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Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story Paperback – February 1, 2013

by Thad Komorowski (Author)

4.4 117 ratings

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In the 1990s animation boom, The Ren & Stimpy Show stood supreme. Through vigorous draftsmanship, charismatic voices, irreverent sight gags, crass humor, and stellar character acting, animation's most talented and disturbed artists created an entity for the Nickelodeon cable network that pulled the art form out of a 25-year rut. The world has never been quite the same since - and we're eternally grateful! Now you too can join the rollercoaster ride that is the fascinating, insane real-life story of art, money, and ego that gave birth to Ren Höek and Stimpson J. Cat. History Eraser Buttons need not apply. No stone has been unturned, no magic nose goblin unpicked, in this extensively detailed history of the show that defined a generation and changed an entire medium. It's everything you wanted to know about Ren & Stimpy - but were afraid to ask!

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"A compelling cautionary tale of rags-to-riches success in Hollywood, Thad Komorowski's book documents the entire story behind Nickelodeon's first cartoon hit, The Ren & Stimpy Show, utilizing extensive interviews with the program's key players -- including the cartoonists, network executives, and voice actors -- justifying the show's important role in the recent history of animation. A great read." -- Jerry Beck, Animation Historian and Co-Founder of Cartoon Brew

"The behind-the-scenes drama was even stranger and more outrageous than the actual animated television series and Thad Komorowski tells the tale with no punches pulled." - Jim Korkis, Author of The Revised Vault of Walt

"Thad Komorowski's Sick Little Monkeys is perhaps the most thoroughly researched and extensive attempt to shed real light and clarity on the matter. From the outset his approach is candid and, most refreshingly, without allegiance to any party in particular. Ultimately, The Ren & Stimpy Show comes across as a radical gamble that was doomed from the outset by its own audacity. Its flaws, multitudinous though they may be, contribute to its charm and its place as contemporary animation's biggest anomaly and, simultaneously, it's most important saviour." - Ben Mitchell, Skwigly

"If you are not a fan of the show, this book is still worth reading for the light it sheds on the workings of the TV animation business. There is always tension between artists and business people over resources and content. People working in TV animation and those with ambitions to create shows need to understand the pressures and the pitfalls that shape the business. Sick Little Monkeys is a cautionary tale about walking the fine line between artistic ambition and the reality of the marketplace." - Mark Mayerson, Animation Professor and Proprietor of Mayerson on Animation

"The most remarkable take-away from the book is just how intense the animation world is, considering how small the field, and how difficult it is was to create an animated show that wasn't beholden to marketing campaigns and the canned laughter approach of the cartoon world from the 50s through the 80s. If you were/still are a fan of Ren & Stimpy, the book will definitely give you a real perspective that you didn't have before. Truly a must-read." - Elizabeth Weitz, Forces of Geek

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ BearManor Media; First Edition (February 1, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1593932340
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1593932343
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.41 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.97 x 9.02 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,530,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,145 in TV References
- #1,623 in Animation Graphic Design (Books)
- #76,338 in Performing Arts (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 117 ratings

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Thad Komorowski

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Thad Komorowski is a lifelong student and researcher of the classic animated cartoon. He is the author of "Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story", and co-author of a forthcoming history of New York City studio animation. He is a young, angry man of many professions, although now he's mostly a freelance digital restoration artist with his own company: Cineaste Restoration. He is also a writer of Disney comic books.

Visit his blog, WHAT ABOUT THAD? at http://whataboutthad.com

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Customers find the book informative and well-researched. They describe it as an entertaining and fascinating read for Ren and Stimpy fans. The book provides a great look into the mini-animation boom that took place from the early 1990s. Readers appreciate the insightful story and brilliant animation. The writing quality is described as even-handed and knowledgeable.

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Research quality Readability Pacing Animation Story detail Writing quality Detail Capacity

19 customers mention "Research quality"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's research thorough and informative. They appreciate the analysis and insights into the production of Ren & Stimpy. The book provides behind-the-scenes details and trivia about the show.

"...informative and a fantastic read, it opened so many doors and unveil the secrets of what really goes behind the scenes and productions of Spumco and..." Read more

"...closest we'll ever get to having an official Spümcø book: a most thoroughly-researched and extensive attempt to shed real light and clarity on the..." Read more

"...detailed, refreshingly written piece, perfectly straddling the worlds of academic scholarship and fanboy gossip...." Read more

"...I appreciate the detailed and well-researched work in the biography of Spumco and Ren and Stimpy, but I wish he could have left his resentment and..." Read more

17 customers mention "Readability"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative, entertaining, and fascinating. They say it's worth reading for Ren and Stimpy fans, and an absorbing read.

