2 Stupid Dogs

2 Stupid Dogs was (and is) considered a Ren & Stimpy rip-off, but if you watch Cartoon Network now you would see that the flat style of this show is being showed on two of Cartoon Network's most popular shows, Dexter's Lab and The Powerpuff Girls (Craig McCracken is art director for all 3 shows). In addition to what an earlier review said about Richard Pursel and John K. writing some episodes, Spumco cartoonist, Vince Waller also worked on some episodes. 2SD lasted until 1994 mainly because most homes didn't carry Cartoon Network and CN wasn't as popular in '93 and '94 as it is today.

First of all, Ren & Stimpy was about a dog and a cat, not two dogs. Second, both animals in this show were stupid, while Ren was not stupid (not smart either) and also very malicious. Second of all, this show was also much cleaner and child-oriented, while Ren & Stimpy was more appropriate for older audiences. Third of all, i'm tired of typing this review.

I could never get enough of watching 2 stupid dogs. One of my favourite eps was the one about the boots (which was mentioned earlier). The small one finds this can, and he loses it. The can rolls down some road, towards a supermarket, and ends up, inside the supermarket, right in front of the entrance, which was one of those automatic doors. (See that other post someone made about the boots episode to read what happened after what I just said.)

I love this show. I give it 5 stars!!

I never could decide which of the charcters I liked better, I would have to say the dacshund, or what ever breed the small dog is. These two airheads argue over and ponder the dumbest things, like who will get possession of a broken toilet seat, and how to open an automatic door. They figure out that perhaps the boots on people's feet are what opens the door, so they run around stealing shoes and boots from people. I really cannot believe that Teletoon has stopped running this show for the sake of stupid programs like "Billy the Cat".

One of the earliest productions that Cartoon Network ever made for themselves and in my view one of the most successful. Genndy Tartakovsky worked on this before coming up with "Dexter's Laboratory," and his offbeat art style and sense of humor are evident here. The show is also notable for the fact that Big Dog was voiced by Brad Garrett (later to become Robert Barrone on "Everybody Loves Raymond"). John Kricfalusi, creator of Ren and Stimpy, guested on several episodes and is credited with "tidbits of poor taste."

The characters basically consist of Big Dog and Little Dog, with a few recurring characters like Red (Little Red Riding Hood), the nerdish Kenny, and Hollywood (whose trademark line is, "Isn't that cute...BUT IT'S WRONG!!!"). The art style is deceptively simple and the plot lines are as well. However, little hidden surprises come when you least expect it, particularly in the form of Big Dog's utterly unexpected words of wisdom in various episodes, particularly in "The Rise & Fall of Big Dog," where Big Dog is somehow mistaken for an ambassador, and "Love Doctors," where Big Dog dispenses advice to the lovelorn Kenny.

Several of the episodes are classic in my opinion. My favorite has to be Vegas Buffet, in which Big Dog and Little Dog venture forth looking for the "Super Cheap Economy Style One Pound Hot Dog Buffet" and get caught up in gambling craziness, but almost all the episodes have something going for them. Some of the best satire and parody that CN cartoons has ever done is found here, especially in "Cartoon Canines," "Hobo Hounds," and "Let's Make a Right Price," as well as "Family Values." The comparisons to Ren and Stimpy are not quite justified, I think, simply because 2 Stupid Dogs is more low-key. The dementia of Ren & Stimpy is in your face, whereas 2 Stupid Dogs is, overall, gentler and more surrealistic.

Personally I think that this is one of the "lost classics" of 90's children's TV, right up there with Nick's "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" and "Rocko's Modern Life." A DVD of the collected "2 Stupid Dogs" is long overdue.