That being said, the cartoon influenced a number of the shows that came after it, including Rick and Morty. Creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon say The Ren & Stimpy Show shifted their perception about “what could be done stylistically and tonally in animation.”
Small homages abound, like the “W mouth” that Rick and Morty animators borrowed from the 90s cartoon. “That’s a famous thing John (Kricfalusi) would do with Ren,” says Roiland. “That was kicking around in my subconscious when I was designing the characters.”
Warner Bros. Television, Spümcø
Here’s one more unfortunate lesson that Harmon shared with Ren and Stimpy: How to get the creator fired. Phoenix New Times called Ren and Stimpy the Community of its day due to Nick firing creator John Kricfalusi from his own show. The specifics on the erratic behavior differed, but both men had trouble turning in their shows to meet network deadlines. It may sound like an odd combo platter, but both Kricualusi and Harmon combined procrastination with perfectionism, keeping them from delivering their shows until they were deemed absolutely flawless.
The Ren & Stimpy Show’s influence extends far beyond animation style. Its commitment to bizarre adult humor, dressed up in what looks like a kiddie show, created a template that South Park and an entire generation of Adult Swim shows followed. Somehow, Ren & Stimpy’s subversive streak would often air directly after Rugrats.
“The eccentric nature found in titles like The Amazing World of Gumball and Gravity Falls first appeared in Rocko’s Modern Life and CatDog,” says culture critic Michael Pementel. It’s that mixture of the wholesome and the bizarre that shows up in today’s quirky favorites like Adventure Time and Summer Camp Island.