OT -- Ren and Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon [Archive]

Bugsy-Kun

10-11-2008, 07:27 PM

I made this mistake to buy the APC DVD without watching yet i haven't again Spike TV when it was aired.

I think it's one of the most obnoxious things i ever watched on TV this last days. The gags are gross and crude unlike the original show and i notice the show was more inspired to the slapstick comedy of 30's and 40's (Like the Altruits title cards and tiny music who refering to the Three Stooges) than from the Clampett shorts but in much vulgar. I don't suggest you this TV show.

And personally, i'm not satisfied to ADC shows than with the original show, John K. and Games combined.

The "Chase"

10-11-2008, 07:30 PM

From what I've heard, no, it sucks the big one. No funny, too cartoony, too much gross, not enough tolerance.

Also, let me warn you right now...

Expect this month's John K. basing, because if you search here, most of the members here will DESPITES it.

But, I do recommend checking out Ren Seeks Help first. That's usually deemed the best one.

But don't take MY word for it...

(well, this'll be fun to see)

Joe H

10-11-2008, 07:37 PM

From what I've heard, no, it sucks the big one. No funny, too cartoony, too much gross, not enough tolerance.

I agree with all the reasons here except being "too cartoony".

Gasmask Ted

10-11-2008, 08:02 PM

Ren Seeks Help is great. Worth the price of the DVD. Naked Beach Frenzy, Altruists and Stimpy's Pregnant are ok, decreasingly so in that order. Onwards and Upwards and Firedogs 2 aren't so OK, with Onwards and Upwards being the worst, problematic as it was the premiere episode when the show aired. All the cartoons have good moments; Onwards and Upwards is almost unwatchable as a tv half hour, but most individual scenes are funny taken by themselves.
I recommend watching Ren Seeks Help by itself. Then later start watching one episode at a time with time between them. Maybe even interrupting individual episodes (espeically Onwards and Upwards).

Blow past the live action interludes before and after the cartoons on the DVD.

Matt the Y

10-11-2008, 09:32 PM

Do NOT buy this DVD set.

This show was a travesty, a desecration, a complete bastardization of the original Ren & Stimpy show of the early '90s and the most horribly ironic part of all this is that THIS was actually made not by Games but by John Kricfalusi himself. The gags (if you choose to actually call them gags) exist ONLY for the sake of being gross, shocking, and completely offensive without the slightest semblance of actual humor and substance, like John K. is just hurling them at the viewer to see, "Hey, folks! Wanna see something REALLY gross???!!", as if he honestly believes that's ALL his original show was really all about. It wasn't. His original show did have a vision; in ADDITION to all the "gross" and crude stuff thrown in on the original series, there was a lot of "fun" stuff to wade through as well to show that cartoons could once again be fun and at least give the show a plot and some meaning and also so that the viewer could experience something other than shock and repulsion. By contrast, this new show ONLY seemed to go straight for the "gusto"; namely as many jokes about bodily functions, cursing and swearing, references to private human body parts, and even gay sex jokes (To this day, I still can't get Stimpy being reminded, "You're the pitcher, I'm the catcher! You're the pitcher, I'm the catcher!", out of my head!) as possible.

When I first tuned into the show when it debuted on Spike TV back in 2003, I actually had high hopes as if the show was actually going to be the new "second coming" of Ren & Stimpy now that it was finally back in John K.'s hands once again. NOPE!!!!! All it proved to me was that now, more than ever, Ren & Stimpy, as I had always known them, were forever dead! :( :eek: :mad:

Matthew Hunter

10-11-2008, 09:59 PM

The clips of Ren and Stimpy in acts of a homosexual nature and of Ren beating Mr. Horse half to death prevented me from seeking it out.:eek:

Gasmask Ted

10-11-2008, 09:59 PM

Matt, did you watch after Onwards and Upwards, or buy the DVD? As I said, I think O&U was a very bad intro to the new show, but there were much better eps later (including the three that didn't air).

Matt the Y

10-11-2008, 10:30 PM

Matt, did you watch after Onwards and Upwards, or buy the DVD? As I said, I think O&U was a very bad intro to the new show, but there were much better eps later (including the three that didn't air).

