John Kricfalusi
He is the creator of the animated television series The Ren & Stimpy Show, which was highly influential on televised animation during the 1990s. From 1989 to 1992, he was heavily involved with the first two seasons of the show in virtually every aspect of its production, including providing the voice of Ren Höek and other characters. In 2009, he won the Inkpot Award.
Also recorded as Michael John Kricfalusi · Raymond Spüm · Michael Kricfalusi · M. John Kricfalusi
John Kricfalusi

48states (talk) · 48states at English Wikipedia · Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.) · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- John Kricfalusi
- Birth Name
- Michael John Kricfalusi
- Born
- 9 September 1955
- Birthplace
- Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
- Occupation
- Animator, illustrator, voice actor, blogger
- Known for
- * The Ren & Stimpy Show
- Awards
- Inkpot Award (2009)
- Nationality
- Canada.
- Education
- Sheridan College and Brookfield High School.
- Honours
- Winsor McCay Award and Inkpot Award.
- Languages
- English.
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He is the creator of the animated television series The Ren & Stimpy Show, which was highly influential on televised animation during the 1990s. From 1989 to 1992, he was heavily involved with the first two seasons of the show in virtually every aspect of its production, including providing the voice of Ren Höek and other characters. In 2009, he won the Inkpot Award.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
John Kricfalusi was born in Quebec, Kricfalusi spent his early childhood in Germany and Belgium before returning to Canada at age seven. He acquired his skills largely by copying cartoons from newspapers and comic books as a child, and by studying cartoons and their production systems from the 1940s and 1950s. His main influence is Bob Clampett. After moving to Los Angeles in 1978, he collaborated with Ralph Bakshi and worked for Filmation, Hanna-Barbera, and DIC Entertainment on various shows. In 1989, Kricfalusi co-founded the animation studio Spümcø, with which he remained until its dissolution in 2005. Nickelodeon fired Kricfalusi from Ren & Stimpy due to creative differences and his failure to meet production deadlines; the show continued for three additional seasons without his involvement. Following this, he directed and produced animated television commercials and music videos for entertainers such as Björk and Tenacious D. In the late 1990s, he created the first cartoons made exclusively for the Internet: The Goddamn George Liquor Program and Weekend Pussy Hunt. He returned to television with The Ripping Friends and the adult animation spin-off Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon". Since 2006, Kricfalusi has maintained a personal blog dedicated to cartoons, animation, and art tips. There, he popularized the term "CalArts style", a pejorative which was later used by others to criticize a perceived widespread 2010s cartoon aesthetic, though he originally used it to refer to a completely different art style. In 2018, Kricfalusi was accused by two former Spümcø artists of grooming and sexually abusing them in the late 1990s, when they were teenagers. Kricfalusi released an apology for his behavior, blaming his mental health and "poor impulse control". He has since declared his withdrawal from the professional animation industry.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — John Kricfalusi • Birth Name — Michael John Kricfalusi • Born — 9 September 1955 • Birthplace — Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada • Other Names — * Raymond Spüm • John K. • Raymond S. • Occupation — Animator, illustrator, voice actor, blogger • Years Active — 1979–2020 • Known for — * The Ren & Stimpy Show • The Goddamn George Liquor Program • The Ripping Friends • Awards — Inkpot Award (2009) • Website — johnkstuff.blogspot.com
Early life and education
Early life and education
Michael John Kricfalusi was born on September 9, 1955, in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada to Michael Kricfalusi, who was of Ukrainian descent, and Mary Lou Kricfalusi (née MacDonell), who was of Scottish and English descent. He has one sister named Elizabeth. He spent his early childhood in Germany and Belgium while his father was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He would watch weekend screenings of European feature-length cartoons such as The Snow Queen at Air Force cinemas. At age seven he returned with his family to Canada. After their return they moved from Montreal to Ottawa in the middle of a school season, and Kricfalusi spent much of his time that year at home, watching Hanna-Barbera cartoons and drawing them. Kricfalusi's interest in golden-age animation crystallized during his stay at Sheridan College, where he attended weekly screenings of old films and cartoons at Innis College held by film archivist Reg Hartt, among them the cartoons of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery, which left a deep impression on Kricfalusi. After he was expelled from Sheridan College at the end of 1978, Kricfalusi moved to Los Angeles, California, intending to become an animator.
