think that first APC episode was an awful way to introduce Ren and Stimpy to a new audience and for old fans like me it was shameful to watch. Thank god TNN pulled it off the air to save any further embarassment to the Ren & Stimpy name.

Further embarrassment?

You're kidding, right?

More embarrassment was done by the Games episodes than ANYTHING ELSE could ever done. Even assuming APC was horrible, that argument is completely invalid.

Remember Egg Yolkeo when Stimpy murdered (ate) Ren's son, and Ren's son's last words were "I love you daddy"? Yeah, that wasn't horribly depressing and out-of-character.

Gross humor that is abundant and adult themes is an odd mix.

Whats the one where Ren and Stimpy have sex in bed and do the pitcher and catcher thing?

Yeah...thats what I hated.

Thats what my childhood needed...

Yeah I stopped watching after that.

I recall the "pitcher and catcher" thing from the episode where they were trying to live inside of a bar spittoon or something...? That was what told me that this wasn't the Ren & Stimpy that I grew up with. Oh, and the whole living in a spittoon thing.

God, that pretty much destroyed it for me.

I don't get it.

Aside from the gay confirmation, why would an episode about living in a spittoon be any different than the topics of the original show? I don't really get any of the hate.

The fact they had sex?

Is nostalgia really that sacred?