Man's Best Friend: An Alternate 1990s and Beyond

THE KINGFISH · Apr 30, 2023

Introduction
Hello everyone! This is my first alternate timeline here on this site! Alternate history has always fascinated me. The idea of another world - or another chain of events in history has fascinated me ever since I started learning about history. I first got into alternate history proper after watching Alternate History Hub’s “What if the Communists Lost the Chinese Civil War” video. Now I’ve thought about “serious” alternate history projects before. These include ones where Teddy Roosevelt won the 1912 Election, one where the Cold War ended with both the United States and the Soviet Union collapsing, and one where the entire world becomes communist, eventually leading to a new Cold War between authoritarian socialist dictatorships and rouge AIs. But this project is not one of those.

This is one centered on something less influential than big border changes - but nevertheless results in interesting changes. This will be a timeline centered around pop culture! I’ve lurked on this site for a while now - and I’ve seen my fair share of timelines. Among these are pop culture timelines. Some that have inspired me the most have been Dirty Laundry: An Alternate 1980s by @Andrew T and A Hippie in the House of Mouse by @Geekhis Khan - both of which I highly recommend checking out if you haven’t already. Anyways, I digress - I’ve decided to make my own pop culture-centered timeline centered around the decade just about everyone (well, everyone on the internet at least) seems to be nostalgic about: the 1990s.

Despite me personally not having been alive during the time, the 1990s have stood out to me as a decade where a whole lot of things were very volatile - from cultural zeitgeist to the fabric of the world order. If I were to summarize the 90s in just three words, it would be “everything went global.” For better or for worse, the 90s brought us the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of the United States as not just the sole superpower - but also the world policeman. Democracy and capitalism were seemingly enshrined in the global order. The rise of the internet also made the world far more interconnected than ever before. The Information Age was taking its first steps, and advances in computer technology had made their mark on everything from business operations to special effects in blockbuster movies. Culture and goods and services flowed freely through countries via globalization, and from a pop culture perspective brought us the likes of anime to the Western world. From a purely Western or American perspective, it was one of the most peaceful times in human history - and one that’s considered the “last great decade” by many - before being put to an end by the September 11 attacks and other future events. We will not be elaborating on said events here - lest the mods come breathing down my neck about “current politics.”

So yeah, as it turns out, changing history in America around the late 80s/early 90s can bring countless changes down the road. And that is why I chose this. As for what I will change - well, it involves two iconic pieces of 90s media. The first being Nirvana, the grunge rock/alternative rock band that defined a generation of youth angst and anxiety. The second is The Ren & Stimpy Show, the deranged cartoon about a psychotic chihuahua and a dimwitted cat which redefined the boundaries of animation. Both of these have had a lasting impact on the landscape of entertainment - despite the dubious history of the latter’s creator. But what if I were to tell you that there was a rumor were one almost wrote a song for the other? How would this impact each other at their height in popularity in the early 90s? And how would this affect everything else?

The answer awaits in the coming chapters!!

But before we begin, I have a few things to say:

1. Any resemblance this timeline may have to others on this site or elsewhere is purely coincidental. Although some may point out similarities with some timelines, such as Player Two Start by @RySenkari and @Nivek, I try to put an original spin on things in order to stand out.

2. Constructive criticism and feedback is more than welcome - it’s encouraged. If you have any ideas that you want me to cover, feel free to PM me and I’ll see if I can work it in. But please, be civil.

3. Since this is my first alternate timeline project for this site - there may be times where this goes on hiatus - as well, I have a life, and I need to balance my niche hobbies with my job and my school work. But rest assure, expect this timeline to continue to receive updates.

4. I do not condone the actions and behavior of the real-life John Kricfalusi towards his production staff, nor his sexual misconduct towards Robin Byrd, Katie Rice, and many other young female artists. My intention of depicting Kricfalusi in this scenario is not to be sympathetic to him, but to show that he did not always have to go down the path of being a monster.

5. Lastly, I’d like to thank the following for helping me with ideas: @Otakuninja2006 @TheFaultsofAlts @kirbopher15 @ExowareMasses @UNIVERSAL.EXE @CourtlyHades296 @Nivek @SultanArda @TheGuyWhoHeartsHistory @Screwhorn77 Thank you all so much for the support, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without all of you guys with your suggestions and your helpful criticisms.

So sit back, relax, and without further ado, here is…..

Man’s Best Friend: An Alternate 1990s and Beyond

THE KINGFISH · Apr 30, 2023

From Music to Making Animation
Excerpt from the Stefanimania interlog, 11 May 2010

You guys ever wonder why a ton of my contributions to the animation world somehow involve music? Well, this is why.

It was around 1986 when Gwen, Spence and I were peddling around the idea of starting a band together. We were huge fans of the whole late 70s/early 80s ska/punk thing from a few years back.[1] Now I wasn’t the most musical man - in fact I didn’t even know jack shit about music theory - but somehow a part of me just had that musical talent. I was mostly on the keyboards, but Gwen and I would team up to write the songs for the band. We also had our friends Jerry on the guitar, Leal did the bass, Webb did the drums, Alan and Gabriel did the trumpet. Together we formed No Doubt - a band that had the potential to become one of the most iconic bands of the 90s….. had I not gotten distracted.

We played our first gig at Fender's Ballroom in Long Beach, California. It was a pretty big deal for us, and we were all nervous as hell. But as soon as we hit that stage, everything just clicked. The crowd loved us, and we knew right then and there that we were meant to do this. From that point on, we played every show we could get, from backyard parties to local bars and clubs. In those days, we were all honing our sound and perfecting our performance. We were all determined to make it big, and we worked hard every day to improve our craft. I remember spending countless hours in Gwen's parents' garage, writing and rehearsing songs until we got them just right. We then got the news that we were gonna play one for a group of record label executives at The Roxy Theater. We were all really hyped. This was the moment we all hoped we were gonna be famous…

It wasn’t what it meant to be.

In December of ’87, Spence took his own life. The band never really recovered from this. We disbanded briefly for a couple of weeks, but ultimately decided to group back together with Alan taking Spence’s role. But then he left and so Gwen had to take over lead vocals. And then Jerry quit. And then Webb left. It was like our band was tearing itself apart at the seems before we can even break out![2]

It was around this time that I started to take up a job as an animator on the seminal cartoon series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures.[3] There, I was acquainted with John Krickfalusi - who at the time was an aspiring young animator and one of the main creative directors on Mighty Mouse. And oooohhhh boy, where do I start. Well…. John Krickfalusi was a very eccentric artist - to put it lightly. He was a huge fan of old-school cartoons from the 40s, specifically the works of Bob Clampett - he believed that no other animator than him had the ability to distort and exaggerate the expressions of cartoon characters. To say that Krickfalusi admired Clampett would be an understatement. Krickfalusi wanted to go above and beyond and try to stretch the limits of what could be done in a cartoon.[4]

Needless to say, this made him exceedingly hard to work with. You see back then, Krickfalusi was a huge asshole. He would always try to push the boundaries to what could be done in a cartoon at the time, even if it made the workplace an absolute nightmare to be in. He had absurdly high standards, and would only approve drawings and works that conformed to his standard. Otherwise he would toss it out and bark at them to start over.[5]

I would follow with him to his own studio, Spümco, in 1988 to work on the ill-fated Beany and Cecil revival for ABC. Krickfalusi’s perfectionist tendencies caused the show to go through a tumultuous production, and ABC struggled to approve Kricfalusi’s insane ideas and adult tone for the show.[6] All the while, the production atmosphere was as toxic as can be, and many young artists suffered Krickfalusi’s wrath. I was no exception.

One day in the winter of ’89, I was in the break room one day when I saw Krickfalusi walk down the hallway. Wanting to impress him, I decided to show him my rough sketch drawings in my notebook. “Mr. Krickfalusi,” I shouted, “would you like to see some of my sketches?” I saw him turn around with a clearly stressed expression on his face. “Sure, what is it,” he spouted as he audibly sighed. As I came towards him I pulled out my notebook and showed him sketches. I drew many of the Spümcø characters, including a certain chihuahua and cat for a show in development at the time. I also drew many of the Looney Tunes characters using reference from the old 1940s and 1950s cartoons. Clearly, I thought, I was studying directly from the masters.

Unfortunately for me, my heart sunk when Krickfalusi cringed and grimaced at what I was showing him. “No, No, No, NO,” Krickfalusi barked, “all of these expressions are the exact same!!” Oh, right. It was a known rule at Spümcø back in the day that any exaggerated expression - or wild take as Tex Avery called it - HAD to be different every time. Or else, Krickfalusi would flat out reject it. “We’re NOT Filmation, Eric. You can’t get away with lazily shitting out a formulaic, reused expression beaten into the ground by third rate Saturday morning cartoon studios here,” Krickfalusi snarled, particularly spitting out the phrases “reused expression” and “Saturday morning cartoon”. “Who gave you the inspiration to draw some of these, huh?!” I hesitated. I knew Krickfalusi had a knack for being intimidating, but I never knew it was this malicious. “F-F-Friz Freleng, sir,” I muttered.

“FRIZ FRELENG?!?!” “MOTHERFUCKING FRIZ FRELENG?!?!?!” Krickfalusi was at this point screaming at the top of his lungs. “HE CAN’T MAKE A GOOD CARTOON EVEN IF HE TRIED,” roared Krickfalusi, “HIS TWEETY CARTOONS ARE GARBAGE COMPARED TO THE GREAT BOB CLAMPETT!!!!!” In a fit of rage, Krickfalusi punched a hole in the wall and hung his head down. “No wonder the bleeding heart d*kes in Network Standards & Practices adored him in the 70s,” growled Krickfalusi.[7]

I was shellshocked. As I literally walked on eggshells I remarked “OK, OK, look, I promise that I will improve my talent to meet your standards.” Kricfalusi tilted his head upwards to reveal a scornful look on his face. “I will go straight to CalArts and become a better artist,” I asserted. “NO,” affirmed Krickfalusi, “Don’t go to CalArts. Buncha’ hacks trying to copy Disney.”[8] “Go to…” Krickfalusi paused, twiddling his fingers and looking off to the side, “Go to Sheridan College instead. That’s were I went.” Kricfalusi continued by explaining, “That place will teach you all you need to know about classic animation by the likes of the Fleischer Brothers, Bob Clampett, Tex Avery and the like.” “But mark my words: You’re not stepping foot in this office again until you can prove your talent. Got that?”

I nodded frantically, and left shortly afterwards that night. I told Gwen the news: that I, Eric Stefani, was leaving No Doubt for good.[9]

[1] This is OTL. No Doubt’s self-titled debut album would be released by Interscope Records in March 1992, and had a heavy ska/new wave pop sound to it. Problem is - 1992 is the peak of grunge rock, and so this album bombed and only sold 30,000 copies. The band would eventually find success in 1995 with the albums The Beacon Street Collection and Tragic Kingdom - the latter of which would spawn two of their most successful singles: “Don’t Speak” and “Just a Girl”.

[2] This is OTL. However, these replacements would yield the band’s most well-known line up, with Tom Dumont taking the guitar and Adrian Young taking the drums.

[3] AKA, the 80s cartoon notable for being canceled after a couple of angry parents thought the main character snorted cocaine. According to IMDb, Eric Stefani worked on this series as a layout artist.

[4] This is true IOTL. John Kricfalusi had personally met Clampett in his later years, and had claimed that the 1946 Looney Tunes cartoon The Great Piggy Bank Robbery had “completely changed [his] life, [he] thought it was the greatest thing [he’d] ever seen, and [he] still [thinks] it is.”

[5] Obligatory reference to his creepy behavior around women in 3… 2… 1…

[6] Kricfalusi had helmed this revival of Bob Clampett’s characters with support from the Clampett family. ABC would ultimately cancel this show after 6 episodes - much like most of Krickfalusi’s projects. Eric Stefani had also worked on this as a layout artist according to IMDb.

[7] Kricfalusi had provided commentary on Clampett’s Tweety cartoons on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection. In it, he claimed that Freleng had made Tweety too nice and sweet. Also, Krickfalusi had previously used the word “d*ke” - a slur for lesbians - on a special DVD feature of a certain adult spin-off, where he complained about network executives not letting him draw women his way.

[8] Kricfalusi notoriously hates CalArts, to the point of coining the term “CalArts style” to refer to animators imitating the style of Disney in movies such as The Iron Giant. However, it’s since been used by the online anime and cartoon communities as a pejorative to refer to the homogeneity of art styles seen in western (read: American) cartoons in the 2010s and early 2020s (notably Adventure Time, Amazing World of Gumball, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Star vs. The Forces of Evil, The Owl House, etc.).

[9] This is the Point of Divergence, or where this timeline deviates from our reality. IOTL, after the failure of No Doubt’s 1992 debut album, Eric Stefani gradually reduced his involvement in the band before leaving in 1994 to focus on his animation career for shows like The Simpsons. Here, due to his confrontation with Kricfalusi, Stefani leaves the band earlier - in 1989, and - heeding Kricfalusi’s advice - enrolls in Sheridan College, the very same Kricfalusi attended in the mid-1970s, to pursue an animation career.

THE KINGFISH · May 1, 2023

From Music to Making Animation
Excerpt from the Stefanimania interlog, 11 May 2010

“You’re leaving?!?!”

This was Gwen’s reaction to me quitting the band. “I mean, look around you Gwen,” I bluntly pointed out, “Our band is a fucking revolving door with too many cooks in the kitchen.” “You really think we have what it takes after Eric [Spence] hung himself?”

“But this was our band,” Gwen exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. “We started it together, we’ve been through so much. We can’t just give up now.”

I sighed, knowing that Gwen was right about our shared history. No Doubt was our brainchild, and we had worked tirelessly to build it from the ground up. But the truth was, I was simply disillusioned. And as I got into animation, I was shouted down by Mr. Kricfalusi. But something told me that I was not going to back down. Not after we lost Eric Spence. After he died, everything changed for me. The band was never the same, and I didn't feel like I belonged there anymore. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake with my animation career.

"I understand that this is hard for you, Gwen," I said, trying to console her. "But I have to do what's best for me. It's not about giving up, it's about moving on and finding my own path."

Gwen facepalmed sorrowfully. Sighing, she looked at me and said, “Eric…. all my life, I wanted to make music. I remember listening to bands like Madonna and The Go-Go's[1], and dreaming of being up on stage. When we started No Doubt, it was like a dream come true. But now...now I'm not so sure."

A shiver of guilt tingled my body. I could see the pain in her eyes, and it broke my heart. "Gwen, you're an amazing musician," I said, taking her hand. "You have so much talent and passion, and I know that you can do whatever you set your mind to. Don't give up on your dreams just because I'm leaving the band."

Gwen wiped away her tears and looked at me with a newfound determination. "You're right," she said. "No Doubt might not be the same without you, but that doesn't mean we can't keep going. We've faced challenges before, and we can face this one too."

I smiled at her, relieved that she was starting to see things in a more positive light. “And look on the bright side, there’s more to music than just making it,” I explained, “Besides, even if we broke the mold, we’d still have to deal with asshats in the label boardrooms.” “Trust me, I got people in the animation industry that have to deal with this bullshit all the time.”[2]

Gwen thought for a moment, processing my words. Then, her face brightened. “Maybe… instead of making music…. I could help produce and manage music.” She continued, “I can use my artistic view to help liberate female artists and bring new voices to the forefront!”[3]

“That’s the spirit,” I said encouragingly, feeling a sense of relief and hope. Maybe this was the best decision for both of us, and we could each pursue our own passions while still supporting each other.

“Maybe there is a future for me in the industry after all,” pondered Gwen.

“Well then, we may have lost the game before, but we each still have a shot in making it,” I asserted.

“Yes, Eric,” Gwen added, “and who knows? Maybe one day we’ll even collaborate on something new and amazing.” I smiled at her, feeling a sense of closure and possibility. “I guess this is where we part ways for now,” she added.

“I guess so,” I added smiling, relieved that she was starting to see things in a more positive light. "I know you can," I replied. "And I'll always be here to support you, no matter what."

We hugged each other tightly, and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Leaving No Doubt was one of the hardest decisions I had ever made, but I knew it was the right one. And with Gwen's support, I was ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead in my animation career. By March of ’89, No Doubt was No More, the others left for other bands, Gwen went into studying music production, and I was heading straight for Toronto. Where? Sheridan College of course! After all, if I wanted to show Kricfalusi my worth, why not attend the same college he claimed to attend. I left Los Angeles by the summer, and moved to Toronto - where I would live for the next two years.

When I started my term in September ’89, I was acquainted with Reg Hartt - a film archivist who just so happened to deal with cartoons. I told him that I was encouraged to come here by John Kricfalusi. Upon hearing that name, Hartt was aghast. He told me that Kricfalusi had developed a toxic reputation while at Sheridan and was eventually expelled in 1978 for poor attendance and poor workmanship.[4] He was determined to not make the same mistake with me.

