The Mid Century Vault

Currently Playing: 045 The Surreal History of Gumby: From Art School to SNL

Did you know that Gumby didn't start as a children's toy, but rather, has his origins from a surrealist "jazz for the eyes" art experiment? In this episode of The Mid-Century Vault, Philip Mershon molds the history of the world’s friendliest shapeshifter, discovering how a slab of clay became an American icon. We travel back to 1957 to explore how creator Art Clokey turned a student film called Gumbasia into a television empire. We debunk the myth that the toy came first, explain the very specific reason Clokey chose the color green (spoiler: it relates to racial neutrality), and discuss how Eddie Murphy’s grumpy Saturday Night Live impression revived the franchise in the 1980s. In this video: The Origin: How Fantasia and progressive jazz inspired the character. The Design: Why Gumby has a slanted head (it involves a cowlick!). The Toys: The 1964 Lakeside bendable figures everyone owned. The Controversy: How Art Clokey really felt about "I'm Gumby, Dammit!" Mentioned in this video: Link to the original Gumbasia short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tusip3CkD9w Discussion: Which version of Gumby do you remember? The gentle 1950s adventurer, or the cigar-smoking SNL character? Let us know in the comments below! If you'd like to further support my work, here's my buy me a coffee link: https://coff.ee/philipmershon For more Mid Century Vault adventures, just go here: https://www.youtube.com/user/philipmershon New episodes release every Friday and Sunday. Please watch videos to the end, this really helps as much as liking and commenting, which, of course, helps like crazy. Be sure to subscribe and become part of our new community, thanks! #Gumby #VintageToys #MidCentury #StopMotion #1950s #PopCultureHistory #TheMidCenturyVault #ArtClokey