The Ren & Stimpy Show
''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' (also known as ''Ren & Stimpy'') is an American animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. Originally produced by Spümcø for Nickelodeon, the series aired from August 11, 1991, to Dece ...
'' featured a varied cast of characters, some who appeared in as few as one episode, and some who were practically regulars.
Ren and Stimpy
Ren Höek
Marland "Ren" T. Hoëk (voiced by
John Kricfalusi
Michael John Kricfalusi ( ; born September 9, 1955), known professionally as John K., is a Canadian illustrator, blogger, voice actor and former animator. He is the creator of the animated television series ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', which was ...
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
in Seasons 3-5 and most laughter and screaming, and
Chris Edgerly
Chris Edgerly (born August 6, 1969) is an American voice actor, comedian and singer.
Life and career
Edgerly provided the voice of Peter Potamus on the Adult Swim animated series, '' Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'', in addition to several ...
in ''
Nicktoons MLB
''Nicktoons MLB'' is a baseball video game released for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS platforms. The game was developed by High Voltage Software and published by 2K Play in 2011. It features playable characters from Nickelodeon ...
'') is a scrawny "
Asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
-
Hound
A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey.
Description
Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...
" Chihuahua with a fairly long, rat-like, pink tail (which constantly disappears due to the character's animation limits) and tan fur. Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman of Animation World Magazine described Ren as "scrawny", "dyspeptic", and "violently psychotic". On some occasions, Ren "lost his mind" in a "cumulative process", resulting in Ren becoming, in Goodman's words, a "screaming klaxon, neon-pink eyes dilating into twin novae inches above his jagged, monolithic teeth". Andy Meisler of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described Ren as "adventurous", "intelligent", and "emotionally brittle".
Kricfalusi originally voiced Ren in a manner that he describes as "a bad imitation of
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...
".
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
said that he auditioned to play Ren; the creators of the series believed that having West voice Ren and Stimpy would give him too large of a workload. West would, however, take over Ren's voice after Nickelodeon fired Kricfalusi. Kricfalusi would return for the Spike TV episodes and unaired episodes of ''The Ren and Stimpy Show''. In the pilot, Pierre Decelles provided Ren's signature diabolical laughter, while West performed Ren's maniacal laugh in the series.
Kricfalusi complained about Nickelodeon executives requesting for Ren to have "a softer side".
Bill Wray said that Ren was his favorite character to write for; Wray described Ren as "fun" because "you can make him mean". In 1993, he added that, "It drives me crazy when I tell people I work on the show and they always say, 'Make Ren meaner'".
Stimpson "Stimpy" J. Cat
Stimpson "Stimpy" J. Cat (voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
in the series,
Eric Bauza
Eric Bauza (born December 7, 1979) is a Canadian-American voice actor and comedian. His most-known roles include Stimpy on '' Ren and Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon"'', Foop on '' The Fairly OddParents'' and its reboot '' Fairly Odder'', Thunderbol ...
Manx cat
The Manx cat (, in earlier times often spelled Manks) is a breed of domestic cat (''Felis catus'') originating on the Isle of Man, with a naturally occurring mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats ...
(described by George Liquor as a "Cornish Rex Hound" to enter him in a dog show) with a large blue nose, purple eyelids, no tail, white gloves with fingernails on them, human-style buttocks,
flat feet
Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground. Sometimes children are born ...
and a brain the size of a peanut (despite some intelligence, such as when cooking and inventing). Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman of Animation World Magazine described Stimpy as "obese" and "brain-damaged". Andy Meisler of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described Stimpy as "barrel-chested" and "good-natured".
Stimpy's trademark facial expression is a blissfully ignorant smile with his tongue flopping out. Most of the time when he gets excited, he says his famous catchphrase, "Oh, joy!" or simply "Joy". He also has a strong attachment to his "first material possession" which is a
litter box
A litter box, also known as a sandbox, cat box, litter tray, cat pan, potty, pot or litter pan, is an indoor feces and urine collection box for cats, as well as rabbits, ferrets, miniature pigs, small dogs, and other pets that instinctively or ...
(given to him in the pilot episode) and even though Ren destroys it (by bashing it on his head in "Fire Dogs" or dumping it in acid in "Ren's Bitter Half"), Stimpy always reacts strongly to it by crying, panicking or fainting, though it always appears again in some later episode. Stimpy is named after an art school classmate of Kricfalusi, whose nickname was "Stimpy Cadogen" ("Killer Cadogen" was Stimpy's pseudonym in several episodes, and in a few others he is referred to as Stimpleton Cadogen).
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
, who voiced Stimpy, said that he based Stimpy's voice on a "sped up"
Larry Fine
Louis Feinberg (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges.
Early life
Fine was born to a Russian Je ...
of
The Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
. West described Stimpy as one of his favorite characters.
Eric Bauza
Eric Bauza (born December 7, 1979) is a Canadian-American voice actor and comedian. His most-known roles include Stimpy on '' Ren and Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon"'', Foop on '' The Fairly OddParents'' and its reboot '' Fairly Odder'', Thunderbol ...
voiced Stimpy in the ''
Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon"
''Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon"'' is an adult animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi for the cable network Spike TV. The series was developed as an "extreme" revamp and spin-off/reboot of ''The Ren & Stimpy Sh ...