I also watched Ren Seeks Help and Fire Dogs Part II. I was vastly unimpressed by both, although Ren Seeks Help had its' moments. Fire Dogs Part II, however, did not; it was a worthless unnecessary sequel that just made a waste of (the superfluously used) Ralph Bakshi who does nothing throughout the episode but babble inanely and incessantly and act unbelievably stupid anyway. Oh, and the gags that are just gross and shocking for the sake of just being gross and shocking are in those episodes as well, particularly in Fire Dogs P2 (there is a prostate examination scene involving Ralph that is best left unwatched:eek: ).

Leviathan

10-11-2008, 10:54 PM

I could spend all night listing all of the things that made Ren and Stimpy: APC an absolute chore to sit through. But, to be succinct, let me just say this.

APC, in the face of all its failings in art, timing, humor, episode lengths, and especially entertainment, was pretentious. It had an obnoxious "LOOK AT ME! I'M THE MOST CARTOONY CARTOON ON TELEVISION. FAMILY GUY IS CRAP. EACH DRAWING OF EACH CHARACTER IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I'M BETTER THAN EVERY CARTOON MADE SINCE BOB CLAMPETT LEFT WARNER BROS." air about it that made it impossible for APC to be half as witty, fun, joyful and semnial as the original Ren and Stimpy.

Daffysleftfoot

10-11-2008, 11:09 PM

"LOOK AT ME! I'M THE MOST CARTOONY CARTOON ON TELEVISION. FAMILY GUY IS CRAP. EACH DRAWING OF EACH CHARACTER IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I'M BETTER THAN EVERY CARTOON MADE SINCE BOB CLAMPETT LEFT WARNER BROS."

Well, you get that moreso from reading John K.'s blog. Anyone who doesn't know or care who John K. is wouldn't really sense that too much.

Yes, Ren Seeks Help is the best of the bunch. I think on the whole it works as a great psychodrama. The rest have their moments, some good and some bad.

If you do end up buying this dvd, do NOT watch any of the live action "extras". They were all shot in John's basement while they were all having a 'brewsky' together. And most of it consists of Eddie Fitzgerald gushing about what a great great animation genius John is.

Brandon Panther

10-11-2008, 11:28 PM

If you do end up buying this dvd, do NOT watch any of the live action "extras". They were all shot in John's basement while they were all having a 'brewsky' together. And most of it consists of Eddie Fitzgerald gushing about what a great great animation genius John is.
Was Katie Rice present? Did she get drunk and strip?

Sorry, that was uncalled for. I had a bad day.

I never watched APC. As soon as I read that John K. would be getting more "creative freedom" I knew I'd have to steer clear of it. I hated the animation. The way the characters are drawn is AWEFUL! I know John K. can draw his characters the way he wants, but IMO Ren looked better how he looked in the early Nickelodeon shows in 1991, when his head was smaller, and eyes bulgier.

The guy who voiced Stimpy sucked (I head some samples of it in promos). Billy West IS Stimpy, both vocally AND mentally.

Daws Butler Jr.

10-11-2008, 11:40 PM

APC, in the face of all its failings in art, timing, humor, episode lengths, and especially entertainment, was pretentious. It had an obnoxious "LOOK AT ME! I'M THE MOST CARTOONY CARTOON ON TELEVISION. FAMILY GUY IS CRAP. EACH DRAWING OF EACH CHARACTER IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I'M BETTER THAN EVERY CARTOON MADE SINCE BOB CLAMPETT LEFT WARNER BROS." air about it that made it impossible for APC to be half as witty, fun, joyful and semnial as the original Ren and Stimpy.

Besides not being funny, this was my biggest complaint. John's edict that you can never use the same pose twice ended up with the characters just looking grotesque and ugly instead of distorted and funny as in the original series.

In APC, John played out all his psychoses on the screen for everyone to see. And absolutely coming out and saying that Ren and Stimpy have gay sex together took any charm out of the relationship that it once had. Not that I'm homophobic, I don't care if he wants his characters to be gay, but being so blatant in the way that he handled it just wasn't funny.

Leviathan

10-11-2008, 11:56 PM

Well, you get that moreso from reading John K.'s blog. Anyone who doesn't know or care who John K. is wouldn't really sense that too much.No, it's pretty obvious from watching the cartoons themselves. Everything about APC screams someone who's trying so hard to reinvigorate "the art of animation" that everything becomes overlabored and tedious. John's blog merely confrims what was already there.

