Nostalgic Showcase Presents: Spümcø and Stretch Films

This entry is part 11 of 30 in the series Nostalgic Showcase Presents

Ah, the dog days of summer- the hottest, longest days of the year when nothing seems to break the beating rays of the sun. Named after the days in which Sirius, the dog star, rises in the dawn, or at least, that’s what the legend states. In Ancient Greek and Roman times, the dog days of summer were dreaded, believing the high heat and drought brought bad luck and chaos- but then again, they didn’t have the modern day inventions of ice cream and portable fans! In the days following the blackout last month, landing in the shadows of this year’s dog days, I can’t help but wonder- is Sirius to blame? We might always associate the sweatiest and hottest days of summer with canines; similarly, the shows produced by the two studios showcased in this last special edition article of Nostalgic Showcase Presents featured titular dogs that would change the landscape of animation forever. Grab a bomb pop popsicle, a kiddie pool full of green slime, and let’s splash into the last two studios of our Summer Saturday Morning Cartoon block- Spümcø and Stretch Films!

Spümcø

Let’s start with the problem child of the two- Spümcø. John Kricfalusi, or known in the animation industry as John K., has always been one of those artists that had one goal in life- make cartoons. He stumbled through the rest of life, making many mistakes that ultimately led to his downfall in popularity and blacklist-status in the animation industry, and losing his most famous creation. Ego and eccentricity is the bread and butter of John K.’s career, the perfect formula for some of the most memorable pieces of classic Nicktoon animation and some of the worst animated characters of all time. Let’s go back, to 1979, when John K. was just starting his career, an energetic and ambitious twenty-four year old, trying to change the world of animated cartoons one drawing at a time.

All Roads Lead to Saturday Morning Cartoons

The animation industry in the late 70s and early 80s was a period of re-using animation and storylines, out-sourcing work overseas, and over-producing cartoons that were barely more than commercials for toy companies. For most artists entering into the industry, or attempting to, the world of cartoons had become overwhelmingly corporate, a far cry from the era of theatrical cartoons and the first period of Saturday Morning Cartoons. A year prior to John K.’s first job in the industry, he was enrolled in Sheridan College in Canada, where he met fellow animator Lynne Naylor, becoming work and romantic partners sometime later. Similar to Tex Avery, John K.’s secondary education would end abruptly, but after a move to California, he would land his first job in the industry… at FILMATION. Over the next six years, John K. worked on a handful of different projects but it was under the strict control of the studio heads and scriptwriters, something he and his colleagues despised. He bounced from studio to studio and project to project, creating a diverse portfolio and resume in the process. Along the way, John K. would rub shoulders with one of his biggest inspirations- Bob Clampett- and became close friends with Jim Smith and Bob Camp.

Eventually, he would be recruited to work for Ralph Bakshi, who recognized John K.’s potential and artistic talents, and was quick to get him on a project. Ralph Bakshi had made a name for himself as being one of the biggest independent animation directors of the 60s and 70s, focusing on films that were far more risqué and mature than the mainstream selections. (Check out Cat’s Picks! The Wacky World of Underground Comix for more information on Bakshi’s adaption of R. Crumb’s Fritz the Cat.) It was during John K.’s career with Ralph Bakshi that he finally got some directorial credits under his belt, and was able to push into his more creative side both with storylines, gags and character designs. Under Bakshi, John K. was assigned to the recently greenlit Mighty Mouse reboot, a fresh look at the Terrytoons cartoon characters, but only stayed on for one season. During production of season one of Mighty Mouse, John K. was recruited by Bob Clampett’s family to workshop a reboot of Beany and Cecil for ABC, who owned the rights to the original series created by Clampett in 1962. ABC wanted to get into the Saturday Morning Cartoon business, and Beany and Cecil seemed to have potential against the competition. However, John K.’s inexperience as a showrunner and director started to cause issues with production, with only five of the finished thirteen episodes airing on television. John K. wanted the cartoon to be more raunchy and pushed for more mature jokes and gags, something the studio executives never wanted for a kid’s show, and he was fired.

