The popular claymation character, Gumby, is to celebrate his 60th anniversary at Gumby Fest Stop-Motion Festival from September 18-20 at Citrus College, Glendora, CA.

Gumby was created by Art Clokey in the early 1950s after finishing film school at University of Southern California. Gumby starred in his own shorts on The Howdy Doody Show before getting his own show from 1957–1968 and again from 1987-1989 which was made by Clokey’s production company. Gumby even got his own feature film in 1995 that was simply titled Gumby: The Movie. His classic green look was chosen by Clokey because it was a racially neutral color, and Gumby’s legs and feet were made wide so the clay character would stand on its own.

Both young and old can enjoy Gumby’s 60th Birthday Bash. Ticketed presentations begin on Saturday 19 with Gumby Through the Years by Joe Clokey, son of Gumby creator Art Clokey, at 11 am. There will also be screenings and presentations from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and talks from movie-making veterans like Harry Walton (Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Robert Stromberg (Maleficent), animators from The Nightmare Before Christmas and LAIKA studios to mention but a few.

Art studio workshops exploring several facets of stop-motion animation are also available. They include:

• Drawing Workshop: “Flippin’ Out” – create a simple animation flip book.
• Ceramics Workshop: “Clayin’ Around With Gumby & Pokey” – hand paint and glaze a bisque ware Gumby or Pokey.
• Painting Workshop: “Set the Scene” – paint your own stop-motion animation background.
• Photography Workshop: “Photograph Your Character” – learn about lighting, backdrops, and selfie techniques to create amazing photos.
• Sculpture Workshop: “Creating a Bendable Armature” – use wire to create an armature for a stop-motion clay figure.
• Stop-Motion Workshop: “Make Your Own Stop-Motion Animation” – stop-motion workshop using DragonFrame and iPad stop-motion apps ($10 fee includes flash drive with your animation).

Gumby Fest 2015 will raise funds for the Citrus College Foundation to benefit Visual Arts Department students. For full details of the schedule and to purchase tickets visit the official Gumby Fest Website.

What do you think of the events at Gumby Fest? Would you like to attend? 

Edited by: Kelly Conley