By Madeline Kerins

Surprisingly, not all things retrieved from the vault of the 1980s and ’90s are lame and cheesily reproduced. Sure, the new Strawberry Shortcake looks nothing like the original and the latest edition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are far from the butt-kicking superheroes they were in the past, but all hope is not lost. Besides the fact that My Little Pony hasn’t aged a bit in 20 years, another classic part of any American Y generation childhood is back-Nickelodeon’s Ren & Stimpy. And it is no surprise that Y generation-ers, a.k.a the largest consumer group in the history of the United States, are snapping up The Ren & Stimpy Show: First & Second Seasons Uncut like hotcakes.

The crude, disgusting and putrid duo of Ren Höek and Stimpson J. Cat and their outrageously ridiculous everyday rituals and adventures is the brain child of animator John Kricfalusi or, “John K,” and Spumco animation studios. The show became prime-time Nickelodeon material in 1990, when Kricfalusi sold them the rights to his creation, and eventually, all creative licenses to his original ideas for the series. In 1991, the first episodes aired and were instant successes with audiences of all ages, from young kids to high schoolers. Practically everyone who came in contact with the show became enamored and fascinated by its gross but loveably hilarious characters. Spumco, however, was constantly subject to content editing from Nickelodeon, and in 1992 they fired Kricfalusi. After founding the studio Games Animation, Nickelodeon continued the series, but it eventually halted production during the middle of its fifth season. Faithful fans have since had to either be lucky enough to catch episodes on random channels at odd hours, or privy to a collection of VHS they taped themselves from the series’ heyday. With the release of this DVD, all of them are releasing a sigh of satisfactory relief.

These three discs take you chronologically through the complete first and second seasons of the show, beginning with the first episode ever aired, “Stimpy’s Big Day.” Disc one comes up big on memorable episodes, including such gems as “Robin Höek,” “Space Madness,” “Fire Dogs” and “Black Hole,” which stand out amongst the 12 episodes featured on the disc.

Disc two also delivers the goods. It includes quite possibly one of the best Ren & Stimpy episodes ever, “Sven Höek,” in which Ren’s Swedish cousin Sven comes for a visit. Relieved to no longer be in the exclusive company of that “eeeddiot” Stimpy, Ren takes solace in Sven’s visit and sees it as a change for some rational conversation and companionship. It comes as an unpleasant surprise to Ren, who last remembers Sven from the “whelping box,” that Sven, in fact, could be Stimpy’s long lost twin. From their pudgy exterior and wide-eyed stare to their minimal intellect and affinity for collecting disgusting biological matter (nose goblins, used band-aids and “yars of spit”), Stimpy and Sven seem like a match made in heaven. The episode then takes us to where Ren has left the two alone while he attends work, only to come home and find the house in shambles-records tossed against the wall caught up in sticky webs of bubble gum, furniture strewn about, accompanied by various writings on the wall including “Stimpy + Sven” incorrectly spelled and bubbled with a circle as a conspicuous reminder of who was home all day. Furious, Ren storms over to find the two playing the fictional game made infamous by this episode, “Don’t Whizz on the Electric Fence!” Recklessly, Ren ignores the blatant warning of the game’s title and does so anyway. The result is sparks and cinder, leaving him all the more insatiably angered. In what appears to be part of the “uncut” portions of the DVD, (it is shown with a screen over it and a time clock running at the top of the screen), Ren explains heatedly to a cowering Stimpy and Sven how he gruesomely plans on punishing them for their deeds.

Also included on Disc two are such episodes as the putridly disgusting and graphic “Ren’s Toothache,” and psychotically comical “Rubber Nipple Salesmen,” in which Ren and Stimpy approach the door of a horse-man wearing all rubber who, though he declines their offer for rubber nipples, extends his arm in which he has a walrus grasped and inquires if they have any “rubber walrus protectors.” The walrus, in a famous Ren and Stimpy-style voice, whispers “Call the ppppoliceeee” to the stunned duo before they have the door slammed in their faces; it is humor like this that truly categorizes Ren and Stimpy as way out there.

Disc three features “Powdered Toastman,” a comical superhero, invented by Kricfalusi, who saves children, kittens, and his holiness the Pope by having them cling to his super firm buttocks as he flies them away to safety. Disc three also includes three more episodes that are contenders for the best Ren & Stimpy episode ever. One of which is “The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen,” where Ren and Stimpy find themselves members of the organization, fighting for survival whilst singing a hauntingly catchy diddy about their situation and rotting beef carcasses; the other being the touchingly poignant (well, the closest Ren & Stimpy has ever come to that) “Son of Stimpy/Stimpy’s First Fart.” And, of course, one cannot truly call oneself a Ren & Stimpy fan without reveling in the joy of “Fake Dad,” in which Ren generously decides to become a surrogate father figure to oversized prison convict Kowalski; Stimpy takes on the roll of doting mom. This show was genius.

Instead of including a fourth disc in this box set, which might have enhanced the overall viewing of the set, the bonus features and “banned episode,” “Man’s Best Friend,” are instead strewn between the three discs, with “Man’s Best Friend” lumped at the end of the episodes on Disc three. This is probably the set’s only downfall. It takes away from all the extras to have to browse through menus to find them instead of just popping in a Disc four and watching it all in one shot-call it lazy or picky; but that would have worked better. Also, it is safe to say that many fans who decided to purchase this disc in hopes of seeing tons of superior bonus features and commentary may have been slightly disappointed. While there is adequate commentary, more bloopers, unused animation and things of that nature may have added to the appeal of the bonus features and even forced that elusive fourth disc. Overall, though, this DVD Box Set is absolutely worth the lower-than-usual price of about $35.

Despite the menial bonus features, the idea of all of the aired Ren & Stimpy episodes being in one place is enough motivation for any fan to get hopping on this collection. You’ll be singing “Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!” and sucking eggs with your grandmother before you know it!

Final Grade: A