Gumby [and Davey and Goliath] Animator Art Clokey Dies at 89 in California

FoxNews ^ | 1/9/2010

[Ge0ffrey]

Clokey first molded Gumby for a surreal student project at the University of Southern California called "Gumbasia." That led to his making shorts for the "Howdy Doody Show" and several series through the years.

Art Clokey poses with a Gumby doll in 1995. (AP photo) LOS OSOS, Calif. - Gumby animator Art Clokey, whose bendable creation became a pop culture phenomenon through countless satires, toys and revivals, has died at age 89.

Caretaker Chrisanne Wollett Clokey says Clokey died Friday in Los Osos on California's Central Coast.

Clokey first molded Gumby for a surreal student project at the University of Southern California called "Gumbasia." That led to his making shorts for the "Howdy Doody Show" and several series through the years.

He said he based Gumby's swooping head on the hairdo of his father, who died when Clokey was nine.

Clokey also created the moralizing and often satirized claymation duo "Davey and Goliath."

[Redleg Duke]

“Semper Gumby!”

[mplsconservative]

RIP Mr. Clokey. As a child, I enjoyed my Saturday mornings thanks to your entertaining shows.

[verga]

Gumby!

He was once a little green slab of clay. Gumby!
You should see what Gumby can do today. Gumby!
He can walk into any book, with his pony pal Pokey, too.
If you’ve got a heart then Gumby’s a part of you.

[paulycy]

We gave each of our three grown boys Gumbys for Christmas. They loved them as kids and thought they were cool now, too.

All complained that they didn't also get a Pokey.

[freedumb2003]

"I'm Gumby, dammit"

Just proof of Gumby's being part of the Boomer cultural landscape.

RIP.

[JohnLongIsland]

RIP

[P.O.E.]

“If you’ve got a heart
Then Gumby’s a part
of you.....”

RIP

[pietraynor]

a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/gumby/maridabatman/gumby.jpg?o=100" target="_blank">

[paulycy]

Clearly one of them Christian racists.

RIP.

[AmericaUnite]

I thought so. Art Clokey produced Davey and Goliath the 1960s stop-motion animated children's Christian television series.

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

I loved them both. Even loved when Eddie Murphy played Gumbi on SNL. He would say, "I am Gumbi d*^n it!" Then talk about a party where the Poppin' Fresh Doughboy was acting naughty.

[P.O.E.]

Gumbasia Incredibly inventive

[Carl LaFong]

Here’s the MST3K treatment of a Gumby short:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M4_XZ3FLHw

[onedoug]

bump

[SueRae]

:-) I was hoping someone here would post that.

Loved Gumby as a kid. Thank you, Mr. Clokey.

[Lockbar]

Everybody said Gumby had feet of clay, but I never believed them. RIP.

[mrs. a]

Everyone remembers Gumby and Pokey, but where is the respect for Prickle and Goo?

RIP Mr. Clokey snd thanks for giving little girl a few smiles...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That makes me hungry for a Space Food Stick! :)

[rabidralph]

My brother and I got Gumby and Pokey for Christmas as children. Unfortunately, “somebody” chewed the legs off Gumby, exposing his wires and he was thrown out.

[zadox]

One correction is in order: Caretaker Chrisanne Wollett Clokey says Clokey died Friday in Los Osos on California's Central Coast.

Arthur died apparently peacefully in his sleep following a recent hospitalization for pneumonia. He had a very interesting life as documented in the program: Gumby Dharma