Ren & Stimpy Creator John Kricfalusi Has Harsh Words About Family Guy's Animation

The debut of "The Ren & Stimpy Show" represented a new era of adult-themed animation that was spearheaded by "The Simpsons" two years prior, followed by a number of likeminded cartoons. "Beavis and Butt-Head," "South Park," "King of the Hill," and "Family Guy," all brought their own respective absurdities to television in the 1990s. But "Ren & Stimpy" creator John Kricfalusi isn't impressed by the artistic efforts of Seth MacFarlane's "Family Guy."

"If you're a kid wanting to be a cartoonist today, and you're looking at 'Family Guy,' you don't have to aim very high," Kricfalusi said in an interview with Cartoon Brew. "You can draw 'Family Guy' when you're 10 years old. You don't have to get any better than that to become a professional cartoonist. The standards are extremely low." Now, while comparing "Ren & Stimpy" to "Family Guy" may come across as ostentatious, or even pedantic, there's a reason the cliché "people in glass houses" exists.

First, consider each show's lifespan. The Griffin clan is the winner with 21 seasons compared to only five for "Ren & Stimpy" (via IMDb). MacFarlane's series has also been ranked in the top 10 of all-time adult cartoons, while "The Ren & Stimpy Show" doesn't even crack the top 20 (via IGN). But, despite Kricfalusi's objections, there's no reason fans can't enjoy both shows since they're each worth streaming.