The Ren & Stimpy Show

He was inspired to create Ren by an Elliott Erwitt photograph, printed on a postcard, titled "New York City, Circa 1950", showing a sweatered chihuahua at a woman's feet.

Stimpy's design was inspired by the cat duo from the 1945 Merrie Melodies cartoon A Gruesome Twosome, who had big noses.

Production of the pilot, "Big House Blues", began in the summer of 1989, after The Ren & Stimpy Show was successfully pitched to Nickelodeon, and it was conducted by Spümcø, Kricfalusi's Los Angeles-based animation company.

A few months later, after the pilot had been screened at film festivals, it was announced that the show would be one of the channel's first Nicktoons.

The show's style emphasizes unique expressions, intense and specific acting and strong character poses.

According to animator Bill Wray, John Kricfalusi created the characters Ren and Stimpy in 1978 for "personal amusement" while studying at Sheridan College.