'' because West believed that the series had no humor and that voicing Stimpy in it would damage his career, as West later said in an interview.
Stimpy likes to create destructive electronic devices and feels a fixation for "sensory pleasures of fresh kitty litter".
Bill Wray described Stimpy as his favorite character to draw. Wray said that Stimpy has "a huge range of emotion".
Mr. Horse
Mr. Horse (voiced by
John Kricfalusi
Michael John Kricfalusi ( ; born September 9, 1955), known professionally as John K., is a Canadian illustrator, blogger, voice actor and former animator. He is the creator of the animated television series ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', which was ...
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
in Seasons 3–5) was one of the most popular characters, appearing in many episodes in a wide variety of non-continuous roles. Mr. Horse has variously been a victim of a fall from a
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in love with a sheep, a dog-show judge, a neighbor hiding a dark past, and a tester for Gritty Kitty cat litter. He has also been portrayed as a
psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...
.
Mr. Horse is
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
, similar to the title characters—he is physically a full-sized male
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
, but he usually stands on two legs and speaks. Mr. Horse is typically depicted as a straight-talking, thoughtful and serious character. He can also be cynical and disgruntled, and on occasion is merely a horse. His catchphrase is "No sir, I don't like it". He in fact does say other things in response to Stimpy in the Gritty Kitty Litter commercial.
Appearances
* Mr. Horse first appeared in the episode "Stimpy's Big Day/The Big Shot" as a tester for Gritty Kitty Litter, a brand of cat litter endorsed by Stimpy. Mr. Horse greatly prefers Gritty Kitty over the other leading brand, proving that Gritty Kitty can stand up to use by a horse.
* He next showed up in "Fire Dogs", as part of a Mrs. Buttloaves's animal menagerie that needed saving; when she dropped him out of her high-rise apartment window, Ren and Stimpy attempt to catch him with a lifesaving net. Due to his size, Mr. Horse's fall is not softened by the net and both his legs are broken. He drags himself away (to the tune "When Johnny Comes Marching Home") and is then interviewed by a reporter. When asked about his feelings on the fall, Mr. Horse thinks long and hard about it, then utters his catchphrase, "No, sir, I didn't like it", and continues to drag himself along.
* Mr. Horse had a brief cameo in "Svën Höek". Upon depositing a quarter in a slot in the living room wall, Stimpy is treated to a powerful leg kick from Mr. Horse to his head that sends him careening across the room.
* In "Rubber Nipple Salesmen", Mr. Horse is one of the prospective customers Ren and Stimpy speak to while selling the titular products door to door. Mr. Horse is shown breaking character here – his usual straightforward, stern demeanor was replaced by a nervous, panicky paranoia, and he alluded to hiding a dark past. He is seen wearing pants, gloves and a cap made of rubber, and is afraid that the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
had sent Ren and Stimpy to find him. It appears he has a walrus captive with him, as the walrus whispers "Call the police" to the salesmen.
* In "The Great Outdoors", when Ren eats a meat pill without adding water first as Stimpy advised, it takes the effect of Mr. Horse growing inside of him, which stretches Ren's body and Mr. Horse's shape is seen. Mr. Horse then turns to the camera and says "No, sir, I don't like it".
* In “Stimpy’s Fan Club”, Mr. Horse appears at the end whenever Ren was crying to Stimpy because he wrote the letter to Ren. He appears at the house’s window along with 3 other people.
* Mr. Horse was featured in two shorts at the beginning and end of the episode "A Visit to Anthony". In the first, he plays a GI (at the rank of Private E-2) returning from an unspecified war. He is interviewed by Ren Hoëk, Ace Reporter, who asks him a series of questions about the war. When asked by the reporter if the sheep in his arms is his fiancée, Mr. Horse snaps back, "No, man, it's my sheep!"
* In the second, he plays the spokesman for the United Nations, with Ren sitting beside him. This highlights the complete lack of continuity between any Mr. Horse roles. The entire short is a set-up for him to say his catchphrase, but instead he says "Las cucarachas entran, pero no pueden salir" (The cockroaches go in, but they can't get out), which Ren, who turns out to be his translator, repeats as "No, sir, he doesn't like it".
* In "Out West", Mr. Horse appears as the horse of Abner and Ewalt when Ren and Stimpy travel out west. Abner and Ewalt are seeking horse thieves to hang, so they convince the pair to steal their horse. However, indicating that he's been stolen many times before, Mr. Horse grumbles about the "old steal-the-horse bit again" when the pair mount him and trudges on two legs (with Ren and Stimpy still on his back) to Abner and Ewalt, where he must carefully remind them he is stolen, and therefore the dog and cat duo are horse thieves.
* In "Dog Show", Mr. Horse appears as the pre-judge in the contest, that is, the judge who decides which dogs are unworthy of even entering the competition. Any animal deemed unworthy is rejected and thrown as a repast to a massive sleeping bull-dog. Stimpy is nearly given such a fate for having too smooth of a butt until George Liquor aggressively insists he be let through.
* In "Jerry the Belly Button Elf", Mr. Horse shows up as a party guest. He and the other party guests arrive at Ren and Stimpy's place after Stimpy's whole body is sucked inward from constantly fiddling with his belly button, after Ren repeatedly warned him not to do so.
