You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
~Harvey Dent
John Kricfalusi……………..
This has been on my mind for a long, long time. It’s always hard to see someone who you look up to and influence your art style, just fall.. I mean it’s been no secret through out the art world, but nothing was ever conformed. I remember a small conversion with Bod Camp at Comic Con about John K.. He was vary short with his answers and seemed rather upset by the whole thing. Now this was in 2017 when I was talk with Bob. I first heard about sexual abuse and or underage dating sometime in 2005-08. When I was at a party in Burbank, Ca. But like most things it was just a “rumor” and nothing was ever said again.
But when I was talking with Bob Camp and his wife. There was no love there for John K.! Bob took over Ren and Stimpy because John wasn’t doing his job and was let go. All they said that things were going to be coming out soon. Also told me that the industry was hard when it came to things like that. Some people would loose their jobs, just because they spoke out on issues like at. Now that was back then, time have changed.
Now the reports that are coming against John K. are as follows:
Animators Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice alleged in a BuzzFeed report on March 29, 2018, that they were sexually harassed and groomed for sexual abuse by Kricfalusi while they were underage. Byrd said that she was in a sexual relationship with Kricfalusi in 1997, when she was 16, and moved in with him, in California, when she was 17. Rice said that she was sexually harassed by Kricfalusi when she turned 18 and began working at his animation studio, Spümcø. Documents they had saved from those years corroborate their stories, and several people who worked with Kricfalusi referred to his sexual harassment as an open secret in the animation industry. Kricfalusi was also alleged to possess child pornography on his computer. Kricfalusi’s lawyer confirmed that “for a brief time, 25 years ago, he had a 16-year-old girlfriend”, but denied that Kricfalusi’s “avid pursuit” of Rice was sexual harassment or that he had ever possessed child pornography.
Personally I had no idea about said child pornography.. Rather sick to my stomach to even think about it. Now I don’t say his is out right guilty, because all the fact are not in. But damn…. I feel so let down by him and his actions. Growing up and John K. was one of the animators I looked up too, next to Chuck Jones & Bob Camp. It’s heartbreaking to hear these stories and leaves you in disbelief. I still love his cartoon and artwork and thank god people like Bob Camp are there to pick up the pieces. But I find myself hating John K. for what he has done. I’m truly have no words.
The last bit of news that I can find about all this is from The Washington Post . At one point there is a part were a John’s Lawyer states:
“The 1990s were a time of mental and emotional fragility for Mr. Kricfalusi, especially after losing ‘Ren and Stimpy,’ his most prized creation. For a brief time, 25 years ago, he had a 16-year-old girlfriend. Over the years John struggled with what were eventually diagnosed mental illnesses in 2008. To that point, for nearly three decades he had relied primarily on alcohol to self-medicate. Since that time he has worked feverishly on his mental health issues, and has been successful in stabilizing his life over the last decade. This achievement has allowed John the opportunity to grow and mature in ways he’d never had a chance at before.”
The rest of the post is rather interesting and worth reading (‘Ren and Stimpy’ creator John Kricfalusi is the latest animation leader accused of misconduct). In the end, I hope any wrong doing will be fixed. What are your thoughts on this matter?
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