Entering the animation industry
Entering the animation industry
After moving to Los Angeles, Kricfalusi was introduced to Milt Gray by Bob Clampett, suggesting he should join Gray's classical animation class. Gray was working for Filmation at the time, and soon Kricfalusi found work there as well, getting his start on the shows Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, and Gilligan's Planet. His first independent cartoon was a short called Ted Bakes One, which he produced with Bill Wray in 1981 for a cable channel. From 1979 to the mid-1980s, Kricfalusi worked for Filmation on the aforementioned shows and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and later Hanna-Barbera on Super Friends, Trollkins, Richie Rich, The Little Rascals, Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour, Pac-Man, The Gary Coleman Show, Snorks, The Smurfs, The Jetsons and The Flintstone Kids, and DIC Entertainment on Heathcliff; he once described these shows as "the worst animation of all time". However, he did enjoy his work as a layout artist on the 1985 series of The Jetsons as he was able to train a team of Taiwanese animators at Cuckoo's Nest Studio to draw characters more emotive and wild, which at the time was considered radical. He recalls being "saved" from having to work on these cartoons by director Ralph Bakshi, who had worked with him before in 1980 and 1982. They began working on the designs for the film Bobby's Girl, which was sold to TriStar Pictures but was later cancelled. Under Bakshi, Kricfalusi directed the animation for The Rolling Stones' 1986 music video "Harlem Shuffle". In 1981, Kricfalusi applied to work on The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie. Virgil Ross liked his drawings, but Friz Freleng rejected the application, feeling that Kricfalusi's Bob Clampett-inspired style did not fit the film. Angered, Kricfalusi wrote post-it notes criticizing Freleng, pasting them on one of his cels from 1991, "The Squirt".
Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse
The team's most successful project was Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures for CBS, based on the classic Terrytoons character. The series was well-received, and it is considered the forerunner of creator-driven cartoons. Kricfalusi directed eight of the twenty-six episodes and supervised the series. At the beginning of the second season, Kricfalusi left the show. The production of Mighty Mouse was very different from other cartoons at the time, gaining creative and artistic leeway thanks to the success of the irreverent Pee-wee's Playhouse on CBS a year before. The animators had much more creative input, driven by Kricfalusi's production system that emphasizes artistic contribution in every step of the process, from outline to storyboard to layout to the animation. Kricfalusi noted that working for Bakshi was challenging because he set high expectations for his crew. He described Bakshi as an intimidating presence who motivated staff to please him. During production, Bakshi reportedly rejected about two-thirds of story pitches presented to him. Mighty Mouse was cancelled amidst controversy for allegedly depicting the main character snorting cocaine in the episode "The Littlest Tramp". Bakshi maintained that neither he nor Kricfalusi had the character sniffing cocaine, and that the character was sniffing the crushed petals of a flower, which were handed to him in a previous scene in the cartoon. He expressed disappointment with Kricfalusi's work, criticizing him for attempting to slip inappropriate or "cool" material into the series. In 1994, Kricfalusi pitched a revival series of Mighty Mouse to Paramount, which would have featured other Terrytoons characters such as Deputy Dawg, but they rejected the idea.
Beany and Cecil
Beany and Cecil
Kricfalusi left Bakshi's studio to work on The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil for ABC, where he teamed up with many of the people who would later work with him on many of his Spümcø projects. ABC had been negotiating for the production of the show with the Clampett family, who insisted that Kricfalusi be part of the production as he was a strong proponent of Bob Clampett's cartoon style. The long negotiations delayed the start of production to mid-July, causing much of the animation to be rushed in order to meet the September deadline. Tensions rose between Kricfalusi and ABC over the tone of the show, leading to an uncomfortable atmosphere for the show's crew. The more ABC strove to soften the show, the more Kricfalusi pushed for shocking and offensive material. While ultimately dissatisfied with the cartoon, the Clampett family remained supportive of Kricfalusi's creative direction. ABC canceled the show after six episodes, finding the humor not suitable for children's programming.
Ren & Stimpy
Ren & Stimpy
Kricfalusi formed Spümcø animation studio with partners Jim Smith, Bob Camp and Lynne Naylor. They began working on a pilot for The Ren & Stimpy Show on behalf of Nickelodeon, after the eponymous characters were favored by Nickelodeon producer Vanessa Coffey in a presentation by Kricfalusi. The show came to garner high ratings for Nickelodeon, and at the time was the most popular cable TV show in the United States, but the network disagreed with Kricfalusi's direction of the show, and disapproved of his missed production deadlines. Kricfalusi points specifically to the episode "Man's Best Friend", which depicts the character George Liquor as an abusive father figure, as the turning point in his relationship with Nickelodeon. One of the episodes, "Nurse Stimpy", did not meet Kricfalusi's approval because of the low quality of the rough cut of the episode that they received from the overseas studio, leading him to use the alias Raymond Spum in its credits. Nickelodeon terminated Kricfalusi's contract late September 1992, leaving it to Nickelodeon's Games Animation studio, which continued producing it for three more seasons before its cancellation.
The Ripping Friends
The Ripping Friends
Fox Kids started airing the television series The Ripping Friends in 2001, created by Kricfalusi and Jim Smith. Kricfalusi had previously tried pitching the show in the late 1980s, but networks considered it "too extreme" so did not pick it up. Kricfalusi felt the show's supervisors were doing away with the Spümcø style and was displeased with the direction of the show. He considers the episodes he was involved in to be experimental. One of his contributions to the show was directing the voice-actors, which he "really worked-out" so much that he was afraid he'd give one of them, Harvey Atkin, a heart attack.