* In "Insomniac Ren", Mr. Horse shows up to Ren and Stimpy's place as Ren's golfing buddy, as well as Muddy Mudskipper and Haggis MacHaggis. But Ren still has a hard time falling asleep by dawn and he offers Mr. Horse, Muddy, Haggis and Stimpy five bucks each to help him get some shut-eye. They then proceed to flog him with their golf clubs behind a closed door. In lieu of falling asleep, Ren ends up unconscious or comatose, as Stimpy shushes to the audience for much quietness and mentions when he, and the other golfers leave.
* In "Space Dogged", a medium-sized framed picture of Mr. Horse is seen among the items that Stimpski (a Russian version of Stimpy) tosses into the fireplace inside a space capsule to provide more fuel when it begins to falter.
* In "Dinner Party", Mr. Horse is among the guests at a party in a mansion. Prior to that, he's seen throwing darts when Stimpy visits him for an invite and at one point Mr. Horse throws a dart that gets embedded in Stimpy's forehead.
* In "Terminal Stimpy", Mr. Horse appears as a pilot coming out of an airplane's restroom saying "Man, these airplane foods really go through ya", succeeding a scene of an airplane part that fell off, through the roof and into a basement where it lands on Stimpy, as he's killed for the eighth time and after being seen lighting a match in front of a furnace.
* Mr. Horse returns in two ''Adult Party Cartoon'' episodes, appearing in major roles as a psychiatrist, whom upon declaring Ren insane (after Ren tells the whole truth what he did to Stimpy) is nearly beaten to death by him with the butt of his gun and a wild dog attack in "Ren Seeks Help" and a doctor in "Stimpy's Pregnant".
Powdered Toast Man
Powdered Toast Man (voiced by
Gary Owens
Gary Owens (born Gary Bernard Altman; May 10, 1934 – February 12, 2015) was an American radio announcer, personality, disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offered deadpan recitations of total nonsense, wh ...
in most appearances, Darrin J. Sargent in the first "Powdered Toast Man" commercial,
Corey Burton
Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transforme ...
in ''
Nicktoons MLB
''Nicktoons MLB'' is a baseball video game released for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS platforms. The game was developed by High Voltage Software and published by 2K Play in 2011. It features playable characters from Nickelodeon ...
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
''Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl'' is a crossover fighting game developed by Swedish developer Ludosity and Costa Rican developer Fair Play Labs, and published by GameMill Entertainment. It is the first console game in the '' Nickelodeon Super Braw ...
Smite
''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play, third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.melodramatic
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
and a
spokesperson
A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.
Duties and function
In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
for Powdered Toast, the breakfast treat that "tastes just like sawdust". He was based on a
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
-inspired character called Studebacher Hoch, from the song "
Billy the Mountain
"Billy the Mountain" is a Frank Zappa song first made available on the album ''Just Another Band from L.A.'' in 1972. The original recording, which took more than a half-hour to perform, was from a live tour performance on August 7, 1971, in Los ...
". The character appeared in various Powdered Toast commercials within ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', and starred in two of its episodes: "Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman" and "Powdered Toast Man" (with
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
as "the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
"). Powdered Toast Man hides his true identity behind the disguise of Pastor Toastman, a youth deacon.
Powers and abilities
Powdered Toast Man is endowed with various abilities and like many superheroes, has a mysterious background and an alter ego. The character's catch phrase is "Leave everything to me".
Powdered Toast Man can fly, either by releasing flatulence, or by inserting his head into a special toaster and launching from it, or merely by pushing off from the ground. He also flies backwards. He can hover in mid-air as well. His powers include some offensive weapons: high-velocity raisins shot from his mouth, hyper-corrosive croutons fired from his armpit, butter pats that are launched from the top of his head, and hyper-acidic marmalade from his navel. There are several signals that alert Powdered Toast Man to danger: his tongue phone, the inflation of his briefs, the dissipation of the toast particles in his head, or the reading of emergency messages encoded in slices of olive loaf.
He is apparently made entirely of Powdered Toast, as he can produce fully formed similar toast by flicking his wrist or by separating his head (which is made of two pieces of toast) and scraping the interior with a butter knife. His head is therefore depicted as being made of two identical pieces of toast, each complete with a face.
By day, Powdered Toast Man is Pastor Toastman, a "cool youth deacon". His disguise is composed of a pair of thick black spectacles and a pastor's collar, a possible parody of
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
's thinly disguised alter ego, Clark Kent. Pastor Toastman's office also serves as his headquarters, and he is served by a lovely young female assistant named "Catholic High School Girl" and it is strongly suggested that the two have a romantic relationship.
Accomplishments
Most of Powdered Toast Man's accomplishments are dubious and pyrrhic - if he ever succeeds it is usually accidentally, and at the cost of unintentionally inflicting havoc on someone else. Additionally, he fights for the sake of Ignorance and Prejudice.
*He saves a kitten from being run over, at the cost of an airliner (which he shot down), and a truck (which was flattened by the airliner). It appears no one is killed in the crash, as the occupants of the plane seem cheerful and happy to see Powdered Toast Man despite their wounds. Responding to another mission, he throws the kitten offscreen, where it is presumably run over by another vehicle (we hear the screech of tires and then a crash),
*He fights Spider-Man once, after being turned evil by the evil Dr. Dough-naught, and Spider-Man gets Powdered Toast Man working for good again, by using milk which stops PTM being crunchy. This adventure appears in the licensed comic book published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
*He saves the pope (voiced by Frank Zappa) from the clutches of Muddy Mudskipper. Why or how Muddy kidnapped the pope is unclear, but it is clear that after Powdered Toast Man frees the pope from the barrel of TNT he was strapped to, he places Muddy there in his stead and ties him up.
