Disillusioned by the conservatism of the networks, Kricfalusi along with three other animators joined to form Spumco, an independent animation house that would allow animators more freedom to experiment. At Spumco, Kricfalusi created "The Ren and Stimpy Show", a half hour cartoon about a psychotic anorexic chihuahua and a particularly dumb fireplug-shaped cat. This show was distinguished by its anarchic and sometimes liberatingly regressive sense of humor, expressionistic backgrounds, and extreme situations. In 1990 Nickelodeon bought this half hour cartoon thereby finally allowing Kricfalusi to fully exploit his creative abilities. "Ren and Stimpy" debuted with only six episodes in it's initial run but both the characters and their creator have risen meteorically from their early cult status to become prominent fixtures in pop culture.