October 12, 2011
Art Clokey's 90th Birthday
A preliminary sketch for Art Clokey's doodle.
Art Clokey, creator of The Gumby Show, led an incredibly fascinating life. A pioneer of animation, he worked with clay to create dynamic stop-motion sequences that were entertaining as well as beautiful. His first student film, Gumbasia [1955], was highly abstract, but contained hints of the playful transformations prevalent in his later work.
His innovation and his palpable love for animation soon led to the creation of The Gumby Show, starring the characters that feature in our doodle. From left to right we have: the Blockheads, Prickle, Goo, Gumby, and Pokey. Together they went on many misadventures, learned valuable lessons, and delighted their audience.
An unedited frame of animation, with the support arm still visible.
For this doodle we had the pleasure of working with Joe Clokey, Art's son, to ensure that we would do justice to Art's cherished characters. The animations were produced by veteran industry professional Anthony Scott, who worked on such contemporary stop-motion classics as The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, The Corpse Bride, and Coraline. Stop-motion has always captivated me, and it requires so much care, time, and dedication – but watching it come together is incredible.
Another original frame of animation
The final doodle was a collaboration with engineer Bradley Bossard, who transformed the already delightful animations into an interactive experience.
We hope this doodle put a smile on your face!
Posted by Sophia Foster-Dimino
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