'Gumby' creator and Los Osos resident Art Clokey dies

[Kadie]

Friday, Jan. 08, 2010
'Gumby' creator and Los Osos resident Art Clokey dies
By Patrick S. Pemberton

Art Clokey, whose iconic Gumby entertained generations of children, died Friday morning.

Gumby – the slender, green clay character partly modeled after Clokey’s father – was a fixture on television through the decades, starting with an appearance on the “Howdy Doody” show in 1956. Through the years, the stop motion star made several comebacks, including a new show in the 80s, after a “Saturday Night Live” skit with actor Eddie Murphy made the character popular again. Throughout Gumby’s long run, Gumby toys – most notably, the bendable – have been a staple of toy stores everywhere.

Clokey, who lived in Los Osos, was 89.

Despite Gumby’s positive demeanor, his origins stem from tragedy. When Clokey was 9, his father was killed in a car crash. He lived with his mother for a while, but when her second husband made her choose between him and her son, Clokey was sent to an orphanage. Fortunately, he was adopted by a good family. But Clokey wouldn’t forget his father, whose head shape – characterized by a cowlick hairdo – would later provide the inspiration for Gumby’s trademark lopsided head.

After studying film at USC, Clokey taught at a private military school, where he tutored the son of Sam Engel, a 20th Century Fox producer. After Engel invited Clokey to the studio, Clokey told Engel about a 3 ½-minute film he’d made called “Gumbasia,” featuring abstract clay objects changing shapes to jazz music.

more...
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/breaking_news/story/982411.html

[virgogal]

1. My kids loved Gumby.

[kwassa]

2. One sunny Los Angeles weekday

True story, about 25 years ago.

A nice residential neighborhood. I came out of the house we were renting, and was walking down the street.

Walking down the street the other way was a 7-foot tall Gumby.

I looked around. There was no one but me and Gumby.

and I thought ... "only in Los Angeles" ... just one of those LA moments.

Farewell!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. Reminds me of a story my son-in-law told me.

He was working in japan and he got on the subway next to a older couple dressed as Adam West-era Batman and Robin. He figured they were on their way to a costume party, but what really blew his mind was that he was the only one on the crowded train that noticed them.

[Patsy Stone]

3. Oh, no!

:( RIP, Art.

[Vidar]

19. RIP Mr. Clokey.

[FSogol]

4. Man, I loved Gumby and Pokey.

RIP Mr. Clokey

[KG]

5. damn it!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. ...

:thumbsup:

[hfojvt]

6. "I'm Gumby dammit"

I vaguely remember Gumby cartoons on after school TV. I think we had a Gumby toy too. At least I remember an eraser-like horse with wobbly legs.

I also knew a teenage kid who was nick-named Gumby because he had sort of a rubbery looking face. Everyone called him Gumby and he didn't mind a bit, at least as far as I could tell. He was always smiling.

[htuttle]

9. The eraser like horse was Pokey

I had a set of those too. There were little stiff (and sharp) wires inside the rubber to act as a skeleton so that you could bend and pose them. Nothing like the toys of the early 70's...




(edited to use a smaller image. That was the biggest picture of Gumby I've ever seen...sorry about that...)

[rug]

7. At least Gumby didn't turn out like Mr. Bill.

[devilgrrl]

8. I LOVED Gumby!!!

:cry:

[nosmokes]

10. go easy Art

[hunter]

11. A very interesting fellow, Art Clokey.

May he find what he was looking for.

[w8liftinglady]

12. I loved Gumby and Pokey!(granted this was 40 years ago-shudder)

[tilsammans]

13. RIP, Art Clokey

Gumby was -- and still is -- one of my faves. Thank you, Art! :applause:

[Gidney N Cloyd]

15. I loved the Gumby shorts on WGN/Ray Raynor in the 60's (Chicago)

[Canuckistanian]

16. If you've got a heart

Then Gumby's a part of you....

RIP, Mr. Clokey.

[Aristus]

17. I loved "Davey And Goliath" as a kid. I was too young to think about the religious message.

The Wikipedia article about the show makes it sound as if it espoused liberal, or at least truly Christian, principles. There were episodes that dealt with racism, diversity, and bullying. Apparently, when TBN and other evangelical channels rebroadcast the show, they didn't air the episodes that had the most progressive messages...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davey_and_goliath

Typical.

RIP, Mr. Clokey...

[TheMightyFavog]

24. IIRC, Clokey was ELCA Lutheran...

The denomination that recently allowed nonchaste openly gay clergy.

[Libertas1776]

18. Oh, I grew up with Gumby

This is so sad.:cry: RIP Mr. Clokey.

[MilesColtrane]

21. It's rumored that Stretch Armstrong will deliver the eulogy.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Gumby in "Robot Rumpus" as seen on MST3K.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-701878518630200611#

Weird stuff, man.

I suppose if you're doing all that animation by hand your brain probably starts to turn to mush after the first couple of minutes of footage.

[Kadie]

23. ** Another article **

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/08/entertainment/e215258S48.DTL

[hfojvt]

25. Pokey kick