Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Art Clokey, Comics, Davey & Goliath, dynamite, entertainment, Gumby

Gumby Creator Art Clokey Focus Of New Behind-The-Scenes Book

Published Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:30:15 -0500

"Hey Davey!"

Many of us grew up watching the stop-motion adventures of Gumby and Davey & Goliath. The were both the creations of Art Clokey and now Dynamite is doing a Kickstarter in support of a new tribute book covering the art and history of these pop culture icons. Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creations covers 60-years worth of behind-the-scenes photos and stories.

There are very few properties that elicit as much joy upon watching as Gumby. Anyone looking at the instantly recognizable green icon is certain to feel a smile form and a twinge of nostalgia for the groundbreaking children's television series. But what many people don't know is the incredible behind the scenes story of the man whose vision for characters like Gumby, Pokey, Davey, and Goliath would create so many lasting childhood memories for generations of children. Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creations is the fascinating pictorial history of Art Clokey and his creations, meticulously chronicled and told by his son Joe and daughter-in-law Joan Clokey. It is a story that crosses decades and illuminates how this visionary storyteller developed some of the most enduring entertainment images of the 20th century.

Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creations is currently being worked on by Joe and Joan Cloakey, who have poured hours of loving care into this book to make it the best possible tribute to both Gumby and Art Clokey. While working on the project, the writers stumbled upon archives worth of incredible images that have never been seen before by Gumby fans. Shots that encapsulate the life, vision, and painstaking animation process have now been scanned, cleaned, and inserted into a loving tome that is befitting of the storied history of Gumby. For the first time ever, fans will be able to see these images that reveal a rich and colorful history of not only the development of the pop culture icon, but the footprints of a family upon the stop motion sands of time, and their work to influence and define stop motion animation for generations to come.

Joe Clokey, son of the Gumby creator, had this to say:

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. 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. His love and partnership with his wife Ruth Clokey and later with Gloria Clokey. Explore Art's fascination with the counter cultural creative winds of the late 60s and 70s, infused with his spiritual learning from Christianity, Zen Buddhism and Eastern Avatars. It's truly an honor to work with Dynamite Entertainment on this very special book.

With an expected shipping date of November 2017, backers who support the Kickstarter have the opportunity to receive rewards, including a surprise Kickstarter Exclusive hard cover edition, collectible prints, DVDs, toys, and creator signed exclusives! With tiers designed to fit any collector's budget, backers will have the potential to enjoy a number of great rewards, including:
• A digital copy of the Complete Alice in Wonderland graphic novel,
• PDF copies of Boo, the World's Cutest Dog and Bettie Boop graphic novels,
• A digital edition of Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creations,
• A surprise Kickstarter Exclusive hard cover edition of Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creations,
• A surprise Kickstarter Exclusive hard cover edition of Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creationssigned by both Joe and Joan Clokey!
• Gumbitties and Gumby flexible figures,
• A Gumby 60th anniversary t-shirt,
• The full 1950's Gumby television series on DVD,
• A hard cover copy of both The Art of Atari and The Art of Atari Poster Book,
• Gumby foam top hats, Gumby canvas tote bag, Gumby and Pokey bendable figures, Gumby socks, and much, much more!

The Gumby Imagined: The Story of Art Clokey and His Creations Kickstarter is now live here.