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Gumby's Looking Sharp After 50 Years On TV

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2007

TAMPA It's not easy being green unless you are the Green Hornet, the Green Lantern, Kermit the Frog or Gumby.

In the realm of green pop culture icons, the little clay figure in the group is eligible to join AARP.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the debut of "The Gumby Show" on NBC. To mark the milestone, a new DVD, "Gumby Essentials," was released this month. It features 15 short "Gumby" adventures from the 1950s, '60s and '80s and is part of what could be a Gumby revival.

At least, Joe Clokey, son of Gumby creator Art Clokey, wants a higher profile for the clay boy.

"One of my missions when I took over for my dad eight years ago has been to bring Gumby to a new generation, and this DVD is a great way for parents and grandparents to introduce the character to their children and grandchildren," Joe Clokey said in a telephone interview.

"There is something magical and appealing about the character that is timeless," he said. "So I think what has always worked will still work. Kids love Gumby."

Clokey said the 15 episodes on the "Essentials" DVD are favorites of his father, who will turn 86 in October.

"They look fantastic because we went back to the original films to digitally remaster each episode from the classic TV series," he said. "The films are in mint condition and have not been used since the very first time a negative was made from them. They had no scratches, and they had not faded. The color was perfect."

The original soundtrack also was restored. The 1950s episodes, which had been edited down over the years, were returned to their original 11-minute format."There are many fans of Gumby who have never seen him like this," Clokey said.

Also included is an original Gumby theme song, "Have a Heart," from the 1960s.

Gumby's career spans several generations. "There are core fans who grew up on Gumby in the '50s, '60s, '80s, and '90s," Clokey said. "The character keeps coming back."

"The Gumby Show" debuted March 16, 1957, on NBC. Gumby went on to star in 223 TV episodes.

Gumby and his pal, a pony named Pokey, were Saturday morning network stars in the 1950s and '60s. There was a syndicated series in the 1980s. And "Gumby" reruns were featured on Nickelodeon in the 1990s. The merchandising of Gumby products has never stopped.

Clokey said Gumby grew out of his father's fascination with art, storytelling and stop-action animation.

Included on the "Essentials" DVD is Art Clokey's 1953 experimental film, "Gumbasia," a homage to Walt Disney's "Fantasia." It features clay shapes (balls, domes, triangles) that dance, divide, disappear and reappear. The action is set to jazz music.

He shot the film on a minimal budget using the stop-motion process, which involves moving a piece of clay, shooting a frame of film, then moving the clay again more than 4,000 times. That same process was used to make the TV series.

Joe Clokey said the experimental film got the attention of a Hollywood producer, who thought a children's show with clay figures would look great on TV.

Gumby began to take shape. The name came from the "gumbo" clay found on the farm of Art Clokey's grandfather. As a child, Clokey would mold it into little forts.

The green came from Clokey's interest in green plants, his son said.

Clokey's wife suggested the gingerbread man for a model. The peak on one side of Gumby's head was inspired by a photo of Clokey's dad (with a wave of out-of-control hair).

The DVD contains part of the pilot for the first series, "Gumby on the Moon." Gumby outsmarts triangle-shaped moon men and is rescued by his father, Gumbo, who uses a toy firetruck ladder to climb to the moon.

The use of real toys in Gumby's often-surreal adventures added to the charm. "My dad was like an 11-year-old boy at heart," Joe Clokey said. "He was making stories that entertained him. People still find it fascinating to watch because Gumby is all about having an imagination and going on an adventure."

Clokey would like to see a new "Gumby" TV series developed as well as a "Gumby" feature film. But they would be produced in the same stop-action process. He said "Gumby" just wouldn't be the same if created using computer animation.

"There is something special about the three-dimensional texture of clay figures," he said. "It looks real. It's something you can't get in computer animation."

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at wbelcher@tampatrib.com.

ON DVD

Gumby Essentials

WHAT: A new DVD featuring the classic character

HOW MUCH: $16.95

DETAILS: Contains 15 classic "Gumby" episodes; Art Clokey's original 1953 theatrical short, "Gumbasia"; remastered pilot episode, "Gumby on the Moon"; 1960s remastered theme song and introduction; rare "Gumby" bumpers and character biographies.

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