Jim Smith, co-founder of Spümcø, Animation Artist for such projects as 'Ren & Stimpy' has died

saintjules

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Storyboard and Layout artist, character designer and musician Jim Smith (born James Carl Jobb) died on Friday, May 2, at age 70. The animation veteran was perhaps best known for co-founding indie studio Spümcø with working partner John Kricfalusi, Bob Camp and Lynne Naylor and co-developing the influential Nickelodeon series The Ren & Stimpy Show in 1991. Smith also co-created Spumco's follow-up show The Ripping Friends with Kricfalusi (2001-2002).

He worked as a storyboard artist on Bakshi's feature Cool World (1990), Warner Bros.' Tiny Toon Adventures (1991) and Batman: The Animated Series (1992). He was also a character designer and storyboard artist on Nickelodeon's The Ren & Stimpy Show in the 1990s.

 
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MANY moons ago I went to the Spike n Ike's Sick n Twisted Animation Festival in Tampa, and that was where I was introduced to Ren and Stimpy.
They played the episode where they go to the dog pound (THE BIG SLEEP?!!?) and I nearly died laughing, I think I was around 13 years old.
Then a few years later it showed up on TV and I was thrilled, the original show run had some amazing episodes (looking at you Space Madness).
It definitely fell off in a big way, but that first crop of episodes is still pure gold.

RIP Jim, I wouldn't have these memories without you.
 
Jim Smith was the guy who was best known for drawing all of those 'lummox' inspired male designs on Ren & Stimpy... like image related.... It was a very specific design that meshed well with John K's designs. Plus, Jim Smith was good at layouts. He contributed a lot to the Spumco style. He also took over Ren & Stimpy under Games Animation after Nickelodeon kicked John K. to the curb. I really liked his art work. RIP.


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Now that I'm watching it, that series harmed many children... I used to watch it and although it was entertaining, it was very grotesque.
 
Now that I'm watching it, that series harmed many children... I used to watch it and although it was entertaining, it was very grotesque.
What's wild is that my mom hated The Simpsons and didn't like me watching it, but thought Ren & Stimpy was hilarious. She still quotes it to this day.

And speaking of disturbing scenes that go right over the heads of most kids:
 
What's wild is that my mom hated The Simpsons and didn't like me watching it, but thought Ren & Stimpy was hilarious. She still quotes it to this day.

And speaking of disturbing scenes that go right over the heads of most kids:

In Mexico, all the scenes and the adult version were shown uncensored. Here in Mexico, TV shows, including Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Saint Seiya, showed strong scenes uncensored.... It doesn't bother us at all.
 
Jim Smith worked with John K. on another short lives series that I loved back in the day called the Ripping Friends. A show about 'many men' super heroes and their many Mother named He-Mom. Jim Smith drew some of the following layouts for the show.. he was great at drawing big lumpy dudes. Jim had a pretty lucrative career in animation. Samurai jack, Batman the animated series, Tiny Toon Adventures. Some of his wildest stuff was at Spumco.

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Cool style he had...

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Thankfully, the German BD* release is uncensored

*The show is still in SD, but the whole thing + Extras fits on 2 Discs
 
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