One of the first things Harrt taught me was the importance of hard work and dedication in any creative field. He emphasized that talent alone is not enough, and that it takes a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn and improve to succeed. Usually, Harrt taught examples of exaggerated old school animation - such as Max Fleischer's Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons, as well as Tex Avery's Looney Tunes and MGM cartoons - and how they utilized timing, squash and stretch, and other animation principles to create memorable and entertaining characters.[5] But since Harrt remembered how Kricfalusi’s storytelling abilities were lacking, he made sure to also emphasize the importance of storytelling and character development.

Another thing Harrt did was that he used his connections with the local animation studios in the Toronto area[6] to land me internships to get insight on the animation industry. One of the notable projects I worked on included The Nutcracker Prince for Lacewood Productions, and Babar and Beetlejuice for Nelvana - particularly the latter’s opening sequence.[6]

Mr. Harrt did his best to ensure that I was fully prepared to enter the animation industry. And to be perfectly honest…. It kinda worked. Maybe it was the chaos in No Doubt, maybe it was personally working in the 8th circle of hell that was Spümcø, fuck - I don’t know - maybe it was just Hartt talking sense into me. But I was NOT going to make the same mistakes that Krickfalusi did. While I still wanted to draw the wildest drawings I could, you need a sense of getting shit done in order to make a dream reality. It’s just the way the world works.

Anyways, long story short, I graduated from Sheridan in April of ’91 with an associate’s degree in Film and Animation. Now, while most animation studios also require at least one year of experience in the industry, I’d been there and done that back in the late 80’s with my work on Mighty Mouse and Beany and Cecil. So, after moving back to Los Angeles, my first stop was to go back to Spümcø. If I can remember from my old planners I took up while at Sheridan, I had an interview with John Krickfalusi himself on July 20, 1991. By that time, his new series - now called The Ren & Stimpy Show - was garnering quite the word of mouth in and outside the industry.

Kricfalusi’s colleague Bob Camp had led me into his office, where I was met with a disappointing scowl. “Oh… it’s you,” Kricfalusi groaned with a total lack of enthusiasm. “I’m back,” I stated confidently, “And I’ve got a sleuth of experience straight from Sheridan to boot.”

I handed my new sketchbook filled with at least a hundred or two of wacky cartoon drawings. If that’s not perfectionism - I don’t know what the fuck is. As I handed him the book, Kricfalusi sarcastically remarked, “maybe you learned how to steal from Chuck Jones instead of Friz Freleng this time.” But while flipping through the books, he became stunned. It was like he needed to clear his eyes in order to understand what he was seeing. Every. Single. Expression. Was perfect to him. “Holy shit,” Krickfalusi muttered, “you actually drew this shit?!” I emphatically nodded. “This… these are some of the wackiest drawings I’ve ever seen,” Kricfalusi remarked, “and I’ve seen the fucking Fleischer Brothers.” “Umm… thanks, I guess,” I squeaked. “You really did study from the classics this time,” Kricfalusi added, “I’m thoroughly impressed.” He caught a glimpse of the next drawing - a cartoonishly busty, young-ish woman and let out a hearty chuckle. “Ha! Look at that! That bitches’ tits are HUGE!”[7]

“Yeah,” I commented, laughing off his casual misogyny. “So, can I expect a job here in the coming weeks? “Oh, yes, yes, absolutely,” Kricfalusi remarked, “definitely worthy of a job here at Spümcø.” I felt proud. Seeing the same guy scorn me for my art talent just two years ago now congratulate me for it gave me a rush of pride that I haven’t felt since No Doubt. “That’s great,” I chimed, “One more question I have is can I expect to eventually work my way up to a show runner position?” Kricfalusi’s face suddenly shifted to a more solemn expression. “Ehhh…. I prefer having creative control over my show,” Kricfalusi asserted, emphasizing “my”. “I mean, let’s be real - any artist with a set of balls between his legs would. Why shouldn’t I?” “You will play a crucial role in the writing and storyboarding process, however.” “Right,” I said with unease.

But show runner or not, I had the job. Ren & Stimpy would premier on Nickelodeon in August 1991 - and would arguably be the biggest hit of the three original Nicktoons. My first credit on the show was as a storyboard revisionist for the episode “Marooned” - an episode I personally enjoyed working on. It was really fun bringing all the surreal imagery in that episode to life.

However, I couldn’t help but feel that the world of music was still calling me. It had been almost three years since I’d strangle my musical career in the cradle, yet 1991 felt like a whole new world. Ska, punk, and new wave were out. Grunge, hard rock, and raw indie sounds were in. These new artists spoke to a generation of disillusioned youths, singing about social isolation, disempowerment, and trauma. I personally found it refreshing to hear this raw and honest expression in music, and it reignited my passion for the art form. Despite my success at Spümcø, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was meant to be doing something else. I was simply torn. But then, I got the crazy idea to somehow put the two together. In many ways, the edginess of grunge and the edginess of Ren & Stimpy almost rhymed with each other. If I was going to get someone to get on the show, I might as well get the most edgy and unconventional musician out in the mainstream. So, I did the only sensible thing: I personally called the face of grunge. When the person on the other end picked up the phone, I responded:

“Hello, is this Kurt Cobain I’m speaking to?”[8]

[1] This is OTL. Madonna and The Go-Go's were both popular pop groups in the 1980s. Additionally, Madness, The Specials, Blondie and The Clash also made up most of the influence of No Doubt - and to an extent Gwen Stefani’s solo career. Rest assure, we are still setting the stage for our timeline - so we won’t dwell too long on the decade prior.

[2] “People” …..like John Kricfalusi.

[3] Considering that IOTL Gwen did other musical roles such as being a producer/songwriter for other artists - and later on served as a coach on the singing competition show The Voice - I don’t think this is too unreasonable for her. Plus, much of the songs she’s written - from “Just a Girl” for No Doubt to “Hollaback Girl” for her later solo career.

[4] Most of this is true. Kricfalusi was actually expelled from college back in 1978. However, not much is known for the reason why - but knowing how he acted on the production of…. well really any thing he’s ever made - we can infer that it’s probably no good.

[5] Reg Hartt has taught animation and film history to many aspiring animators and filmmakers, but - at least when Kricfalusi worked with him in the mid-1970s - was known for his unconventional teaching style and for his advocacy of self-education. It’s possible that given Stefani’s determination, and the things Harrt heard about Kricfalusi from graduates in the industry, that he changes his teaching method to what is depicted here.

[6] Specifically, the second intro to the Beetlejuice. From what I’ve heard, the cartoon is OK, but the (second) intro is totally off the walls crazy and I love it! It has no right being that good for a cartoon based on a movie.

[7] *sarcasm* Don’t you just love the 1990s? Totally weren’t a lot more racist, sexist, or homophobic than today! *sarcasm*

[8] And so, it begins. What started as a seemingly minor divergence regarding one band member choosing a different career path - has now led to two of the most iconic pieces of 90s media on a collision course against each other. In case you didn’t know, this is a timeline that takes the butterfly effect fairly seriously - unlike certain other pop culture timelines. You can expect the results of such a collaboration to have interesting results.

THE KINGFISH · May 4, 2023

The Yodel Song Origins?
Interview with Kurt Cobain on MTV’s 120 Minutes (1994)

INTERVIEWER: Kurt, how did you first get contacted about appearing in an episode of Ren & Stimpy?

KURT COBAIN: Well, uh, you see it’s this phone call I got at… 10pm, from some guy named Eric Stefani.

INTERVIEWER: And what did he say?

KURT COBAIN: He said he wanted to make a special episode of a cartoon that had us in it. And like - I was a little hesitant at first. I didn't really know much about animation… or cartoons. But Eric was really passionate about the idea and kept calling me - telling me “it wasn’t selling out” this, that and the other. I uh… honestly was getting kinda uncomfortable with all the attention we were getting from Nevermind. Like we were some sort of arena rock band. [1]

INTERVIEWER: Really. Now I’ve heard that before actually coming to Spümcø, you, Eric and the rest of the band were coming up with ideas for an episode. What were those meetings like?

KURT COBAIN: Really interesting - to say the least. Eric had all these uh.. crazy ideas trying to figure out how the hell he was going to put us in the show. Like us being mutated, to being superheroes, to even being aliens. Dave even had the idea of us being…. bugs with rabies or some shit like that.

INTERVIEWER: Man, that’s very interesting. So you’re telling me that instead of you being a talking yak in the Swiss Alps, you could have been an alien or superhero?

KURT COBAIN: (laughs) Yeah, I guess I missed out on that opportunity to be a superhero or an alien. Maybe in my next life.[2]

INTERVIEWER: Now, correct me if I’m wrong - but you and the rest of Nirvana were so busy around the time touring and performing that I doubt you had time to write a song for Ren & Stimpy. How did you do it?

KURT COBAIN: Truth be told, “The Yodel Song” was actually an old song that I recorded while screwing around in 1989. It was literally just me yodeling to a guitar riff. Like, I never intended for it to be released, but when Eric approached me about doing a song for the show, I didn’t have the time to write new material - so I went digging up older stuff from a few years back. And wouldn’t you know, that was the song I discovered.[2] So we reworked it a bit and added some yodeling and voila - “The Yodel Song” was born.

INTERVIEWER: That's really cool, Kurt. So what was John Kricfalusi like?

KURT COBAIN: (pauses) Honestly - that guy’s a riot. From what Eric told me in those early days, I got the impression that he can sometimes be a bit psycho on his worst days.

INTERVIEWER: Yes indeed. I’m afraid I’ve heard a lot of stories behind the scenes. Which brings us to the day Kurt first presented “The Yodel Song” to not only writer and artist Eric Stefani - but also series creator John Kricfalusi…..

January 28, 1992
Spümcø, Inc. HQ, 5625 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California

[TRANSCRIPT OF VIDEO RECORDING]

00:00 - *video static and microphone audio interference as Kricfalusi handles camcorder*

00:01 - Kricfalusi: Is it working?

00:02 - Stefani: Ch-check the light on the side, it should be red.

00:04 - Kricfalusi: *stares at camera lens with stressed expression on face* That little punk is running late for the meeting.

00:07 - Stefani: Give him time. You know not everything runs at Narnia time, you know.

00:08 - *Kricfalusi moves away from the camera to reveal an office room with tan walls and animation memorabilia. Camera is pointed at an angle towards the door from a corner. A desk can be seen to the right of view. Stefani pulls a chair to sit at the side of the desk while Krickfalusi sits at the back, hands in clasped position towards face*

00:11 - Kricfalusi: God, I hope this guy isn't wasting our time. We've got a lot of work to do and I don't want to waste it on some mediocre musician.

00:16 - Stefani: I’m telling you, John. Nirvana is literally the biggest rock band right now, and you’re calling them mediocre?

00:24 - Kricfalusi: Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. But you know how it is, Eric. Sometimes the hype doesn't match the talent. *crosses arms* Music these days… why can’t we go back to the days of real music, like the Beatles or the Stones?[4]

00:25 - Stefani: Hey, this isn’t Nirvana’s usual music. Kurt told me last night over the phone that this song had a lot more… *waves hands with a squirmy facial expression* …traditional music…

00:31 - Kricfalusi: Oh… *throws up arms* …so you're telling me he’s just gonna play some uppity little tribal music?

00:38 - Stefani: *winces* N - No! I mean…. He’s just gonna play us an old-timey-

00:42 - *three knocks are heard at the door*

00:43 - Stefani: Come in!

00:45 - *the door creaks open, revealing Kurt Cobain to the camera, with a guitar case in hand*

00:46 - Stefani: Hey, Kurt! Glad you could make it!

00:48 - Cobain: *smiling* Sorry for being late, guys. Traffic was a nightmare.

00:51 - Kricfalusi: *muttering* More like he was probably too high to find the place.

00:55 - Stefani: *glares at Kricfalusi before turning to Cobain* So, show us what you got, Kurt.

00:58 - *Cobain sets down his guitar case and takes out a guitar*

01:08 - Cobain: Alright, this is a little different than what you might expect from me. It's a song I wrote a couple years back. Let’s just say it’s traditionally themed…

01:15 - Kricfalusi: *Imitates stereotypical Native American war cry*[5]

01:16 - Stefani: *facepalms*

01:18 - *Cobain tunes guitar, testing the strings*

01:29 - Cobain: Yodel-eh, Yodel-eh, Yodel-eh-hoh

01:32 - *guitar riff begins, Stefani and Kricfalusi look on in fascination*

01:57 - Cobain: I hear a sound that’s haunting me

02:00 - Cobain: A melody so dark and free

02:04 - Cobain: It echoes through my troubled mind

02:11 - Cobain: A voice that’s calling, so unkind

02:14 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, haunting me

02:18 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, can’t you see

02:22 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, it’s all I fear

02:26 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, ringing in my ear

02:30 - Cobain: He lures them in with a smile and a charm

02:34 - Cobain: But beneath the surface, there’s something wrong

02:37 - Cobain: He takes him to his lair, a place of fear

02:41 - Cobain: And there he makes them suffer, year after year

02:45 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, haunting me

02:49 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, can’t you see

02:52 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, it’s all I fear

02:56 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, ringing in my ear

03:00 - Cobain: *performs guitar solo in a manner similar to traditional bluegrass music*

03:30 - Cobain: I know he’s not real, but he feels so alive

03:38 - Cobain: He tells me secrets, he makes me strive

03:44 - Cobain: To be someone else, to take on another guise

03:52 - Cobain: But in the end, I’m playing tricks on my eyes *holds on ‘eyes’ as guitar riff crashes down*

04:00 - Cobain: *guitar riff starts back slowly, repeats faster and faster up to the original tempo*

04:30 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, haunting me

04:34 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, can't you see?

04:38 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, it's all I fear

04:42 - Cobain: Yodel, yodel, ringing in my ear

04:46 - Cobain: Yodel-ay-ee-oo, the struggle never ends

04:50 - Cobain: Yodel-ay-ee-oo, I fight to make amends

04:54 - Cobain: Yodel-ay-ee-oo, to keep the voices at bay

04:58 - Cobain: Yodel-ay-ee-oo, and live another day

05:02 - Cobain: *guitar riff specs up further and further until it is a surf/metal like riff, Cobain bends and flexes aggressively*[6]

05:22 - Cobain: *guitar riff crashes down to a slow and sad pace*

05:32 - Cobain: *song ends on final twang that trails off over the course of five seconds*

05:38 - Stefani: That. Was. Amazing, Kurt! I've never heard anything like it.

05:45 - Kricfalusi: *nodding in agreement with blank face* Yeah, that was really something.

05:07 - Cobain: *smiling* Thanks, guys. I'm glad you liked it.

05:34 - Kricfalusi: *with quizzical expression on face* So… do you have any plans to work on anything else like this?

05:38 - Cobain: *nodding* Yeah, actually. I've been working on some acoustic stuff lately. I think I'm ready to try some new things.

05:45 - Stefani: That's great to hear, Kurt. We're excited to see what you come up with next. Maybe we can do more stuff like this in the future.[7]

05:52 - Cobain: *smiling* Thanks, guys. I'm excited to see where this goes too.

05:55 - Kricfalusi: Well, we should probably get back to work. We've got a lot to do today.

05:59 - Stefani: Yeah, let's do that. Thanks for coming by, Kurt.

05:59 - Cobain: *smiling* Thanks for having me, guys. It was great meeting you both.

06:03 - *Cobain leaves the room with his guitar case and shuts door*

06:10 - Stefani: *stares at table, thinking intensively*

06:20 - Stefani: So John… you think we should make an episode on this?

06:26 - *Kricfalusi clasps his hands against his face and sighs*

06:31 - Kricfalusi: Eric, you’re a great artist, and I respect you a lot more than I did a few years ago. But here’s the thing: I don’t know if this is a good idea for my show. You have this little jerk who thinks he’s the anti-John Lennon come on and try to turn my show into a big fucking joke.

06:47 - Stefani: Woah, woah, woah. Nirvana isn’t some big corporate boy band made up by a bunch of rich elites in New York. They’re a fully blown countercultural band that’s about pure art. Trust me.

06:56 - *Kricfalusi stares at Stefani*

07:01 - Stefani: They are artists. Just like you and me.

07:07 - *Kricfalusi falls into pondering position*

07:15 - Kricfalusi: They aren’t a bunch of poppy pinko liberals, are they?

07:21 - Stefani: *confused* …..No? I’m not sure what that means? And I’m pretty sure they’re far from poppy.

07:26 - Kricfalusi: Well then….. consider this your lucky break. We’ll make the episode.

07:31 - Stefani: Really?!

07:32 - Kricfalusi: But here’s the catch - I’m not gonna be involved in it.

07:35 - Stefani: Why not? Aren’t you gonna voice Ren?

07:40 - Kricfalusi: Oh, I’ll voice Ren. But I prefer to control my episodes. You handle your own little episode. We’ll just say your episode is a….. happy little accident.

07:55 - Stefani: That can work. But I’ll need assistance considering this is my first time making an episode on my own. Could I get some help from someone else?[8]

08:02 - Kricfalusi: Well, I got Bob itching to do more creative input on the show. And Vince and Rich could steer you in the right direction. So how about them?

08:09 - Stefani: Great! I’ve worked with them before. So, that will be perfect!

