Fire Dogs/Stimpy's Storybook Land: The Littlest Giant

Fire Dogs - 9.5

The Littlest Giant - 7 or 8

Overall - 9

Fire Dogs is the standout here! It's really hilarious. The fat woman who drops a horse, giant baby and walrus from her blazing building - followed by herself. Then the hideous creature gives mouth to mouth to an absolutely horrified Ren. The interview with the crippled horse is also fantastic.

The Littlest Giant is another story book episode. So far these haven't been as interesting to me as the standard episodes. We get some nice moments here but it's pretty forgettable, especially compared to the superior Fire Dogs short.

Homeless, purposeless and desperate (yet again!), Ren and Stimpy notice an ad for the local fire-station - a vacancy for Fire Dogs! So, what's the catch? Well, as Ren states so brilliantly in his heavy accent: "Oh, dalmatians only..." But, in true Looney Tunes style, a bucket of "Dalmation paint" soon fixes this! This episode, like many from season one, has such a great mood about it, and the attention to detail (although the drawings are a little sketchy at times) is second to none. The accentuated facial expressions synced wonderfully with the comical sound-effects are a great touch, and something that people may take for granted. (These were something that were sadly lost in the future episodes when it was moved from Spumco to Games Animation.) Of course, Ren and Stimpy in their typical goofy manner, fight an inferno inside a massive, looming skyscraper. Using the fire-fighters standard equipment proves difficult, dangerous and pretty hilarious too. The act of saving a huge housewife and her "housepets" is a great gag, and has the wonderful slapstick appeal that these early episodes really nailed.

However, the next half fails to uphold this great standard, most probably because of the questionable premise. Stimpy as a giant (well, a small giant) might sound promising on paper, but doesn't really pull great laughs in execution. An out-casted giant Stimpy wonders the countryside looking for purpose and a new life - the "real" giants have disowned him, you see.

Ren, a simple dairy farmer (and of regular Ren size, by the way) finds a symbiotic relationship with the lost and lonely beast. Sure, it's a happy ending and all, but the trademark sickening humour is sadly absent here.