Gumby (1957)
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A shape-shifting green humanoid navigates various environments and historical eras by jumping inside books.
The story
Gumby is a cheerful, flexible green humanoid who possesses the unique ability to change his shape and jump inside books. Accompanied by his loyal best friend, an orange pony named Pokey, Gumby travels through various environments and historical eras. While exploring, he often encounters his archnemeses, the Blockheads—a pair of silent, antagonistic red humanoid figures with cube-shaped heads. The series follows Gumby's adventures as he interacts with a diverse cast of characters, including a fire-breathing dinosaur, a shapeshifting mermaid, and his own loving parents, all while navigating the whimsical world of claymation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Gumby is a shape-shifting green humanoid who travels through different environments and historical eras by entering books. His primary sidekick is Pokey, a wise-cracking orange pony. Gumby's adventures often involve dealing with his archnemeses, the Blockheads (G and J), who are silent, red, cube-headed figures who communicate via sign language. The cast also includes Prickle, a yellow fire-breathing dinosaur who plays detective; Goo, a flying blue shapeshifting mermaid; and Gumby's parents, Gumbo (a fireman) and Gumba (a housewife). In later iterations, the cast expanded to include Gumby's sister Minga, a mastodon named Denali, and a chicken named Tilly. The franchise has spanned decades, moving from early student films and pilots to a syndicated television series and eventually a feature film. In the 1995 film, the Blockheads kidnap Gumby's dog, Lowbelly, and replace his band with robots. The series is known for its 'kinesthetic' style of claymation, characterized by camera movements and editing that massage the 'eye cells.'
- First release year
- 1957
- Cast and characters
- Dallas McKennon · Gumby; Art Clokey · Pokey; Norma MacMillan · Gumby; Ginny Tyler · Gumba; Ruth Eggleston · Gumby; Stephen A. Buckley · Gumby; Gloria Clokey · Goo; Janet MacDuff · Gumba
- Genres
- animation; fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- adventure; friendship; imagination
- Tone and mood
- cheerful; whimsical
- Premise and plot tags
- claymation; shapeshifting; fantasy; adventure
- Franchise connections
- Gumby
- Reception
- Gumby was named the best cartoon series of the 1950s by TV Guide in 1993. It became an American cultural icon, spawning tributes, parodies, and merchandising. It was also used as a spokescharacter for a national reading campaign by the Library of Congress.
- Awards and nominations
- Eisner Award · Best Publication for a Young Audience · 2007 · won
- Production trivia
- The name 'Gumby' was derived from muddy clay at Clokey's grandparents' farm named 'gumbo'.; Gumby's appearance was inspired by a suggestion from Clokey's wife that he be based on the Gingerbread Man.; Gumby's slanted head was based on the hairstyle of Clokey's father, Charles Farrington, in an old photograph.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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