Mr. Semaj

10-11-2008, 11:58 PM

When I first heard that Ren & Stimpy would be returning, it was like some kind of pipe dream come true. This was before I read deeper into the 1992 takeover, where it turned out, despite John's "creative martyrship", folks like Bob Camp and Bill Wray had a different story to tell.

However, my one concern after seeing the Ranger Smith specials and The Ripping Friends was that this reincarnation would try too hard to be funny, and unfortunately, those concerns were proven true.

I found most of the episodes to be very underwhelming. Even though Ren Seeks Help includes a sly tribute to John's dad, I was turned off by the running gag with the suicidal frog. And although Naked Beach Frenzy showed promise, it was marred by a couple gags where John breaks his own rule about not explaining every obvious action, as well as recurring shots of the hairy lifeguard.

Part of what made the original Ren & Stimpy Show work was that it was actually formatted as an animated variety series, which led to early comparisons to Rocky & Bullwinkle, that nevertheless set out to revive the versatile storytelling that had been absent from most television* cartoons at the time.
But all of that was thrown out the window in Adult Party Cartoon, where even the one Dr. Stupid segment shown was squeezed into a program with very little structure.

Really, Adult Party contradicts a lot of what John K. has striven for in cartoons, and really exposes the folly of being so obsessed with just the drawings. Not like any of his closer fans will understand that 10 million funny drawings doesn't by itself make the greatest cartoon story or acting.

Spumco had complained for years about executive meddling in animation, but APC doesn't help their argument that cartoonists should have absolute control over their products.

(*Keep in mind that even though John Kricfalusi tries to make himself sound better than many TV and theatrical cartoonists, he has spent most of his own 30+ years in animation in the television arena, which even he himself admits is at a lower pedestal than theatrics.)

Studio Toledo

10-12-2008, 12:51 AM

Was Katie Rice present? Did she get drunk and strip?

Sorry, that was uncalled for. I had a bad day.
Funny those guys don't do a podcast together, I've been listening to one lately where a couple people act just like those three!

I never watched APC. As soon as I read that John K. would be getting more "creative freedom" I knew I'd have to steer clear of it. I hated the animation. The way the characters are drawn is AWEFUL! I know John K. can draw his characters the way he wants, but IMO Ren looked better how he looked in the early Nickelodeon shows in 1991, when his head was smaller, and eyes bulgier.
...and when he had a tail? :D

The guy who voiced Stimpy sucked (I head some samples of it in promos). Billy West IS Stimpy, both vocally AND mentally.
Sad they couldn't get him at all.

Studio Toledo

10-12-2008, 12:54 AM

Matt, did you watch after Onwards and Upwards, or buy the DVD? As I said, I think O&U was a very bad intro to the new show, but there were much better eps later (including the three that didn't air).
I often felt the only thing in O&U I ever liked was the "Ask Dr. Stupid" bit, and that was relatively brief, nice they gave a nod to the classic show besides what else transpired in that episode, but yeah, it wasn't a strong one to start off the show when it aired in Spike..

Brandon Panther

10-12-2008, 01:33 AM

...and when he had a tail? :D

Yes that too. But even as far back as the first episode "Big House Blues", there were instances when Ren's tail would be absent.

I remember trying to ask John K once a couple years ago why he stopped letting Ren have a tail, and I think his answer was a simple, "He doesn't need one." Personally I think it's just a cheap time-saver. Like when the Disney animators stopped drawing Goofy's ears in the 60s.

J. J. Hunsecker

10-12-2008, 01:47 AM

I would rate them this way:

Ren Seeks Help -- has the best animation, and the most coherent story. Ren is so psychotic though, that the cartoon seems a little too mean-spirited for me, especially in the treatment of the frog.

Onwards and Upwards -- it's difficult for me to judge this one since I have a weak stomach. Some of the jokes are so gross that I almost felt nauseous. Maybe that's why it's called a gag. I thought the gay jokes were clever though.