08:13 - Kricfalusi: *gets up and stretches* Good. *approaches to handle camcorder* Now help me take down this camco-

[CUT OFF BY VIDEO STATIC]

[VIDEO ENDS]

[1] Nevermind was relatively polished and poppy compared to the band’s first album - Bleach. No surprise that it was also their most successful album. However, this led to the band becoming pretty sick of all the popularity, and arguably worsened Kurt’s mental problems. On the other hand, I don’t believe that late 1991/early 1992 would be too late for this - as that was considered their commercial peak in popularity IOTL.

[2] While Kurt Cobain was known for his intense and often dark music, he also had a playful and irreverent side to his personality, as evidenced by some of his interviews and public appearances.

[3] We actually have no idea what song Kurt Cobain wrote for Ren & Stimpy - assuming he even wrote one. However, I believe that song is “The Yodel Song” - a song performed IOTL by Kurt Cobain on his home recordings - which was eventually released as part of the compilation album Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings in 2015. I will elaborate more on that in the next post.

[4] Since Kricfalusi grew up in the 60s, there’s a chance that he would have been into those bands. Hell, he even worked with Ralph Bakshi to make the music video for the Stones’ 1986 single Harlem Shuffle.

[5] Again, mid-century mentality Kricfalusi has in regards to Native Americans (or First Nations peoples as the people up North call it).

[6] If you want a more detailed picture, think a mix of the riff from Dick Dale’s “Miserlou” and the ending to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” mixed with the ending of OTL’s Yodel Song.

[7] F o r e s h a d o w i n g

[8] He’s referring to Bob Camp, Vincent Waller, and Richard Pursel. Bob Camp was one of the co-founders of Spümcø, and later took over the show in late 1992 after Nickelodeon fired Kricfalusi. Vincent Waller and Richard Pursel were one of the main writers of the show, and helped to helm episodes such as “Sven Hoek” and “Rubber Nipple Salesmen”.

THE KINGFISH · May 4, 2023

Author’s Discussion: Cobain and Kricfalusi

Nirvana appearing on Ren & Stimpy. I know. It’s as crazy as it sounds.

But as crazy as it sounds, it kinda makes sense. Both Nirvana and Ren & Stimpy broke the mold of everything that came before them in their respective fields.

Nirvana and Ren & Stimpy were both part of the cultural zeitgeist of the early 1990s, and their unconventional approaches to their respective art forms resonated with audiences. Nirvana's music challenged the mainstream rock scene with their raw, unpolished sound and lyrics that tackled social issues, while Ren & Stimpy pushed the boundaries of children's animation with its surreal humor and gross-out gags.

On a more somber note, both Kurt Cobain and John Kricfalusi fell from grace at some point. First Kurt. It’s no secret that Kurt had struggled with addiction to heroin and had severe mental health issues - issues that only got worse as Nirvana’s fame grew and became the talk of the media and general public. In 1992, Cobain married Courtney Love - another musician who struggled with addiction and mental health issues. Their relationship was tumultuous, and made headlines in the tabloids. In fact, ALL of Cobain’s personal life was being intruded upon by the paparazzi and the media. His addiction was getting to the point where it was affecting his performance during live shows - often either not showing up, or performing poorly. It even seeped into his work. During the MTV Unplugged performance in New York, you can clearly see the emotional pain Kurt is going through during the performance - how his psyche is being eaten alive by media narcissism. Tragically, all this would culminate in Cobain taking his own life. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead in his Seattle home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound - having died 3 days earlier. His death was mourned tragically by fans and marked a transition for rock music as a whole - with some arguing that it has entered a funk of depression it has yet to recover from. His death remains a tragic reminder of the importance of addressing mental health issues and providing support and resources for those who are struggling. Despite all the turmoil, Cobain's legacy as a musician and cultural icon has continued to endure in the years since his death, and Nirvana's music remains popular and influential.

John Kricfalusi also fell from grace - but in an even less dignified manner than that of Kurt Cobain. Kricfalusi was infamously hard to work with, and would reportedly miss deadlines and have conflicts with the network over the show's content. This would eventually lead to him being fired in September 1992 over a now-infamous episode called “Man’s Best Friend” (HEY THAT’S THE NAME OF THE TIMELINE) - in which Ren violently beats George Liquor with a rowing oar to assert his strength. His colleague Bob Camp would take over production of the show - however, these new episodes weren’t nearly as good as the ones Kricfalusi worked on. Instead of pushing the boundaries of what could be shown on children’s television, these new episodes were simply doing what was expected and predictable. The show would continue to decline in popularity until being quietly canceled in 1995. As for Kricfalusi, his next big project was The Goddamn George Liquor Program - a web series about George Liquor that was groundbreaking as the first cartoon created specifically for the internet. After a couple more web projects, Kricfalusi would return to television with The Ripping Friends - but it would only last one season. However, his biggest failure would come with Ren & Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon. Kricfalusi was contracted by Viacom to bring back Ren & Stimpy as an adult cartoon for Spike TV. However, due to his aforementioned problems and the network’s desire to capitalize on South Park’s success by being overly edgy and grotesque - Adult Party Cartoon was an unmitigated DISASTER - universally panned by critics and audiences alike and shuffled off the network after a mere three episodes. If you think it couldn’t have been worse than that - well… it got worse. In 2018, in wake of several high-profile sexual assault allegations, two women would come forward with allegations that Kricfalusi sexually groomed them. Though Kricfalusi would apologize (spoiler alert it was very half-assed) - the damage was done and the final nail in coffin for Kricfalusi’s career was hammered. Who was once regarded as a god in the realm of animation, has now fallen from grace to become a sort of Satan instead.

When analyzing the personalities of “normal” historical figures such as Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin, we often look to their early lives to search for answers - such as how Hitler’s relation with his mother fueled his megalomania as the Führer of the Third Reich, or how Stalin’s dysfunctional childhood motivated his later paranoia during the Soviet purges of the 1930s. Back to Cobain and Kricfalusi, it is evident that both these men suffered from a rough childhood. For Cobain, his parents divorced when he was 9, a divorce that would leave a profound impact on Cobain. He felt abandoned by his father, who moved to another state after the divorce, and he struggled with feelings of neglect and loneliness. Cobain's mother Wendy also had her own struggles. She suffered from a range of health issues, including chronic pain and mental illness, and was often unable to care for Kurt properly. He moved frequently as a child, often living with different relatives. Kurt would later describe his childhood as "a nightmare," and said that he felt like he was always trying to escape it. He would find solace in music from a young age. He began playing guitar when he was just 14 years old, and he quickly became obsessed with punk rock and the burgeoning grunge scene in the Pacific Northwest.

As for Kricfalusi, not much is known about his early life - but from the few sources we have - it was probably miserable. According to an article for The New Yorker[1], Kricfalusi's father was a World War II veteran who struggled with alcoholism and anger issues. Kricfalusi has described his father as abusive, both physically and emotionally (not that that excuses his own abuse of those two girls). In the interview , Kricfalusi said, "He used to hit us with a belt. He'd come home drunk and start yelling at everybody." Kricfalusi's mother also had mental health issues, and she was hospitalized several times during Kricfalusi's childhood. Kricfalusi has said that his mother's hospitalizations made him feel abandoned and alone. "It was just me and my dad," he said in the interview. "I felt like an outcast." Kricfalusi has described how his difficult childhood led him to seek refuge in cartoons. He was a fan of classic cartoons like Bugs Bunny and Popeye, and he would spend hours drawing his own cartoons. Kricfalusi has said that he felt a connection to these characters, who were often outsiders or rebels themselves. "I felt like these characters were my friends," he said in The New Yorker interview. "They were the ones I could relate to."

Both of their rough childhoods manifest in their works, with Kricfalusi's cartoons often feature characters with dysfunctional relationships - from various episodes of Ren & Stimpy to the poorly-received Cans Without Labels short, while Cobain's music often dealt with themes of pain, alienation, and trauma - with him saying in a now-famous Rolling Stone interview, "I have this idea that one day it will all come out, this fucking person that I am, and it will be a relief."

But backgrounds aside, bringing Nirvana into an episode of Ren & Stimpy would be a match made in counterculture heaven. The irreverent and boundary-pushing nature of both entities would create a synergy that would be hard to resist for fans of both. Nirvana's appearance on the show could be a nod to their rebellious spirit and their willingness to challenge the status quo, while Ren & Stimpy's absurd humor would provide a perfect backdrop for the band's music and persona. Furthermore, Nirvana's appearance on Ren & Stimpy could attract a wider audience to the show, including music fans who might not have otherwise been interested in animated TV. This could potentially lead to increased viewership, which could translate to higher ratings and more success for the show. But if a rumor from the early 2010s is to be believed, this almost happened.

According to Stimpy’s voice actor Billy West, sometime around 1990-1992, Kurt Cobain visited the headquarters of Spümcø and told the staff that he wanted to write a song for the series. He even performed said song to them. However, neither the Nickelodeon executives nor John Kricfalusi particularly liked the song, and so it was thrown out. But there’s just one problem: there’s no evidence that this actually happened.

We don’t know when it happened, what the song actually was, or why it was written, or whether or not it was a theme song or just a song for a particular episode. Kurt Cobain’s estate hasn’t commented on whether this is true or not. Kricfalusi also claimed in a 2019 interview that he had no recollection of such an event happening. Meanwhile, in a 2022 tweet, Billy West himself said that the rumor was actually false and that no song was written by Kurt Cobain for the show. So it’s safe to say that it never actually happened.[2] But what if it did?

The fact is that as the old adage goes, truth is stranger than fiction. It may sound cliche - but we live in a timeline where Australia fought a war against birds, a timeline where a driver’s wrong turn in Sarajevo led to one of the deadliest wars in history, and a timeline where Pepsi of all entities owned a naval fleet. So really, Nirvana making a song for an episode of Ren & Stimpy is a non-zero chance. And there’s one person that I think would be best qualified to write said episode:

Eric Stefani

For those unaware, and confused about the first two parts of the timeline, Eric Stefani is the brother of pop star Gwen Stefani and was the keyboardist of the band No Doubt, of which Gwen was also a part of. An interesting fact about him IOTL is that he also had an animation career. He primarily worked on The Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy, but also worked on stuff such as Mighty Mouse (the 80s cartoon) and the pilot for Rugrats. He hasn’t really worked on anything since. However, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that he could improve his skills within a window of time of just two years. He would have to give up his music career. Since he would be born in the same year as Kurt Cobain (1967), there’s a non-zero chance that he could relate to Kurt Cobain or his audience of disillusioned Gen-X. This would prevent such an episode of Ren & Stimpy from suffering one of the main problems of an animated kid’s show trying to relate to kids: it’s that usually, because of the writers being years or decades removed from current trends, said “cool kid stuff” (basically anything rap related) tends to be some 3 to 4 decades out of date. With Stefani actually knowing current (as in early 90s) trends as a writer, it wouldn’t come across as “cringey” to audiences.

Meanwhile, you may ask - is The Yodel Song even real? Well surprisingly yes! It’s actually on the 2015 compilation album Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings. But unlike TTL’s version - OTL’s version (recorded in the late 1980s by Kurt himself) has no lyrics. It’s literally just Kurt Cobain yodeling as he strums on his acoustic guitar. But honestly, if there was any Nirvana song that embodies the spirit of Ren & Stimpy more than any other, it would be this song. There are several episodes of the show that feature yodeling and Swiss culture in general, so it’s a surprise that the show never made an episode set in Switzerland - considering the two have been to space and western towns. Since this was also around the time of Nirvana’s more commercial direction taken with Nevermind, it’s likely that the band would agree to make the song. Finally, the song’s unconventional nature can still be executed well with Kurt’s lyrical genius and Dave’s musical direction. Yodeling can be made cool by Nirvana. I mean for crying out loud - this is coming from a guy that sometimes wore dresses on stage and he still managed to look cool.

When you throw in the fact that both Nirvana and Ren & Stimpy were heavily countercultural in the realm of entertainment, this collaboration makes more sense than ever. With two of the biggest pieces of 90s media having a crossover, there is no way that it wouldn’t result in major changes occurring throughout the decade. We will see where those changes will lead us to….

[1] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/...alusi-the-embattled-creator-of-ren-and-stimpy

[2] https://lostmediawiki.com/The_Ren_&_Stimpy_Show_(non-existent_unused_Kurt_Cobain_song_for_Nickelodeon_animated_series;_1990)

[3] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1198265/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

THE KINGFISH · May 5, 2023

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Hey guys! Glad you are enjoying my timeline! I just want to say that now school is over for me, expect more updates to come over the next 3 months. Expect 2 meaty updates coming next week! Where we will expect to see the outcome of Nirvana appearing on Ren & Stimpy.

Stay tuned!

THE KINGFISH · May 9, 2023

Yodelin’ Yaks
From ALLmanac, the online encyclopedia

“Yodelin’ Yaks”
The Ren & Stimpy Show episode

Episode no.

Season 2
Episode 2b

Directed by

Bob Camp

Written by[1]

Eric Stefani
Vincent Waller (script doctoring)
Richard Pursel (script doctoring)

Featured music

“The Yodel Song” - by Nirvana

Original air date

August 22, 1992[2]

Guest appearances

Kurt Cobain as Yander the Yak
Dave Grohl as Rex the Minion
Krist Novoselic as Pex the Minion

Episode chronology
Previous <-

“Ren’s Toothache”

Next ->

“Out West”

“Yodelin’ Yaks” is the second episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Ren & Stimpy Show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 22, 1992. In the episode, Ren and Stimpy seek to hike up the Swiss Alps in order to seek the mystical “Golden Cheese of Montaine”[3], but require the help of Yander the Yak (voiced by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain), and his minions Rex (voiced by Dave Grohl) and Pex (voiced by Krist Novoselic). After facing hardship after hardship, Yander gets the idea to give all of them his special soup - causing them to eventually power through.

Directed by Bob Camp, this episode was the first to be written by Eric Stefani - who would later go on to become the one of the main writers and eventually show runner in 1994. Unlike most episodes of Ren & Stimpy made before 1994, John Kricfalusi refused to be involved in the making of this episode outside of voicing Ren - but allowed it to be produced due to his personal admiration of Stefani’s talent. The episode makes prominent use of the song “The Yodel Song” by Nirvana - of which the episode was written around. Future collaborations with Nirvana would result in what is now known as the “Yak Trilogy” - each episode of which has a song that would later appear on Nirvana’s 1993 album In The Gallows.

“Yodelin’ Yaks” received critical acclaim from critics who praised Cobain’s guest performance, the gags, the music, and the psychedelic sequence - the latter of which was favorably compared to other such animated sequences including those from Dumbo, Yellow Submarine, Fantastic Planet, Heavy Metal, and Pink Floyd - The Wall. Fans of the show also claim that the episode “saved” Ren & Stimpy, as series creator John Krickfalusi was nearly terminated by Nickelodeon until the executives changed their mind after the success of “Yodelin’ Yaks”. The episode’s accompanying song - “The Yodel Song” - achieved domestic and international success. It would spend a record 13 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100, and become the sixth most successful song of the decade 1990-1999 according to Billboard magazine[4].

Plot

The episode opens at the base of Mount Pilatus in Switzerland - with Ren and Stimpy sitting in their log cabin planning their next adventure. They are both looking over a map of the mountain in search of the mystical "Golden Cheese of Montaine" - accompanied by a grotesque close-up of each other’s eyes watering. However, they soon realize they are ill-prepared for the treacherous terrain and extreme weather conditions, as they have accidentally eaten all their cheese rations. They then fall into childish bickering as a bathos to the previous seriousness. However, Stimpy knows someone who can help with their mission. He picks up the “cheese phone” - a crude contraption consisting of blocks of cheese duck-taped to a landline phone - and contacts a being called “Yander the Yak.”

Moments later, the door of the cabin flies open - flattening Ren into a pancake the process - having been kicked open by a yodeling, anthropomorphic yak called Yander the Yak (guest voiced by Kurt Cobain). After having nearly set Ren on fire by cooking him as a pancake, the two ask who Yander is and if he is coming to help the two. Yander introduces himself as an adventurous, easy-going Yak who made the move to go his own way after a tragic past. That tragic past is getting his horns stuck in a fence and being laughed at by other animals, much to Ren’s mockery. He gives the two various essentials for their hike above Mount Pilatus, such as a toaster, a telephone, and a lawnmower. He then summons his two minions (“OH MERRY ME-EN!”) Rex and Pex, two stockier, enthusiastic and hyper-aggressive Yaks who always repeat the phrase "Yakety Yak, don't talk back!" With that, the group leave to begin the ascent.[5]

At the start of the trail, the gang runs into a roving band of rabid squirrels. While they escape mostly unscathed, Ren is mauled by them - much to the dismay of Rex and Pex who say "Yakety Yak, don't talk back!" Other obstacles the gang face include anthropomorphic Swiss army knives which peel Ren’s skin off, Cuckoo Land - a forest filled with cuckoo clocks that aggressively peck on Ren, and a giant chocolate bunny that chews Ren up and spits him out. Every time he gets hurt, Ren sarcastically claims he is fine (“Yeah, I AM FINE YOU EEDIOT!!”). Eventually, the gang reach a wooden bridge where the other side is guarded by moldy cheese monsters. Ren falls into a mental breakdown - unable to hide his emotions at the sight of another potential obstacle. Yander notices this and tries to comfort Ren by giving the entire gang samples of his family soup. However, upon drinking this soup, all of them begin to hallucinate and feel a rush of energy as Yander the Yak begins to sing (“The Yodel Song'' is what he sings). The world around them becomes filled with distorted cuckoo clocks, melting cheese, and marching color-changing wolves.[6]

The five of them rush across the bridge, and begin to beat and tear at the cheese guards, but the most violent out of all of them is Ren. Wielding a sharp stick in hand, Ren maniacally beats up each of the cheese guards with a rush of fury - spouting military drill commands at them and ripping them to shreds with his own teeth.[7] After he is finished, Ren becomes overjoyed that there are no more obstacles left (“STIMPY! I AM… SEEEEEETHING WITH ENERGY THROUGH MY VEINS!!!”). The gang open the cave to reveal the Golden Cheese - only to discover that it is all moldy and stale after centuries of sitting out in the open. However, Yander insists that the two eat the cheese to satisfy the journey, and the two reluctantly consume it. The episode ends with Ren and Stimpy becoming very sick and vomiting off-screen as an iris slowly circles on Rex and Pex, who say for the last time: “Yakety Yak, don’t talk back!”