The Nickelodeon Years

However, the short-lived Beany and Cecil reboot had some positives going for it- John K.’s introduction to the then-unknown voice actor Billy West and the funds to form an independent studio with Lynne Taylor, Bob Camp and Jim Smith in 1988- Spümcø. All four animators had been burned by the industry over the last ten years, and wanted to create their own shows, no censorship or strings attached! Well, maybe a few strings attached. Animation takes money to produce, and a studio, regardless of the size, needs an income to keep the lights on and mouths fed. Spümcø would need a project to make back costs of rent and investments, and fast. The team created five different pitches, trying to sell any of them to the major Hollywood studios and channels of the time. Only one called back- Nickelodeon. Long before Nickelodeon became synonymous with a certain cartoon yellow sponge, the channel was desperately looking for animated content to fill their schedule. Unlike other channels of the time, Nickelodeon was looking for a unique style, something that Spümcø had in abundance, and outside-the-box potential, which was obvious in John K.’s pitches to the channel. Nickelodeon eagerly bought one of Spümcø’s pitches, which would, with some major changes, evolve into The Ren & Stimpy Show. The first episode, “Big House Blues”, would air alongside Doug and Rugrats on August 11, 1990, all three shows creating the path for Nickelodeon and Nicktoons for years to come.

The Ren & Stimpy Show would become Spümcø’s only long-running original show broadcast on national television. The show featured the titular characters Ren, a cynical, short fused chihuahua voiced by John K., and Stimpy, a dull but happy-go-lucky cat voiced by Billy West, as they interact with and cause mischief in the world around them. Other notable characters include Powered Toast Man, a Superman parody that flies through the air feet first; George Liquor, a hot-headed man that berates Ren and Stimpy; Log and Mrs. Log, a reoccurring in-show commercial for a bland toy wooden log; and Mr. Horse, known for his “No sir, I don’t like it” reaction to nearly anything he sees. For the first two seasons, John K. would meticulously direct nearly every episode, requesting numerous revisions on drawings and pushing for each expression to be wilder than the last. These constant (and often, unnecessary) revisions would cause production on episodes to come to a crawl, which caused Nickelodeon to apply more pressure on Spümcø to finish work on agreed-upon strict deadlines. John K.’s affinity for pushing the censor boards would lead to numerous Ren & Stimpy episodes to be banned from the airwaves- with the most infamous of which, “Man’s Best Friend”, providing the final blow to John K.’s career at Nickelodeon and he was fired from his own show in mid-1992. Ren & Stimpy would continue to be produced by Nickelodeon’s in-house animation production company for the next three seasons, with Billy West stepping in to voice Ren.

The Fall of Spümcø, and Cans Without Labels

Spümcø would animate a handful of music videos following the fall out with Nickelodeon, John K.’s distinct style present in every production, and would create one of the first animated web series in 1997. All of Spümcø’s productions after Ren & Stimpy were leaning more heavily into adult topics and themes, leading the way for mainstream adult cartoons… although the studio could never reach the same peak in popularity as its first endeavor. In 2001, Spümcø produced The Ripping Friends for Fox Kids, which was cancelled after one season because of the high production budget. Spike TV made a deal with John K. to make a un-censored reboot of Ren & Stimpy in 2003, Ren & Stimpy “Adult Cartoon Party”, which was cancelled after one season. Adult Cartoon Party was a critical flop, and despite a mature rating, only three of the six completed episodes actually hit the airwaves- the rest were too raunchy even for late night television. In 2005, John K. shut down Spümcø, with many members of the crew building impressive careers within the animation history since.