Ren and Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon"
Ren and Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon"
In 2003, Spike TV produced a new show featuring Ren & Stimpy, which was written and directed by Kricfalusi. The first three episodes were based on fan ideas and scripts that were rejected by Nickelodeon during the original show's run. According to Kricfalusi, Spike pushed for more South Park-like themes in the new show. While he was initially pleased with the added freedom afforded to him by Spike, he later expressed disappointment in the series due to its slow pacing and overuse of toilet humor. Only three episodes aired before Spike's entire animation block was "put on hold", and the complete series was ultimately released in 2006 on DVD including three additional episodes that never aired. Kricfalusi also wanted to release an episode titled "Life Sucks" straight to DVD, but the episode remains unproduced.
Collaborations with Fred Seibert
Collaborations with Fred Seibert
After leaving The Ren & Stimpy Show, Kricfalusi consulted, and other Spümcø animators worked for Donovan Cook's 2 Stupid Dogs, which was put into production by Hanna-Barbera president Fred Seibert. The cartoon's credits read "Tidbits of Poor Taste Supplied by John Kricfalusi" for the three "Little Red Riding Hood" episodes: "Red", "Red Strikes Back", and "Return of Red". In 1994, Hanna-Barbera and Seibert started production on What a Cartoon!, also known as World Premiere Toons for Cartoon Network. Seibert approached Kricfalusi for advice and for recommendations for personnel to head the shorts, among them David Feiss, Tom Minton, Pat Ventura, and Eddie Fitzgerald.
Music videos
Music videos
Kricfalusi directed Icelandic singer Björk's animated music video for the song "I Miss You" in 1997, which features Björk and the character Jimmy the Idiot Boy. Jack Black of Tenacious D approached Kricfalusi to produce a music video for the song "Fuck Her Gently" from their debut album, released in 2001. Black browsed Kricfalusi's website and, since both he and his bandmate Kyle Gass held Ren & Stimpy in high regard, he asked Kricfalusi to produce the video. The costs amounted to $40,000. Initially, Sony Music did not allow the video to be placed on Tenacious D's website and instead placed it on the record label Grand Royal's website, but later relented. In 2006, Kricfalusi directed two music videos, and served as art director for an animated musical segment. The first music video, for Close but No Cigar by "Weird Al" Yankovic, was released in September, on the DVD side of the DualDisc album Straight Outta Lynwood, which features Kricfalusi's character Cigarettes the Cat. The second music video was for Classico by Tenacious D, starring the band members as cartoon characters. He re-animated the characters in a THX logo parody for the band's feature film, The Pick of Destiny. Kricfalusi served as art director for a musical segment in the show Class of 3000 entitled Life Without Music, which first aired on November 3, 2006. In 2014, he produced art for Miley Cyrus' Bangerz Tour.
Internet cartoons and Hanna-Barbera shorts
Internet cartoons and Hanna-Barbera shorts
Venturing into Internet cartoons, Kricfalusi created Weekend Pussy Hunt in 1996 for MSN, which was billed as "the world's first interactive web-based cartoon". The cartoon, which was released in segments, was scheduled to be completed in June 1997, but production under MSN stopped before it was finished. Production later resumed under Icebox.com after the release of Spümcø's own web-based Flash cartoon, The Goddamn George Liquor Program. Between 1998 and 2001, Kricfalusi worked on several Hanna-Barbera cartoons for Cartoon Network: three Yogi Bear parody cartoons he directed and animated, Boo Boo Runs Wild, A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith and Boo Boo and the Man, and two Jetsons parody cartoons he produced, The Jetsons: Father & Son Day and The Jetsons: The Best Son.
Cartoon commentaries, magazines, and other media
Cartoon commentaries, magazines, and other media
Kricfalusi contributed several articles in 1993 and 1994 for the magazines Film Threat and Wild Cartoon Kingdom under various aliases. Kricfalusi appears in several bonus featurettes and provides audio commentaries for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection volumes 2, 3 and 5, for cartoons directed by Bob Clampett and Chuck Jones. On February 13, 2006, Kricfalusi started his own weblog, John K Stuff, posting about cartoons and the animation industry. The site was originally intended for other artists and entertainers, and specifically other cartoonists.
Commercials and freelance work
Commercials and freelance work
Kricfalusi directed commercials for Comcast and Voice over IP company Raketu in 2007. He was developing a series of cartoon commercials in 2008 for Pontiac Vibe starring George Liquor and Jimmy The Idiot Boy, but the series remained unreleased after General Motors discontinued the Pontiac Vibe auto line in 2009. He developed and animated a series of bumpers using Toon Boom Harmony for Adult Swim in 2011 and again in 2015. He animated the opening couch gags of two episodes of The Simpsons, "Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts", which aired in October 2011 and "Treehouse of Horror XXVI", which aired in October 2015. He collaborated with streetwear brand Stüssy to create a short series of apparel based on his designs in 2012, which he promoted with a commercial featuring some of his characters. The advertising agency Muhtayzik-Hoffer hired Kricfalusi in 2013 for an ad campaign for F'real milkshakes. He was involved in the early development of many Reel FX projects such as the 2013 film Free Birds, a pitch for a film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book Happy Birthday to You! and a pitch for a film he created with Jim Smith. He posted the concepts for these projects on his blog. He partnered with animator Mike Judge to produce a series of shorts for UFC that aired on Adult Swim throughout 2016.
