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'Leave ‘Ren and Stimpy’ in '90s, do new s*** instead' say fans mad at alleged pedophile John K's show reboot

In 2018, an investigative report on Buzzfeed News found two women who claimed that ‘The Ren and Stimpy Show’ creator John Kricfalusi sexually harassed then when they were minors, and even groomed them

On Wednesday, August 5, Comedy Central announced a reimagination of the Emmy-nominated cult hit ‘The Ren and Stimpy Show’. “I want to thank our partners at Nick Animation as we re-imagine these iconic characters with a new creative team,” said Nina L. Diaz, President of Content and Chief Creative Officer for ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth Group.

“We are excited to reinvent this iconic franchise with a new creative team and our partners at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio,” said Chris McCarthy, President of ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth Group. “‘Ren and Stimpy’ joins our rapidly expanding roster of adult animation including ‘South Park’, ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’, and ‘Clone High’ as we continue to reimagine our treasure chest of beloved IP for new generations.”

Nickelodeon launched the original ‘Ren and Stimpy’ in 1991. The show’s dark humor juxtaposed against childish animation quickly received critical acclaim. The titular dog and cat duo was a big part of the ‘90s popular culture.

But the decision to reimagine ‘The Ren & Stimpy Show’ has not been met with positive feedback and for one very important reason. In 2018, Buzzfeed News did an investigative piece on Canadian animator John Kricfalusi, known professionally as John K., the creator of ‘The Ren and Stimpy Show’.

In the report, two women accused John K. of preying on and sexually harassing them while they were underage. One of the victims claimed that Kricfalusi touched her genitals through her pajamas, when she was just 16, “as she lay frozen on a blanket he’d placed on the floor”.

He allegedly groomed her -- she lived with him as his girlfriend as a minor. The Buzzfeed News story also claims that he had a history of “hitting on” minors. On Kricfalusi’s behalf, an attorney responded to Buzzfeed News, saying, “The 1990s were a time of mental and emotional fragility for Mr. Kricfalusi, especially after losing Ren and Stimpy, his most prized creation. For a brief time, 25 years ago, he had a 16-year-old girlfriend. Over the years John struggled with what were eventually diagnosed with mental illnesses in 2008. To that point, for nearly three decades he had relied primarily on alcohol to self-medicate.”

The statement added, “Since that time he has worked feverishly on his mental health issues, and has been successful in stabilizing his life over the last decade. This achievement has allowed John the opportunity to grow and mature in ways he’d never had a chance at before.”

While the Comedy Central press release on ‘The Ren and Stimpy Show’ emphasizes a “new creative team”, there is no clarity on John K.’s involvement -- or the lack of it -- in the new version of the series. According to a Variety report, however, a source said that Kricfalusi will have no creative input into and will receive no financial remuneration from the new series. On Twitter, several people called out the channel’s move to reimagine a show that was created by an alleged child sexual abuser.

Emmy award-winning TV writer Shadi Petosky wrote on Twitter, “John K. groomed children in his 30s and 40s and sexually abused multiple girls. Do not bring back ‘Ren and Stimpy’. There is no marquee value in trauma. Just make new shows.”

TV writer and actor Shane Lynch of ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ fame wrote on Twitter, “A big studio just passed on a lady friend's project which already had an animation studio attached, a cool as hell action/adventure property with an entirely BIPOC character lineup, and wouldn't have given royalties to an admitted pedophile like John K, but OH WELL.”

Another Twitter user wrote, "We've seen shows survive their horrible creators before (Clarence, the Loud House), but to actively try to bring back that has been long dead is incredibly tone-deaf. There's no way John K. doesn't get royalties out of this. leave Ren and Stimpy in the '90s, do new s*** instead."

Several others pointed out how this was not a good idea at all. 

Some, however, applauded the network for not hiring Kricfalusi. A Twitter user wrote, “As someone who isn't the biggest fan of Ren and Stimpy, I applaud Viacom, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central for blacklisting John K on working on the revival. Now let's get Bob Camp on board and we can have a REAL ADULT PARTY CARTOON!”

Another said, “If John K's not involved, it might actually turn out good.”