REN & STIMPY BUMPERS

In the Spumco-produced Ren & Stimpy Show, each episode was designed 
not only with the idea of presenting one or two cartoons, but as a 
total package, including bumpers. In materials dating back to pre-
production on the first season, it is clearly noted that each episode 
was to have two cartoons, bracketed by a lead-in bumper and a 
"goodbye" bumper, and occasionally an interposing bumper between 
cartoons. The whole show would be created as a whole, bumpers 
included.
This was a great theory, but in practice Nickelodeon would often 
rerun bumpers with other cartoons, and in the case of some later 
episodes would cobble together two cartoons to make a runnable 
episode. Often, bumpers would be switched as well.
In order to make the main episode log easy to follow, I have opted
to run this list of bumpers separately. Unfortunately, there are less
archival materials available to me on the bumpers than on actual
R&S cartoons, so this might be a little sketchy. 

FIRST SEASON

Run with "Stimpy's Big Day/The Big Shot"
"Log I (Little Boy)"
Production number: RS01c
Voice Cast: Edon Gross (as the "Log" boy) and Darrin Sargent (as the
o.s. "Log" announcer) 
Synopsis: A petulant boy whiningly rejects several proffered toys in
favor of "Log," a big chunk of wood which rolls down stairs, falls
over in pairs, rolls over the neighbor's dog, is great for a snack,
fits on your back, and is better than bad, it's good! 
Behind the scenes notes: Yes, the "Log" song is based on the "Slinky"
jingle...and is just as insidious. Once you hear it, you never forget
it. 
"Stimpy's Breakfast Tips"
Production number: RS01s
Voice Cast: John K. (as Ren), Billy West (as Stimpy)
Synopsis: Stimpy wants to get his hands on the prize at the bottom of
the cereal box. Ren (in a very Dad-like manner) doesn't want him to
open another box of cereal before the last one's finished. His 
solution to the problem should be familiar to anyone born between 1960
and 1975. I know...I pulled that kind of stuff as a kid.
Behind the scenes note: Check out the slick sound fx as John K.'s 
voice as Ren is seamlessly mixed with the ceramic-like sound of a 
spoon tapping on teeth. It is one of the most clever uses of sound I 
have heard since the voice-slot machine hybrid on the Twilight Zone 
episode "The Fever."
"Goodbye I (Gritty Kitty)"
Production number: RS01g
Voice Cast: John K. (as Ren), Billy West (as Stimpy)
Synopsis: The show's over, and Stimpy is bummed. Ren tries to suggest
ways for Stimpy to amuse himself, succeeding only when he suggests one
of Stimpy's favorite entertainments...playing in his litter box.

Run with "Robin Hoek"
"Powdered Toast Man"
Production number: RS02c
Voice Cast: John K. (as Ren), and Billy West (as PTM and Stimpy)
Ongoing character introduced: Powdered Toast Man
Synopsis: Ren & Stimpy are having breakfast, and run out of their fave
rave breakfast food, Powdered Toast. Enter Powdered Toast Man, with a
flourish. After shaking toast particles off his shoulder and winking 
more of the particles out of his eye, Powdered Toast Man leaves with a 
gas-powered leap.

Run with "Nurse Stimpy"
"Secret Membership"
Production number: RS02s
Voice Cast: John K. (as Ren) and Billy West (as Stimpy).
Synopsis: Ren & Stimpy swear you into their Secret Club, with a pledge
to "make underleg noises during the good scenes" and "to wear unwashed
Lederhosen every single day of the rest of your life."
Inside jokes: References to Big Daddy Ed Roth model cars (the chair 
Stimpy is sitting on with the 8-ball stick shift) and The Outer Limits 
TV Series.
"Goodbye II (Magic Nose Goblins)"
Production number: RS02g
Voice Cast: John K. (as Ren) and Billy West (as Stimpy)
Cuts made by Nickelodeon: This is very much like the first and future 
"Goodbye" bumpers except for one very important element: a Nick exec
absolutely hated the concept of "Magic Nose Goblins." And when the 
same exec saw the artwork, opposition became even more violent. The 
bumper wasn't thrown out, but the pan shot of the Nose Goblins art 
faded to black before it could be entirely shown.