Naked Beach Frenzy -- the beginning has some nice animation, then it all goes horribly wrong. There's some real obvious cost cutting going on with this cartoon. As it moves along the animation gets worse, and some scenes of Ren are so poorly drawn that it's shocking that this was approved by John K. (Specifically, when Ren pretends to drown, the drawing is horrible and amateurish.)

Altruists -- this one starts off with some funny ideas, especially when Ren and Stimpy try to sneak past a guarding duck, but the cartoon goes off the rails in the second act, when Stimpy helps build a house. Again, some really weird and ugly drawings of the characters (and not in the good, Basil Wolverton way), especially in the scene where Ren and Stimpy saw wood.

Stimpy's Pregnant -- in this cartoon, the best scenes are in the second act, when a cop tries to help Ren and Stimpy reach the hospital on time. The ending is another series of gross-out gags, though.

I didn't see the other episodes. For the whole series, Ren's voice sounds older, while Stimpy's sounds younger, and a little off. The characters didn't look as appealing as they did in the original series. Some of the Ed Benedick influence was missing.

Compare APC:http://whiggles.landofwhimsy.com/funbag/pregnant.jpghttp://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/altruists_05g-756676.jpg

Original:http://media.ourstory.com/80/00/00/7037dfd226c005020962065a58c91fa19d502aa7/37b4036ce8f20716694c5691c51096b40a5957b9.jpghttp://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/dasolch/REN_AND_STIMPY2-01.jpg

Studio Toledo

10-12-2008, 02:17 AM

Yes that too. But even as far back as the first episode "Big House Blues", there were instances when Ren's tail would be absent.

I remember trying to ask John K once a couple years ago why he stopped letting Ren have a tail, and I think his answer was a simple, "He doesn't need one." Personally I think it's just a cheap time-saver. Like when the Disney animators stopped drawing Goofy's ears in the 60s.
It was a lazy cheat, but I guess effective if you didn't feel like drawing it over and over (course tell that to a furry artist who often cares over those details).

Studio Toledo

10-12-2008, 02:20 AM

I didn't see the other episodes. For the whole series, Ren's voice sounds older, while Stimpy's sounds younger, and a little off. The characters didn't look as appealing as they did in the original series. Some of the Ed Benedick influence was missing.

Compare APC:http://whiggles.landofwhimsy.com/funbag/pregnant.jpghttp://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/altruists_05g-756676.jpg

Original:http://media.ourstory.com/80/00/00/7037dfd226c005020962065a58c91fa19d502aa7/37b4036ce8f20716694c5691c51096b40a5957b9.jpghttp://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/dasolch/REN_AND_STIMPY2-01.jpg
I felt the look of the characters seem so awkward in APC over the classic series of before (when it still had that appealing factor to it).

Duck Dodgers

10-12-2008, 04:26 AM

The original series (I hope not to have again a reply full of shocked emoticons) was, in my opinion, among the best animated series ever.
I plaude the animation in this new one because it remains better of the general one we are accustomed to in TV, but gags and stories are no way as clever as in the original series, in some case being just garbage.

tristar

10-12-2008, 08:28 AM

Thanks for all the info, guys!:) If I get the chance, one day I'll see "Ren seeks Help", but until then, I'm happy with my Seasons 1&2 DVD set (until it gets re-released, UNCUT).

BTW, John has been rambling for a while about an "Ultimate John K. Set" which will feature all original 32 Spumco episodes
(UNCUT FOR REAL); new special features; and the APC DVD. If this ever gets off the ground, I might see "Ren Seeks Help".

Gasmask Ted

10-12-2008, 09:46 AM

Brandon Panther

10-12-2008, 09:59 AM

I don't think there's been any talk of an ultimate collection for a few years, since around the time of the old releases. The implication being that sales of the regular sets weren't strong enough to interest Viacom in an attempt to double dip. Maybe we'll get lucky on BluRay...
They didn't sell well because they weren't uncut, like the box covers said, so most die-hard fans didn't bother. But Viacom can't grasp that. It's like explaining why vegetables should be eaten to a 2-year old.

Gasmask Ted

10-12-2008, 10:21 AM

I don't think most Ren and Stimpy sales came from people that concerned about the cuts (tho having "uncut" on the cover makes them that much more galling); it's still a mass market property. This differs markedly from the market for boutique releases.

