Ren's Bitter Half

Did You Know?

• American journalist Thad Komorowski gave the episode four and a half out of five stars.
• Michael Kim had been working in the animation industry since he was 16.
• Peter Avanzino later directed episodes for Futurama.

Plot

Stimpy works late in a laboratory, using rubber bands, colored water, and Sterno to create a substance called XB-49. Ren enters, and Stimpy reveals he has become a genetic engineer, having given himself an additional buttock in a prior experiment. An angry Ren demands his dinner, steals the substance, and shakes it; it erupts on Ren, splitting him into two individuals: one evil and one indifferent. Stimpy is delighted at the prospect of a second best friend. While watching television, Evil Ren repeatedly hits Indifferent Ren, who does not mind. Evil Ren throws the television onto Indifferent Ren and Stimpy, knocking Indifferent Ren unconscious. A Girl Scout arrives; Evil Ren chews her cookies and spits them out to disturb her. Stimpy tries to get Indifferent Ren to help, but Evil Ren electrocutes the duo with the television. Stimpy takes Indifferent Ren for a walk; Evil Ren fortifies the door with planks, but they return twelve hours later to find Evil Ren has built a factory and destroyed Stimpy's prized possessions, including his record of "Happy Happy Joy Joy," his mouse toy, and his litter box. Stimpy passes out and wakes in captivity as Evil Ren takes over the laboratory. Evil Ren splashes XB-49 on himself to create an army, splitting into another Evil Ren without intelligence and a hideous female version of himself, whom he finds attractive. Evil Ren kidnaps a minister to officiate their marriage; they leave in a car, pulling the wall holding Stimpy and Indifferent Ren with a chain.

Production

Michael Kim directed the episode, having been recruited to work for Spümcø by series creator John Kricfalusi. Kricfalusi considered Kim highly talented, recognizing his work on The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil, and made him his protégé, convincing him to leave Batman: The Animated Series at Warner Bros. Animation. Kim worked as a layout artist on every episode until his firing, when Kricfalusi was dissatisfied with his inability to produce enough layouts during the production of "Man's Best Friend." After Spümcø lost the contract for The Ren & Stimpy Show, Kim migrated to Games Animation. He stated in an interview that he wanted to return to episodes centered on Ren and Stimpy and that he drew much of the episode himself. Kim contacted Bob Jaques of Carbunkle Cartoons to provide animation, but Jaques rejected due to scheduling conflicts, so Rough Draft Korea in Seoul provided the animation. Peter Avanzino was responsible for the episode's storyboards.