*When the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
accidentally gets his private parts caught in his own pants zipper, Powdered Toast Man frees him - in a very painful way. Though grateful, the President is incapacitated, and Powdered Toast Man steps in as Commander-in-Chief. While in office (having somehow avoided the entire line-in-wait to fill in for the Chief Executive), he heats the
Oval Office
The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C.
The oval-shaped room ...
with some dusty old papers, which include the
Bill of Rights
A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pri ...
and the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
. (The scene where he tosses the documents into the fire is cut on Nickelodeon).
*Powdered Toast Man responded on numerous occasions to the plight of Ren and Stimpy when the dog and cat duo had run out of Powdered Toast, producing more for them with a flick of his wrist or a scrape of his head. It is implied that this is the usual method that Ren and Stimpy get Powdered Toast when they run out, because it doesn't "taste right" unless Powdered Toast Man exits with his traditional passing of gas.
*He is also a very popular figure with children. Responding to a request from sickly "Little Johnny" about being able to meet the President, he actually manages to bring the President to him. In trying to get to Little Johnny on time before his nap, the President was vaporized by the massive speed of Powdered Toast Man. He also managed to save the child out of the hands of his apparent nemesis "Waffle Woman", at the cost of destroying most of the Earth. On one occasion, in a Powdered Toast commercial, he encounters a little boy and a girl who are flying, and reminds them that "children can't fly". The children panic and go plummeting and Powdered Toast Man saves them at the last second.
*When carrying passengers on his backside, he asks them, "Are you clinging tenaciously to my buttocks?" before flying off.
Powdered Toast
The product named after Powdered Toast Man is true to its name — toast in powder form. Throwing doubt as to its appeal, toast is usually served warm, but powdered toast is room temperature.
The product comes in a can with an aerated top, allowing the toast to be "sprinkled" out in a manner similar to that of shredded Parmesan cheese. The powder somehow comes together, forming a piece of toast that can be consumed. Perhaps itself a commentary on the obsession of American culture with quickly prepared pre-made foods, it seems to take more time to "make" a piece of cold, sawdust-tasting Powdered Toast than it would to toast a piece of bread.
Though it's "jam-packed with Vitamin F", Powdered Toast doesn't make children smarter.
In the first commercial, at the beginning of " Robin Höek/Nurse Stimpy", Ren asks Stimpy, "Isn't he wonderful?" Stimpy then says, "Why, He's TOAST-A-RIFIC!"
Muddy Mudskipper
Muddy Mudskipper (voiced by Harris Peet) is a mudskipper (a species of fish capable of crawling out of water and breathing air through its skin) with the voice and personality of a grizzled
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
comedian who hosts an afternoon kids' show.
Muddy is an
archetype
The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis.
An archetype can be any of the following:
# a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ...
— the old, jaded comedian who is outstanding at being "on" when on stage but sour and dissatisfied off-stage. There are certain parallels between Muddy and
Krusty the Clown
Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ) better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castel ...
from ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' — both have television shows that may or may not be for children, both shower their co-stars with abuse, and behind the scenes they are less than pleasant to be around. He calls everyone he meets "a lousy bum".
Besides being a huge television star, Muddy has dabbled in villainy, at one point kidnapping the Pope (voiced by
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
) before being foiled by Powdered Toast Man. His name is a parody of
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated character that appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz Studio and distributed by Universal Studios between 1940 and 1972.
Woody, an anthropomorphic woodpecker, was created in 1940 by ...
.
The show's theme song (written by John Kricfalusi, Bob Camp & Charlie Brissette) plays up Muddy's particular physical traits.
Appearances
* In "Stimpy's Big Day/The Big Shot", Muddy is the namesake star of ''The Muddy Mudskipper Show''. After Stimpy's epic ode to Gritty Kitty Litter lands him the co-star slot on the show, the actual cartoon is revealed to be a direct rip-off of ''
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in '' The Huckleberry Hound Show''.
Yogi Bear was the first ...
'', with Stimpy as Yogi and Muddy as
Ranger Smith
John Francis Smith, more commonly referred to as Ranger Smith (and known as Mr. Ranger by Yogi and Boo-Boo), is a fictional park ranger first appearing in the 1958 ''Yogi Bear'' cartoon series. The character is Yogi's main antagonist, and appears ...
.
* In "Powdered Toast Man", Muddy appears as a villain who has kidnapped the Pope.
* In "Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen", several mudskippers with the same character models as Muddy appear during the animal sing along.
* In "Insomniac Ren", Muddy, Mr. Horse and Haggis MacHaggis arrive at Ren and Stimpy's place the next morning so Ren can go golfing with them. However, Ren has trouble getting rest, therefore he offers them each five dollars to knock him out literally with their golf clubs. They accept the offer, as well as Stimpy who awakes when he hears this, and they send Ren into a coma. The others then depart to go golfing without him.