Cans Without Labels
Cans Without Labels
• Illustration — The cartoon short. In 2012, Kricfalusi funded through Kickstarter a cartoon short entitled Cans Without Labels, starring the character George Liquor (with Michael Pataki reprising the role for the final time before his death in 2010, having recorded his lines beforehand), with the initial delivery date of February 2013. The cartoon was due to be screened at the 2016 Annecy International Animated Film Festival for the first time; however, at the last minute it was announced that it was not ready. However, on August 6, 2017, the Kickstarter was updated, announcing the film's completion. On May 27, 2019, Kricfalusi announced the DVD masterings' completion and released it on his MyShopify store within a week or two, with backers receiving first priority.
Retirement
Retirement
In the 2020 documentary Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story, Kricfalusi stated in an interview that he was "officially retired" from the animation industry, "though not by choice".
Sexual abuse of minors
Sexual abuse of minors
In March 2018, former Spümcø employees Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice told BuzzFeed News that Kricfalusi sexually harassed and groomed them while they were underage. Byrd told the website that she was in a sexual relationship with Kricfalusi in 1997 at age 16 and flew to California to live with him when she was 17. Rice said that Kricfalusi had flirted with her and made overt sexual comments towards her starting when she was 14 and sexually harassed her when she turned 18 and began working at his animation studio, Spümcø. Documents Rice and Byrd had saved from those years corroborate their stories, and several people who worked with Kricfalusi referred to his sexual harassment as an open secret in the animation industry. Kricfalusi was also reported to possess child pornography on his computer. Though the allegations were eventually reported to the police, they could neither arrest nor investigate Kricfalusi because the statute of limitations had passed. In response, Kricfalusi's lawyer confirmed that "for a brief time, 25 years ago, he had a 16-year-old girlfriend", but denied that Kricfalusi's "avid pursuit" of Rice was sexual harassment or that he had ever possessed child pornography. Kricfalusi released an apology to the women and his fans for his behavior, which he said was motivated by then-undiagnosed bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as "poor impulse control". Byrd and Rice criticized Kricfalusi's statement as a non-apology and an attempt to deflect the blame. Due to the allegations, Kricfalusi would not be involved in Comedy Central's upcoming revival of The Ren & Stimpy Show, nor would he receive any financial compensation from it.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Director — Producer — Writer — Animation department — Voice actor/actor — Role — Notes • 1979 — Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids — Storyboard artist • 1979 — The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle — Storyboard artist • 1979 — The New Adventures of Flash Gordon — Storyboard artist • 1980 — The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show — Layout artist • 1981 — Super Friends — Layout artist • 1981 — Trollkins — Layout artist • 1982 — Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour — Layout artist • 1982 — Pac-Man — Layout artist • 1984 — Heathcliff — Character designer • 1984 — Snorks — Layout artist • 1984 — The Smurfs — Character designer • 1985 — The Jetsons — * Layout artist * Layout supervisor • 1986 — Galaxy High School — Graphics designer • 1987 — Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures — * Senior director * Layout artist • 1988 — The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil — * Creator * Character designer • 1990 — Tiny Toon Adventures — * Model designer * Episode: "Who Bopped Bugs Bunny?" • 1991–1993 — The Ren & Stimpy Show — Ren Höek, Mr. Horse, additional voices — * Creator * Character designer * Storyboard artist * Animation director • 1993 — 2 Stupid Dogs — Consultant only • 1999 — He-Hog the Atomic Pig — Professor Mole — * Pilot; creator * Concept artist * Storyboard artist * Animator • 1999 — Boo Boo Runs Wild — Boo-Boo Bear, Tree — * Television short * Character designer * Layout artist * Animator * Recording director * Music editor • 1999 — A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith — Boo-Boo Bear, Squirrel Boy — * Television short * Character designer * Layout artist * Animator * Recording director * Music editor • 2001–2002 — The Ripping Friends — Citracett, Jimmy the Idiot Boy, additional voices — * Creator * Character designer * Storyboard artist * Key animator * Voice director • 2001 — The Jetsons: Father & Son Day — * Television short * Outlines • 2002 — The Jetsons: The Best Son — * Television short * Layout artist • 2002 — Boo Boo and the Man — Boo-Boo Bear — * Television short * Story * Character designer * Layout artist * Animator * Recording director * Music editor • 2003, 2006 — Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" — Ren Höek, additional voices — * Creator * Original character designer * Storyboard artist * Animation director • 2006 — The X's — Bowling Alley Guy — Guest voice actor Episode: "Pinheads" • 2006 — Class of 3000 — * Guest art director * Episode: "Home" • 2011, 2015 — The Simpsons — * Guest animator * Episodes: * "Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts" * "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" • 2012 — The Eric André Show — Himself — Guest, episode: "The Eric André New Year's Eve Spooktacular"
