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Half a century ago, animator Art Clokey took green clay and spun it into a beloved children’s icon. Gumby marked his 50th TV anniversary last year, and Clokey premiered the new director’s cut of Gumby: The Movie at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. The bendy hero shows his green thumb in the eco-friendly film, which got its DVD release on Earth Day. Clokey’s retired now, so we talked to his son Joe, who reedited and remastered the original 1995 film and is head of Premavision Animation Studios, about why Gumby remains America’s foremost clay tree hugger.
Time Out Chicago: Kids today are inundated with more sophisticated media and animation than in Gumby’s heyday. How does a back-to-basics clay guy compete?
Joe Clokey: He’s the original clayboy who inspires people of all ages to look at the bright side of life. The limitless shape-shifting ability, imaginative adventures and stop-motion animation of Gumby are unique and unlike anything on TV or in film today. That’s one of the reasons Gumby reaches across generational lines.
TOC: Aside from the homage to the famous Luke and Darth Vader lightsaber showdown in Empire Strikes Back, the movie is still decidedly retro. Was there any attempt to try to modernize Gumby?
Joe Clokey: While Gumby’s personality and basic character traits have remained the same through the years, my dad has always enjoyed modern culture. In the early ’60s, the episode “Hot Rod Granny” was set to then-modern jazz music. Then in the ’80s series, Gumby had a rock band. My dad loved watching MTV back then. Gumby: The Movie was actually made right after the 1988 series and completed in 1991, so it still has one foot in the ’80s.
TOC: The DVD release date just fell on Earth Day, and eco-conscious themes are not only in the movie, but in the early Gumby TV shows, before it was fashionable to go green. Why does the environment play such a big role in Gumby’s adventures?
Joe Clokey: Gumby is the original Green. Dad has often said that Gumby’s clay comes from the Earth. His color represents chlorophyll, which turns light into life. My parents have always loved nature and understood that we are all connected to the natural environment. My dad took my sister and me on many backpacking trips in the wilds of America. His love and awe of nature rubbed off on us. I’ve spent 20 years producing educational videos on sustainability for schools across the country. Gumby: The Movie showcases the need to support local farmers. There are also themes about organic farming and other farm-related adventures in special features.
TOC: Some say Gumby’s slanted head signifies the Buddhists’ “bump of wisdom,” and others say it is a replica of your grandfather’s unusual cowlick. Which is it?
Joe Clokey: My dad has said both. There was a portrait of my grandfather with a cowlick combed in a way that looks just like Gumby’s bump. So, that definitely was the main reason. Later, when people would ask about the bump of wisdom, my dad would say, “It’s that, too.” He liked that analogy. Truth is, I think my dad just liked the look of my grandfather’s bump, and so it went.
TOC: What’s next for Gumby?
Joe Clokey: We’re always thinking about new and fun ways to bring Gumby to a whole new generation of 21st-century fans. We’re currently remastering all of the ’50s and ’60s episodes to be released along with those of the ’80s. The future is green and bright.
Gumby: The Movie is out on DVD.