* In "My Shiny Friend", Muddy Mudskipper and his own show are referenced on a TV and later, Stimpy, after becoming obsessed with, addicted to and finally overdosing on watching too much TV, has a nightmare involving Muddy, who attacks him, then a giant version of Muddy chases him. In another chase scene, giant Muddy is now a huge TV with his mouth on the screen (or for the screen) and legs, and the nightmare ends with Stimpy falling into the TV's mouth, and being eaten.
* In "Ren Needs Help", Muddy is one of the various patients at a mental institution. He and a yak (possibly one of the yaks from "The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen") are there because the yak claims that Muddy constantly incites and excites him by saying the word "cheese" around him, which sends him into a frenzy each time and he rubs (and eventually wears off) his rear end with a cheese grater.
* In "Dinner Party", Muddy is among the guests at a party in a mansion. Prior to that, he's seen in prison, pulling a lever to a machine that presses license plates. When Stimpy appears and hands him an invitation card, Muddy pulls the lever once again and accidentally presses (and flattens) Stimpy's hand, and arm.
* In "Terminal Stimpy", Muddy may have been killed off for good because his car was struck by Stimpy's and he was gravely injured and asked Stimpy a few favors before passing on, his final request was to be skipped across the road into the pond nearby he ended up being struck by a bus before he could reach the pond, he was last seen stuck to the front of the bus saying "I got another favor to ask you".
Muddy's lines would also be used as archive recording from these last three episodes for ''Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker''.
Mr. and Mrs. Pipe
Mr. and Mrs. Pipe (voiced by Billy West and Cheryl Chase) are a 1950s' sitcom-styled
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
an couple who are seen only from the waist down. Mr. Pipe is typically seen with a pipe and clad in a bathrobe,
slipper
Slippers are light footwear that are easy to put on and off and are intended to be worn indoors, particularly at home. They provide comfort and protection for the feet when walking indoors.
History
The recorded history of slippers can be traced ...
s and black socks supported by sock-suspenders. He loves to wear rubber nipples on his knees and farts at inappropriate moments. Mrs. Pipe appears to wear a dress and nondescript women's shoes. Their first appearance was in "The Boy Who Cried Rat", in which Ren and Stimpy got a job catching mice for them. In "Big Baby Scam", it seems they have two children named Eugene and Shawn.
The Announcer Salesman
The Announcer Salesman (also known as "That Guy") serves as the multi-purpose loudmouth in the ''Ren and Stimpy'' show. Sometimes, he is a salesman ("Feud for Sale", "To
Salve
A salve is a medical ointment used to soothe the surface of the body.
Medical uses
Magnesium sulphate paste is used as a drawing salve to treat small boils and infected wounds and to remove 'draw' small splinters. Black ointment, or Ichthyol ...
and Salve Not!".) Other times, he is a
narrator
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...
, an
announcer
An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience of a broadcast media programme or live event.
Television and other media
Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, ...
, a dog-show judge, a
real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
agent, etc. The character is never referred to by any name in the series, but the name of "Hey, It's That Guy" seems to be the official name given by West, who also voiced him. He first appeared in "Space Madness" provoking Stimpy to press the history eraser button. He bears a slight resemblance to the
Genie
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
from Disney's '' Aladdin''. He had a moustache in "House of Next Tuesday". He was voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
.
Haggis MacHaggis
Haggis
Haggis ( gd, taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though n ...
Scotsman
The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded ...
. At one point, he was a cartoon star, but low ratings forced him out into the street. He is voiced by
Alan Young
Alan Young (born Angus Young; November 19, 1919 – May 19, 2016) was a British, Canadian and American actor, comedian, radio host and television host, whom ''TV Guide'' called "the Charlie Chaplin of television". His notable roles includ ...
, who utilizes the same voice as
Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish-American anthropomorphic Pekin duck. Like his nephew Donald Duck, he has a yellow-orange bil ...
.
Wilbur Cobb
Wilbur Cobb is a demented, decaying old man who was once the foremost cartoon producer in the world. He speaks in
malapropism
A malapropism (also called a malaprop, acyrologia, or Dogberryism) is the mistaken use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterance. An example is the statement attributed to ...
s and suffers from a malady that results in body parts falling off. In the episode "Stimpy's Cartoon Show", Ren and Stimpy show Cobb their own film "I Like Pink" (with Explodey the Pup) in hopes the powerful producer will give them their big break. Voiced by Jack Carter, his final appearance was in "The Last Temptation", where he was the gardener for God. John Kricfalusi originally wanted his name to be Raymond Spum (a reference to the pseudonym that he used in episodes he considered unsatisfactory), but after his termination from the series Nickelodeon renamed him Wilbur Cobb after the story editor.
The Fire Chief
The Fire Chief has a
psychotic
Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior t ...
hatred for
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
fire axe
An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has many ...
into
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
as a response to answering the door.
He was voiced by Harris Peet in the entire original series and at the beginning of the character's appearance in the ''Adult Party Cartoon''. After transforming into a caricature of
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American animator and filmmaker. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatric ...
, Bakshi himself voiced the character. Kricfalusi had originally based the character on Bakshi.
Mrs. Buttloaves
Mrs. Buttloaves is a morbidly
obese
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...
and homely old woman dressed in a bulging pink night gown and
hair curlers
A hair iron or hair tong is a tool used to change the arrangement of the hair using heat. There are three general kinds: ''curling irons'', used to make the hair curly, ''straightening irons'', commonly called ''straighteners'' or ''flat irons'', ...