"This book was very informative and a fantastic read, it opened so many doors and unveil the secrets of what really goes behind the scenes and..." Read more

"I enjoyed this book." Read more

"Wonderful book for anyone who loves animation, history, Nick and Ren & Stimpy...." Read more

"...with the show or an interest in animation, but it's worth reading Sick Little Monkeys for the wealth of John K. stories alone...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"9 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find it interesting and well-written, celebrating the show and its geniuses. The book puts the show into perspective in the history of animation and is perfect for fans of R&S.

"...continues that by taking his time in highlighting some of their best episodes and cast the spotlight on Kricfalusi’s crew that stayed behind to make..." Read more

"...calls The Ripping Friends, a show I like a lot and which has several standout episodes with stellar animation..." Read more

"...rewatching the entirety of the series lately, so it's nice to see amazing episodes like Ren's Brain and Ren's Bitter Half get the credit they..." Read more

"...It offers all sorts of behind-the-scenes tidbits about one of the best shows to come out of the '90s...." Read more

8 customers mention "Animation"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the animation in the book. They appreciate the brilliant animators and the look into the mini-animation boom from the early days. The book provides an awesome look into the mini-boom and is great for animation historians. Readers also like the animator breakdowns for two famous episodes, the party story about setting, and the unexpurgated story of the greatest cartoon of the 90's.

"Wonderful book for anyone who loves animation, history, Nick and Ren & Stimpy...." Read more

"...Along the way we meet John K., an insanely brilliant animator, but insanely difficult boss...." Read more

"...a show I like a lot and which has several standout episodes with stellar animation..." Read more

"...and there's also the fact that SLM provides an awesome look into the mini-animation boom that took place from the early to late '90s, which..." Read more

8 customers mention "Story detail"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides an engaging account of the fascinating real story of Ren and Stimpy's rise and fall. They describe it as a compelling rags-to-riches-to-self-destruction showbiz tale that captivates them. The book allows readers to see the true talents of those who worked on Ren and Stimpty.

"...This also allows me to see the true talents of those that have worked on Ren & Stimpy such as Bob Camp, Jim Smith, Lynne Naylor, Vincent Waller, Bob..." Read more

"Wonderful book for anyone who loves animation, history, Nick and Ren & Stimpy...." Read more

"...I do recommend it as it's really the definitive account of this time. But some issues that keep giving me pause:..." Read more

"Meticulously researched and authoritatively written, the fascinating real story about one of the most unique and important tv cartoons ever produced..." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality good and even-handed. They say the author is knowledgeable and has a fun way of expressing himself through words. The book is an easy read and seems well-researched.

"...The author is amazingly knowledgeable and has a fun way of expressing himself through words." Read more

"...It's an amazingly detailed, refreshingly written piece, perfectly straddling the worlds of academic scholarship and fanboy gossip...." Read more

"...The book is an easy read, and looks to be well-enough researched...." Read more

"...much of the book is true or exaggerated, but my dad said it's very well written and researched, and a highly entertaining read for any Ren and..." Read more

5 customers mention "Detail"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detail about Ren and Stimpy. They find it provides a good behind-the-scenes look at the show's struggles and an accurate portrayal of what really happened on the show.

"...It's an amazingly detailed, refreshingly written piece, perfectly straddling the worlds of academic scholarship and fanboy gossip...." Read more

"...It's attention to detail is fantastic, as is the lengthy lead in as it digs into Mighty Mouse, Beanie and Cecil and other things Spumco worked on in..." Read more

"...series, and knew some of the principals personally. A good behind-the-scenes ( albeit, shallow) look at the travails of this trend-setting..." Read more

"As a whole, this book went into great detail about The Ren and Stimpy Show and the behind-the-scenes goings on, but seemed to endlessly drag on with..." Read more

3 customers mention "Capacity"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book has a lot of content. They say it provides an unbiased, behind-the-scenes story and fits well on the animation bookshelf.

"...The sturm und drang of the show's production could easily fill several hundred more pages, and there's also the fact that SLM provides an awesome..." Read more

"A fascinating book that fills a big slot on the animation bookshelf...." Read more

"...At last, the unbiased, full, behind the scenes story of what really went down at "Ren & Stimpy". Thank you Thad, thank you so much...." Read more

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Anonymous
Very informative, helpful and a great read.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021
Verified Purchase

This book was very informative and a fantastic read, it opened so many doors and unveil the secrets of what really goes behind the scenes and productions of Spumco and John Kricfalusi's nature and work ethic.

This also allows me to see the true talents of those that have worked on Ren & Stimpy such as Bob Camp, Jim Smith, Lynne Naylor, Vincent Waller, Bob Jaques, Kelly Armstrong etc. This also however allowed to to learn both the strengths and weaknesses of each artists that have worked on the show whether they're from Spumco or the Games Era and all from reading both this book and watching all of the R&S episodes with a critical eye.

