It would be easy to dismiss Thad Komorowski's book Sick Little Monkeys, after-all the subject of the book, John Kricfalusi, refused to help in any way. But Thad’s well-researched and thoughtful probe into an animated show about a demented Chihuahua named Ren and his doofus sidekick cat named Stimpy is simply a remarkable read.
Written from in-depth interviews from friends and collegues of John K (as well as his own words that have been documented all over the internet), Komorowski has been able to tell the tale of a 90s kid’s show (but was it really? Hmm…) that paved the way for animated shows that had a bit more bite and subversive humor (like South Park, Beavis and Butthead and yes, probably even Daria) in the years that followed.And while, the book reads like a well-thought out, albeit complex, love story for the show and the creator of it, it isn’t a fanboy tome. In all fairness to John K, he is a creatively, self-destructive genius and Komorowski isn’t afraid to show Kricfalusi’s faults and insanity, starting with his amateur days under the wing of the great animator/director Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Wizards, The Lord of the Rings (1978), American Pop) and at Filmation, to his spectacular rise and fall from grace at the height of Ren & Stimpy’s popularity on Nickelodeon (the dude was fired from his own show) and his later “Onward and Downhill” career choices.
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