Run with "The Boy Who Cried Rat"
"Yak Shaving Day"
Production number: RS03s
Voice Cast: John K. (as Ren), Billy West (as Stimpy) and Vincent 
Waller (as the Shaven Yak)
Synopsis: Ren & Stimpy attempt to launch the newest holiday, and 
perhaps the grossest. Where else but The Ren & Stimpy Show would you
see tips on seasonal decorations with used Pampers and rainboots 
stuffed with cole slaw? The bumper ends with a fanciful sequence where 
the Shaven Yak emerges from the bathroom plumbing and leaves a heaping 
mound of used lather for the good little boy of the house...who else 
but Stimpy?

Run with "The Littlest Giant"
"Log For Girls"
Production number: RS04c
Voice cast: Cheryl Chase and Sharon Mack (as the Log For Girls girls)
and Darrin Sargent (as the o.s. Log Announcer)
Synopsis: Apparently someone remembers a rather horrifying girl's toy
which consisted of a bigger than life decapitated Barbie head that 
little girls could use makeup and hair curlers on. Yes, I had one. And
it was just about as hideous as this toy from the "Log" line of fine
children's toys. Two cartoon girls go absolutely nuts over a log with
a wig attached to it.

Run with "Firedogs"
"Ask Dr. Stupid I (Your parents are aliens)"
Production number: RS04s
Voice cast: Billy West (as Stimpy and o.s. Announcer)
Synopsis: Total, gleeful non-sequitur. A young viewer asks Dr. Stupid
(the Mr. Wizard of the Spumco Universe) why he has to go to school.
Stimpy...er, Dr. Stupid, puts on his Stupometron helmet and comes up
with an answer that would be worthy of the fine Journalistic minds at 
the Weekly World News.
"Goodbye III (Chase your tail)"
Production number: RS04g
Voice cast: John K. (as Ren) and Billy West (as Stimpy)
Synopsis: A very standard Goodbye bumper.
Behind the scenes notes: This is not only another one of a concept the
Nick suits forced on Spumco, but one actually written by a Nick suit. 
Hence, it's not very funny.

Run with "Untamed World"
"Ask Dr. Stupid II (Camels)"
Production number unavailable
Voice cast: Billy West (Stimpy & o.s. announcer)
Synopsis: Stimpy attempts to explain the reason why some camels have
one hump while others have two. He's even dubious about the answer
which comes out of his rubber ducky Stupometron helmet.
"My Little Brother"
Production number: RS05c
Voice cast: Cheryl Chase and Sharon Mack (as the "My Little Brother" 
girls) and Edon Gross (as the Naughty Little Brother and the voice of
the "My Little Brother" doll)
Synopsis: Playing house with your little brother getting you down? 
Well, here's the solution. The "My Little Brother" doll. The two sweet
little girls abuse the poor little doll with gusto, and even use it 
as an alibi when one of the girls breaks a plate.
"Goodbye IV (Crocostimpy)"
Production number: RS05g
Voice Cast: John K. (as Ren) and Billy West (as Stimpy)
Synopsis: Yet another Goodbye bumper, this time related to the story.
Behind the scenes note: Another Goodbye bumper written and force-fed
to Spumco by Nick. However, in this case, the weird perverse vibe of
the sight of Stimpy with a bit in his mouth sort of redeems this one.

Run with "Stimpy's Invention"
"High Fashion Log For Girls"
Production number: RS06c
Voice cast: Cheryl Chase and Barbara Goodson (as the High Fashion Log
Girls) and Darrin Sargent (as o.s. Log announcer)
Synopsis: More Log fun, this time with a Barbie parody twist. 