Granted I don't agree with certain ratings on certain episodes whether it's deemed Excellent or BOMBED but I'm more than willing to see the perspective of others based on certain episodes they do or don't like even if I don't fully agree on it. Regardless I still respect the show for what it is and not base it on one person with a horrible reputation and controversies knowing there are team of artists that have also worked on it and their talents should not go unnoticed. Hell every show requires a team effort. Overall very informative and a good read, would highly recommended especially to those who are a big R&S fan be it they'd be new or old

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Jonathan Wilson
As Mr. Horse said once: "It's Good, Mighty Good!"
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2017
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Thad Komorowski’s opus 'Sick Little Monkeys' is pretty much the closest we'll ever get to having an official Spümcø book: a most thoroughly-researched and extensive attempt to shed real light and clarity on the animation industry's most controversial event in the last few decades. Even if the book doesn't chronicle the studio that much, nor is it an actual love letter to John (though, if you know Thad, his opinions on John are.....decidedly mixed, to say the least), It still very much celebrates the show itself and geniuses behind it, creator or otherwise.

Information involved in this book is everything you could ever imagined. For years there have rumors and misinformation spread around on who finished what (did Spümcø finished this episode or did Games took over the whole thing) and who's credit actually mattered (John had nothing to with certain episodes that credited him in the later run; most of them were based off outlines he layed out, i.e. "Stimpy's Cartoon Show" and "Ren's Brain"). Both the original and revised editions goes into much more detail on insight into a number of areas that had not been fully explained, some leaning more toward the trivial for the benefit of geeks like myself (John K. himself requested that the "Created By" title card be remove, The "secret" meaning behind the Games logo, episodes like "Svën Höek", "Fake Dad", and "The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen" were originally envisioned as half-hours, scrapped episodes, legend Mark Kaulser animated a scene, etc and so on..).

I'm one of those few folks who actually enjoy the Games seasons as much as Spümcø's (I'm one of those few folks who seem to enjoy anything without the creator's input), thanks in part to reading Ian L's old "Ren & Stimpy Reviews" blog, which try to inform it's readers that, hey, not EVERY episode was awful, there's some hidden gems in there, you know? Thad continues that by taking his time in highlighting some of their best episodes and cast the spotlight on Kricfalusi’s crew that stayed behind to make them possible. He also gives perhaps the most thorough and keenly-observed analysis on the short-lived 'Adult Party Cartoon' revival (something that nobody really bothered to do).

If you love the entire history of 'Ren & Stimpy', controversies and all, warts and all, and you still haven't got this book, book it man! You won't be disappointed. Especially the revised edition: with a few extra pages, you get more bang for your buck..

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George Holden
Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2015
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I enjoyed this book.

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Guido Hendriks
Great!
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2024
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Wonderful book for anyone who loves animation, history, Nick and Ren & Stimpy. The author is amazingly knowledgeable and has a fun way of expressing himself through words.

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Kindle Customer
One of the best behind-the-scenes books ever written about a TV series
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
For those of us who were there when The Ren & Stimpy Show debuted all those years ago, we remember those halcyon days with feelings of tremendous excitement--seeing something truly groundbreaking and on a kids' network, no less--mixed with abject disappointment. How can there be another rerun? We've only had two new shows so far this season! Komorowski dares to dissect the complexity of what happened on the meteoric rise of the show and its creator to their catastrophic fall, and he does so with brilliant research and even-handed writing. Along the way we meet John K., an insanely brilliant animator, but insanely difficult boss. We meet the staff who worked with him--and one compatriot who desribed working for John K. as being on the "genuis/a****** rollercoaster." (You totally feel that, as corroborated by the accounts here.) We meet some fairly courageous network brass who, despite many misgivings and misunderstandings, actually stuck with the show and were rewarded with almost instant and unanimous acclaim. We meet people who cared, people who didn't, and people who just hung on for dear life. We meet those who were reasonable and those who weren't, those who lived to fight another day and those who didn't. It's an amazingly detailed, refreshingly written piece, perfectly straddling the worlds of academic scholarship and fanboy gossip. If you loved the show, you owe it to yourself to read this book. If you haven't seen the show, watch it now, and then read the book. Your eyes will be opened about how really difficult it is for everyone involved to do something non-traditional in traditonal Hollywood.

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Reviewed in Australia on July 20, 2021
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More information would have been great but the information this book had did not disappoint.

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Steffu
Fantastic read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2013
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I rarely read books nowadays that aren't fiction, but this one, I can hardly put it down, it's just getting me gripped even more as the chapters go on. From post production stories to how it all started to even the downfalls of this masterpiece. I highly recommend it to anyone who's a huge fan of Ren and Stimpy or cartoons in general.

The delivery was perfect too, arrived safely and no tears or dents, a perfect to read and pass the time with, I've never been so hooked on a book in a long time like this one.

