Art Clokey was a popular personality in the field of stop motion clay animation.
He was born at Detroit, Michigan on October 12, 1921. His real name was Arthur Clokey.
Clokey gained his popularity from the famous film Gumbasia which he produced in association with his wife Ruth. This movie had a special clay character called “Gumby” who got the centre stage not only in the short film but in the hearts of the viewers too.
Gumbasia was a short film of 3 minute 34 second duration. It was the first venture of the couple in clay animation field. Since then Gumby and his horse Pokey had a popular presence in various TV programs. At present, the popularity of Gumby has grown to such an extent that many cartoon channels have introduced the character in their TV shows. Appearance of Art Clokey’s special character on in the TV serials began with the “Howdy Doody Show” and later The “Adventures of Gumby”.
Childhood of this great animator was full of troubles which began with the divorce of his parents due to personal altercations.
The divorce brought him the most difficult situation in which he had to make a choice among his parents. Though it was tough to accept the reality but destiny had its ways. Clokey though young, accepted the hard reality and chose to live with his father; meanwhile his mother got married to some other person in California.
It was just a beginning of troubles for the young Arthur; many more were waiting on his way.
After forgetting all the bad memories of the troublesome days of the time that led to the splitting of his parents, Arthur began a new life with his father.
But the dreams of a bright future shattered soon with the untimely death of his father. In this situation the lonely child had no option but to move to her mother’s new home in California.
Though it seemed fine at beginning and provided him a new dwelling place, but here even the troubles followed him. Now it was his step father who turned him out of the house to an orphanage.
Even after living a life full of sadness and bad experiences, the child had hopes in his eyes which blossomed with his formal adoption by Joseph W. Clokey. Joseph W. Clokey was a classical music composer who used to teach music at Pomona College in Claremont, California.
It was Mr. Clockey who gave Arthur the quality for which he is known by admitting him to an art school.
This environment at the school made him an expert in stop motion clay animation and finally led to discovery of the famous character Gumby.
This great personality left for the heavenly abode on January 8, 2010 at his home in California. He was 88 years of age. Though he is no more, but his character Gumby will keep him alive in the hearts of the viewers forever. People will still enjoy his sense of imagination whenever the character Gumby will present itself on the centre stage.
