Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story

In the early 1990s, the animated show
Ren & Stimpy broke ratings records and
was a touchstone for a generation of fans
and artists. Creator John Kricfalusi was
celebrated as a visionary, but even though
his personality suffused the show, dozens
of artists and network executives were just
as responsible for the show’s meteoric
rise. As Kricfalusi’s worst impulses were
let loose at the workplace and new
allegations about even more disturbing
behavior have surfaced, his reputation
now threatens to taint the show forever.
With clips recognizable to any Ren &
Stimpy fan and interviews with Kricfalusi
and his fellow creators whose work has
been both elevated and denigrated by
their connection to him, Happy Happy
Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story is a
complex look at a show that influenced
the history of television, animation, and
comedy. More than a celebration, this
film forces us to consider the role of
media creators and how we reckon with
the reality of who they are versus what
we see on the screen.