For John Kricfalusi, there was once a time when cartoons were
really good.
Of course, as the creator of “Ren & Stimpy”
““ one of the most popular, subversive, gross-out cartoons in
modern history ““ Kricfalusi has an entirely different idea of
what “good” really is. And it’s far from
wholesome and conventional.
“I grew up when they started ruining cartoons,” said
Kricfalusi.
And he’s been on a mission to make cartoons better again
ever since. Though Kricfalusi was once a pioneer in the genre of
“adult” cartoons in a time filled with such
kid-targeted programming as “The Smurfs” and other
Saturday morning cartoons, his work has now inspired a growing
trend of animators who create cartoons for a more mature
audience.
The American Cinematheque is presenting an in-person tribute to
Kricfalusi titled “What Makes a Cartoon Cartoony,”
Sept. 7-8, where it will feature not only a retrospective of his
work (including new episodes of “Ren & Stimpy,” set
to air on SpikeTV in the fall), but also a look at some of the
cartoons that inspired Kricfalusi, most of which were created in
the 1930s-1950s ““ what he calls the golden age of
cartoons.
“Ren & Stimpy,” which first aired on Nickelodeon
in 1991, was the subject of many rave reviews and even a little
controversy when the network refused to air one of
Kricfalusi’s episodes titled “Man’s Best
Friend,” which featured a scene where one of the characters
is violently beaten to a pulp. Kricfalusi maintains that while
he’s not a fan of blood and gore. Violence used as slapstick
is something that’s been used in entertainment since the
early days of “The Three Stooges.”
“I like weird cartoons,” said Kricfalusi.
“That’s the whole point of cartoons because you can do
whatever you want, and as an animator I think you should take
advantage of that ability.”
Kricfalusi says one of the reasons for his success as an
animator has been his willingness to push the envelope in terms of
what he was able to create with just a pencil and paper.
“It’s like if you went to a magic act; you’d
expect the magician to perform the impossible, like pull a rabbit
out of his hat or make something disappear,” said
Kricfalusi.
Today, animators are finding more and more that the key to
success is engaging more than just children with their cartoons.
With such popular cartoons as “South Park” and Cartoon
Network’s “Adult Swim” (a nightly programming of
“mature” cartoons such as “Aqua Teen Hunger
Force,” “Sea Lab 2010″ and “Family
Guy”), it’s hard to say cartoons are just for kids
anymore. Second-year international development studies student Rafi
Crohn says he learned this living in the dorms last year first
hand.
“”˜Adult Swim’ was really popular; it was a
cool thing to watch among a lot of my friends,” said Crohn.
“As far as cartoons being kids’ stuff, I think
it’s possible that younger audiences do respond to the
fantastical aspect of them, but that doesn’t mean adults
can’t, either.”
For many students in the UCLA animation department, though,
appealing to a wider audience is more difficult than simply making
a decision to create more mature material.
“In this country, any time people see cartoons, they
expect them to be humorous,” said graduate animation student
Rob Fendler. “That leads to a lot of the same variety in what
you see in television and on the big screen and really pigeonholes
the entire genre.”
Still, Kricfalusi says it is his goal not to limit the range of
those who watch his cartoons with more mature plot lines and added
violence but instead make it accessible for all ages, even
adults.
“The fact is, kids love it, too,” said Kricfalusi.
“Kids love being terrified. I remember when I was a kid, and
I loved that sort of stuff. Maybe you can feel the violence a
little more (in my work), but I think that’s just part of
what makes it real.”