Production

Writer Eric Stefani joined Spümcø in the summer of 1991, after graduating Sheridan College with a degree in Film and Animation. From there, he became a staff member on the seminal 90s cartoon The Ren & Stimpy Show. Having participated in a band with his friends and sister a few years earlier, Stefani got the idea of having Nirvana in an episode of the show. Stefani would invite Kurt Cobain to the offices of Spümcø in early 1992, where he would perform a song in front of Stefani and series creator John Kricfalusi. The song that would become “The Yodel Song” consisted of prominent use of yodeling and lyrics about hallucinations of a wretched serial killer. Kricfalusi was skeptical that the idea would fit with the tone and humor of the show. However, he also respected Stefani’s wild drawing abilities and talent in humor. As such, Kricfalusi allowed the episode to be made, but under the condition that he not be involved in its production - sans voicing Ren.

Early drafts of “Yodelin’ Yaks” involved a different storyline, in which Ren and Stimpy discover a yak ranch and get involved in a musical number with the yaks. However, this was rejected for not being bizarre or funny enough. Writer Vincent Waller suggested bringing the recurring character George Liquor - a patriotic, conservative father figure whom Kricfalusi loved to use - to be voiced by Cobain. Said plot was to feature the character adopting Ren and Stimpy and raising them to be “real men.”[8] However, other writers such as Jim Gomez and Bill Wray felt that the character of George Liquor did not match Cobain’s anti-establishment persona, and did not wish to further anger Nickelodeon executives, and this plot was thrown out. Eventually, the team settled on crafting an original character based off of Cobain’s real life personality. This yielded Yander the Yak - a neurotic, free-spirited and adventurous Yak with a history of tragedy. Additionally, the writers noticed the recurring presence of Swiss culture and yodeling previously seen in episodes such as "The Boy Who Cried Rat” and “Stimpy’s Invention”. As such, it was decided to set the episode in Switzerland, and would involve magical cheese as a MacGuffin for the episode. The final shape of the plot was beginning to form from there.

As this episode was produced with little involvement from John Kricfalusi, the episode lacked many of the production issues caused by Kricfalusi’s perfectionism at the time.[9] Consequently, production of this episode was relatively easy and speedy. Staff working on Ren & Stimpy would later speak positively of Stefani’s ability to balance the show’s well-known edginess and style with making the show’s production more efficient. In a 2000 interview, Bob Camp - who directed this episode in particular - would claim that Stefani “had a great sense of humor and was a really fast worker. He had a lot of ideas and was great at getting the team excited about a new project. He was a big part of what made the show so successful.” The episode would wrap production by July 1992, and would be submitted to Nickelodeon executives on time.

Reception

Weeks before the episode aired, music magazine Rolling Stone leaked an article detailing the upcoming appearance of Nirvana on the show, including information about the character they would be voicing and the general plot of the episode. The leak created significant buzz and anticipation for the episode among both Ren & Stimpy fans and Nirvana fans. In response, Nickelodeon significantly raised the promotion of the episode, and it was heavily promoted on the channel in the weeks leading up to its airdate. When "Yodelin' Yaks" finally aired on August 22, 1992, it was watched by an estimated 7.4 million viewers, which was a record-breaking number for the show and one of the highest-rated episodes in the history of Nickelodeon.

“Yodelin’ Yaks” received critical acclaim for its humor, unique storyline, and the guest appearance of Nirvana. The episode was also praised for its psychedelic sequence when “The Yodel Song” is performed, with its trippy visuals and off-beat humor. Some critics noted that the episode was a departure from the typical Ren & Stimpy formula, but still maintained the show's signature irreverence and subversive humor. The accompanying song - “The Yodel Song” - would become an international sensation, and topped music charts for weeks in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.[10]

Despite the episode’s rave reviews, it was not without controversy. Several parental and watchdog groups complained that the episode was glorifying drug use, due to the psychedelic sequence in “The Yodel Song” and the appearance of Nirvana, who were known for their drug use. Televangelist Pat Robertson even criticized the episode on his show, The 700 Club, calling it “sick” and “a violation of everything that’s good and decent. Mr. Kricfalusi ought to be an agent of Lucifer, using his sick depravity to bring us further down the path of Sodom and Gomorrah!” Additionally, then-Vice President Dan Quayle criticized the show in a speech, saying that it was "indoctrinating our children with hedonism and extreme violence."

Meanwhile, some claimed that the episode was an example of Nirvana selling out by appearing on a children’s television show. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine called Cobain a “sleazy shitlib who thinks he is rebelling against the system, but is nothing more than a new wave band marketed towards angsty 14-year-olds.” However, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain defended the band’s decision to appear on the show, stating that they did it for fun and to reach a different audience. He also noted that he was a fan of Ren & Stimpy and appreciated the show’s irreverent humor. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam also came to Nirvana’s defense, stating that it was ridiculous to accuse them of selling out, and that it was just a fun opportunity for the band to try something new. Another defense came from Mark Arm of Mudhoney, who praised Nirvana for using their fame to introduce their fans to underground culture and subversive art. He also criticized the notion that appearing on a children’s show was selling out, arguing that it was important for artists to spread their message by reaching different audiences and breaking down barriers between different forms of media.[11]

Legacy

Years later, “Yodelin’ Yaks” remains a watershed moment in not only both the history of Ren & Stimpy and Nirvana, but 90s culture in general. Yander the Yak would go on to appear in two more episodes, all of which would constitute the “Yak Trilogy”, further solidifying the character’s place in Ren & Stimpy lore. All three parts of the “Yak Trilogy” have been considered some of the greatest and most memorable episodes of the show, and are often cited by fans as some of their favorites. The success of “Yodelin’ Yaks” also paved the way for more guest appearances on Ren & Stimpy, including appearances by musicians such as Ween, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and They Might Be Giants, as well as actors such as Will Smith and Jerry Seinfeld.

Animation historians credit the episode to having “saved” Ren & Stimpy from cancellation, as at the time - John Kricfalusi was on the verge of being fired by Nickelodeon. Due to the roaring success of “Yodelin’ Yaks”, as well as Nintendo seeking licensing for a Ren & Stimpy game, Nickelodeon decided to keep the show on the air.

“Yodelin’ Yaks” is remembered as a unique moment in Nirvana’s career, as it allowed the band to showcase their humorous side and reach a younger audience. The episode also came at a time when Nirvana was at the height of their fame, and many fans saw their appearance on the show as a symbol of their cultural influence. All songs made for the “Yak Trilogy” would become the leading singles for Nirvana’s 1993 album In The Gallows, alongside a cover of David Bowie’s 1970 single "The Man Who Sold the World”.[12] The album was a critical and commercial success, and is widely regarded as an improvement over Nirvana's previous album, Nevermind.

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked “Yodelin’ Yaks” fifth in their list of “The 50 Most Important Moments in Music History”. TV Guide ranked “Yodelin’ Yaks” as one of “The Top 100 Greatest Television Episodes of All Time” in 2003, and Entertainment Weekly listed it as one of “The Top 25 Television Moments that Defined the 1990s” in 2007. As of January 2023, OmniCritic ranks “Yodelin’ Yaks” with a rating of 9.2 out of 10, the highest ever rating for any episode of The Ren & Stimpy Show on the site.[13]

[1] Since this episode is Eric Stefani’s first writing credit, both Kricfalusi and Nickelodeon executives insisted on giving Stefani “assistant writers”.

[2] IOTL, this was the planned air date for “Man’s Best Friend” - the infamous banned episode of the show.

[3] Having owned the DVD box sets of most of the show, I noticed that a lot of episodes feature recurring jokes and gags around cheese and yodeling. So, I decided to run with it.

[4] IOTL, that distinction went to “End of the Road” by Boys II Men, but I will elaborate more on that in the next post.

[5] Again, having binge watched the entire first season of the show in preparation for this timeline, I think this fits the randomness and surreal humor of the show.

[6] Basically, imagine the “Pink Elephants” sequence from Dumbo and the paintings of Salvador Dali mixed together.

[7] Similar to the climax of a certain episode, but I personally think that since the guards are made of cheese - and not real human flesh like George Liquor - the censors would let it pass.

[8] Essentially, the plot of that certain banned episode….

[9] I’ve said this before, but IOTL this was a huge problem that contributed to the show’s downfall. Anyone who didn’t meet his insane standards was fired/not hired, and those that did often found their work torn up for not meeting expectations. Historian Jerry Beck distinctly remembers visiting Spümcø and discovering that Kricfalusi was so obsessed with finding the right color for the present Stimpy was giving to Ren that the walls were lined with over 50 different cels of the same present in different colors. What makes it even sadder is that Kricfalusi ended up choosing one of the initial choices. Yeah, talk about perfectionism….

[10] I’ve figured that the song would be very successful in a lot of European countries, since of course it features yodeling. Also, aiming for diverse audiences (read: non-white) was generally not important as in 1992, mainstream society was still predominantly white in culture. But again, that will be discussed in the next post

[11] Since Ren & Stimpy was also a form of countercultural media, and the fact that Nickelodeon was a lot less corporate and mainstream before SpongeBob, I don’t think rock listeners - especially in a time where “selling out” was a bad thing - would be too up in arms about such a thing happening.

[12] This is of course a part of Nirvana’s famous MTV Unplugged performance. Once again, we will discuss that later.

[13] OmniCritic is basically TTL's version of IMDb or Metacritic. Expect the history of the internet to be completely different from OTL. IOTL's IMDb, the highest rated episode of Ren & Stimpy is “Black Hole/Stimpy’s Invention”. More specifically the latter half of the episode, what with the whole “Happy Happy, Joy Joy” dance.

THE KINGFISH · May 10, 2023

The Yodel Song
From ALLmanac, the online encyclopedia [1]

“The Yodel Song”
Single by Nirvana
from the album In The Gallows

B-side

“Polly”
“Stay Away” (European releases only)

Released

August 29, 1992

Recorded

March 8-April 26, 1992

Studio

Smart Studios (Madison, Wisconsin)

Genre

Grunge
Alternative rock
Folk rock

Length

4:08

Label

DGC

Songwriter(s)

Kurt Cobain

Producer(s)

Butch Vig

Nirvana singles chronology
“Lithium” “The Yodel Song” “In Bloom”
(1992) (1992) (1992)

“The Yodel Song” is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is is the lead single and opening track of the band’s third album In The Gallows (1993), released by DGC Records. It was originally made for the popular animated television series The Ren & Stimpy Show, where the band made a guest appearance in the episode “Yodelin’ Yaks”. Because of this, the song became an unexpected domestic and International success. In the United States, the song spent a record 13 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, a record broken by Whitney Houston’s 14-week number one hit “I Will Always Love You” a couple months later.[2] “The Yodel Song” is Nirvana’s most successful single to date and is often cited as a defining song of the grunge era.

The music video for this song is a surreal animated sequence by Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi, creator of which “The Yodel Song” was made for. It consists of a mental asylum patient hallucinating about a demented serial killer in a neo noir visual style, with no color in the music video except for blood being red, and numerous graphic content. It takes heavy inspiration from the 1930 Fleischer animated short Swing You Sinners! in addition to the works of Kricfalusi’s mentor Ralph Bakshi such as Fritz the Cat (1972) and Heavy Traffic (1973). It would go on to win the MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video, and is often cited as one of the best and most iconic music videos of the 1990s.[3]

“The Yodel Song” has been included in the Rock in Roll Hall of Fame’s list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." Additionally, it has been featured on numerous "best of" lists, such as at number 5 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time," and number 30 on “500 Greatest Songs of All Time." The song has also been included at number 21 on NME's "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" and at number 3 on Pitchfork's "The 200 Best Songs of the 1990s." In 2018, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Writing and recording

The origins of “The Yodel Song” date back to sometime in the late 1980s, where Kurt Cobain made a demo recording of the song on a four-track recorder in his apartment. At the time, the song was called “Hate to Feel” and featured different lyrics and a slower tempo. The song was eventually reworked and given its yodeling chorus, which was inspired by Kurt Cobain's love of country music and particularly legendary country singer Jimmie Rodgers, known as the "father of country music," who was famous for his yodeling style.

In late 1991, Kurt Cobain was contacted by Eric Stefani - who at the time was an artist for The Ren & Stimpy Show. Stefani was a huge fan of Nirvana and its music, and wanted to collaborate with the band on an episode of the show. Cobain was initially hesitant, as he feared that the band was selling out by appearing on a cartoon show. However, he eventually agreed to appear on the show after being assured that the episode would feature the band's music in a unique and creative way. After looking for ideas for a song, Cobain eventually rediscovered the demo recording of "Hate to Feel" and reworked it into what would become "The Yodel Song." When Cobain presented the song to fellow bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, they were reportedly surprised by the yodeling chorus. Ghrol remarked that “it sounds like a commercial for chicken pot pie," while Novoselic jokingly suggested that the song be titled "Chicken Pie" instead.

Despite their initial reactions, the band continued to work on the song, refining the lyrics and melody. Cobain would also play a rough version of the song to Eric Stefani and John Kricfalusi himself at the headquarters of Spümcø. Although Stefani was impressed, Kricfalusi was reportedly skeptical, fearing the possibilities of the show becoming commercialized because of the song. Eventually, Kricfalusi allowed the episode to be made, but he himself would not be involved in its making. Despite this, Kricfalusi would erroneously claim shortly after the song’s success that he was responsible for both “Yodelin’ Yaks” and “The Yodel Song”.

“The Yodel Song” was recorded at Smart Studios in the town of Madison, Wisconsin. Producer Butch Vig had suggested that since “The Yodel Song” had heavy folk/country stylings, it would make sense for the band to record it in a more rustic and natural setting, such as a barn or a farm. However, due to logistical issues, the band ended up recording the song at Smart Studios instead. According to Vig, the recording process for the song was relatively smooth, with the band members being increasingly engaged and enthusiastic about the project. Vig also suggested that the band record it with acoustic guitars. However, Cobain insisted on using electric guitars, which resulted in a unique sound for the song. The band also decided to use a more raw, live feel for the recording, which contributed to its distinctive sound.

In later interviews, Cobain said that making the song came at the cost of some relationships, such as with fellow alternative rock singer Courtney Love. In one interview with BBC Radio, Cobain claimed that he “was feeling like [he] was going to develop something special with Love. But in the end… my hands were all tied up, and like… nothing really went anywhere afterwards.” Love would go on to date and later marry Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan in 1993.[4]

Music and Lyrical interpretation[5]

“The Yodel Song” is a grunge, alternative rock, and hard rock song with folk and country stylings. It was recorded in the original key of G minor and follows a chord progression of Bb5 - G5 - Eb5 - G5 for the verses and Bb5 - G5 - Eb5 - F5 - G5 - Bb5 - C5 for the chorus. The song is written in the time signature of common time, with a ¼ time signature. The guitar riff and solo has also been inspired by a slowed-down version of “Surfin Bird” by The Trashmen (1963).

Surf rock music as a whole became a large influence on the song. Guitarist Dave Grohl claimed that he would spend countless hours listening to surf music in between recording sessions - to “become one with the surfer mind.” Cobain himself would cite “Miserlou” by Dick Dale (1962) and “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath (1970) as the main inspiration for the guitar solo and outro to the song - specifically the outro, in which the guitar riff speeds up rapidly. Grohl largely achieved the outro through fingerpicking the guitar and feeding it back through two Big Muff effects pedals - with one gradually phased in via a wah-wah pedal.

The lyrics are considered better to understand by listeners compared to previous Nirvana songs such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are” - as Cobain’s lyrics are considered more breathy and pronounced. The song tells the story of a shadowy figure that deceives others with a friendly outward appearance, before kidnapping, torturing and murdering them. At the same time, the chorus indicates that the speaker is being “haunted” by the entity’s yodeling which is “ringing in his ear”. This interpretation is further reinforced by the first and last verses. In the first verse, the speaker hears a melody “so dark and free” that echoes through his “troubled mind”. In the last verse, the speaker cries out that “the struggle never ends” to “keep the voices at bay” and “live another day”.

