RIP Jim.

‘Ren & Stimpy’ Artist and Spümcø Co-founder Jim Smith Has Died, Age 70

RIP Jim Smith.

He could draw rings around the entire rest of the studio with half of his brain tied behind his back. He was probably a better artist than 99% of the entire rest of the world and yet I never felt like the slightest bit of his ego was tied up in that.

One day he brought some shitty teenage art into the studio for some reason. Looking at it realizing that it was shitty in exactly the same way my teenage art was shitty, and that his early pro-level art was just as fucked up as what I was doing at the time, was the moment I realized I could master any kind of art skill if I just dedicated a while to practicing it; since that day, I have never looked at someone else’s work and said “I wish I was that good”, and getting better became a lot easier.

Thanks for that moment, Jim.

Also he was super cool about my transition when it was in that insanely awkward phase of “hormones are making my tits too big to hide in baggy shirts but I still have to shave and have no idea how to present myself as a woman”, despite being from Texas. Really he was just an all-around super chill guy, I’m sure you could piss him off but I never saw it.

Best of luck in the next life.