Online
Online
• Year — Title — Director — Producer — Writer — Animation department — Voice actor — Role — Notes • 1997 — The Goddamn George Liquor Program — Jimmy the Idiot Boy — * Web series * Also creator • 1998 — What Pee Boners Are For — Web short • 1998 — A George Liquor Christmas — Web short • 1999 — Rice Patooties — Web short • 1999–2000 — Weekend Pussy Hunt — Dirty Dog — * Unfinished web series * Also creator • 2019 — Cans Without Labels — George Liquor (additional dialogue) — * Web short * Animator and background painter
Music video
Music video
• Year — Title — Director — Producer — Animation department — Notes • 1986 — "Harlem Shuffle" by The Rolling Stones — Animation segment only • 1997 — "I Miss You" by Björk • 2001 — "Fuck Her Gently" by Tenacious D • 2006 — "Close but No Cigar" by "Weird Al" Yankovic • 2006 — "Classico" by Tenacious D • 2013 — "SMS (Bangerz)" by Miley Cyrus
Commercials
Commercials
• Year — Title — Client(s) • 1993 — * "John K. Peacock Logo 1" * "John K. Peacock Logo 2" — NBC • 1996 — "Jimmy and Sody Pop" — Aoki's Pizza • "You Want Some?" — Barq's Root Beer • 1997 — "Big Bad Wolf" — Nike • "Rooster" — Village Pantry • 1998 — "Cadbury Land" — Cadbury • * "Boys Big Pockets" * "Boys Hooded Fleece" * "Girls Flare Jeans" * "Girls Curly Fleece" — Old Navy • 1999 — "Treat Your Dog Right" — Wagwells Dog Treats • 2007 — * "George Liquor" * "Sody Pop" * "Mobile" * "Bobby Bigloaf" — Raketu • "Triple-Saurus" — Comcast • 2011 — * "Critters Fence" * "Furries" * "Rubber Hose Anime" * "UPA Kids 1" * "UPA Kids 2" — Adult Swim • 2012 — "Bobby Bigloaf" — Stüssy • 2014 — * "Chocolate Milkshake" * "Fencing" — F'real • 2015 — * "Turtle Shell" * "Basement" * "Walrus" * "Funny Animals Running" — Adult Swim • 2016 — * "Hank Hill and George Liquor" * "Diaz vs McGregor 2" — Ultimate Fighting Championship
Video games
Video games
• Year — Title — Notes • 2001 — Yoake no Mariko — Producer • 2003 — Go! Go! Hypergrind — Producer
Accolades
Accolades
• Year — Award — Category — Title — Result • 1992 — Annie Award — Outstanding Individual Achievement in the Field of Animation — The Ren & Stimpy Show • Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) Shared with Bob Camp, Vanessa Coffey, Christine Danzo, Mary Harrington, Bob Jaques, Mitchell Kriegman and Will McRobb • 1993 — CableACE Award — Animated Programming Special or Series Shared with Bob Camp, Vanessa Coffey, Christine Danzo, Mary Harrington, Mitchell Kriegman, Will McRobb and Vincent Waller • Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) Shared with Jim Ballantine, Bob Camp, Vanessa Coffey, Mary Harrington, Bob Jaques, Richard Pursel, Frank Saperstein, Libby Simon and Roy Allen Smith • 1994 — CableACE Award — Animated Programming Special or Series Shared with Peter Avanzino, Bob Camp, Vanessa Coffey, Christine Danzo, Jim Gomez, Mary Harrington, Ron Hughart, Mitchell Kriegman, April March, Will McRobb, Chris Reccardi, Frank Saperstein, Jim Shaw, Roy Allen Smith, Gregg Vanzo and Vincent Waller • 2008 — Annie Award — Winsor McCay Award
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
He also worked under the names John K. Raymond Spüm and Tom Paine. Kricfalusi and John K.
Identity
Identity
John Kricfalusi is recorded as animator, actor, blogger, film director and screenwriter.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2001
Fuck Her Gently- Tenacious D- John K (censored version) (2001) is digitised and catalogued by Internet Archive.
Film
• Year — Title — Director — Producer — Writer — Animation department — Notes • 1981 — Ted Bakes One — * Short film * Animator • 1982 — Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase — * Feature film * Storyboard artist • 1988 — The Thing What Lurked in the Tub — * Short film * Character colour key assistant * Background colour key assistant • 1989 — Troop Beverly Hills — * Feature film * Animator and layout artist: Opening titles • 2006 — Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny — * Feature film * Animator: THX logo sequence • 2009 — Al's Brain — * Short film * Character designer • 2020 — Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story — * Documentary * Himself • 2020 — Utopia Means Nowhere — * Documentary * Animator and design: Opening titles
Influences
Kricfalusi says he is mostly self-taught, having only spent a year in Sheridan College, barely attending class. He acquired his skills largely by copying cartoons from newspapers and comic books as a child, and by studying cartoons and their production systems from the 1940s and 1950s. His main influence is Bob Clampett, though he has also cited Chuck Jones, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Milt Gross, Tex Avery, Peter Lorre, The Three Stooges, Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Don Martin, and Robert Ryan as lesser inspirations. Michael Barrier, an animation historian, said that Kricfalusi's works "testify to his intense admiration for Bob Clampett's Warner Bros. cartoons" and that no cartoonist since Clampett created cartoons in which the emotions of the characters "distort their bodies so powerfully".