Go buy it, you will not disappoint, a terrific read.

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Warren B.
Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorised Abuser Apologia
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2020
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I was warned by a few reviews of this book, that it was too dry and technical. I wish it was too dry and technical, compared to what it is.

This book claims to lift the lid on all the drama that went with Ren and Stimpy's unveiling to the world, and the drama behind the scenes as John Kricfalusi was fired from his studio and his creation. And it does. That's why I give it as many as two stars. It's also written to brown-nose Kricfalusi in such an off-putting way that's only matched by Kricfalusi himself.
That's a fair comparison, I think. Despite the moans in the introduction that John K didn't contribute to the book and that he and Thad exchanged harsh words, this book reads like it could have been lifted from John K's own stream of consciousness. Right from chapter one. There's the fetishisation of the Warner Bros. animation studio system of the 1940s, leading to a lot of obnoxious, catty asides that everything in animation since then was terrible and worthless, until that brief, shining moment in the early 90s when Saint John shone out from among the dungheap, and then the darkness closed round again until the present day. There are even specific phrases, weirdly parroted from John K's writing, in particular several sneering references to 'non-drawing writers'. As if to say, "Guys! You'll never guess! There are these people called 'cartoon writers', and they're hired to WRITE! Not to draw! Isn't that nuts?" (Thad tries to explain and soften that stance towards the end of the book, but that's way too little and too late to dispel the petty art-snob impression)

'Course, like I say, Thad has to talk about the stupid stuff John K has done. The book would be a complete laughing stock otherwise. But he can't just lay it out like a sensible researcher or historian. Somehow, among all of those failings:

The ego

The expulsion from animation college

Being fired by Ralph Bakshi for being useless

Destroying the legacy of the last thing Bob Clampett created

Getting his own studio back into animation despite being (by his own admission!) bad at all aspects of animation

Coasting on the talents of better animators he tricked into working for him (or that he outsourced work to)

Being a complete control freak, while also being completely indecisive, so that work had to be redone, and redone, and redone, until it was way over time and way over budget

Rescuing miserable animators from 'factory studios' with no creativity... to be miserable under his ludicrous demands and mismanagement, and do things exactly as he wanted

Virulent harassment of anyone and everyone who dared to leave the Spumco compound and return to their old lives in the material world

All that and more, and somehow... somehow... it was all worth it because John was a 'unique rebel', and once in a blue moon, when he tore himself away from tracing 1950s comics, he managed to present 'the man' with an eleven-minute cartoon about a fat farting cat that is totally a tear-jerking apotheosis of art and western culture and much better than that icky Tiny Toons anyway you guys. (Strewth, I wish I was making this up)

Thad does manage to open up on those faults a bit more when the book gets around to John's messy removal from Spumco, and points out all the unfair demonisation of those who stayed with Nickelodeon to keep making the show. (I hear Bob Camp has trouble talking about John at cons, 30 years later) This feels more honest at least, and fair enough, Nickelodeon should shoulder some of the blame for the fallout. But not for being 'too lenient' on his extreme procrastination, I think.
Even then, when the time comes round for Spumco's revival with the Ren and Stimpy Adult Cartoon Party and the George Liquor Show, featuring Kricfalusi unleashed (i.e. with no-one to prop him up and temper his legendary daddy issues) and the enormous trashfire those were in almost every aspect... Thad still has to scratch his head to wonder where the 'visionary genius' went.

No, Thad. The genius was in front of you the whole time. A never-was who rode a wave as it was created, thanks to his juvenile mythologising of a 40s studio that he never realistically understood, forgetting that even Bob Clampett had to answer to 'big bad capitalist' Leon Schlesinger.

I liked Ren and Stimpy. I did. This book just about killed it for me, a one-two punch along with finding out about John K's pederasty. That's in here too, years before he got #MeToo'd and dropped by everyone like a hot potato. Can't really leave without mentioning it, can I? It's glossed over fairly quickly. One little line about a breakup and zip... moving along...

Buy this if you want a few juicy stories about about what a disjointed headcase John Kricfalusi is. Just don't expect it to read like a book so much as a cynical hipster's blog. Frankly, with all the Kricfalusi-worship it contains, you'd get much the same by searching for Kricfalusi's own blog, and getting the dirt from the John K thread at Kiwifarms

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Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story Paperback – February 1, 2013

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5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, helpful and a great read.

5.0 out of 5 stars As Mr. Horse said once: "It's Good, Mighty Good!"

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best behind-the-scenes books ever written about a TV series

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Review

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read

2.0 out of 5 stars Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorised Abuser Apologia

Very informative, helpful and a great read.

As Mr. Horse said once: "It's Good, Mighty Good!"

Four Stars

Great!

One of the best behind-the-scenes books ever written about a TV series

Review

Fantastic read

Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorised Abuser Apologia