“The Yodel Song” has prominent themes of schizophrenia, psychosis, paranoia, murder, and kidnapping. The lyrics convey a man who is suffering from delusions and schizophrenia hallucinations of a rabid killer that seeks out torture and murder. Because the killer is thought to be a yodeler, the killer is assumed to be a figure of Alpine folklore. According to bassist Krist Novoselic, the band was prominently inspired by the folklore figures of Krampus and Perchten - both of which are more often than not portrayed as one.

Release, Reception, and live performances

Initially, a week before its release as a single - the song appeared on the Ren & Stimpy episode “Yodelin’ Yaks”. Due to a leak by Rolling Stone, the episode was hyped up to the point where it was watched by 15.4 million viewers. Upon the release of “The Yodel Song” on August 29, 1992, the single immediately soared to success - reaching the number #1 position on the US Billboard Hot 100 just two weeks after release.

“The Yodel Song” received widespread critical acclaim for its chorus, energy, and blend of different genres. Many critics praised the song for its unique yodeling chorus, which was seen as an unexpected and creative element in a grunge song. The song was also noted for its heavy guitar riffs and driving rhythm section, which were typical of Nirvana's signature sound.

The song would stay on the US Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks, breaking a record previously held by Elvis Presley with his 1956 hit song "Heartbreak Hotel". "The Yodel Song" also topped charts in several other countries and helped cement Nirvana's place as one of the most influential and popular bands of the early 1990s. The song's success was a major factor in the massive popularity of Nirvana's second album, "Nevermind", which has since been recognized as a landmark album in the history of rock music.

The song would become a staple of the band’s live performances, with notable performances including their iconic MTV Unplugged in New York session in 1993, where the band delivered an acoustic rendition of the song that showcased their versatility as musicians. Other notable live performances of "The Yodel Song" include their appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1993 and their performance at the Reading Festival in England in 1992, which has been hailed as one of the greatest live performances in rock history.[6]

Legacy

“The Yodel Song” remains not only one of Nirvana’s best songs, but also one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" and has been covered by numerous artists over the years. In 2002, MTV unveiled a list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s" and "The Yodel Song" ranked at number three, behind only "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana and "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "The Yodel Song" at number 22 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time," calling it "a reminder that pop can still be primal and cathartic." The magazine also noted that the song's success "was a statement of purpose from a band who had no time for the trappings of rock stardom, but whose raw power couldn't be ignored."

The enduring popularity and influence of "The Yodel Song" is a testament to Nirvana's impact on the music world and their ability to push boundaries and defy expectations. The song's unique blend of grunge, punk, and country elements, combined with Kurt Cobain's raw and emotional vocals, continues to resonate with audiences decades after its initial release.

The song's enduring popularity has made it a fan favorite and a staple of classic rock radio stations. Its iconic opening guitar riff and yodeling chorus have become instantly recognizable to music fans around the world. The song's success also helped to cement Nirvana's status as one of the defining bands of the 1990s and an inspiration to countless musicians who followed in their wake.

[1] BTW, if you’re wondering what this is, it’s an alternate equivalent to Wikipedia. I’m just pointing that out, because to put it as vaguely as possible - the history of the internet ITTL is gonna be completely different from OTL.

[2] IOTL, the song that actually was #1 for 12-13 weeks was “End of the Road” by Boys II Men. I think that “The Yodel Song” would sound arguably more unique compared to the former song - which is your fairly standard 90s R&B song. Given that “End of the Road” was the breakthrough song for Boys II Men, it’s plausible that with that song being overshadowed by “The Yodel Song” after a couple of weeks they are a much less successful band.

[3] I did not have time to give the music video its own section, but I think that I will add it later on as I have done so with past posts where I slightly fix them. But rather than using the part of Yodelin’ Yaks where the song plays, an original music video is created by John Kricfalusi. Yodelin’ Yaks had the song abridged.

[4] Yep. You heard that right. Kurt Cobain never marries Courtney Love due to their relationship faltering with Kurt tied up with the R&S crossover. Love also at one point dated Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, so I assume that she gives him another try. Let’s just hope Corgan isn’t as messed up as Cobain is and can handle her. Depends on whether I retcon this part or not honestly.

[5] Take this whole section with a grain of salt, as music theory is not exactly my strong suit. If all else fails, then here is OTL’s Yodel Song in terms of melody:

[6] ITTL, the first live performance of “The Yodel Song” is at the band’s performance at the annual Reading Festival in Reading, England - which is regarded as one of Nirvana’s best live performances.

THE KINGFISH · May 13, 2023

"Prepare yourself, weasels! Ron and Stanley are coming for the Cheddar of Life! Yodela - HE - HOO!!" - Ron the Dalmatian, opening cutscene of Yodel Boys

"Ha - hoo - hee! Is that the best you can do, you tubby rat? Time to send you rolling!" - Stanley the Cat, whacking weasels on various levels

"Odela - odela - eee - aah!! Step right up, folks! Feast your eyes on the wondrous treasures of Roxy Rat's Radically Ridiculous Rarities Emporium! Guaranteed to blow your mind, whiskers, and tail!" - Roxy Rat, to the player after entering his shop

"DIE, you fiendish fool! Taste the wrath of my ferocious fangs and the fury of a thousand yodeling weasels! Yah-hoo, Yah-hah!!!" - Freddy the Ferret, upon the start of the final boss level of Yodel Boys

Yodel Boys
From ALLmanac, the online encyclopedia

Yodel Boys

Developer(s)

Animation Magic

Publisher(s)

Philips Interactive Media

Director(s)

Dale DeSharone

Producer(s)

Dale DeSharone

Designer(s)

Dale DeSharone
Rob Dunlavey
Stephen Radosh

Programmer(s)

Linde Dynneson
John O’Brien
John Wheeler

Artist(s)

Tom Curry
Max Stienmetz
Mirena Kim

Writer(s)

Jonathan Merritt

Composer(s)

Tony Trippi

Platform(s)

Philips CD-i

Release

NA: September 16, 1992
EU: November 18, 1992 (planned, canceled)

Genre(s)

Puzzle game

Mode(s)

Single-player
Multiplayer

Yodel Boys is a puzzle video game developed by Animation Magic and published by Philips Interactive Media for the Philips CD-i on September 16, 1992. Players control the characters of Ron - a gruff, arrogant Dalmatian with a heart of gold, and Stanley - a black Siamese cat with an optimistic outlook on life, in their adventures to seize the “Cheddar of Life” above the mountain of Matterhorn.[1] The game’s objective is to guide the aforementioned characters to defeat the Yodeling Weasels that live in the mountain’s caves in a Whac-A-Mole style gameplay, defeating each boss - a “fat rat” - off the side of a cliff before defeating the final boss - Freddy the Ferret - at the peak of the mountain.

The game is primarily based on Nirvana’s “The Yodel Song”, and loosely based on “Yodelin’ Yaks” - an episode of the Nickelodeon cartoon The Ren & Stimpy Show. Development began after executives of Philips’ subsidiary, PolyGram, discovered the recording sessions of “The Yodel Song”. While Philips gained licensing rights to use the song, they were unable to get the rights to the Ren & Stimpy characters from either Viacom or Spümcø. The game would ultimately be plagued by numerous problems during production. These included Philips pushing for a tight 10-week deadline, the technical limitations of the CD-i players, and translation issues between the Russian staff and the American managers of Animation Magic.

As the game was made to capitalize on the success of Nirvana’s hit song “The Yodel Song”, Philips made a huge marketing campaign around the game, using the game’s combination of full motion video (FMV) cutscenes and actual use of “The Yodel Song” as selling points to the game. Despite this, Yodel Boys became a huge critical and commercial flop. It was widely panned for its uninspired gameplay, dull graphics, long loading times, characters, plot, music (a 12-second, continuous, low-quality loop of “The Yodel Song”), and disjointed animation of the cutscenes. The latter of which have been particularly lambasted as “hilariously awful” and “laughable”, and range from its poor-quality color palette to its confusing framing to its wonky movement. The game is often regarded as one of the worst video games of all time, as well as one of the biggest commercial failures in video game history. It has been frequently referenced in popular culture as a cautionary tale about the dangers of chasing trends in the business world. Furthermore, the game has been cited as one of the number one reasons for the discontinuation of the CD-i format and players two months after its release, and Philips teaming up to develop the SNES-CD with Nintendo. The SNES-CD in contrast - would go on to become a commercial success.[2]

In the modern day, the infamy of Yodel Boys has led it to develop a cult following for its “so bad, it’s good” status. Its aforementioned animated cutscenes have been the subject of online funnies and PUUTube videos. These include Ron saying “That guy sucked!”, Roxy Rat showing off his shop items, and Freddy the Ferret saying “DIE YOU FIENDISH FOOL!!!”.

Gameplay[3]

Yodel Boys is a single-screen puzzle video game where players control two unique characters, Ron and Stanley, as they embark on a quest to seize the legendary "Cheddar of Life" atop the majestic Matterhorn mountain. Ron, a gruff yet kind-hearted Dalmatian, and Stanley, an optimistic black Siamese cat, face numerous challenges on their journey.

The objective of the game is to guide Ron and Stanley in their mission to defeat the mischievous Yodeling Weasels that inhabit the mountain's treacherous caves. The gameplay takes inspiration from the Whac-A-Mole concept, requiring players to skillfully smack the emerging weasels to defeat them. As players progress, they encounter a series of boss battles against "fat rats," formidable foes that must be defeated by knocking them off the cliff's edge.

The ultimate challenge awaits at the peak of the mountain, where the players confront the final boss, Freddy the Ferret. This showdown tests the players' skills and strategy as they try to outmaneuver Freddy and emerge victorious.

Throughout the game, players can switch between controlling Ron and Stanley, each character possessing unique abilities that aid them in their quest. Ron's gruff demeanor hides his kind nature, allowing him to use his strength and agility to overcome obstacles. Stanley's optimistic outlook on life grants him the ability to perform nimble maneuvers and solve puzzles with his feline agility. As players progress, they unlock power-ups and upgrades that enhance their characters' abilities, making them more formidable against the weasels and bosses.

Plot

In the picturesque land of Cheesetopia, Ron, a gruff yet kind-hearted Dalmatian, and Stanley, an optimistic black Siamese cat, live peacefully. One day, they hear tales of a legendary artifact known as the "Cheddar of Life," said to grant unimaginable powers to those who possess it. Fueled by curiosity and a desire to bring prosperity to their beloved Cheesetopia, Ron and Stanley embark on an epic adventure to seize the Cheddar of Life.

Their quest takes them to the majestic Matterhorn mountain, home to a mischievous clan of Yodeling Weasels. These cunning weasels have guarded the Cheddar of Life for generations, using their yodeling prowess to ward off intruders. Ron and Stanley must navigate treacherous caves and overcome perilous obstacles to reach the heart of the mountain.

As they delve deeper into the caves, Ron and Stanley encounter a series of boss battles against "fat rats," ferocious rodents who serve as the weasels' henchmen. Using their combined strength, agility, and clever tactics, the duo must defeat each boss and knock them off the cliffs to their cheesy demise.

But the final challenge awaits at the peak of the Matterhorn, where they confront Freddy the Ferret, the cunning and malevolent mastermind behind the weasels' reign. Freddy, consumed by his thirst for power, has hatched a plan to harness the Cheddar of Life's energy to conquer Cheesetopia and plunge it into eternal darkness.

Only through the skill, determination, and unwavering commitment to the cause of all things cheesy can players guide Ron and Stanley to their destined triumph, seizing the Cheddar of Life and restoring equilibrium to Cheesetopia in the enthralling narrative of Yodel Boys.

Development

Philips had developed the “Compact Disc-Interactive” (CD-i) format as early as 1984. The format was capable of playing a mix of audio, video, computer data, and messages - allowing for an (at the time) immersive interactive experience for potential consumers. The CD-i format was first unveiled at Microsoft’s CD-ROM Conference in Seattle in March 1986. The CD-i was given the Green Book specification, which defines its required hardware as needing a Motorola 68000 processor and a CD-RTOS operating system. While Philips had designed this system as capable of playing interactive media, the CD-i would be ill-equipped to play conventional video games.

In 1989, Nintendo and Sony had agreed to develop a CD-ROM based add-on for the Super NES (which would eventually become the SNES-CD), allowing for full motion video (FMV) and larger games. However, Nintendo later switched to Philips in 1991, with Sony going on to develop the PlayStation instead. By early 1992, the prospects of the SNES-CD became bleak - likely due to the poor reception of the Sega CD, and Philips had also developed their own CD-i players for games. As Nintendo was considering scrapping the project altogether, they agreed to license out their properties - namely Zelda and Mario - for Philips to develop on its CD-i console.[4] However, some unexpected circumstances amongst Philips executives would radically change the development of the games.

In the spring of 1992, Philips CEO Jan Timmer was negotiating with MCA for the sale of Geffen Records to its entertainment division PolyGram, when he caught wind of the recording sessions of what would become Nirvana’s 1992 hit “The Yodel Song”. Timmer learned that “The Yodel Song” was to be written for an episode of The Ren & Stimpy Show - which at the time was extremely popular amongst young & adult audiences alike. Knowing the popularity of both Nirvana and Ren & Stimpy, he believed that a game featuring the song would help promote the CD-i players. He also noted that the CD-i was capable of playing “The Yodel Song” itself. Thus, Philips executives agreed to pressure its game department to develop a game based on “The Yodel Song”. After brief negotiations, Philips would secure rights to the song from MCA in May 1992.

For production, Philips would contract various independent studios to produce the graphics and cutscenes for the game. Philips insisted that the development studios utilize all aspects of the CD-i’s capabilities, including FMV, high-resolution graphics, and CD-quality music. Because the system had not been designed as a dedicated video game console, there were several technical limitations, such as unresponsive controls (especially for the standard infrared controller), and numerous problems in streaming audio, memory, disc access, and graphics.

Additionally, while Philips had the rights to use “The Yodel Song”, both Viacom and Spümcø refused to license the Ren and Stimpy characters to Philips. As such, Dale DeSharone of Animation Magic would help develop low-budget look-alikes - yielding the characters of Ron the Dalmation and Stanley the Siamese Cat. Another thing that was a hurdle was Philips providing a budget of only $500,000 - as well as a deadline of only 3 months. To ease production hurdles and to improve production efficiency, Animation Magic partially outsourced production of the game to its newly opened Russian division in Saint Petersburg - a move made possible by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent economic shock therapy by Boris Yeltsin. This too, would result in troubles for the company - as translation issues between the American programmers and Russian animators caused problems for transitions to animated cutscenes as well as the animated cutscenes themselves.[5]

Reception and legacy

In the lead-up to the game’s official release, Philips pursued a massive marketing campaign - helped by the hype surrounding the Ren & Stimpy episode “Yodelin’ Yaks” and “The Yodel Song” with it. Philips touted the use of the song as the primary selling point for the game, along with its animated cutscenes. As part of the campaign, Philips unveiled an array of promotional materials, from promotional posters adorning city streets to news reports that showcased the game's gameplay mechanics and visual story.

While reviews for “Yodelin’ Yaks” and “The Yodel Song” were largely positive, reviews for Yodel Boys were very negative. While the cutscenes received praise, complaints focused on the gameplay mechanics, level design, and overall lack of depth and challenge. Despite the initial excitement generated by the marketing campaign, players found themselves disappointed by what they perceived as a lackluster gaming experience. Critics and gamers alike criticized the game's Whac-A-Mole style gameplay, deeming it repetitive and lacking in strategic depth. The levels were seen as uninspired, with limited variation and a lack of engaging challenges to keep players invested. The gameplay progression felt linear and predictable, failing to offer the sense of exploration and discovery that players had hoped for.

Yodel Boys was met with initial commercial success, and sold 1.5 million copies by the end of September. However, by October - over 600,000 copies had been returned, with grandparents and parents citing complaints from their children regarding the game's lackluster gameplay experience. The negative word-of-mouth spread rapidly, leading to a significant decline in sales and a tarnished reputation for the game. Philips, faced with the backlash, acknowledged the concerns raised by players and critics and issued a public statement expressing regret for not meeting the high expectations set by the marketing campaign. They pledged to take player feedback into account and work towards improving the gameplay mechanics and level design in future games. Ultimately, the game’s poor reputation led to a steep drop in sales for the Philips CD-i console and games, eventually leading to the console being pulled from markets in November. All unsold CD-i games - especially copies of Yodel Boys - were recalled from stores and thrown into scrap as waste.