The other options for having RnS on officially released DVD is the Time Life DVD set, which has a slightly different set of cuts than the regular release and is short a few episodes (one episode? I can't recall at the moment), was more expensive and only available directly from Time Life (and then the secondary market). Official videotapes are of varying quality and have various cuts. The one laserdisc is just the two "Classics" VHS tapes. And fan taped sets have their own quality issues (tho some supposedly overcome most of the cuts issues). "Die hard fans"would be dieing pretty easily if they didn't pick up the Season 1 and 2 DVD. Unless you mean UK/Australian fans who imported instead of buying in their region due to the additional cuts they had to endure.

Speedy Boris

10-12-2008, 10:52 AM

I find it ironic that many Spumco devotees criticized the Games episodes for being a barrage of gross-out gags with no substance, when that's what the APC episodes were. And actually, they were worse because while the actual animation was usually above average, the facial expressions (while admittedly unique) were often ugly, too detailed, and unappealing, the jokes usually fell flat, the plots could've been told in half the time, and the voices were all screwed up. And I wouldn't have minded the gay jokes if they were funny, but they weren't. Oh, I get it, Ren is sawing a log off Stimpy's butt like they're having anal sex. Real subtle analogy there.

Double ironically, John K. loves Clampett's work, but the difference is that Clampett's cartoons (especially his late '30s work) are actually appealing to look at, while APC is not.

About the only consistent positive I can think of was the music (thank you, Jack Shaindlin).
Ren Seeks Help -- has the best animation, and the most coherent story. Ren is so psychotic though, that the cartoon seems a little too mean-spirited for me, especially in the treatment of the frog. RSH was easily the best of the bunch, I'll give it that. While it suffered from many of the same problems as the rest (some of those flashback scenes went on a tad too long), the set-up of Ren doing something so horrible to Stimpy that he'd seek out therapy (and we're never told what) is effective, and I liked the last five minutes quite a bit, when Ren gets defensive when Mr. Horse asks if Ren loves Stimpy. I also liked Mr. Horse saying "Doctor?! I'm a HORSE!" Onwards and Upwards -- it's difficult for me to judge this one since I have a weak stomach. Some of the jokes are so gross that I almost felt nauseous. Maybe that's why it's called a gag. I thought the gay jokes were clever though. The bottom of the barrel. I still remember when I first watched it in 2003, I turned it off after Ren kicked the bum's testicle. Years later I finally watched the rest of it, and I wasn't missing much. Ren teaching Stimpy good table etiquette was a promising idea, but it's drowned out by all the gross bar gags. Stimpy's Pregnant -- in this cartoon, the best scenes are in the second act, when a cop tries to help Ren and Stimpy reach the hospital on time. The ending is another series of gross-out gags, though. Yeah, the first act is full of scenes that go on much longer than they needed to, like Ren bragging on the phone about "knocking up" Stimpy while making him do all the chores, and the never-ending breakfast scene. Around the time they rush to the hospital, it picks up a bit ("MAKE WAY FOR NEW LIFE!"), but it's a shame they had to waste so much time beforehand.

Mr. Semaj

10-12-2008, 11:35 AM

Speedy Boris

10-12-2008, 12:05 PM

^ And I must be one of the few that prefers Billy West's Ren to John's APC Ren. By a longshot. (Of course, it goes without saying that nothing beats John's original R&S Ren)

Brandon Panther

10-12-2008, 12:13 PM

^ And I must be one of the few that prefers Billy West's Ren to John's APC Ren. By a longshot. (Of course, it goes without saying that nothing beats John's original R&S Ren)
Do note however that Billy West originally auditioned for both Ren and Stimpy, but John K. decided he wanted to voice Ren himself, because he thought if West voiced both characters it'd be too much of a workload for him.

With that said, I do agree that John K's Ren voice from the original series sounds excellent. To me, West's Ren sounded too Mexican, when Ren clearly was not (despite being a chilauau... uh.. God I can't spell that for my life).

BUT, I heard samples of Ren speaking in promos for APC, and have to say I was like, "Err... that sounds like West's Ren."

Not to knock Billy West around (I do that enough anyway), he's a great voice actor, and he may have been the original choice for Ren, but John K trumps him.... or he used to anyway.

