Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Art Clokey, Comics, dynamite, entertainment, Gumby, Pokey

60 Years Of Gumby Collected In A New Retrospective On The Character And His Creator

Published Tue, 04 Oct 2016 15:00:36 -0500

Gumby, Pokey, the Blockheads… the unforgettable stop motion character show that was created in the 1950's quickly became iconic for many generations to follow. Dynamite has announced a new retrospective book that looks at the now 60+ years of the characters existence and the life of creator Art Clokey.

"The most fascinating life story I've ever known just happens to be about my dad, mom, and the world famous characters they created. Art Clokey's journey intersects and influences major touchstones of our American life. The sixty-year behind-the-scenes story of Gumby and Davey & Goliath, interwoven with a rich tapestry of photos and rare anecdotes, weds perfectly with Art Clokey and his amazing life," says Joe Clokey, son of Gumby creator, Art Clokey. "This book will be a fascinating page-turner with never-before-told stories about this clay animation pioneer. You'll see Art's friendship with East-West philosopher Alan Watts; witness his love and partnership with his wife Ruth Clokey and later with Gloria Clokey; explore his fascination with the counter cultural creative winds of the late 60's and 70's (all the while being infused with his spiritual learning from Christianity, Zen Buddhism, and Eastern Avatars); discover his groundbreaking stop motion TV commercials in the early 50's (including his work with fellow stop motion legend Ray Harryhausen), along with over 40 hours of Gumby and Davey adventures and art films, which opened up new avenues for all of us, the texture of which will inspire; and see how today's stop motion superstars got their start with Clokey Productions, and then went on to work on iconic films from Star Wars, The Terminator, and Beetlejuice to A Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story and Kubo and the Two Strings. It's truly an honor to work with Dynamite Entertainment on this very special book."

The Gumby retrospective will be released in 2017.