At Supermegafest 2015 held in Framingham, MA I was fortunate enough to meet an animation giant. I got up and close with the man who gave us the gross up, as well one of the greatest cartoons of all time: Ren and Stimpy, Mr. Bob Camp. Bob (sans magic nose goblins) was kind enough to share a few moments time and shed some light on his work in the industry.

Graphic Policy: I grew up with the Ren and Stimpy cartoon, it was one of my favorites. I was fortunate enough to do a tour of Nickelodeon Studios when it was at the height of its popularity. How did you come up with the idea for the character of Ren? What was the background inspiration for it?

Bob Camp: Actually Ren and Stimpy were characters that John K. created for an animated show called Your Gang and he pitched it around Nickelodeon, and they liked the dog and the cat, who were minor characters. They said let’s do a show about those guys. So we created The Ren and Stimpy Show based on those character designs and gave them personality on those designs.

Graphic Policy: The thing about The Ren and Stimpy Show that stands out to me is, it was so different from anything else on Nickelodeon. To me it was definitely an adult cartoon that was under the guise “for kids” especially with the toilet humor..

Bob Camp: That’s definitely one way to describe it, but really we were making a kids cartoon. It just depends on your idea of what kids should or shouldn’t see is. I think that kids are smarter than people think. I think that kids know more than people think and they have good sense of humor. They’re funny it’s racy and we designed the show to be for kids and funny to watch because its just funny animation with funny characters doing funny stuff. Then under that we put layer upon layer upon layer of innuendo and suggestive stuff. Not in a creepy handed way mind you, it’s just sophisticated humor. I say sophisticated because it’s got pathos. it’s got satire. It’s got a million different kinds of humor. It’s deep stuff. There are jokes in the drawings and in the attitudes and deliveries. So you know, people have always put stuff in cartoons. If you watch Warner Bros. cartoons from the 40’s there’s tons of stuff in there, that when I grew up I go “Aha now I get that joke”.  So that’s what we wanted to do with Ren and Stimpy. We wanted it to be funny for kids, and then we wanted them to grow up and be just as fun for adults. The show has legs. It has such depth. I think a lot of cartoons are pigeon holed for audiences 6-11 years old. Which is this weird graph that got created for programming. So what happens is you actually talk down to kids and you have these preconceived notions. They go, well we better decide what’s right for a 6 or 11-year-old and I think it’s all b.s.

Graphic Policy: Well said. I think it ended all too soon personally. So how did you feel when they revamped it in the 2000’s when they put it on Spike TV?

Bob Camp: You know I actually had nothing to do with it…

Graphic Policy: Yeah that was way past innuendo. 

Bob Camp: Well, I don’t really have anything to say about it because I haven’t actually watched the cartoon. I was a little annoyed with it when I wasn’t asked to do them, because I was the one who finished the show. I was the one who delivered the show when someone else didn’t. So when that person was asked to do the new shows, and I had no idea they were thinking about it. I didn’t know they were being made. I never even get copies of the DVDs when they came out and somebody else did the commentary on my cartoons. So I wasn’t even given free copies of those cartoons and yet I was the creative director of the show. I was the one who delivered the show. You know I’m the one who directed more of them than anyone.

Graphic Policy: That’s unreal. I just don’t understand that.

Bob Camp: Yeah well.

Graphic Policy:  Do you have a favorite episode you’ve ever worked on? 

Bob Camp: Stimpy’s Invention. It’s my favorite because, well there’s a lot of me in it. I wrote it. It was my idea. I storyboarded it and when we showed it at a big party with lots of hollywood types were there. I mean people were laughing out loud with tears running down their face. I looked around and I’ve never seen anyone do more of a chuckle at even the funniest cartoons before. People were just belly laughing, I thought that “This is a high point in my life.” It was one of those moments that you got to remember and appreciate for the rest of your life. At least I did something right. So when John (K) and I worked pretty closely on a project it came out great and you know that’s kind of my favorite.

Graphic Policy: Well thank you for all your time and insight sir.

Bob Camp: Thank you.

 

*I just have to say on a personal note, Bob was one of the most approachable and down to earth people I’ve met. He answered every question professionally and even took the time to speak with me candidly quite a bit. Plus he signed my very awesome Powdered Toastman and Spider-Man team up from Ren and Stimpy #6. Great guy and very cool cat.