J. J. Hunsecker

10-12-2008, 12:18 PM

^ And I must be one of the few that prefers Billy West's Ren to John's APC Ren. By a longshot. (Of course, it goes without saying that nothing beats John's original R&S Ren)
Mr. K's voice for Ren was sped up a bit when recorded for the original series. He opted not to do that for the new APC series, since the voices were now recorded digitally, and he felt that the new process sounded bad when sped up.

Speedy Boris

10-12-2008, 12:30 PM

Mr. K's voice for Ren was sped up a bit when recorded for the original series. He opted not to do that for the new APC series, since the voices were now recorded digitally, and he felt that the new process sounded bad when sped up. Yeah, I know. It's really a shame that they couldn't find a way to alter his APC voice to something a little closer to the originals, though. He sounds way too gruff and lower-pitched, and the accent actually sounds more muddled. There's no charm to it.

Larry T

10-12-2008, 02:02 PM

Was Katie Rice present? Did she get drunk and strip?

LOL. Probably after the commentaries were recorded, when she and Kali have a pillow fight in John's presence.

I can't say APC is a total bust, because some of it, even in the gross-out factor, is actually kind of funny. At least the animation is very alive at times, rather than static talking heads delivering insulting jokes. But you have to watch these things with the same frame of mind that you apply to watch South Park or Family Guy- don't expect anything intelligent or visually enlightening because there won't be anything.

An interesting observation I made once- at the Ottawa Animation Festival a few years back, I attended a private screening of some select APC cartoons hosted by John K himself. Until that point, it was a priority of mine NOT to see any of these things, but I like R&S so I thought this was worth the while to go.

The venue was in a bar / club / jazz hall of some kind with booze being served. When "Naked Beach Frenzy" was shown, there was drunken applause and many boisterous comments, mostly from male viewers, which was the same type of experience as being in a frat house party while bootleg porn was being projected on the wall.... and John seemed to be rather at home in this environment... that should tell you all you need to know to understand APC.

John showed quite a bit more of his stuff, with some unfinished "extra"work left in which was very interesting (one was an unfinished R&S cartoon about Ren reading Stimpy a bedtime story which was as traumatic as could be... it was unfinished because the powers that permit would not allow it to be completed, since the content revolved around the horrific deaths of many children, very graphically displayed in the cartoon). Aside from that, there was not a lot more that could really be appreciated unless you were high or drunk.

I do wonder about anyone who features so much content about things going in or coming out of a character's butt, however....

Kevenz

10-25-2008, 12:28 PM

The "Chase"

10-25-2008, 01:41 PM

at least it's better than most cartoons nowadays like American Dad, South Park, Family Guy, Naruto and all the CGI cartoons.

http://www.forumammo.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10071/picard-no-facepalm.jpg

Sigh, yet ANOTHER modern day animation basher. JUST what we need! :rolleyes:

Anywho, for those of you who seen it, since I'm here, other than Ren Seeks Help, is there any other good APC cartoons I should seek?

Joe H

10-25-2008, 01:59 PM

Only if you're really curious. I personally don't look back on these cartoons very fondly at all, even if I found Ren Seeks Help enjoyable. I am sure, however, that Upward and Outward would be on the top of most peoples "to avoid" list

CueBallCat79

10-25-2008, 02:07 PM

In my opinion the Adult Party Cartoon has pretty much nothing to do with Ren and Stimpy (the original serie) but at least it's better than most cartoons nowadays like American Dad, South Park, Family Guy, Naruto and all the CGI cartoons.

I know an opinion is an opinion and I know a lot of the cartoons you mentioned above aren't everyone cup of TV (I myself am no big Naruto fan) but I just can't for the life of me take seriously the opinion that Ren & Stimpy: APC is better than any of that stuff, especially every CGI cartoon. Do you mean the Pixar stuff too?

Is this the new trend? Hating for the sake of hating? Cause I'm really tired of it.

Mr. Semaj

10-25-2008, 03:12 PM

In my opinion the Adult Party Cartoon has pretty much nothing to do with Ren and Stimpy (the original serie) but at least it's better than most cartoons nowadays like American Dad, South Park, Family Guy, Naruto and all the CGI cartoons.

Not only does blatantly ignoring the qualities of its direct predecessor make it a failure, but many other cartoons today have been far more successful at maintaining a consistent premise and generally entertaining their audience.

