Farm Hands (The Ren & Stimpy Show)

Plot

Abner and Ewalt operate a surprisingly well-run farm. They seek children to assist with chores, but recall that previous child workers died due to their incompetence, including one who was hanged. They attempt to order "dehydrated children" from a comic book, but cannot read the instructions because they are illiterate. The product arrives in their mailbox, but they mistake it for chewing tobacco.

They chew and spit, which coincidentally summons the children: Ren and Stimpy. The duo are sent to work. Ren tries to collect eggs but is thwarted by gangster-like hens; one hen is mobilized by another to produce eggs that hit Ren as he flees. He succeeds by pretending to be a chicken, but a lovesick rooster gives him an earthworm and rocks to digest it as a token of affection.

Ren becomes angry while Stimpy amuses himself by stepping on a rake. At lunch, Abner stops Ren and Stimpy from eating, claiming teeth cause disease, and pulls out all their teeth. They are forced to eat and digest with rocks. Ren and Stimpy feed pigs without issue, then Abner and Ewalt, dressed as pigs, order them to milk a cow.

There is no cow, only a gorilla with an udder, which beats Ren and puts him in a bucket. Stimpy saves Ren and successfully milks the gorilla, receiving milk as a reward. Ren is left to handle Mr. Horse, who uses him for amusement.

Production

The storyboards for this episode were handled by Stephen DeStefano. Its title card spoofs the painting American Gothic. The characters Abner and Ewalt, who previously appeared in "Out West," are both performed by showrunner Bob Camp; this was because Abner's original voice actor, Jim Smith, departed during the second season along with John Kricfalusi and Spümcø. To cut costs, much of the animation was recycled from "Out West," with Rough Draft Korea reanimating and recoloring Carbunkle Cartoons' work. Unlike "Out West," which used digital ink-and-paint, "Farm Hands" was done with traditional methods, resulting in a noticeable quality gap. A scene showing Ren and Stimpy in agony after tooth extraction was cut from home video releases but later reinstated for television and streaming.