In 2012, John K. produced a Kickstarter for new experimental animated short/pseudo-pilot heavily featuring George Liquor, with an estimated completion date in early 2013. The short, Cans Without Labels, would bring back the lingering ex-Spümcø crew, and production would take place over seven years, eventually releasing in 2019 on Youtube… and flopped hard. Kickstarter backers were disappointed in the length of production, lack of communication from John K. and the production crew, and the finished result. It certainly doesn’t help that the main character, George Liquor, who had premiered in a banned episode of Ren & Stimpy nearly twenty years prior, was written as unlikeable as possible, and wasn’t able to pull in an audience. It was clear that without Bob Camp’s sensibility with humor and storytelling, John K.’s productions just fell flat, relaying too hard on raunchy sight gags and one beat characters. Following Cans Without Labels, John K. has contributed to numerous art galleries, helped write a cancelled book about the history and artwork created by Spümcø, and abandoned the animation industry. His distinctive art style, and the comedy and outrageousness of Ren & Stimpy, have inspired and continue to inspire numerous artists and creators across the globe.

Stretch Films

On the flipside of Spümcø is, well, Stretch Films. Unlike Spümcø, the second studio featured in this article was kind of made by accident. Stretch Films- and by default, it’s founder and main member John Dilworth- didn’t enter into the animation industry to change it. Dilworth has always been an animator that makes weird and utterly bizarre artwork that oozes existentialism, unease and silliness… making him the perfect choice for a showrunner and director of a primetime animated show for Cartoon Network! Or, at least, his pilot for the channel’s What a Cartoon! series would pull in enough viewers to provide a clear answer to the heads at CN- kids of the 90s wanted weird cartoons.

Another thing that differs between John K. and John Dilworth is the documentation of each person. John K. has been vocal about his career, his personal life, and his opinions about the industry on his blog, social media, and interviews; John Dilworth avoids the limelight like an allergy and rarely posts about his personal life. His website, which oozes his personal style and wonderfully weird dark humor, has a one-page biography, summarizing John Dilworth’s biggest achievements next to a zany photograph of the artist. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts (NYC) in 1985, he was hired by Baldi, Bloom and Whelan Advertising as an art director, providing the funding for his next few projects. Dilworth states on his About Page, “(he is) a New York-based animation director and designer whose work has appeared on Netflix, Showtime, HBO, FOX, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, MTV, Canal and Arte. His films have screened in museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. He is the founder of Stretch Films, Inc., an independent animation design and production studio in New York City.” His independently produced films- including his newest short, Howl If You Love Me (2024)- have found success in film festivals both within the USA and internationally, since his premiere film Pierre hit the airwaves on Showtime in 1985.

All You Need is a Little Courage

Sometime between the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dilworth was hired by Cartoon Network to help animate opening credits for their upcoming shows, and worked miscellaneous jobs and projects at various studios while working on his independent films in his spare time. It was during this period that Dilworth’s shorts became more recognizable, leaning more heavily into unrestrained silliness and unrealistic slapstick comedy, relying more on weird visuals than scripts and voice acting, with an mature edge. He produced/directed When Lilly Laney Moved In (1991), Psyched For Snuppa (1992), Smart Talk with Raisin (1993), The Dirdy Birdy (1994), Angry Cabaret (1994) and Noodles and Nedd (1996); the most notable is Hanna Barbera/Cartoon Network’s produced The Chicken from Outer Space (1996), which scored Dilworth’s first Academy Award Nominee. The Chicken from Outer Space would later star in the What a Cartoon! (1995-1997) line-up, which featured 48 original shorts created by a diverse line-up of animation creators both novice and experienced, with the possibility that these shorts would act as pseudo-pilots for the channel. Dilworth’s short about a cowardly lavender pup defending his family from chicken aliens in the middle of Nowhere, USA was used as a pilot for the greenlit Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999-2002) series, picked up by Hanna-Barbera. It would be the longest run continuously aired series Dilworth had created from scratch, and became an instant cult classic.