Adult Party did neither.

Matt the Y

10-25-2008, 03:28 PM

Not only does blatantly ignoring the qualities of its direct predecessor make it a failure, but many other cartoons today have been far more successful at maintaining a consistent premise and generally entertaining their audience.

Adult Party did neither.

I was just about to say.....

As much as I openly despise South Park, Family Guy, and American Dad, I was left much more bitter and sour by APC because it didn't live up to the brilliant and glorious expectations of the previous incarnation of Ren & Stimpy and, by doing that, was just painfully unfunny and unentertaining all around. Those who criticized the original Ren & Stimpy for being too unpredictibly gross and shocking just because they could be had no idea what they were in for down the road with APC which, in many aspects, I WOULD consider as gross and disgusting as South Park which is sad considering the animosity I have for that show (please do not flame me, SP fans! This is only my opinion! Feel free to like that show if you choose to; just because I do not enjoy it doesn't mean you do not have to.).

In regards to all of the above, I most definitely WOULD consider Ren & Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon to be as bad as South Park, Family Guy, and American Dad, a shame because I was hoping it would amount to so much more when I was awaiting its' debut.

Bugsy-Kun

10-25-2008, 04:32 PM

I think APC isn't as bad as people say here, I actually enjoyed a bit of it..... it's gross but not as gross as let's say South Park?

Of course the part were Ren is *** stimpy with a saw.... is kinda embrassing.

In my opinion the Adult Party Cartoon has pretty much nothing to do with Ren and Stimpy (the original serie) but at least it's better than most cartoons nowadays like American Dad, South Park, Family Guy, Naruto and all the CGI cartoons.

I use to like The Simpsons and South Park before but i stopped it a few years ago because it's being boring and not entertaining at all. I seen one time a recent Family Guy (The one when Lois kiss the new Meg's friend. Ugh! Embarassing!) episode and it's seen i was right. It's created just for being gross and much moneys in this economical times!

But in my books, APC is just a fluid insult to the original Ren & Stimpy episodes and without the talents of Bob Jaques, Eddie Fitzgerald, Bob Camp, Chris Reccardi and others.

Matt the Y

10-25-2008, 05:14 PM

But in my books, APC is just a fluid insult to the original Ren & Stimpy episodes and without the talents of Bob Jaques, Eddie Fitzgerald, Bob Camp, Chris Reccardi and others.

Right on, Man, for mentioning those other talents! It's important to remember that, even though John K. was undoubtedly the driving force behind the original Ren & Stimpy, he was far from being the only creative talent involved. I think all four of those people Martin mentioned were quite instrumental in shaping the overall artistic "style" of the show, particularly Bob Jacques and also Bob Camp who probably contributed quite a bit to the original show who don't know about and who is unfairly tagged as a Benedict Arnold and a hack these days, of which of those he is neither.

J. J. Hunsecker

10-25-2008, 05:25 PM

Lynn Naylor also had a lot to do with the style of the original Ren & Stimpy.

J. J. Hunsecker

10-25-2008, 05:26 PM

But in my books, APC is just a fluid insult to the original Ren & Stimpy episodes and without the talents of Bob Jaques, Eddie Fitzgerald, Bob Camp, Chris Reccardi and others.
Eddie Fitzgerald did work on the new APC episodes.

Gasmask Ted

10-25-2008, 05:27 PM

"But in my books, APC is just a fluid insult to the original Ren & Stimpy episodes and without the talents of Bob Jaques, Eddie Fitzgerald, Bob Camp, Chris Reccardi and others"

Bob Jaques and Eddie Fitzgerald were involved with APC. Eddie at least did the storyboards for Onwards and Upwards, and Carbunkle did animation on several episodes (Ren Seeks Help, Naked Beach Frenzy and Altruists off the top of my head). Closing shop without completely paying Carbunkle might be an insult, tho I'd think it was more of an injury.

Bugsy-Kun

10-25-2008, 05:39 PM

Gasmask Ted

10-25-2008, 08:46 PM

Additional information: Eddie also worked on the board for Firedogs 2 (as did Jim Smith).

