The character of Anthony was inspired by and voiced by a real life fan who sent in the first letter to the show. As a result, the episode rarely airs in syndication, as Nickelodeon would have to pay Anthony's voice actor royalty fees.
Anthony's dad is based on John Kricfalusi's dad. John showed the episode to his dad and his friends. Later, his dad told him that he hated the cartoon. John was afraid it was because it depicted him as being mean, but his dad actually replied with the complete opposite of what John was thinking: "You made me look soft; now my friends think I'm a wimp!"
While "A Visit to Anthony" was still in production at Spumco, John Kricfalusi intended to have his own father play Anthony's Dad.
This is the first episode to confirm that Ren and Stimpy both hail from Hollywood, Yugoslavia, which was previously hinted at in Mad Dog Höek/Haunted House (1992).