Ren & Stimpy is one of those shows from childhood that leaves us as adults now wondering: How the heck we were allowed to watch this? A new documentary on the animated series digs deep into the cost of creating such an iconic piece of pop culture.
Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story explores the series that inspired a generation of fans and artists. Bob Camp, Vincent Waller, Billy West, Chris Reccardi, Jim Gomez, Vanessa Coffey, and others bring their insights from behind-the-scenes of the show, with a special look at the antics of Creator John Kricfalusi.
The artist is credited as the genius behind the first-of-its-kind series, but he also may have been the architect of its demise. In the trailer below, he says he doesn’t identify with the idiotic part of Ren or Stimpy but he does share another quality. The documentary explores how he impacted the show — good and bad. He let loose some of his worst impulses and now allegations about his disturbing behavior threaten to ruin the show’s (squeaky clean) image.
Directed by Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood, Happy Happy Joy Joy arrives on Video on Demand and Digital HD on Aug. 14.