. She first appeared in "Fire Dogs". She is voiced by John Kricfalusi for the show's first two seasons and subsequently by Billy West.
patriotic
Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or histor ...
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and is so
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
s. When episodes featuring him were aired on Nickelodeon, his
family name
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
was edited out. Instead, the scene would pause and a record-
scratching
Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two record ...
sound effect
A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. Traditi ...
would be played in place of the word "Liquor". Many story pitches featuring Liquor were vetoed by Nickelodeon due to their dislike for the character. After Kricfalusi's termination from the show, the rights to the character were returned to him.
According to Kricfalusi, he's Ren and Stimpy's official owner. He was voiced by
Michael Pataki
Michael Pataki (January 16, 1938 – April 15, 2010) was an American actor.
Early life
Pataki was born in Youngstown, Ohio. His parents were Hungarians. He was the youngest of three children - one older brother and one older sister. He atten ...
, but Harris Peet voiced him as two pre-George characters in "The Boy Who Cried Rat" and "Black Hole".
Other characters
*Abner Dimwit and Ewalt Nitwit are a pair of incredibly stupid
hillbillies
Hillbilly is a term (often derogatory) for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in southern Appalachia and the Ozarks. The term was later used to refer to people from other rural and mountainous areas west ...
who are
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
and deputy of a small
Wild West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
town. They have a strong proclivity for
hanging
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...
, so much so that they eventually hang themselves in absence of a suitable hangee. When Abner and Ewalt think about something, even the most simple of problems, the theme from ''
Jeopardy!
''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given gene ...
'' plays. Ewalt was voiced by
Bob Camp
Robert Frank Camp (born February 7, 1956) is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, comic book artist, storyboard artist, director, and producer. Camp has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on '' ...
Bob Camp
Robert Frank Camp (born February 7, 1956) is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, comic book artist, storyboard artist, director, and producer. Camp has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on '' ...
.
*Svën Höek is Ren's
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
or
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
n
cousin
Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...
whom Ren has not seen since they were in the whelping box together. Ren longs to have an intellectual conversation with his cousin, but much to his horror, Svën is even stupider than Stimpy — they even belong to the same
fraternal organization
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity i ...
, the "Loyal Order of Stupid" — and he forms an instant bond with him. Stimpy and Svën engage in idiocy with Ren's things when he goes to work. When Ren returns, he sees the mess and finds them playing "Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence". In spite, Ren does the very thing the game says not to do, sending them all to
Hell
In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
. He only appeared in the eponymous episode (season 2, episode 4) of the original cartoon but made further appearances in the comic book and a cameo appearance in the Season 3 episode "Jerry the Bellybutton Elf". Billy West voiced the character. John Kricfalusi wrote that he took many European stereotypes and used them in parody to form Svën. He claims that Europeans who watched the show did not feel offended by the character and liked the show.
*Waffle Woman is Powdered Toast Man's nemesis and appears in the episode "Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman". She was voiced by
Gail Matthius
Gail Matthius (born December 14, 1953) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' during its critical and ratings low point at the time (the 1980–1981 season, produced by Jean Doumanian), and ...
.
*The Shaven Yak is the shaven icon of Yak Shaving Day. He rides through the sky in a
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the term ...
and is capable of emerging from and disappearing into sink and tub drains. Although he is shaven, he is on a constant vigil against getting a
five o'clock shadow
Designer stubble is a facial hair style which is a short growth of beard, aimed to affect a rugged masculine or deliberately unkempt appearance. Initially made popular in the 1980s by singer George Michael and actor Don Johnson, the style la ...
.
*Kowalski, Bubba, and Jiminy Lummox are of the race known as lummoxes. Kowalski appeared in the season 2 episode "Fake Dad", in which Ren & Stimpy participate in a youth mentoring-type program. Instead of a child to mentor, they receive a convicted criminal who behaves much like a very large, very violent child who only eats meat. Kowalski is possibly based on a similar character of the same name from Fredrick Forsyth's political thriller ''The Day of the Jackal'' and professional wrestler
Killer Kowalski
Walter Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008), known professionally as Killer Kowalski, was a Polish-Canadian professional wrestler.
Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, includin ...
and is voiced by Harris Peet. Bubba is Ren's nephew who appeared in "The Cat Who Laid the Golden Hairball". Jiminy Lummox serves as the manifestation of Stimpy's conscience. When lent to Ren, Jiminy correct his behavior by mercilessly punishing him after any bad deed, big or small; he smashed Ren's face in with a guitar as penance for his earlier crimes. As a spoof of
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the " Talking Cricket" (Italian: ''Il Grillo Parlante''), a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', which Walt Disney adap ...
, Jiminy Lummox sings a song similar to "When You Wish Upon a Star". He was voiced by Stan Freberg.
*The Lout Brothers are two large, very muscular wrestlers who take on Ren and Stimpy in "Mad Dog Hoëk". They dominate the boys, which Ren does not appreciate, cowering in fear, while Stimpy enjoys the match despite the pain and humiliation. In the end, the two throw the fight, only to threaten to treat Ren and Stimpy even worse in the next match.
*Stinky Wizzleteats is a character whose design and voice characterization are based on the folk balladeer
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades.
Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...