In the years since Yodel Boys was released, the game has been universally panned by critics and is frequently considered to be one of the worst video games ever made. Its cutscenes in particular have received scathing reviews in retrospective criticism, with critics and players alike taking aim at its disjointed animation, poor quality color and lack of narrative cohesion. The characters of Ron the Dalmation and Stanley the Cat have been chastised for their unfunny and bizarre dialogue, failing to resonate with players or add any depth to the game's narrative. The marketing campaign's emphasis on the use of the song and animated cutscenes proved to be a misguided strategy, as the only use of the song is a continuous, poorly compressed audio loop of the song’s chorus that plays throughout the gameplay levels. In 1997, Yodel Boys was ranked at the top spot of Electronic Gaming Monthly’s “Top 50 Worst Video Games Ever”. In 2003, the magazine GamingPro included Yodel Boys in their list of "The 10 Most Disappointing Games of All Time." In 2014, the online consite GSE ranked Yodel Boys in 10th place of their list “The Top 20 Worst Video Games of All Time”. The animated cutscenes have gained notoriety in online funnies and PUUTube videos on the consite UTube in the 2010s, with Roxy Rat and Freddy the Ferret gaining the most infamy.[6]

[1] Sound familiar? Yeah, they’re basically legally-safe knockoffs of Ren & Stimpy.

[2] Philips was the partner Nintendo chose for the SNES-CD add-on after Sony, as Sony basically tried to cheat them out of the contract with unfavorable terms. However, Philips kept dragging their feet in order to get their own pseudo-console off the ground. Here, with the CD-i bombing so horribly early on and costing a massive amount of money and public relations, Philips has no choice but to commit fully to the SNES-CD.

[3] Basically, it’s similar to OTL’s Hotel Mario, except instead of closing doors and stomping on enemies, it’s whacking weasels back into holes in the mountain.

[4] This was one of the main problems that killed the SNES-CD IOTL. Nintendo always saw themselves as the more high-quality version of Sega and wanted to stray from their mistakes. Philips meanwhile took advantage of the contract IOTL to create Mario and Zelda games for the CD-i.

[5] This is OTL. Animation Magic used the dirt cheap labor prices in post-Soviet Russia to cut down on production costs. Animation quality suffered as a result. Oh, and expect Russia to be politically different ITTL.

[6] Much like OTL’s Hotel Mario, Link: The Faces of Evil, and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Yodel Boys becomes memed (called funnies ITTL) on for its ridiculous animation quality.

THE KINGFISH · May 17, 2023

Hey guys, hope you are enjoying the TL so far! The next post after this one is going to be a big update (at least 4 threadmarks), and will detail The Yodel Son’s effect on music charts and Nick executives’ reaction to the success of Yodelin’ Yaks. But before we do, here are the lyrics to The Yodel Song to tide you guys over!

Yodel-eh, Yodel-eh, Yodel-eh-hoh

I hear a sound that's haunting me
A melody so dark and free
It echoes through my troubled mind
A voice that's calling, so unkind

Yodel, yodel, haunting me
Yodel, yodel, can't you see?
Yodel, yodel, it's all I fear
Yodel, yodel, ringing in my ear

He lures them in with a smile and a charm
But beneath the surface, there's something wrong
He takes them to his lair, a place of fear
And there he makes them suffer, year after year

Yodel, yodel, haunting me
Yodel, yodel, can't you see?
Yodel, yodel, it's all I fear
Yodel, yodel, ringing in my ear

THE KINGFISH · May 27, 2023

That Time We Were all Almost Fired
Excerpt from the Stefanimania interlog, 23 September 2009

After finishing our work on Yodelin’ Yaks and seeing the final product hit the airwaves, you’d think we’d be at the top of our game. But apparently not.

So basically, I got a phone call from Kricfalusi - gruff as usual. “Hey, the execs need to give us a beating,” John barked on the other end of the phone. Like many of the staff at Spūmcø, we were no stranger to Kricfalusi’s increasingly autocratic behavior - and his unhinged pursuit of art was hurting the show in the ratings. While he definitely did a number on many of the artists, it was the executives that were most displeased. Vanessa Coffey played a huge part in mediating the tensions between John Kricfalusi and the executives at Nickelodeon, and personally admired Kricfalusi’s artistic skills - but even she felt the need to make the show commercially viable.[1] Then there were the other execs at Nick like Geraldine Laybourne and Herb Scannell who were more hostile to the show and wanted either Kricfalusi gone or the show axed altogether.[2]

Kricfalusi and I were both called to go to New York to meet with Nickelodeon executives. “Those pinkos wanna hear about that song of yours,” he would tell me at LAX. “The Yodel Song” was super popular at the time. I literally couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing it, and every kid or teen I ran into kept yodeling - even though they would’ve probably been bullied for that kind of thing just a couple of weeks ago. There was even talk from big names like Madonna about making some “grunge-style” yodeling album.

Anyways, once we got to Nick’s headquarters and went to the designated conference room, Coffey, Scannell, and Laybourne were all sitting at the distant end of the long conference table. Not a particularly welcoming atmosphere - a little too cutthroat and unfriendly - even by New York executive standards. “Well…. Good morning everybody….” I announced cautiously optimistic, “...sorry we’re late, subways are not my style of travel.” “Sit down gentlemen,” uttered Scannell - lacking even a bit of humor in his voice. John sat at the chair directly facing Scannell, while I sat in the chair left of him. “Guys, look, I’ll get the episodes out sooner,” Kricfalusi suddenly spouted, “I just need more time and money.” “We’re giving you all the time and money we have,” Laybourne retorted, “and you still aren’t cutting it.” “Back in 1991 we ordered just six episodes for Ren & Stimpy, and yet we had to air them over the course of 7 months because you weren’t finished with them yet,” she stated bluntly. “Not only did we have to keep airing the pilot to give the fans more content, but you can say goodbye to any hopes of syndication,” she continued. Scannell leaned towards Kricfalusi, ready to shoot more arrows at him. “Worse, it now looks like we’re gonna have to cut the second season down to thirteen episodes from the original twenty,” he pointed out.[3]

And then all of the sudden, John stood up and told the three of them at point blank - “The episodes will cost what they cost and they will take as long as they needed. I don’t need any help from some corporate bozos.”[4] The entire room was engulfed in complete and utter shock. I myself couldn’t help but look down at the table - I was that embarrassed. As I heard Scannell grunt and about to say something - potentially terminate his contract I suddenly blurted out.

“Yodelin’ Yaks was delivered on time!”

I saw the three executives turn their heads towards me in the corner of my eye. “O-Oh, Y-Y-Yes that’s right,” Coffey spoke up, “which is why I invited Eric Stefani.” My head came up and looked up towards her. “Yodelin’ Yaks was delivered on time,” she explained, “that means that John is capable of managing his own show.” “Vanessa, that doesn’t mean that all the other episodes will be managed well,” Laybourne pointed out. “He didn’t manage that episode,” I said, ignoring John up in arms. “I did,” I answered, “I made Yodelin’ Yaks with director Bob Camp.” I looked over to Kricfalusi, who had his head hung low and supported by his arms. “But I think that if I were to be elevated to a higher position at Spümcø, I could help to assist John better and get the show up and running again.”

The executives looked at both of us in awe. After a couple more seconds of silence, Scannell asked, “Say, what were the ratings for Yodelin’ Yaks again?” “Well,” Coffey said pulling out sheets of paper. “The ratings for Yodelin’ Yaks pulled in an astonishing 15.4 million viewers - the highest in the network’s history,” she explained. “Dear god,” Scannell answered, “that’s even higher than Hey Dude: The Last Dance.”[5] “Not only that,” Laybourne added, “but we’ve received word from the higher ups that Nintendo wants to make a video game for Ren & Stimpy - and they want to use The Yodel Song.”[6]

I just watched the three chatter with themselves. After a couple minutes of corporate babble, the three turned to us. “Alright, the show will go on,” said Laybourne, “but John, this is you last chance to get your work ethic straight.” John - now feeling confident - sat up and told them “Well that’s great to hear and I promise that those episodes will be turned in on time.” “Yes you will,” Scannell replied, “which is why we will make you promote Eric Stefani to showrunner position.” Both of us were shocked.

“What?”

“That’s right,” he reiterated, “Eric will have to be promoted to showrunner of Ren & Stimpy.”[7]

“……….What?!”

Memo sent to Spümcø from Nickelodeon
29 September 1992

“Effective October 1, 1992, Eric Matthew Stefani is to be elevated to the position of executive showrunner of the program The Ren & Stimpy Show. His position on the show is to reverse its stagnant ratings, improve its creative synergy, and to provide a positive role model to not only the creative staff of Spümcø - but also that of series creator Michael John Kricfalusi. Failure to achieve this by 11:00 PM EST on October 1, 1992 will result in the immediate termination of the show contract - as well as the possible cancellation of The Ren & Stimpy Show entirely.”

[1] Vanessa Coffey was one of the main people at Nickelodeon behind the network’s push for more original, creator-driven animated shows - compared to the toy-based cartoons that had been airing on the “Big Three” networks throughout the 1980s.

[2] Herb Scannell on the other hand, arguably played a role in Nickelodeon’s Network Decay of the 2000s and onward. He is said to have laid the seeds during his tenure as the network’s President in the late 90s/early 2000s. Under him, various shows were canceled, several others like Rugrats and Blue’s Clues were run into the ground, Nickelodeon Studios Orlando was shut down, and the network greenlit SpongeBob Squarepants - which while a great show and very successful for the network - created the network’s infamous “milk it to death of send it to Nicktoons” mindset when it comes to its animated programming. Scannell also had rather conservative sensibilities on what was appropriate for children’s shows, with Mitch Schauer’s Angry Beavers running into trouble for saying “shut up”, and also preventing shows like Angry Beavers from having a meta finale due to the fact that it would make children sad to see their show ending.

[3] This is OTL. It was said that these problems were so severe that Nick briefly considered canceling Ren & Stimpy in early 1992. That was before the famous episode “Stimpy’s Invention” aired and restored the show’s popularity.

[4] Kricfalusi actually said something along these lines right before he was fired IOTL in September 1992.

[5] That program was the actual highest rated program in Nick’s history at that point IOTL.

[6] Perhaps Nintendo saw Yodel Boys crash and burn upon release that inspired them……

[7] Yep. That’s right. John Kricfalusi by the skin of his teeth - is able to keep his job - but now he has to work with Eric Stefani on the same level.

THE KINGFISH · May 31, 2023

Billboard Hot 100 Charts for September 1992 [TOP 10]

Week of September 5, 1992 [1]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1
(2) Baby-Baby-Baby, TLC, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, 2
(6) Humpin’ Around, Bobby Brown, Bobby, 3
(3) November Rain, Guns N’ Roses, Use Your Illusion I, 3
(4) This Used To Be My Playground, Madonna, A League of Their Own (soundtrack), 1
(11) Move This, Technotronic (feat. Ya Kid K), The Greatest Hits, 6
(13) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(9) Stay, Shakespear’s Sister, Hormonally Yours, 4
(5) Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Mack Daddy, 1
(15) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3

Week of September 12, 1992 [2]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(7) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(1) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1
(3) Humpin’ Around, Bobby Brown, Bobby, 3
(2) Baby-Baby-Baby, TLC, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, 2
(10) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(8) Stay, Shakespear’s Sister, Hormonally Yours, 4
(14) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(4) November Rain, Guns N’ Roses, Use Your Illusion I, 3
(12) Just Another Day, Jon Secada, Jon Secada, 6
(6) Move This, Technotronic (feat. Ya Kid K), The Greatest Hits, 6

Week of September 19, 1992 [3]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(2) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1
(3) Humpin’ Around, Bobby Brown, Bobby, 3
(8) Stay, Shakespear’s Sister, Hormonally Yours, 4
(5) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(7) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 3
(4) Baby-Baby-Baby, TLC, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, 2
(9) Just Another Day, Jon Secada, Jon Secada, 6
(12) The One, Elton John, The One, 9
(16) She’s Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five, Keep It Goin’ On, 5

Week of September 26, 1992 [4]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(2) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1
(3) Humpin’ Around, Bobby Brown, Bobby, 3
(5) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(4) Stay, Shakespear’s Sister, Hormonally Yours, 4
(6) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 3
(9) Just Another Day, Jon Secada, Jon Secada, 6
(10) She’s Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five, Keep It Goin’ On, 5
(12) Please Don’t Go, KWS, KWS, 7
(7) Baby-Baby-Baby, TLC, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, 2

[1] OK, let’s break this down. The week before, The Yodel Song was released after the roaring success of Yodelin’ Yaks. Right now, it has been soaring like a rocket to the top of American pop charts. But on the week of September 5, the top position is still held by OTL’s big hit of Fall 1992: End Of The Road by Boys II Men. Further down, you got Guns N’ Roses’ November Rain, Madonna’s song from A League of Their Own, the (in)famous Baby Got Back as it leaves the Top 10, and the hip-hop classic Jump Around.

[2] And there you have it folks - The Yodel Song takes the number one position. Though End of the Road holds the line at number 2. Looks like some listeners to November Rain have also tuned in to The Yodel Song since November Rain is falling off quicker than OTL.

[3] The Yodel Song and End Of The Road are totally dominating the top positions. Meanwhile TLC can’t catch a break as Baby-Baby-Baby - previously Number 2 when The Yodel Song was released - plummets to number 7. Jump Around meanwhile is still catching up. Elton John also has a single from his newest album as well, though it falls back out of the Top 10 afterwards.

[4] Now Baby-Baby-Baby is at Number 10! As Yodel and Road still rock the charts, it looks as if Humpin’ Around by Bobby Brown is the next song to fall as Jump Around sneaks up on it like Jaws. Just Another Day by Jon Secada is still gaining steam, and a new entry from KWS has entered the Top 10.

THE KINGFISH · Jun 2, 2023

Billboard Hot 100 Charts for October 1992 [TOP 10]

Week of October 3, 1992 [1]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(6) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(4) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(2) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1
(3) Humpin’ Around, Bobby Brown, Bobby, 3
(7) Just Another Day, Jon Secada, Jon Secada, 6
(8) She’s Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five, Keep It Goin’ On, 5
(9) Please Don’t Go, KWS, KWS, 7
(5) Stay, Shakespear’s Sister, Hormonally Yours, 4
(11) Do I Have To Say The Words?, Bryan Adams, Waking Up the Neighbours, 10

Week of October 10, 1992 [2]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(2) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(3) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(4) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1
(7) She’s Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five, Keep It Goin’ On, 5
(6) Just Another Day, Jon Secada, Jon Secada, 6
(8) Please Don’t Go, KWS, KWS, 7
(5) Humpin’ Around, Bobby Brown, Bobby, 3
(13) People Everyday, Arrested Development, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of…, 8
(19) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2

Week of October 17, 1992 [3]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(2) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(3) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(4) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1
(5) She’s Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five, Keep It Goin’ On, 5
(10) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2
(32) How Do You Talk to an Angel, The Heights, The Heights (Music from the Television Show), 3
(9) People Everyday, Arrested Development, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of…, 8
(NEW) Erotica, Madonna, Erotica, 4
(13) Free Your Mind, En Vogue, Funky Divas, 8

Week of October 24, 1992 [4]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(2) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(6) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2
(9) Erotica, Madonna, Erotica, 4
(7) How Do You Talk to an Angel, The Heights, The Heights (Music from the Television Show), 3
(3) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(5) She’s Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five, Keep It Goin’ On, 5
(8) People Everyday, Arrested Development, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of…, 8
(10) Free Your Mind, En Vogue, Funky Divas, 8
(4) End Of The Road, Boys II Men, Boomerang (soundtrack), 1

Week of October 31, 1992 [5]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(2) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(3) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2
(7) How Do You Talk to an Angel, The Heights, The Heights (Music from the Television Show), 3
(4) Erotica, Madonna, Erotica, 4
(3) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(7) She’s Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five, Keep It Goin’ On, 5
(9) Free Your Mind, En Vogue, Funky Divas, 8
(16) Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap!, The Madman’s Return, 6
(8) People Everyday, Arrested Development, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of…, 8

[1] End Of The Road has fallen down to number 4 as Patty Smith’s (whom I thought she was Patti Smith at first glance) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough. Jump Around by House of Pain has just knocked off Humpin’ Around from the number 3 spot. Just Another Day has so far held the line at number 6. Oh, and Bryan Adams’ Do I Have To Say The Words? appears on the Top 10 for one hot minute.

[2] Yodel, Sometimes Love, Jump Around, and Road have held the line at the top 4 spots for this week. Meanwhile, two new songs - People Everyday and I’d Die Without You - have emerged at the ninth and tenth spots respectively. Not much else to say though.

[3] Yodel, Sometimes Love, Jump Around, and Road have held the line at the top 4 spots for this week - again. Just Another Day, Please Don’t Go, and Humpin’ Around have all but vanished from the Top 10. Oddly, a theme song from a TV show - and a short-lived one at that - has entered the Top 10. Then again, that’s just OTL right there. Madonna also has her hot new song Erotica debut at number 9 ITTL.

[4] Well it looks like I’d Die Without You and Erotica have broken through to the top four - while Jump Around and End Of The Road have stalled to 6th and 10th place respectively. Not much else to say though.

[5] And End Of The Road has vanished from the Top 10 completely. Perhaps being almost entirely in The Yodel Song’s shadow ITTL has caused it to drop off earlier than OTL. I’d Die Without You seems to be drawing closer - though there’s talk that might not be the case - what with a certain pop star movie soundtrack said to make a huge splash on the charts this November…..

