the film had a troubled production history and controversial release. crumb had disagreements with the filmmakers over the film's political content. "fritz the 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 a sequel, "the nine lives of fritz the cat" (1974), made without crumb's or bakshi's involvement.