Kids from previous generations would vividly remember Gumby, a clay humanoid character that ruled household entertainment for 35 years. And today, October 12, marks Gumby’s creator and stop motion animation pioneer Arthur “Art” Clokey‘s would have been 90th birthday.
Born in Detroit, young Arthur was adopted by musician Joseph Clokey, who then sent him to study drawing, painting, and film making. The early exposure to arts and his childhood hobby of playing with clay and mud mixture called “gumbo” paved the way to naming his most famous character, Gumby.
Art’s student film Gumbasia (1955), a homage to Disney’s Fantasia, that featured animated clay shapes caught the attention of prominent producer Samuel G. Engel who then financed Art Clokey’s The Gumby Show. The show ran from November 12, 1955 to December 30, 1989
At 88, Clokey died in his sleep on January 8, 2010, after suffering from a regular bladder infection.
Play with Gumby, Pokey, and the rest of the gang on your Google homepage today.
I’m about to post this too. lingaw kaayo rach. hehe.