The 30 best cartoons even adults can enjoy

20. Ren & Stimpy

Many years before “adult cartoons” was a thing, Rin & Stimpy set the template for what grown-up fans of cartoons could expect down the road. This was a Nickelodeon cartoon series that was put out there for the kids to watch but had a sensibility aimed squarely at adults, which is likely why there were nowhere near as many episodes as this cartoon deserved.

Debuting in 1991, Ren & Stimpy launched around the same time as Rugrats and Doug, all with the same sort of lowbrow humor and very risque sense of humor. Ren was an angry Chihuahua, and Stimpy was a slow, easily manipulated cat. This cartoon was more violent than others of its era, despite airing on Nickelodeon. The cartoon was also smart in avoiding hot-button topics of the day and pop culture references and instead just focused on slapstick and absurdist humor to deliver its product, helping it date well.

For a Nickelodeon show, it was clear this was more of an adult cartoon because the series battled Standards and Practices at Nickelodeon for its first two years. Interestingly, none of the early episodes were neutered because show creator John Kricfalusi agreed to alternate crazy episodes with heartwarming ones. Kricfalusi left after two seasons, and Ren & Stimpy lasted three more without its creator at the helm.

Overall, there were five seasons of Ren & Stimpy and a total of 52 episodes, followed by the shortlived Ren & Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon” in 2003 on Spike TV.