What if Ralph Bakshi stayed at Paramount?/Fritz the Russian Cat

Fritz the Russian Cat is a 1972 American adult animated comedy film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi and produced by Paramount Cartoon Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. It was Bakshi's feature film debut and is loosely based on the Fritz the Cat comic strips by Robert Crumb. It was the first animated feature film to receive an X rating in the United States of America.

The film stars Fritz (voiced by Skip Hinnant), an anthropomorphic cat in mid-1960s New York City who explores the ideals of hedonism and sociopolitical consciousness. The film is a satire focusing on American college life of the era, race relations, the free love movement and left-wing politics.

The film had a troubled production history and controversial release. Crumb had disagreements with the filmmakers over the film's political content. Fritz the Russian Cat was controversial for its rating and content, which many viewers at the time found to be offensive. It was produced on a budget of $700,000 and grossed over $90 million worldwide. Its success led to a slew of other X-rated animated films and two sequels, Heavy Fritz and The Nine Lives of Fritz the Russian Cat (1974), made without Crumb's or Bakshi's involvement.