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “John Kricfalusi”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q955144: John Kricfalusi
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
scholarly publication
- Kricfalusi, John (1955–), Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons, 2020
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2020
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Lenburg, Jeff. Who's Who in Animated Cartoons. Hal Leonard Corporation. 186–187. 2006. 1-55783-671-X.
- 2.CalArts Vs. Newgrounds: Cartoon Twitter's 'Style Rivalry,' Explained. June 6, 2020.
- 3.Outrage over Cartoon Network's Thundercats reboot resorted to a strange, old insult: 'CalArts style'. Polygon. May 22, 2018.
- 4.The Disturbing Secret Behind An Iconic Cartoon: Underage Sexual Abuse. BuzzFeed News. March 29, 2018.
- 5.Feldman, Kate. 'Ren & Stimpy' creator John Kricfalusi apologizes to women who accused him of sexual misconduct. New York Daily News. Tribune Publishing. May 14, 2018.
- 6.Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story. 2020.
- 7.Michael "Mike" Kricfalusi Obituary Sharing Memories. www.arbormemorial.ca.
- 8.John K talks Ren & Stimpy, Mighty Mouse, Ralph Bakshi. TORn Tuesday. August 1, 2012.
- 9.Smallbridge, Justin. Ren and Stimpy's big corporate takeover. Saturday Night. April 1994.
- 10.Reg Hartt, John Kricfalusi & A Revolution in Animation. January 4, 2013.
- 11.Komorowski, Thad. Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story. BearManor Media. 2. 2013. 978-1593932343.
- 12.Lawson, Tim. The Magic Behind the Voices: A Who's Who of Cartoon Voice Actors. University Press of Mississippi. 197–204. December 8, 2004. 978-1-57806-696-4.
- 13.Anuff, Joey. The Nearly Invisible Animation Genius. Spin. SpinMedia. 14. 11. 99–106. November 1998.
- 14.Martin Goodman. An Interview with John Kricfalusi. Animation World Magazine. January 23, 2003.
- 15.Kricfalusi, John. L.O. 11: Layouts Spumco History: 1985 Jetsons Layouts. November 11, 2008.
- 16.Scheimer, Lou. Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation. TwoMorrows Publishing. 165. December 15, 2012. 978-1-60549-044-1.
- 17.Rivera, Jason. An interview with John. The Unofficial Spumco Website. 2000.
- 18.Kricfalusi, John. Depressing 80s cartoon studios 2 - Hanna Barbera - The Style Of FEAR. February 3, 2010.
- 19.Brown, Phil. Interview: John Kricfalusi. That Shelf. July 6, 2012.
- 20.Lambiek Comiclopedia. John Kricfalusi.
- 21.Kricfalusi, John. L.O. 12: Jetsons 1985 - Trying To Bring Life Back. November 23, 2008.
- 22.Kricfalusi, John. An Interview with John K. WGN Radio. 2003.
- 23.Robinson, Tasha. John Kricfalusi, interview. The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. March 4, 2001.
- 24.Beale, Lewis. Animator Bakshi Enjoys Film Satire. Ocala Star-Banner. New Media Investment Group. December 31, 1987.
- 25.Bakshi, Ralph. Your Project with John K. The Official Ralph Bakshi Website.
- 26.Rotospective: The Rolling Stones' and Ralph Bakshi 'Harlem Shuffle' Video is the kind of magic that happens when Bad Boys Collide. agentpalmer.com. February 18, 2016.
- 27.Kricfalusi, John. Animation School 11: Getting Back To The Primal Needs Of A Cartoonist. John K Stuff. 2009-01-03.
- 28.Kricfalusi, John. The Art of Spümcø and John K. IDW Publishing. 54. 2010. 1613774907.
- 29.DOKUMENT-PUB. The Art of Spümcø and John K.
- 30.Frank Zeppo. Say what you will about this specific drawing, but John Kricfalusi trying to say this all to Friz Freleng is like a coughing fetus-- not even a baby-- trying to pull rank on the hydrogen bomb. March 2, 2026.
- 31.Clements, Warren. A trail-blazing rodent. The Globe and Mail. The Woodbridge Company. December 31, 2009.
- 32.Thill, Scott. How Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures Amped Up Animation. Wired. Condé Nast. January 5, 2010.
- 33.Nolen-Weathington, Eric. Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm. TwoMorrows Publishing. 26–32. 2004. 1-893905-30-6.
- 34.Thill, Scott. Q&A: Toon Titan John Kricfalusi Hails Mighty Mouse Rebirth. Wired. Condé Nast. January 5, 2010.
- 35.Wolff, Craig. Mighty Mouse Flying High on Flowers?. The New York Times. July 26, 1988.
- 36.Sun Times Media Group. Mighty Mouse accused of sniffing cocaine. Chicago Sun-Times. June 10, 1988.
