It's a well defined fact that Ren and Stimpy has always been the black sheep of the Nicktoons universe. With its original intent undermined by a different attitude that was reflected by its parent network, the series and its creators have always been at odds with the Nickelodeon brass, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the most recent news on The Nicktoons Movie crossover event. If you still had even the faintest glimmer of hope you'd be seeing a cat and dog other than Cat/Dog on the silver screen, you're going to be very upset, as the dynamic duo of disgust is off the table.
ScreenGeek picked up on some remarks that Ren and Stimpy co-creator Bob Camp had recently made at Cleveland's Wizard World convention, and what he had to say pretty much kills any chance of seeing your favorite perverted pets in The Nicktoons Movie, or in any newer form for that matter. Camp clarified the reasoning with the following statement:
They're rebooting the Nicktoons without Ren and Stimpy. We actually pitched a Ren and Stimpy movie to Paramount, they wanted nothing to do with it. [Adult Party Cartoon] poisoned the well. I think it really left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. I had nothing to do with that one. And now, someone [at Paramount] doesn't want anything to do with Ren and Stimpy.
As if the drama between Camp and co-creator John Kricfalusi against Nickelodeon's increasing creative pressures on Ren & Stimpy wasn't enough, there was the short-lived revival of the show in its "natural" form that was known as Ren & Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon. Supposedly truer to its more adult tone, the Spike TV series was "uncensored" versions of Ren and Stimpy's adventures, and it didn't last long. So with Paramount/Viacom now being burnt twice by Ren & Stimpy's legacy of controversy, it's no surprise to see that the studio is distancing itself from the show in every way it can, with The Nicktoons Movie snub being the cruelest cut of all.
Though, to be fair, The Nicktoons Movie won't really suffer from losing Ren or Stimpy, as the difficulties with the show have faded into the obscure corners of pop culture that the show itself inhabits. When compared to runaway successes like Rugrats, Doug or even Rocko's Modern Life, Ren and Stimpy's legacy isn't exactly a major piece of the legacy that the first network for kids had created when it went into the world of cartoons. It's sad that the bad blood between Paramount and the show's creators cannot be forgotten in the name of this new theatrical experience, but at the same time it's not a deal breaker.
At least, we don't think it is. We'll have to wait until The Nicktoons Movie hits theaters, though the project currently does not have a release date in mind.