. He is the spirit of Yaskmas and sings the recorded version of the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song, digressing into demented and furious rants ("I ''told'' you I'd shoot but you didn't believe me! ''Why didn't you believe me?''"), taken from Ives' movie ''
The Big Country
''The Big Country'' is a 1958 American epic Western film directed by William Wyler, starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, and Burl Ives. The supporting cast features Charles Bickford and Chuck Connors. Filmed in ...
'' in between the chorus. He delivers sausage and pre-chewed gum to children on Yaksmas Eve, flying through the sky on a sausage cart driven by the Shaven Yak. Voiced by John Kricfalusi at first, then by Billy West and
Bob Camp
Robert Frank Camp (born February 7, 1956) is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, comic book artist, storyboard artist, director, and producer. Camp has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on '' ...
after Kricfalusi was fired.
*Reverend Jack Cheese is a brooding, deeply-troubled itinerant preacher with the words "PITY" and "SELF PITY"
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...
ed on the knuckles of his right and left hands reminiscent of
Reverend Harry Powell
Reverend Harry Powell is a fictional character in Davis Grubb's 1953 novel '' The Night of the Hunter''. He was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in Charles Laughton's 1955 film adaptation, and by Richard Chamberlain in the 1991 made for TV remake. He ...
in the film ''
Night of the Hunter
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
''. He hires Ren & Stimpy to assist in his travelling minstrel show where they
evangelize
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...
the gospel of meat. Plays a one-stringed guitar. Voiced by Frank Gorshin. He is loosely based on series creator John Kricfalusi.
*Jose Poo is an overweight Hispanic entrepreneur in the ''Adult Party Cartoon'' episodes. He owns a bar in "Onward and Upwards", a shop in "Naked Beach Frenzy", and makes cameos as "Mexican Elvis" and the owner of "Chunkey Butt" Ice Cream in "Altruists" and "Stimpy's Pregnant". Based on Spumco Canada artist Jose Pou.
*The Nerve Ending Fairy is a character who appears when Ren loses all his teeth, leaving his mouth full of "stinky gum holes". Stimpy, who has perfect dental hygiene, convinces Ren to pull out his nerve endings with tweezers and put them under his pillow for the Nerve Ending Fairy. As Ren and Stimpy sleep that night, out the window you can see a beautiful fairy appear, but a closer look shows that it's really a dirty old man who wiggles his toes when he says, "I smell something stinky!" The Nerve Ending Fairy takes the nerve endings from under Ren's pillow and puts them on the back side of his neck. He doesn't have any money, so instead gives him a ball of lint. He resembles Old Man Hunger, yet there are differences: the Nerve Ending Fairy wears a crown instead of a drumstick and has a darker beard. He was voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
.
*The Bloody Head Fairy is a minor character in the season 2 episode "Haunted House". He takes the Bloody Head off of Ren's head and gives him two dimes, putting them in his ear. When he disappears, Ren wakes up and starts to panic, telling Stimpy that there is something in his ear. Stimpy calms him down as he extracts the dimes from Ren's ear. He reassures Ren, telling him it is just a couple of dimes and then tells him that he "just got a visit from The Bloody Head Fairy".
*Jasper the Dog usually appears as a white-furred, red-nosed dog with blue spots; Jasper has been in a number of episodes. His first appearance ("Big House Blues") had him calmly explaining that "you don't wake up...from ''the big sleep''". All the rest of his appearances were cameos in which he appeared as a normal dog, the leader of the Hermit Union, and even the senior officer of the Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen.
*Victor is a huge boy with orange hair who always wears a white collar, black tie, and sweater vest. Though he dresses sharp, he is actually the school bully and he beats up Ren and Stimpy as well as a young boy named Anthony. He is seen punching Stimpy in the stomach over and over, punctuating each blow with "Happy...Happy...Joy...Joy", and twisting Ren's head until his neck broke. The only person proud of Victor is his father, who picks him up from school in a
station wagon
A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
with a sign on the driver's door reading "Victor's Dad". Victor's first appearance was in "A Visit to Anthony". Victor and his father made another appearance, offering an insecure Stimpy a pair of underpants if he can pass their
initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...
. Stimpy succeeded and was given the underpants by Victor's dad. They tossed Stimpy out the station wagon and laughed but, not paying attention to the road, they drive off a cliff. Victor was voiced by
Danny Cooksey
Daniel Ray Allen Cooksey Jr. (born November 2, 1975) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his roles in television shows, such as ''Diff'rent Strokes'' (during the final three seasons), '' The Cavanaughs'', '' Xiaolin Showdown' ...
.
*Jerry the Bellybutton Elf is a one eyed sea green elf that dwells within the confines of Stimpy's bellybutton. When Stimpy served Lint Loaf to Jerry, the Bellybutton Elf flips out and reveals himself to be a giant porkchop-like monster named Adonis, Lord of Chaos. He was voiced by
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous r ...
.
*Anthony is a boy with unusually round glasses. His favorite cartoon characters are Ren & Stimpy, who to come to his house after he writes a letter to them. Anthony's first appearance is in "A Visit to Anthony". Anthony was designed after and voiced by Anthony Raspanti, who wrote one of the first fan letters to the series.
*Anthony's Dad appears in "A Visit to Anthony". He's an all-American dad, blue-collar worker, strict, ill-tempered, extremely protective of his son, and has an intense hatred for cartoons, especially Ren and Stimpy. He was voiced by
Randy Quaid
Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy.