- 37.Robinson, Tasha. Ralph Bakshi, Interview. The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. December 6, 2000.
- 38.Coleman, Patrick A. How Ralph Bakshi Reinvented Children's Animation By Accident. Fatherly. August 9, 2017.
- 39.Kricfalusi, John. John K Stuff: Mighty Mouse Pitch circa 1994?. John K Stuff. 2011-03-20.
- 40.Schneider, Martin. Images from John K and Spumco's mid-90s Terrytoons 'reboot' pitch. Dangerous Minds. March 9, 2017.
- 41.Korkis, Jim. The Thirteen New Adventures of Beany and Cecil. Cartoon Research. September 24, 2021.
- 42.Meisler, Andy. Ren and Stimpy's Triumphant Return. The New York Times. August 16, 1992.
- 43.Valania, Jonathan. Ren & Stimpy Creator Isn't Laughing at Comic Book. The Morning Call. Tribune Media. December 18, 1992.
- 44.Kanfer, Stefan. Loonier Toon Tales. Time. Meredith Corporation. April 13, 1992.
- 45.Parisi, Paula. Nick ticked by late Stimpys. The Hollywood Reporter. Eldridge Industries. September 23, 1992.
- 46.Thompson, Ben. Farewell Bambi, hello Butt-head. The Independent. Independent Print Ltd. March 20, 1994.
- 47.Staton, John. New 'Ren & Stimpy' director ready to take control. The Daily Tar Heel. DTH Media Corp. November 12, 1992.
- 48.Goodman, Martin. When Cartoons Were Cartoony. Animation World Magazine. Animation World Network. September 1, 2004.
- 49.Drukman, Jon. Interview with Chris Savino. X MAGAZINE. 10. May 8, 1992.
- 50.Nerdist Podcast: John K. (approximately 59 minutes 55 seconds into the interview). August 2012.
- 51.Gannett Company. 'Ren & Stimpy' go on without their creator. USA Today. September 25, 1992.
- 52.Cerone, Daniel. 'Ren & Stimpy' and Its Creator: A Parting of Ways: Animation: John Kricfalusi fought with Nickelodeon over deadlines, finances and the ribald nature of his cartoon. Los Angeles Times. September 28, 1992.
- 53.Mackenzie, Michael. The Ren & Stimpy Show: Seasons Three and a Half-ish. DVDTimes.co.uk. July 3, 2005.
- 54.Scott Goodins. The Strange World of John K. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2001.
- 55.Kricfalusi, John. Maintaining Guts from Department to department. October 3, 2007.
- 56.John Kricfalusi Interview - WGN Chicago Radio (2003). May 7, 2020.
- 57.Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon. TVGuide.com.
- 58.Michael Barrier. An Exchange with John K. michaelbarrier.com. September 23, 2004.
- 59.Brandon Kosters. 10 Questions with John Kricfalusi. fnewsmagazine.com. March 22, 2009.
- 60.Daniel Robert Epstein. John Kricfalusi, interview. SuicideGirls. October 12, 2004.
- 61.Hibberd, James. Spike Retooling Its Toon Strategy. TelevisionWeek. November 2003.
- 62.Kricfalusi, John. John K Stuff: Life Sucks.
- 63.Donovan Cook. "Red!", "The Return of Red", "Red Strikes Back". Hanna-Barbera. 1995.
- 64.Strike, Joe. The Fred Seibert Interview – Part 1. Animation World Network. July 15, 2003.
- 65.Mittell, Jason. Genre and Television: From Cop Shows to Cartoons in American Culture. Routledge. 82–83. 2004. 978-0-415-96903-1.
- 66.'Pat' Ventura's George + Jr. by Frederator-Studios on DeviantArt. www.deviantart.com. November 2, 2005.
- 67.music videos: Björk. bjork.com.
- 68.Bjork, "I Miss You" - From one mad genius to another, Bjork recruited Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi to direct and animate this 1995 video. Those two don't turn up in this video, but "I Miss You" does feature Kricfalusi character Jimmy the Idiot Boy as Bjork's dreamlover. The heart wants what the heart wants. Montreal Gazette.
- 69.Willman, Chris. Black Lash. Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. September 6, 2001.
- 70.Woodman, Chay. Tenacious D Interview. Virtual Festivals. February 7, 2003.
- 71.Track By Track: In Weird Al's Lynwood, Green Day's 'Idiot' Is Canadian. MTV News.
- 72."Weird Al" unleashes his new album. Ain't It Cool News. September 11, 2006.
- 73.Straight Outta Lynwood. Barnes & Noble, barnesandnoble.com.
- 74.Ryan Ball. John K. Gets Cartoony at L.A. Gallery. Animation Magazine Inc. August 9, 2006.
- 75.Tenacious D "Classico". tenaciousd.com.
- 76.Strike, Joe. Cartoon Network Enrolls in 'Class of 3000'. Animation World Network. November 3, 2006.
- 77.Amid Amidi. Miley Cyrus and John Kricfalusi Working Together. Cartoon Brew. January 16, 2014.