THE KINGFISH · Jun 3, 2023

Billboard Hot 100 Charts for November 1992 [TOP 10]

Week of November 7, 1992 [1]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(3) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2
(4) How Do You Talk to an Angel, The Heights, The Heights (Music from the Television Show), 3
(2) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(4) Erotica, Madonna, Erotica, 4
(6) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3
(9) Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap!, The Madman’s Return, 6
(18) Rump Shaker, Wreckx-N-Effect, Hard or Smooth, 4
(11) Real Love, Mary J. Blige, What’s the 411?, 8
(14) What About Your Friends, TLC, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, 10

Week of November 14, 1992 [2]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(2) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2
(3) How Do You Talk to an Angel, The Heights, The Heights (Music from the Television Show), 3
(12) If I Ever Fall In Love, Shai, …If I Ever Fall In Love, 2
(4) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(8) Rump Shaker, Wreckx-N-Effect, Hard or Smooth, 4
(7) Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap!, The Madman’s Return, 6
(9) Real Love, Mary J. Blige, What’s the 411?, 8
(5) Erotica, Madonna, Erotica, 4
(6) Jump Around, House of Pain, House of Pain, 3

Week of November 21, 1992 [3]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(4) If I Ever Fall In Love, Shai, …If I Ever Fall In Love, 2
(2) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2
(3) How Do You Talk to an Angel, The Heights, The Heights (Music from the Television Show), 3
(6) Rump Shaker, Wreckx-N-Effect, Hard or Smooth, 4
(7) Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap!, The Madman’s Return, 6
(5) Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, Patty Smyth & Don Henley, Patty Smith, 2
(8) Real Love, Mary J. Blige, What’s the 411?, 8
(9) Erotica, Madonna, Erotica, 4
(40) I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, 1

Week of November 28, 1992 [4]
Rank (Previous Week Rank), Song, Artist, Album, Peak

(1) The Yodel Song, Nirvana, The Ren & Stimpy Show (soundtrack), 1
(10) I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, 1
(2) If I Ever Fall In Love, Shai, …If I Ever Fall In Love, 2
(5) Rump Shaker, Wreckx-N-Effect, Hard or Smooth, 4
(3) I’d Die Without You, P.M. Dawn, Boomerang (soundtrack), 2
(7) Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap!, The Madman’s Return, 6
(4) How Do You Talk to an Angel, The Heights, The Heights (Music from the Television Show), 3
(14) Love Is On the Way, Saigon Kick, The Lizard, 8
(8) Real Love, Mary J. Blige, What’s the 411?, 8
(13) Layla, Eric Clapton, Unplugged, 10

[1] TLC strikes back, with a vengeance! Though not for long. Other than that, new songs such as Rump Shaker and Real Love have appeared on the charts this week, and will continue to be a prominent part of the Top 10 throughout the month.

[2] How Do You Talk to an Angel - which IOTL was number 1 for two weeks in November 1992 - is held off from the top spot by the dominance created by I’d Die Without You and of course, The Yodel Song.

[3] Much like what happened to Baby-Baby-Baby, Humpin’ Around, and End Of The Road, How Do You Talk to an Angel begins to lose momentum due to charting in the shadow of The Yodel Song. Since it only charted briefly and is from a failed TV show on FOX, this seems plausible.

[4] As The Yodel Song is in its final week in the number 1 position, a certain pop song from a movie starring Kevin Costner and you-know-who is right about to take its place - even if its momentum is only slightly slowed by the competition. Meanwhile, Eric Clapton’s 1992 acoustic version of Layla appears in the number 10 spot ITTL. Personally I prefer the pre-POD Derek and the Dominoes version even if Clapton is a bit of a nutcase - but I digress, as this is a TL about the 90s not the 70s.

THE KINGFISH · Jun 3, 2023

Clinton Wins The 1992 Election
Excerpt from Reuters, 4 November 1992 [1]

Democratic Candidate Bill Clinton has managed to squeak in a victory in the most-recent United States presidential election against Independent Candidate Ross Perot and Incumbent Republican President George H. W. Bush. Although President Bush had once held one of the highest recorded approval ratings with his muscular response to the Persian Gulf crisis, pundits claim that those approval ratings have fallen off chiefly due to his administration’s lackluster handling of the recent economic downturn, and a primary challenge from Pat Buchanan over a perceived breaking of his “no new taxes” promise when first elected. President Bush and Candidate Ross Perot have concieded……

Philips Strikes Deal With Nintendo
Excerpt from Electronic Gaming Monthly, 16 November 1992 [2]

After weeks of low sales and a catastrophic attempt at making a splash on the video game market with Yodel Boys, Philips has pulled the plug on its ill-fated CD-i Multiplayer system. A Philips spokesperson has claimed that all unsold consoles and games will be recalled from stores.

With that, Philips has reached an agreement with video game giant Nintendo to resume work on the upcoming Super Nintendo CD-ROM add-on. Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi has claimed that the upcoming SNES-CD will be publically unveiled at the Winter 1993 CES for a late 1993 release.

Venezuelan President Removed From Power, Government Dissolved
Excerpt from BBC, 27 November 1992 [3]

Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Pérez has been arrested by the Armed Forces of Venezuela in a military coup. The new government led by Hugo Chávez - previously a rising political star after the failed coup attempt in February - announced the whole sale nationalization of key industries in Venezuela and the dissolution of the government. In his inaugural televised speech, Chávez also called out American imperialism and blamed the dire economic situation of the country as a CIA plot to seize the country’s valuable oil resources. The coup has been condemned by the United States…

[1] Obviously OTL. I thought about making Ross Perot win by having Yodelin’ Yaks somehow causing him to not suspend his campaign, but I could never do that idea justice. Plus @MaskedPickle already did that in A Giant Sucking Sound.

[2] As I’ve said in the Yodel Boys post, Nintendo and Philips almost got the SNES-CD off the ground after the deal with Sony crashed, but Philips kept wanting their own console to succeed. Here, with the Philips CD-i having crashed and burned early on, Philips has no other choice but to partner with Nintendo.

[3] And there’s our first major butterfly for the timeline. IOTL, the November 1992 Venezuelan coup attempt was actually more successful than the February 1992 coup attempt, but still failed as the Venezuelan Government was able to alert the other armed forces through the private TV station Televen. ITTL, the success of The Yodel Song causes the coup plotters to realize the importance of taking control of the media, and thus the coup succeeds. Since Rafael Caldera was generally pro-American as I know, Hugo Chavez comes to power much earlier - illegally.

THE KINGFISH · Jun 16, 2023

Eric Stefani In Control
Excerpt from the documentary Happy Happy Joy Joy, The Ren & Stimpy Story (2020)

ERIC STEFANI: So basically, I now had a huge amount of control over the show. But like - it wasn’t just the show. Nickelodeon basically held John at gunpoint to give me a huge leadership role at Spümcø. They were all like, “do you want to keep your job, or do you want your show to become a little baby show.” *chuckles*

ERIC STEFANI: After looking over any problems the studio needed fixing - I realized that the way John ran the studio was….. well it was an utter clusterfuck. Of course I didn’t tell him, knowing how he couldn’t stand criticism back then. The staff was just totally overwhelmed with work, and it was a big reason for the late episode deliveries. So the simplest solution would obviously be to hire more people. After Nick forced Spümcø to promote me, they also forced the company’s decision making process where I, John and others would vote on decisions regarding projects and the workplace. Kricfalusi barely agreed to this, and I thought that there was no way that anything could be done with him and his lackeys blocking progress. Luckily, there were cooler heads at Spümcø and on the board - some of whom I’ve worked with on Yaks.

ERIC STEFANI: Bob Camp, uh, was a fellow director and was considered another big creative force on the show.[1] He shared John’s dream of the animation world with total creative freedom, but by this point the two had developed bad blood between each other. Apparently, John had started taking credit for writing Yodelin’ Yaks - even though it was I that wrote it and Bob that directed it. John - only John was invited by all the big-wig talk show hosts - ya know, Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, Larry King, you name it!

*cuts to John Kricfalusi on David Letterman*

JOHN KRICFALUSI: *in the voice of Ren* Stimpy, you eediot! We are on live TV - and you can’t even behave like a civilized person!!

*audience cackles in laughter*

JOHN KRICFALUSI: *still in the voice of Ren* Ohhh…. What I’m gonna do to you…. First, I’m gonna tear your lips out… and then I’m gonna… gouge your eyes out…

*laughter continues only louder*

JOHN KRICFALUSI: *still in the voice of Ren* Next I’m gonna…. TEAR YOUR TEETH….. OUTTA YOUR DIRTY MOUTH……….[2]

*cuts back to Eric Stefani*

ERIC STEFANI: Then there was also Jim Smith and Lynne Naylor - the latter of whom was John’s girlfriend until they suffered a nasty breakup. She then started dating Chris Reccardi.[3] Kricfalusi had been fuming about the breakup and at the time had started to mope around. Perhaps it played a role in his later breakdown.

ERIC STEFANI: But I digress - basically we all met and held a vote on whether or not we should expand the staff of the show. John angrily voted “no” - protesting the chaos that “little tykes” would bring onto the studio. Or something like that….

*cuts to Director Bob Camp*

BOB CAMP: Long story short, John was outnumbered 4 to 1. Spümcø now had to hire more people whether John liked their skills or not. And with Yodelin’ Yaks being such a huge breakthrough for the show, we knew that we needed a larger team to meet the demands of Ren & Stimpy. So, Eric Stefani took charge and spearheaded the hiring process. Luckily for Eric, he had also been working another job on the hit animated sitcom The Simpsons - in the design department. So he had plenty of experience with helping out writers with backgrounds in other art forms.

BOB CAMP: Among the writers that Eric was able to pull away from The Simpsons included the talented duo of George Meyer and John Swartzwelder. Those guys wrote a lot of the best episodes of early Simpsons, and they would go on to help maintain Ren & Stimpy’s adult appeal.[4] Next, we would also try to recruit new artists fresh out of college. And among the standout artists we found was a guy by the name of… Richard Deutschendorf. And I was like, “we searchin’ through German exchange students Eric?” *chuckles* He preferred to be called Dick Dutch.[5]

BOB CAMP: Looking through his resume was like looking through a phone book. There were…. probably hundreds of drawings in the 3 stacks of folders. And all of them had these handwritten sticky notes put on them. You got these drawings that keep referring to this weird thing called “Amerime”. Dick explains it’s a stylistic mixture of American comics and anime - or Japanese animation. And I was like - *makes a baffled face* - “Anime? Isn’t that one of those weird bug-eyed Japanese cartoons I saw when I was a kid?”

BOB CAMP: As someone working in the animation industry, I became familiar with the medium back when I was working at Rankin-Bass on shows like Thundercats and Silverhawks. Some of my Japanese colleagues gave me a sneak look at some of the animations that the Japanese industry was putting out around that time. And having been shown the likes of movies like Golgo 13: The Professional and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, I was like, “why can’t we have that in America?!”[6] But that’s the thing, I was an industry insider who knew about these things. But then I see some rando that hands in his resume to Spümcø and I’m like - “How does this nobody know about anime of all things?!”

*cuts back to Eric Stefani*

ERIC STEFANI: And so we kept looking through his resume, and there’s this crumbled up, kinda torn piece of notebook paper in it that details a trip to Japan with his dad around 1982. He claimed that in the paper, he had discovered the art of Japanese animation - anime - through watching shows such as Lupin the 3rd and Space Battleship Yamato. He went on claiming to have begun to beg his parents to learn Japanese and become fluent in the language, and this allowed him to read more manga - which is like, the comic form of anime as far as I know. *chuckles* And speaking of comics, Dick also claimed in another paper in the folder that he was a huge fan of Batman and DC Comics - and also Marvel Comics characters such as Iron Man. And would you believe this kid has been drawing since the age of three? I’m serious - there are these drawings that Dick drew as a kid - they’re all just… amazing!

ERIC STEFANI: So I decided to give Dick a shot. And as I thought to myself, I just prayed to god that this kid was as interesting as he claimed to be. Interesting - would be an understatement.

Dick Dutch’s Big Break
Excerpt from Win, Lose, or Drawing: Secrets of Animation Past (2022)

“Too dark, dreary, and depressing.”

That was the note that was attached to my response letter - signed by Peter Schneider of Walt Disney Feature Animation - telling me that my job application as an animator was rejected. I had pitched an idea for a movie called Hank and the Hustlemen, basically a coming-of-age movie about a gang of kids who make the most of their last summer together with a whole bunch of wacky hijinks and schemes. And the most unique part about it is that it wouldn’t shy away from the raunchier aspects of childhood - including realistic violence between the rival gangs and the child actors that voice the kids in the movies actually swearing. But they simply didn’t care. They thought it was “too dark, dreary, and depressing, and not in touch with the family-friendly Disney brand.” I tried telling them that maybe it could fit for that Touchstone label they use for edgier movies - even edgier animated movies - and they responded with some corporate shlock about “being unable to secure a market potential for a potentially unprofitable venture.” As in it won’t line Michael Eisner’s pockets with money, or get him that new Porche for Christmas. They call my film concept Hank and the Hustleman dark - when they can’t say shit about being “too dark” since they’ve made shit like The Black Cauldron! Or Bambi or Who Framed Roger Rabbit!

But, I had to pull myself together and look elsewhere. So I applied for Warner Bros. Animation, since I heard they were making a new Batman cartoon - and being a huge Batman fan, I decided to apply. I was turned down. And so then I went to apply Klasky-Csupo. I was turned down. DiC Entertainment. Turned down. Marvel Productions. Turned down. Film Roman. Turned down. Hanna-Barbera. Turned down. Universal Cartoon Studios. Turned down. Don Bluth Entertainment. Turned down.

Every time, I kept hearing the same damn thing - “cartoons are for children in the morning, not for adults late at night.” And every damn time I tried telling them about the medium of anime as an argument against, but they wouldn’t listen. “Too cheap.” “Too loud.” “Too bright.” They simply didn’t get the idea of anime - let alone American anime, or “Amerime” as I like to call it. And so I took my chances and went to pretty much the last animation studio in Hollywood I haven’t tried yet - Spümcø.

I had heard a lot about Ren & Stimpy back in 1992. Mostly because everybody was talking about it and the famous collaboration with Nirvana - The Yodel Song. On the other hand, I had also heard quote-on-quote “nightmare stories” about John Kricfalusi’s abrasive attitude and his inappropriate behavior on set. But I had no fear. I had grown up knowing all my family members swear like sailors around me - and had seen a lot of violence growing up watching horror movies. So you could say that as an animator, I was used to a sketchier guy like John Kricfalusi.

I was called down to Spümcø in late 1992 for the job interview. Fully expecting to face Kricfalusi’s so-called wrath - I was instead greeted by this guy named Eric Stefani. He was apparently responsible for writing the famous Yodelin’ Yaks episode - not Kricfalusi. He told me that he was actually blown away by my artistic skill, and considered me to be one of the best artists I’ve ever seen, which surprised me coming from the studio with supposedly strict standards.

I asked Eric about the rumors of Spümcø being a terrible working environment, and he explained to me that the studio was starting to overhaul problems that was plaguing the show’s production. This including hiring a much bigger and more talented staff to improve the writing and animation - which as far as I know suffered from a lot of animation errors in the first season due to bad outsourcing.[7]

So basically, for me to join Spümcø, I had to be approved by this “Creative Decision Board” - which later famously evolved into the “Think Tank” a few years later - where five people would vote on decisions within the company. These five people included John Kricfalusi, Bob Camp, Jim Smith, Lynne Naylor, and Eric Stefani. Camp. Smith, Naylor, and Stefani would all vote to bring me in - but not John Kricfalusi himself. I would try to ask people why exactly John would refuse an artist like me - considering we both have a similar pattern of raunchiness when it comes to content in children’s cartoons. But years later, he would tell me that he personally despised anime and Amerime at the time. Bill Wray would also tell me that John Kricfalusi told him that anime was just “gluing big Bambi cartoon eyes onto male characters to make them look gay.”[8] Not exactly the most unhinged thing I’ve heard from John Kricfalusi - but definitely not the last.

I would officially join Spümcø in December 1992. The show would never be the same again.

[1] In fact, Camp was the one running the show after Kricfalusi was fired IOTL. For the longest time, Camp was disliked - and in some cases, outright hated - by the Ren & Stimpy fandom for his tamer direction of the series. However, when John Prick-Fail-usi’s history of sexual assault came up in 2018, the fandom began to have a change of heart towards Camp - even going as far as to call Camp the “real creator” of Ren & Stimpy.

[2] This is of course paraphrasing Ren’s monologue from the episode Sven Hoek - which aired in November 1992.

[3] This is OTL, though it maybe slightly later or earlier depending on the butterfly effect. According to William Wray - a close colleague of John Kricfalusi during the production of the show - the breakup with Lynne Naylor played a key role in Kricfalusi’s descent into utter madness - along with getting fired from the show IOTL.

[4] George Meyer and John Swartzwelder’s writing credits include some of the best episodes of early Simpsons - including Bart Gets an F, Simpson and Delilah, Bart the Daredevil, Itchy & Scratchy & Marge, Lisa’s Substitute, Homer at the Bat - that’s all just Season 2 and 3. There’s a lot more in seasons 4, 5, and 6.