I was born too late to have seen the Courage the Cowardly Dog episodes when they initially aired, but I caught them in reruns on my family’s box TV on Boomerang. I don’t remember what introduced me to the series, which episode, or how old I was, but that show has become a part of who I am. While I was researching for this article, I found numerous accounts on the internet from folks that are around my age, stating how much Courage terrified them. To be fair, unlike some of the other Saturday Morning Cartoons of the era airing on primetime television, Courage was not afraid to get weird and scary.

That’s what Courage was all about- being different from the crowd, defying expectations, and portraying the scary stuff in the world in a way that is palpable to children. The kids who liked weird stuff, loved the show- those who didn’t understand the appeal, turned the channel. In the last season of Courage, when Dilworth and the rest of the staff knew that this was going to be the last episodes for them to explore the world that they had created, they produced two episodes that impacted the way I would view children’s entertainment forever.

The last two episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog hit hard. For the last 51 split episodes, audiences have watched Courage, a small and cowardly, yet brave when it comes to those he loves, dog; Muriel, his sweet, loving, and easily distracted human mom; Eustace, Muriel’s antagonistic husband and constant bully to Courage; and all of the weird, wacky, and strange antagonists Courage has had to come up against, from cunning red foxes, to fortune telling vagabonds, ancient Egyptian curses, and all sorts of foes in-between. Typical episodes would follow the same formula- something or someone mischievous and dangerous would disrupt Courage and Muriel’s day, putting Muriel in peril, Eustace might side with the monster of the day or do nothing to help Courage/Muriel, Courage faces his fears and saves Muriel, and Eustace meets a fate befitting of his actions earlier in the episode. Like most episodic cartoon shows, the canon would reset at the start of each episode, with little plot continuity and with the exemptions of reoccurring antagonists, the show can be watched out of order. Yet, one question that lingers in the audience’s mind is… how did Courage end up with Muriel and Eustace? 2002’s Season 4, episode 13, Part A “Remembrance of Courage Past” answers that question, while also tackling Courage’s fears of abandonment (which fuels his constant cowardice), the fear of losing those you love, and the warmth and joy of found family bonds. The Part B of this last episode, “Perfect”, tackles the impossible weight of perfectionism on children, through the lens of Courage attempting, and failing, numerous times to be a perfect dog through the manifestation of his own self doubts and insecurities. I recommend you watch both of these episodes, as they create the perfect ending for a children’s animated series about facing fears, believing in yourself, and defending those you love.

Stay Courageous!

Post Courage the Cowardly Dog, Dilworth has continued to create short films, which have been accepted to numerous film and art festivals across the globe. His newest short film, Howl If You Love Me, has been accepted into ten worldwide film festivals, nominated for two awards, and took the animation studio four years to complete, hand drawn and lined/colored digitally by Dilworth and his small team. While Stretch Films and Dilworth’s shorts may not achieve the same prime TV airtime as Courage, they still have the same weird, energetic, slapstick and dark humor, now unrestrained by the censorships of television. Unlike John K., John Dilworth is not making animation with the intent to embarrass, discomfort, shock, or disgust; instead, he creates his animated shorts as a form of expression, a reflection of the weirdness and silliness in the experiences of life.

Well, dear readers, this concludes our Summer Saturday Morning Cartoon block of articles. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them and reminiscing on the defunct animation studios that created the animated shows of our childhoods, as much as I’ve enjoyed researching their histories. But I’ll be back later this month for another dose of Nostalgic Showcase Presents – we hope you tune in!

Disclaimer: Some of the films created in this era may depict outdated and harmful stereotypes, messages and story lines.

Spümcø Materials

Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story, 2020 (Documentary telling of the origins of the show, the staff at Spümcø, and controversies not discussed in this article. This article would not have been possible without it as a resource.)

Mighty Mouse, 1987-1988

The Ren and Stimpy Show, 1991-1995 – SearchOhio Season 1 & Season 2, Season 3 & Season 4, Season 5