- 78.Bill Predmore. How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love RealFlash. Animation World Magazine, Issue 2.12. March 1998.
- 79.Marcy Gardner. Spumco's Latest Idiot. Animation World Magazine, Issue 1. March 1997.
- 80.Aaron Simpson. John K's Guide to Surviving the End of Television. Cold Hard Flash. April 23, 2007.
- 81.Worth, Stephen. Untold Spumco history. John K Stuff. March 17, 2006.
- 82.Broadcasting and Cable staff. Cartoon 'toons up for '98. Broadcasting and Cable. University of California. 127. 45. 1997.
- 83.Lucas, Michael P. Yogi Bear Gets a Bit of the Ren & Stimpy Attitude: The much-loved character and friends, created by Hanna-Barbera, are back--but with John Kricfalusi's twist. The Los Angeles Times. September 23, 1999.
- 84.Stabile, Carol A. Prime Time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture. Routledge. 100. 2003. 9780415283267.
- 85.Duchaney, Brian N. Animated Mischief: Essays on Subversiveness in Cartoons Since 1987. McFarland. 42. September 28, 2023. 9780415283267.
- 86.Kricfalusi, John. The Art of Spümcø and John K. IDW Publishing. 23. 2010. 1613774907.
- 87.Wechsler, Pat. Ren & Stimpy Man Needles Nickelodeon. New York. New York Media. 27. 18. May 2, 1994.
- 88.Charles Solomon. Looney Tunes – Golden Collection, Volume Two. Tower.com.
- 89.Donald Liebenson. Looney Tunes Golden Collection – Vol. 3. Barnesandnoble.com llc.
- 90.Ken Shallcross. Review: Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5. DVDFanatic.com.
- 91.Kricfalusi, John. it's been a whole year so thanks!. February 13, 2007.
- 92.Aaron Simpson. Comcast and John K Got Game. July 16, 2007.
- 93.Josh Armstrong. Raketu CEO Greg Parker on John K. collaboration. March 21, 2007.
- 94.Kricfalusi, John. George Liquor Pilot Sketches. March 20, 2008.
- 95.Williams, Frank. Bye-Bye, Vibe. The Truth About Cars. June 18, 2009.
- 96.Kricfalusi, John. Quick Peek. John K Suff. April 27, 2011.
- 97.Amid Amidi. John Kricfalusi Makes 'Squidbillies' Promo For Adult Swim. Cartoon Brew. April 8, 2015.
- 98.Sonya Chudgar. Milkshake Marketer Boasts Thousands of Locations, Low Awareness. Ad Age. June 18, 2013.
- 99.Kricfalusi, John. Free Birds AKA Time Turkeys. October 12, 2013.
- 100.Kricfalusi, John. Turkey Action. October 31, 2013.
- 101.Kricfalusi, John. Gallery Show in Laguna of My Collection. November 6, 2013.
- 102.Kricfalusi, John. Happy Birthday Jim Smith!. October 8, 2013.
- 103.Lynch, Jason. King of the Hill's Hank Returns to Promote UFC 200 in New Adult Swim Branded Spot. Adweek. June 29, 2016.
- 104.Annecy Festival. Last minute: J. Kricfalusi has just informed us that Cans Without Labels won't be ready in time for #annecyfestival. June 11, 2016.
- 105.Brandon Smith. The 2016 Annecy International Animated Film Festival: What You Need to Know!. Rotoscopers. June 13, 2016.
- 106.Update 55: Update and Preview of StinkTime Theater · John K's "Cans Without Labels".
- 107.Kricfalusi, John. Cans Without Labels - DVD.
- 108.Dixon, Wheeler W. Creating Ren and Stimpy. Collected Interviews: Voices from Twentieth-Century Cinema. SIU Press. 82–94. 2001. 9780809324170.
- 109.Harry McCracken. An Interview With Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures' John Kricfalusi. Animato #16. Spring 1988.
- 110.Kricfalusi, John. Kirk Douglas, The Greatest Hollywood Actor. John K Stuff. September 20, 2007.
- 111.John Kricfalusi, MySpace.
- 112.Barrier, Michael. Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. Oxford University Press US. 2003. 0-19-516729-5.
- 113.Lange, Ariane. Creator Of "Ren & Stimpy" Accused Of Preying On Underage Girls Who Wanted Animation Careers. BuzzFeed. Buzzfeed Media Group. March 29, 2018.
- 114.Maddeus, Gene. 'Ren & Stimpy' Creator Slammed for 'Apology' to Underage Girls. Variety. Penske Media Corporation. May 14, 2018.
- 115.Holloway, Daniel. 'Ren & Stimpy' Revival Set at Comedy Central; Adult Animation Veteran Grant Gish Joins ViacomCBS. Variety. Penske Media Corporation. 5 August 2020.
- 116.Amidi, Amid. Billy West Says 'Ren & Stimpy' Reboot Still On At Comedy Central. cartoonbrew.com. January 1, 2021.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Komorowski, Thad. Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story. BearManor Media. 2013. 9781593932343.
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