SECOND SEASON
(There are no separate production numbers for bumpers during the second season, except for Ask Dr. Stupid III)

Run with "Ren's Toothache"
"Sugar Frosted Milk"
Synopsis: A commercial for a disgusting breakfast product which "stays
lumpy even in Cereal." 
Note: Great shot of breakfast cereal screaming and flailing as it 
sinks down into the bowl o' lumps.
"Ask Dr. Stupid III (Queen Bean)"
Production number: RS06s
Voice cast: Billy West (as Stimpy and o.s. announcer)
Synopsis: Dr. Stupid plumbs the mysteries of a can of beans for a 
perplexed viewer.
Note: Great shot of Stimpy/Dr. Stupid sinking into the La Brea tar
pits.

Run with "Sven Hoek"
"Log IV"
Voice cast: Gary Owens (as the Log Announcer)
Synopsis: A cobbled-together melange of Log gags which were rejected
from previous Log ads.
"Gritty Kitty Ad"
Voice cast: Gary Owens (as o.s. Announcer)
Synopsis: More patchwork, this time taking a segment from "Stimpy's
Big Day/The Big Shot" and embroidering it a little.
"Goodbye V (Blow Yourself Up)"
Voice cast: Billy West (as Ren and Stimpy)
Synopsis: Another Nickelodeon-written Goodbye bumper. 'Nuff said.
Behind the scenes notes: This is the first instance where Billy West
does the voices of both Ren & Stimpy.

Run with "Stimpy's Fan Club"
"Secret Membership II (Contest Winner)
Voice cast: Billy West (as Ren & Stimpy)
It is unclear who did the voice of Susan Faust, the contest winner.
originally Susan Faust herself was to do the voice, but the credits 
do not list her.
Synopsis: Susan Faust is a real teenager who won a contest sponsored 
by Nickelodeon which offered as its first prize an appearance in a 
Nicktoons cartoon. She opted to appear in Ren & Stimpy...whether that 
was a smart move or not is open to question. A hooded Ren and Stimpy 
swear the newest member of the Secret Membership Club in...young Ms. 
Faust, wearing lederhosen (unwashed?) and taking a variant of the oath 
from the first "Secret Membership" bumper. At the end, she winds up 
taking the place of the hapless sheep from the first one.

Run with "Visit to Anthony"
"Ren Hoek, Ace Reporter in Mr. Horse Returns."
Voice cast: John K. (as Ren and Mr. Horse)
Synopsis: Part one of a bewildering pair of bookends. In a poorly
planned spoof of the famous Alfred Eisenstadt Life Magazine cover 
photo of a returning serviceman in Times Square, Ren interrupts 
Private Horse, in a lip-lock with a sheep.
It is unclear what inspired this particular bumper. 
"World Crisis with Mr. Horse"
Voice cast: John K. (as Ren and Mr. Horse) Billy West (as a reporter)
Synopsis: Even more bewildering than the first. Ren is now the 
translator for Mr. Horse, a diplomat for an unknown foreign country 
assigned to the UN. A reporter shoots off questions in journalist-ese, 
and gets Mr. Horse's answer via Ren.
Translator's note: The words Mr. Horse is saying in Spanish translate
as "The roaches go in, but they cannot come out," which is the closest
Spanish can get to the famous Raid Roach Motel advertising copy: 
"Roaches check in, but they don't check out." Either way, it's not 
anywhere near "No sir, I don't like it."

Run with "Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen"
"Powdered Toast Man II"
Voice cast: Gary Owens (as PTM), Billy West (as Announcer), Cheryl
Chase (as Girl) and Edon Gross (as Boy).
Synopsis: Powdered Toast Man hawks his breakfast food product, this
time with the help of kids who take to the sky with the aid of Vitamin
F. (From what I understand, the best natural source for this is beans
and cabbage) True to form, they wind up hurtling to earth when PTM 
reminds them that they cannot fly.
"Sugar Toasted Sod Pops."
Voice cast: Cheryl Chase (as Mom and Jingle Singer), Billy West (as
Dad and Announcer) and Edon Gross (as Boy)
Synopsis: More breakfast fun, this time with a cereal which is a 
prime source of clorophyll.
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