Carbunkle did animation (though not the whole episode) on Onward and Upward, Ren Seeks Help (they did most of it) Fire Dogs 2 (hardly any) and Naked Beach Frenzy (about 250 feet - mostly the girl animation) and a few scenes of Altruists - one being the scene where Ren saws the log on Stimpy's back.

As to the difference between the two shows, someone from Carbunkle has told me APC felt entirely different from the original RnS, with John "micromanaging the production until it fell behind schedule and spun out of control" .

Jack G.

10-27-2008, 04:01 PM

First I appreciate Mr K's blog for all the info he puts up on cartooning.
It's helped me tremendously.

Now the topic at hand:
I rented disc 1 of APC and I just found it over the top gross, shocking, and boring.
I remember thinking at various points, "When's this episode going to end?"
I also found Mr K's intros very boring and self-indulgent.

As to the difference between the two shows, someone from Carbunkle has told me APC felt entirely different from the original RnS, with John "micromanaging the production until it fell behind schedule and spun out of control" .It's my understanding that falling behind schedule was one of the several issues that caused John's fall
from the original series, so nothings really changed, Mr K hasn't learned his lesson.

It's unfortunate, because the guy has potential.

tristar

10-27-2008, 04:56 PM

Carbunkle did animation (though not the whole episode) on Onward and Upward, Ren Seeks Help (they did most of it) Fire Dogs 2 (hardly any) and Naked Beach Frenzy (about 250 feet - mostly the girl animation) and a few scenes of Altruists - one being the scene where Ren saws the log on Stimpy's back.Who was doing the animation when Carbunkle/Bob Jaques weren't?

Speedy Boris

10-27-2008, 05:20 PM

Who was doing the animation when Carbunkle/Bob Jaques weren't? I'm guessing Big Star.

Kevenz

10-27-2008, 11:24 PM

Do you mean the Pixar stuff too?

No I'm talking about cgi cartoons shows that play regulary on Fox Kids. Pixar stuff is really great, probably only them knows how to make cgi animation well.

Kevenz

10-27-2008, 11:28 PM

Sigh, yet ANOTHER modern day animation basher. JUST what we need!

It's not just animation..... it's also movies, music, videogames and pretty much anything played on tv :p It's quite sad but I don't like new stuff.

Studio Toledo

10-28-2008, 03:17 AM

It's not just animation..... it's also movies, music, videogames and pretty much anything played on tv :p It's quite sad but I don't like new stuff.
Ditto! It's hard for me to get into any of it.

John Pannozzi

10-28-2008, 06:26 PM

Here's my honest opinions on the Adult Party episodes:

Onward and Upward: Ironically, the episode that is most despised by fans was actually originally written in response to fan mail that demanded an episode made up entirely out of gross-out gags. I was never really big on the disgusting humor in the original Ren & Stimpy cartoons, so unsurprisingly, this one did very little for me.

Ren Seeks Help: The best way to look at this one is to take a tribute to the film noir genre. Think, say, "Double Indemnity", only crazier. This one is interesting, but admitedly also quite disturbing.

Fire Dogs 2: This one is also quite disgusting, but the story behind it is interesting. This episode is based on John K. and co.'s experiences working with Ralph Bakshi on the 1987-88 series "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures" (which, in case you don't about it, was a rather groundbreaking series that a lot of talented people worked on, including some future Pixar guys, Bruce Timm, several people who went to work on the Simpsons and more). I'd say John K.'s introduction to this episode on the DVD (in which he tells the rather interesting tale of the origins of Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures), and the "Interview" about this episode on the DVD (in which Eddie Fitzgerald, Steve Worth and some other people talk about what it's like to work with Ralph Bakshi and what's really like as a person) are much more interesting and worthwhile than the episode itself.

Naked Beach Frenzy: Perhaps the best of the bunch IMHO. It was perhaps the best paced, the tone stayed quite true to the original Ren and Stimpy show, and the girls weren't too bad to look at :tweety: .

Altruists: Longer than it should have been, but still very fun to watch.

Stimpy's Pregnant: An OK episode, but beware the ending is pretty gross.

So, if you're going to rent the Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes, I'd recomend starting the first disc( which contains Naked Beach Frenzy, Altruists and Stimpy's Pregnant), and either avoid the first disc (which contains Ren Seeks Help, Fire Dogs 2 and Onward & Upward).