A show about THE WORLD'S MANLIEST HEROES premiered on
FOX KIDS in USA
&
TELETOON in CANADA.
That show was called:
So......
What was it all about?
Well, as I've mentioned, it was about a group of MASCULINE SUPERHEROES
who are actually brothers.
They go by CRAG, RIP, SLAB, and CHUNK.
CRAG is the dark-skinned Leader of the RIPPING FRIENDS as he's the most FATHERLY of the Group.
His job is to provide the Scientific results of what's going on in the world so that his fellow brothers can solve the problem.
RIP is the HOT-HEAD of the RIPPING FRIENDS.
He's quick to answer the call but is also easily angered.
Also if you notice, he's got a Hole on his CHIN, just like the late KIRK DOUGLAS.
SLAB is the AFRICAN-AMERICAN(or CANADIAN) member who's the right-handed man but is as easily quick to anger as much as RIP.
CHUNK is the most CHILDISH.
No, seriously. Despite his build, he's got quite the childish Face and personality to boot.
He's also the one to portray MR. NOT REAL BUNNY,
A Rabbit Puppet who alongside his brothers, Host
RIP-ALONG-WITH-THE-RIPPING-FRIENDS.
A series of Interstitials that close each episode of RIPPING FRIENDS with each RIPPING FRIEND helping a child solve their WOES.
These range from PRIZES IN CEREAL BOXES,
PREDATORIAL BEARS,
COMPLICATED GAME CONTROLS,
PREDATORIAL BEARS,
etc.
The thing that makes the RIPPING FRIENDS unique however is that they actually don't have any super powers.
That's right.
They don't even have any Superpowers that make them unique, compared to all the other Super Heroes out there
SUPERMAN(Pictured is the MY ADVENTURES incarnation from 2023)
SPIDERMAN(1960s version pictured here)
THE INCREDIBLES
But that doesn't matter.
The RIPPING FRIENDS don't need any SUPER POWERS.
As a matter of fact, they spit in the face of other heroes who rely on SUPERPOWERS as the RIPPING FRIENDS think having Superpowers are for WIMPS!
To the RIPPING FRIENDS, the only SUPERPOWER you really need is your inner MASCULINE PENT UP RAGE
And unlike IMPOTENT RAGE in GTA V, who wouldn't show up until 2013,
The RIPPING FRIENDS don't need no RADIOACTIVE FREAK ACCIDENT to gain any Superpowers.
And unlike IMPOTENT RAGE in GTA V, who wouldn't show up until 2013,
Like I said,
The RIPPING FRIENDS rely on their unhinged RAW RAGE to get their goals into play.
And they actually encourage PAIN!!!
Yeah!!!!
Like RAWK HAWK says.
But not PAIN as in taking the pain from punches, kicks, or scrapping through the pavement or falling from great heights as to them, that's not enough.
Their other source of PAIN for PLEASURE comes from their own TECH that they have at home such as their PATENTED PAIN MACHINE.
And yes, that even made it into the CARTOON
with a little help from JIMMY THE IDIOT BOY
"BRING IT ON!!!"
JIMMY may be an IDIOT,
but at least he's smart to know when RIP's had enough of the pain he can handle.
"YAAHHHH!!!!"
"I CAN'T STAND IT!!!!"
"AHHHHHHH!!!! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!"
"Oh my gosh. Ya poor man. Did I turn it down in time?"
"DOWN? Are you nuts? TURN IT UP!
It was just getting so good."
So.....
What Happened?
Well.... it was the fault of the executives but also JOHN K. himself..... sort of.....
More like nobody could figure out how to realize the actual dream of THE RIPPING FRIENDS properly.
But first, a little backstory:
In 1980, JOHN K. created a concept for a MANLY Superhero who goes by the name of BRIK BLASTOFF.
3D Sculpture done by CHRIS PETERSON in 1982.
When that got nowhere,
JOHN K, alongside JIM SMITH, LYNNE NAYLOR, amongst others worked on 80s Cartoons, all while they bitched and ranted about the state of Animation in 1980s America.
After JOHN came back from working on RALPH BAKSHI's MIGHTY MOUSE but also still hard at work making his BEANY AND CECIL revival for both ABC & the CLAMPETTS,
He and his good friend the late JIM SMITH decided to salvage elements of the now gestated BRIK BLASTOFF concept, brush it off aside, and create a pitch for a show or movie concept about the THE WORLD'S MANLIEST MEN.
Of course, it would not be a pitch for NICKELODEON to which around that time, sent a call to Independent Studios to pitch to the network to make
CREATOR-DRIVEN CARTOONS.
To JOHN K. and JIM SMITH, they felt that THE RIPPING FRIENDS was gonna be a poor fit for TELEVISION due to public perception on viewer demographics which is
CHILDREN.
Even though they think CHILDREN would LOVE the RIPPING FRIENDS, The executives of the late 80s and Early 90s would veto everything that JOHN K and JIM SMITH worked hard to make.
So instead, JOHN pitched REN & STIMPY over to NICKELODEON & the rest is history
Shortly after JOHN got fired from NICKELODEON in 1992 and JIM SMITH refused to work for GAMES ANIMATION, the two decided to finally unleash their LONG-GESTATING CREATION to the world by pitching a THEATRICAL FILM to HOLLYWOOD.