He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in ''The Last Detail'' i ...
.
*Brainchild, designed by
Bob Camp
Robert Frank Camp (born February 7, 1956) is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, comic book artist, storyboard artist, director, and producer. Camp has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on '' ...
, is a genius riding an "anuscycle". He appears in "Blazing Entrails". Brainchild inflates Stimpy so Ren could rescue his brain.
Bill Mumy
Charles William Mumy Jr. (; born February 1, 1954) is an American actor, writer, and musician and a figure in the science-fiction community/comic book fandom. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a child actor, which included television appeara ...
Bob Camp
Robert Frank Camp (born February 7, 1956) is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, comic book artist, storyboard artist, director, and producer. Camp has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on '' ...
Cartoonist''
*The Ghost appears to be based on
Droopy Dog
Droopy is an animated character from the golden age of American animation. He is an anthropomorphic white Basset Hound with a droopy face; hence his name. He was created in 1943 by Tex Avery for theatrical cartoon shorts produced by the Metro-G ...
and his face appears to be modeled after Elmer Fudd. He appeared in "Haunted House", in which he tries to scare Ren and Stimpy. When his attempts fail, he commits suicide by drinking poison and is reborn as a heavyset African-American jazz musician. He is voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...
.
*The
Baboon
Baboons are primates comprising the genus ''Papio'', one of the 23 genera of Old World monkeys. There are six species of baboon: the hamadryas baboon, the Guinea baboon, the olive baboon, the yellow baboon, the Kinda baboon and the chacma ba ...
appears in many episodes. He is very violent, aggressive, and wild. In "Stupid Sidekick Union", Ren replaces Stimpy with the Baboon as his stupid sidekick, but it doesn't work too well as Ren is too afraid to hit him when he does something stupid like he would with Stimpy. When Ren finally does hit him, the Baboon mauls him.
*The Dogcatcher appeared in "Big House Blues". Voiced by Jim Smith.
*The Barrette Beret Girl Scouts were three bully Girl Scouts who Ren and Stimpy tried to join with in "Eat My Cookies". After Stimpy gambled away their cookie money, the girls task them into achieving impossible tasks for badges, with only Stimpy being successful. The lead scout was voiced by
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series '' Star Search'' ...
, while the other two were both voiced by Cheryl Chase.
*Phil: A
bulldog
The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.put to sleep in "Big House Blues", although he appears in "Dog Show" later on.
*Ben and Stumpy: These were supposed to be imposters with sock puppets of Ren and Stimpy hired by Haggis MacHaggis, but they became popular. They appeared in "Hard Times for Haggis".
*Marvin: Haggis' overweight, dim-witted
butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
.
*Wacky: Haggis' pet
Scottish Terrier
The Scottish Terrier ( gd, Abhag Albannach; also known as the Aberdeen Terrier), popularly called the Scottie, is a breed of dog. Initially one of the highland breeds of terrier that were grouped under the name of ''Skye Terrier'', it is one ...
dog.
*Ralph: A masochistic talking fly. Whenever the fly appears it is put through physical torture by Ren.
*Stinky: Stimpy's homesick fart and son in "Son of Stimpy". He was voiced by Billy West.
*Magic Nose Goblins: The collection of Stimpy's
mucous
Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It is ...
he keeps under a table. According to
John Kricfalusi
Michael John Kricfalusi ( ; born September 9, 1955), known professionally as John K., is a Canadian illustrator, blogger, voice actor and former animator. He is the creator of the animated television series ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', which was ...
and
Vincent Waller
Vincent Paul Waller (born September 30, 1960) is an American writer, storyboard artist, animator, and technical director. He has worked on several animated television shows and movies, the most notable ones being ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' and ' ...
in the DVD commentary, the name "Magic Nose Goblins" came after Nickelodeon advised against calling them "boogers".
*Tooth Beaver: Appearing in "Ren's Toothache", he gnawed on the
nerve ending
A free nerve ending (FNE) or bare nerve ending, is an unspecialized, afferent nerve fiber sending its signal to a sensory neuron. ''Afferent'' in this case means bringing information from the body's periphery toward the brain. They function as cu ...
of Ren's tooth because the latter never brushed his teeth. When all of Ren's teeth disintegrated, he ejected himself from Ren's gums as they proved to be even too disgusting for him.
*Little Girl: A sweet little girl who adopts Ren and Stimpy from the pound in the pilot "Big House Blues". She initially only wanted Ren after mistaking him for a poodle (when in reality, he was covered in Stimpy's hairballs). But after Ren realizes that Stimpy will be left behind to be put to sleep, he easily convinces her to adopt both of them. She was voiced by Cheryl Chase.
*Little Girl's Mom: A doting and loving woman in "Big House Blues" who overwhelms Stimpy and particularly Ren with pet items. It was she who gave Stimpy his beloved litter box, much to Ren's disgust. She was voiced by animator Lynne Naylor.
*Walrus: Appears in "Rubber Nipple Salesmen". When Ren and Stimpy drop by Mr. Horse's house, he pulls out the Walrus who tells them to call the police in a whisper.
*Sid: A tiny, cigar-smoking, sleazy dog-like clown who Stimpy raised in "Stimpy's Pet". He was voiced by
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward Hartman (; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States w ...
doing a
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...