Gumbasia Review

Director: Art Clokey
Distributor: Clokey Productions

 This review is going to be rather short, considering it is a short film, I do not think there is much I can say, but here goes. Let me begin with a little fact about me, I am a fan of Gumby. While not exactly a die-hard fan, I do find the Green Clay Guy worth watching. Perhaps one of the things Gumby is noted for in my life is reminding me of a simpler time. This was back in my maternal grandmother's house on those carefree Summer days of long ago. I was not into sports and when I was not playing with my action figures or playing video games or watching any movies or gaining any instruction from the Bible, I was into art. While I did not have clay to play with let alone mold, I did have my drawing paper. As a result of this, my interest in 2D animation and art flourished. The fact, I had no  However, looking back I do wish I had gotten into clay considering how it moved when it was time for Gumby Adventures. What I admired about Gumby was how the characters in the show knew they were clay figures. Yet, never once did they even mention this fact. Gumby and his pals were busy dealing with the blockheads and their antics.

 While, I do remember this from my childhood, there was one part of the Gumby Mythos which seemed to have never left me. To this very day, it continues to inspire me not only for my love of art, but also a budding desire, as of 2013, to develop my own claymations once again (last time I did this was back in 2007).

 Art Clokey remains one of the most talented and renowned names in the field of Claymation. Various animators who have taken their interest in plasticine figures are more than likely willing to cite Clokey as an inspiration to them. For those unfamiliar with Art Clokey, he is more famously known as the creator of Gumby, Pokey and various other characters of the Gumbyverse. Other Clokey creations include Davey and his dog, Goliath. (Why Clokey named his characters after two Biblical characters who opposed each other is beyond me, still I give credit to his creative genius.) As for the film Gumbasia, this one work of Clokey's is strangely in the Public Domain. Do not believe me? Check out www.archive.org and try to tell me otherwise.


SUMMARY:

There is not much I can say about Gumbasia, other than the fact that it is one of Clokey's very first films in the animation industry, especially in the area of claymation. The film has no dialogue, no direction and not one of Clokey's familiar characters appear. Other than the fact the entire film is a random collection of clay moving around to the tune of a frantic piano piece. There are some scenes which do not feature any animation whatsoever and instead we are treated to still images of clay sculptures lying about. Let us not forget of course the various clay walls which seem to move and the ever present clay ball which rolls a matching drum roll.

COMMENTS:

It would be easy to pass this film up, however one should watch it. The reason I say this would have to be considering Art Clokey's impact on claymation, this film should never be passed up. Here we are able to see his creativity even without the characters he is known for which we all love.

OVERALL RATING: 9

Let's face it. This is Art Clokey at his best. Say what you will about Gumby or his other creations, Gumbasia is where Clokey really displays his filmmaking abilities as well as his art. Yet, if anything, what holds this back from being a "10" would not be its lack of familiar Clokey creations, but the fact this film is very short. At three minutes and ten seconds, I say this film should have gone on for much longer. Whatever reason there was for Clokey to make this film as short as it was, only he for certain knew. And those reasons went with Clokey to his grave.