It was even teased in a 1993 article for WILD CARTOON KINGDOM by CHRIS GORE.
The film didn't have much of a plot yet but just enlarge the images above and you get the gist of the story.
Training ANIMATORS to draw to his liking, JOHN was also intending to use the latest in DIGITAL INK AND PAINT tech.... most likely from CAMBRIDGE for the DIGITAL INK AND PAINT
and AVID for the editorial to allow the film to have it's vision realized.
ANIMO by CAMBRIDGE ANIMATION
and AVID for the editorial to allow the film to have it's vision realized.
AVID MEDIA COMPOSER
If that had been possible, the movie would have taken 3-4 years to complete as is the usual for an animated film.
And the computers would have likely been SGI Computers like INDYs, OCTANEs, O2s, etc.
But if you've seen how the state of THEATRICAL ANIMATION was back in the 90s,
then you'll know that any film that isn't in the DISNEY MOLD would not stand a chance against executive control.
The Pagemaster(1994)
Once upon a Forest(1993)
then you'll know that any film that isn't in the DISNEY MOLD would not stand a chance against executive control.
So to spare JOHN the meddling that he so despised, many executives rejected the RIPPING FRIENDS concept.
The concept sat for a long time until around 1999, JOHN K and JIM SMITH received word from FOX KIDS they they would love to have the show become a reality.
Unfortunately, production was a mess.
Unlike with NICKELODEON, FOX KIDS wanted the show to be soft and gentle which JOHN did not take a liking to since it conflicts with the concept that he and JIM SMITH developed for years.
"Chunk, you IDIOT!
Those kids believe in puppets!
You're ruining the magic!"
Despite FOX KIDS wanting something KID FRIENDLY as to internally compete with the likes of shows like DIGIMON,
Canadian Network TELETOON on the other hand wanted something ADULT but not too LEWD to go with their DETOUR lineup.
On top of that, the show was to be animated from within his home country of CANADA
As if this CREDIT below from the actual show is any indication.
Issue was that JOHN K. was living in the U.S by this point and was firm with his decision to live there since moving in 1979 and with VIDEO CONFERENCING still being at it's infancy at the turn of the millennium, communication was pretty limited with FAX unless he visited himself.
The show was assigned two studios that were not like the CARBUNKLE STUDIO that JOHN preferred from his REN & STIMPY days.
No... NELVANA was not one of those assigned.....
Though these two are not gonna like the two studios that were recommended to JOHN.
The first was RED ROVER STUDIOS who were more willing to listen to JOHN K. but they didn't appreciate his VAGUE INSTRUCTIONS on how to draw the characters.
"Draw as close to JIM SMITH's boards while emulating JACK KIRBY...."
"WHAT THE HECK DOES JOHN MEAN BY THAT!!!
AM I JACK KIRBY ENOUGH TO YOU!?"
But everything went downhill from there when animation services transferred to FUNBAG.
A style guide was made but the FUNBAG Staff intentionally ignored it.
The end result was a show that JOHN can't even watch due to all the ignored instructions.
So.....Allegations aside,
Would the RIPPING FRIENDS still be made today?
I don't think so.
The problem was not just JOHN's refusal to listen to executives, or the executives' refusal to respect JOHN's vision but rather it has something to do with general concept of the show which is about MASCULINE SUPERHEROES.
Considering the current state of how shows get meddled with alongside DIVERSITY shoved down writers throats without taking into account the other half who are against this FORCE DIVERSITY in shows,
This would make getting the show concept very difficult in today's time.
And even if JOHN was more than willing to make the show in CANADA, he'd have worse problems.
Most of his work is set in the USA but CANADA is very strict about their CANADIAN CONTENT policies when it comes to funding work so the CANADIAN NETWORKS would have either forced JOHN to have the thing set in CANADA in order to provide his funding or they'd tamper without his consent regardless of whether he gets mad about it or not.
For example, FRANKLIN is set in the province of MANITOBA.
I know this because I'm sure a lot of Early Millennial CANADIANS are still ANGRY at the CRTC for forcing MUCHMUSIC to remove STIMPY from the network back in the early 90s.
Even ED THE SOCK is angry at
MUCHMUSIC for removing STIMPY back in 1992
"GRRRRR!!!!"
Fortunately(as I did look this up), JOHN was in the clear to keep his cartoon's location ambiguous as SPUMCO was based in LOS ANGELES.
But considering FUNBAG wanted everything on-model, which JOHN was against, things wouldn't have worked out anyway.
Did I mention that JOHN K. probably would have an even INTENSE FIGHT with the CRTC if his production was all CANADIAN?
NO? Well that's because he lobbied to have production split between the U.S for most of production while animation services were in CANADA so he can keep his setting.....inconspicuous?
I did mention a similar fight in a prior post about RICK MORANIS' fight with CBC Edmonton that led to the creation of the famous BOB AND DOUG skits on SCTV.
Issues aside alongside both me and JOHN still angry at FUNBAG for butchering the show, It's also nice to ponder what the show or movie would have been like if EXECUTIVES would have at least cooperated better instead of VETOING ideas.
But alas, only I can speculate alternate realities.
RIPPING FRIENDS is no longer available on TV and I highly doubt that...
would ever license the series...
would ever license the series...
But I'm sure a search on ARCHIVE.ORG will provide you with recordings or DVD rips of the series for you to download if you're interested.