[5] Dick Dutch is actually not a real person but rather a fictional OC. Hat tip to @TheGuyWhoHeartsHistory for the idea.

[6] One of Bob Camp’s first jobs in the animation industry was an artist at Rankin/Bass. In the 1980s, Rankin/Bass outsourced its animation to Pacific Animation Corporation - which was founded after the collapse of Topcraft in 1985. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that Camp - who was a design lead - to have to communicate with Japanese animators who were actually doing the animating - and thus come across these movies.

[7] This is OTL. A lot of the animation for Season 1 of Ren & Stimpy was outsourced to Fil-Cartoons - your basic average sweatshop animation studio in a developing country - specifically The Philippines in this case. Scenes put out by them exhibited cheap zeroxing, washed out colors (similar to OTL’s SpongeBob Season 1), and missing animation cells and unfinished animation. One of the episodes - Nurse Stimpy - was so awful that John Kricfalusi withdrew his name from the credits of said episode and replaced it with the alias “Raymond Spum”.

[8] Kricfalusi IOTL made a similar complaint towards anime-inspired American cartoons like Ben 10 and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

THE KINGFISH · Jun 16, 2023

United Nations approves of Intervention in Somalia
Excerpt from Reuters, December 3, 1992 [1]

Today, the United Nations has authorized a multinational military intervention in war-torn Somalia, as part of an effort to restore peace and stability to the troubled East African nation. With Somalia’s central government having collapsed into warring factions in early 1991, the international community has come together to address the dire situation and protect the lives of millions affected by the conflict.

The decision to intervene in Somalia was reached after months of deliberation and urgent appeals for action. The Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 794, authorizing the deployment of military forces to establish a secure environment for humanitarian assistance and facilitate the delivery of aid to the country's famine-stricken population. The resolution invoked Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, granting the mission the authority to use all necessary means to achieve its objectives....

Philips, Nintendo announce first titles for SNES-CD ahead of Winter CES
Excerpt from Electronic Gaming Monthly, December 10, 1992 [2]

As the anticipation of Nintendo and Philips’ SNES CD-ROM add-on draws nearer, Nintendo and Philips have announced the system’s inaugural titles. These include Super Mario’s Wacky Worlds, The Ren & Stimpy Game - which includes Nirvana’s The Yodel Song - and Secret of Mana - which was originally meant for the conventional SNES-CD.

The Ren & Stimpy Game is the first game from a joint venture between Nintendo and Viacom known as Viacom Interactive. This joint venture will hope to create not only games based on existing Viacom properties, but also developing lower-budget titles as well. Meanwhile, Secret of Mana was originally intended for the cartridge SNES - but with the resumption of development on the SNES, it has now moved to CD development.....

[1] OTL.

[2] ITTL, after The Yodel Song, one of the reasons for development on the SNES-CD restarting was Nintendo wanting to make a Ren & Stimpy game - but facing challenges due to the technical limitations of the conventional SNES. So they restart the SNES-CD and make a joint venture label with Viacom to split the financial risk and provide a brand separate from the mainline Nintendo brand to market high-quality games based on Viacom properties.

THE KINGFISH · Jun 17, 2023

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello everyone!

Glad you guys are enjoying my TL! Any thoughts and criticisms are encouraged, since this is my first TL and I would like to learn how to better my writing along the way. Any advice on writing OCs (don’t worry I’m not unprepared) is very much needed. Please DM me if you do.

Anyways, with that out of the way, I’m here to announce that in order to improve my productivity and keep myself actively invested in updating the TL - new updates will now be released every Monday. If by some chance I am unable to upload new parts - I will either directly notify you viewers.

Anyways, thoughts on the TL so far? Because the next part will cover Kurt Cobain’s experience with The Yodel Song.

THE KINGFISH · Jul 31, 2023

Kurt Under Pressure
Excerpt from the documentary The Struggle Never Ends: Nirvana’s Pop Years (2014)

*grainy audio recording of Kurt Cobain*

KURT COBAIN: I’m just sick of this world man. That song is just… ringing in my ears… all the time. These people think I’m some sort of clown at a fuckin’ circus…

*cuts to Krist Novoselic*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: Going into the mainstream was always sort of an experiment to us. An experiment to test if all those… simpletons, to put it kindly, would stomach what kinda shit we concoct or if they would just… puke it all out like bleh! *makes disgusted face towards interviewer*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: But after Teen Spirit and especially Yodel - we would just get sick of this. Like, we got together to make music and have fun. We didn’t care if we were gonna be the next Led Zeppelin or the next Aerosmith - but now people thought that’s all we were - just another gang of wild boys looking to get laid.[1]

*cuts to old camcorder recording of the band in a car, camera is in back seats facing the front, with Kurt slouched in shotgun*

*The Yodel Song starts playing on car radio*

KURT COBAIN: *drunken* God….. that goddamn song really is ringin’ in my ears.

*cuts to Dave Grohl*

DAVE GROHL: Every time I saw Kurt during those 3 months - I don’t think he was happy at all - he looked miserable. But who could blame him, you know. By the time we put out Yodel the paparazzi were really getting on our ass, but they were straight fucking Kurt.

DAVE GROHL: During this time, Kurt would get calls from Eric Stefani - asking him to make more songs for Ren & Stimpy. Usually, Kurt would respond by violently slamming the phone down to send a message.

*cuts to Eric Stefani*

ERIC STEFANI: I never had the intention of bothering Kurt. If anyone, it was actually the executives at Nickelodeon who were pushing for more Ren & Stimpy collaborations. Herb Scannell in particular - who was Nick’s executive vice president - made it a point that Yodelin’ Yaks brought Nick’s ratings to new heights and saved John Kricfalusi’s career. So because of that, the man was really pushing for another Yodelin’ Yaks - like at least two more. How we would even achieve that, we didn’t know.[2]

*cuts back to Krist Novoselic*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: And of course, Kurt’s heroin issues got worse. Kurt was a druggie for a long time - mostly due to his depression and chronic stomach pain.[3] But with how widespread The Yodel Song got - he just began to disassociate from reality a lot more. It was his escape from reality - ‘cause reality was misery to him.

KRIST NOVOSELIC: During this time, our direction was stuck at crossroads - either keep going with the more pop oriented schtick, or go back to our punk roots. “Yodelin’ Yaks” made the band a ton of money, but it pissed off a lot punk fanatics who thought Kurt lost his “punk cred”.[4] And whether or not we would go back to basics depended on how Kurt would respond to Nickelodeon’s demands.

*Grainy video recording of the band playing an early version of “Rape Me” in a rather run-down house starts, date reads NOV 2 1992 in VHS text*

KURT COBAIN: *slurred, low voice* Rape me

KURT COBAIN: Rape me, my friend

KURT COBAIN: Rape me

KURT COBAIN: Rape me again

KRIST NOVOSELIC: *narration over footage* One night of these rehearsals, we would practice material for either album we would make - when Kurt showed up even higher than ever before. Even though Kurt grew to hate The Yodel Song - he still thought it would be interesting to go in a more folkish direction and branch out. But on this particular night, Kurt felt like a ghost.

KURT COBAIN: *in video recording, abruptly stops after performing and early version of "The Watchman"* Guys, guys, I gotta take a piss for a sec.

DAVE GROHL: Yeah sure, go ahead.

*Kurt stumbles away down hallway to the left of camera’s view, Krist tunes the bass, while Dave practices drums*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: *narration over footage* Of course, it wasn’t just a sec. Not even a minute. It was more like… 30 minutes. We didn’t think about checking earlier - as Kurt kept moaning - making us think he was just wearing off his heroin. After a while, we knew something went wrong, so we had to go check on Kurt. We struggled to get the door open as Kurt for some reason locked it shut, so Dave and I had to get the keys to unlock it.

*screen fades to black*

*white text reads: “The following footage may be considered disturbing by many viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.”*

*the camcorder points down at the floor with the door ahead, shaking*

*hand are clasping the door knob while holding something*

DAVE GROHL: - gonna go wrong. He’s losing it man.

*door flies open, revealing Kurt lying over side of filled bathtub unconcious, blood-stained vomit on the floor and in the tub*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: Kurt, what are you - holy shit! What the hell!

DAVE GROHL: Oh god. *runs to Kurt, heaves his unconscious body partway out of tub* Call a doctor!

KRIST NOVOSELIC: No! We’ll draw attention! We gotta resu -

*cuts off by camcorder drops on floor and rattles*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: *unintelligible*

DAVE GROHL: I’ll get the towels.

KRIST NOVOSELIC: Okay, help me get him out.

DAVE & KRIST: 3… 2… 1…

*water splashes and a thump is heard*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: *voice quivers* It’s okay Kurt. Everything is gonna be okay.

*cuts back to Krist Novoselic, visibly uncomfortable*

KRIST NOVOSELIC: L..L..Long… story short, we managed to resuscitate Kurt after he overdosed on heroin. Though this definitely wasn’t the first time Kurt had a life-threatening overdose - the fact that this was after his horrible mood from all that exposure - really shook us.[5] We almost lost Kurt.

*cuts to Dave Grohl*

DAVE GROHL: When it became clear that Kurt was alive, I pulled Krist aside and told him, “The heroin’s gotta go. We can’t let Kurt ruin himself. He needs help.” So we convinced Kurt to place himself in a drug rehab facility.

*cuts to montage of Nirvana memorabilia and album covers*

NARRATOR: According to testimony from band members, Kurt would spend just over 6 weeks in rehab trying to wean away his addiction to heroin. Doctors from Kurt’s visit at the facility remarked that he had cooperated well with instructions. However, other patients claimed that Kurt found the whole place to be quite insufferable to spend his time in. Upon his request, he would be let go on December 15, 1992. The rest of the band would celebrate Kurt becoming “clean” by going out for dinner together.

*cuts to Dave Grohl*

DAVE GROHL: Something interesting I also remember from that celebration was that Kurt preferred to appear in public under the alter ego “Rex Cage”. I of course found that odd - kinda like he’s some sort of dinosaur wrestler, or something like that. Kurt would tell me that he was inspired by working with John Kricfalusi, and how “anytime he saw a product he didn’t like, he would change his name to Raymond Spüm, his alter ego.” On one hand, it made me happy that Kurt was adjusting to all that attention by hiding himself. But on the other hand, what exactly did that say about the type of people Kurt was working with at Nickelodeon?

*cuts to images of marijuana and used heroin on the table as the camera pans to right*

NARRATOR: However, rehabilitation would be a far rockier road for Kurt Cobain to take. After a couple of weeks, Krist Novoselic would uncover the façade.

KRIST NOVOSELIC: While we were having another one of our rehearsals, we were taking a break and eating some lunch when I went to use the bathroom. Apparently, the door was not shut all the way because I accidentally walked in on Kurt doing heroin in the bathroom. And I was just like, *motions hands forward* “Kurt, we need to talk.”

KRIST NOVOSELIC: So we went into the living room and I was all like, “Kurt, Dave and I aren’t your parents and we don’t get to decide your personal life, but we’re getting really concerned about your habits.” Long story short, I basically told him that we can tolerate other drugs like marijuana and LSD and alcohol, but heroin was off the table. Kurt of course told me that he did use marijuana and LSD in his youth, but moved on to harder drugs like heroin.[6] He did however tell me that he could go back to those if he could get addicted to some other drug.

KRIST NOVOSELIC: That was a lot tougher to think of than it actually sounded, given that most hard drugs really fuck up your mental state. Cocaine and crack are obviously a no-go, alcohol on its own was too weak for Kurt’s tastes, and overall I didn’t immediately think of something. Then it hit me: Psilocybin. It’s something that as far as I know Kurt’s never really tried, it’s a great hallucinogen, and even has some health benefits like relieving stress and anxiety… I think. I told him about psilocybin, and he was surprisingly open about taking it. He even told me that he was “getting too used and jaded to heroin anyways.” I’m not exactly sure whether it was meant to comfort me, or whether it was just Kurt fooling us again. The only problems regarding psilocybin was that it was illegal, but what the hell - pretty much everything Kurt took was illegal.

*cuts to Dave Grohl*

DAVE GROHL: We managed to get some shrooms from dealers in Los Angeles - who were supposedly so impressed by Nirvana and Kurt Cobain that they made them free just for us. Kurt made it his New Year’s resolution to “just chill out and become some sort of worm, feedin’ on the shrooms.” And after a couple of weeks - I think it actually worked. Kurt finally stopped worrying and simply sat back and made some music.

Phone Call by Eric Stefani to Kurt Cobain
Recorded phone call on 17 January 1993

*phone ringing*

*message beep*

ERIC STEFANI: Hey Kurt, just calling you one last time to ask if you can make at least two more songs for Ren & Stimpy. It’s okay if you -

KURT COBAIN: Yeah sure, I’ll write some tunes.

ERIC STEFANI: Wait, really?

KURT COBAIN: Yeah man, really.

ERIC STEFANI: Great! I’ll let John K. and Nickelodeon know you’re willing to write the songs. They were the ones really wanting to call you.

KURT COBAIN: Yeah. Everybody wants some of the great Kurt Cobain - unofficial spokesman of this generation.[7] *sarcasm*

ERIC STEFANI: You weren’t mad at me for bugging you, were you?

KURT COBAIN: Ah nah, I get a ton of spam calls on my phone all the time.

ERIC STEFANI: Me too! Anyways, I’ll let the network execs know and we’ll figure out what the next episodes of Yander the Yak will look like.

KURT COBAIN: Sounds good, I already got some ideas for the more folkish direction. I’m thinking of some song like “The Watchman” about a bounty hunter - or somethin’ like that.

ERIC STEFANI: Sounds great! We’ll talk about it next time we meet. See ya!

KURT COBAIN: See ya!

*phone line hangs up*

[1] Although the band had influences from 70s hard rock/arena rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, the band - and especially Kurt - always preferred the more authentic and personal club performances.

[2] Though the nature of capitalism pretty much dictates that eventually media companies will have to rely on safe, low risk, lowest-common-denominator schtick - Herb Scannell arguably laid the seed for Nickelodeon’s later decline from the 2000s and onward with his big push for safe, more corporate shows with an easy audience draw. Though this would secure the network’s place as top dog in the short term (the late 90s/early 2000s - with the premiere of shows like SpongeBob Squarepants and The Fairly OddParents) it would arguably cost them in the long term. This is a subject I am personally fascinated by and would like to explore in another “Context” post in the future - as Nickelodeon’s downfall is arguably unique compared to other channels like Cartoon Network and Disney Channel - which mainly fell off due to the decline of television in general.

[3] This is OTL. Kurt Cobain had an undiagnosed chronic stomach condition that resulted in chronic bronchitis and intense physical pain. This was a big motivation for him taking a lot of drugs in the first place. That and his family’s history of depression and suicide of course.

[4] In Utero was of course that attempt to get back to the band’s punk roots.

[5] This is of course Nirvana’s appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1992, where they performed “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Territorial Pissings”. The morning after, Kurt suffered a near-fatal overdose of heroin - being resuscitated by Courtney Love. ITTL, even though Courtney Love’s relationship with Kurt is butterflied - Kurt manages to be saved - but came closer to death.

[6] Marijuana was Kurt’s first recreational drug experience, having done it at age 13 in 1980. He later went on to try heroin in 1986.

[7] The media sphere at the time called Kurt Cobain a spokesman for Generation X. Kurt hated this, as he was more invested in the artistry of being in a band.

THE KINGFISH · Aug 11, 2023

Hey guys, here is one last post for "The Yodel Song" before we leave the year 1992 and enter the year 1993. The last post covering 1992 will be a retrospective of that year's pop culture (that's been really hard for me to write and is one of the reasons the TL went on hiatus in July) while it directly transitions into the year 1993. The next updates - including said retrospective, some headlines for January 1993, and a chapter covering the developments at Spümcø - will all be uploaded on Monday.

Anyways, here are the chart listings for Nirvana's "The Yodel Song"....

Weekly Charts

1992-1993 weekly chart peaks for "The Yodel Song"

Chart (1992-1993)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	1
Belgium (IFPI Belgium)	1
Canada (RPM)	1
Czechoslovakia [1] (Gold FM Top 50)	1
Denmark (ANR North Jutland)	2
France (SNEP)	4
Germany (Official German Charts)	1
Ireland (IRMA)	2

Italy (Musica e dishci)	8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	6
Norway (VG-lista)	5
Spain (AFYVE)	9
Sweden (Topplistan)	7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	1
Japan (Tokyo Hot 100)	11
United Kingdom (UK Singles Chart)	2
United States (Billboard Hot 100)	1

Year-End Charts

1992 Annual chart positions for "The Yodel Song"

Chart (1992)

Position

Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)

29

Czechoslovakia (Gold FM Top 50)

13

Germany (Official German Charts)

31

Ireland (IRMA)

68

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)

39

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)

33

United States (Billboard Hot 100)

36

[1] Note that until January 1, 1993 - Czechoslovakia still existed as the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic. Music charts started in December of 1992.

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