INTERVIEW: ‘Gumby’ is back with all new adventures
Gumby is back and now in comic book form. The beloved children’s character has seen many incarnations over the years, and the latest is Gumby, the comic book. A host of famous writers and artists has teamed up to bring the claymation creation and his friends back to life. Included on the roster is Kyle Baker, Ray Fawkes, Rick Geary, Jolyon Yates, Art Baltazar and Jeff Whitman, among others.
Whitman is responsible for a 10-page story in Gumby issue #1, which is now available from Papercutz.
Also, Gumby is coming to San Diego Comic Con. From a recent press release: “Art Clokey’s greatest creation has always been able to jump into any book at all — literally! Now he’s jumping back into his very own comic book series from Papercutz! Gumby, Pokey and the gang are back just in time for the 60th anniversary of The Gumby Show. Reminisce with Joe and Joan Clokey about their dad’s world-famous creation, hear from Gumby comics legend Rick Geary, and get the low-down on the new stories Papercutz is creating with cartoonist Art Baltazar (Aw Yeah Comics), writers Jeff Whitman and Eric Esquivel (Animal Jam, Nickelodeon Pandemonium, Yo-Kai Watch, BOO!) and Papercutz Editor-in-Chief Jim Salicrup.”
The panel discussion takes place Thursday, July 20 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 26AB. Papercutz will give away Gumby figures and collectible postcards. Around the convention floor, various people dressed like Gumby and Pokey will be giving away postcards.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Whitman about his story and the legacy of Gumby. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Were you always a fan of Gumby? What are your early memories of experiencing this set of characters?
I was always a fan of Gumby. Watching the show every time it was on, renting the VHS tapes from the video store every week, having my grandmother make a Gumby Halloween costume out of felt and padding … I remember scouring the local toy stores for hard-to-find characters. My mom would try to [sift] through the top shelf at Toys R Us with no luck to find the elusive characters that were on the back of the packaging. I just purchased a missing set off eBay, over 22 years later. Childhood complete!
How long did it take to create the story for the comic?
This 10-page story had a lot of iterations. It started as a pitch for 20 pages and then shifted down to 10 pages as our plans solidified. I originally wanted to condense Gumby’s 60-year-long storyline to this one story, having something like 20 characters in there. Fortunately, editor Jim Salicrup stepped in to gently guide me and contain my excitement a bit! But I wanted to celebrate Gumby’s roots (with his moon trip from episode one) and some more recent developments in his career (like the addition of his girlfriend, Tara, and sister, Minga).
Were you given complete creative control? Did you feel obligated to respect the characters’ previous incarnations?
Gumby is flexible. Joe and Joan Clokey have been so supportive and receptive of all our ideas for the comic. Our phone conversations quickly grew to ‘remember that one episode?’ and ‘what SFX do you think Gumby should make when jumping into books?’ My goal was to return to the toy store where Art Clokey based his 200+ episodes (and movie). I wanted to catch up with the old characters, some only seen in a handful of episodes, and explore them while sprinkling in a modern take. Gumby can jump into apps and play a mobile game now, but he still enjoys jumping into a good book.
In your mind, who is the target audience for your story and the comic book?
The comic book is really for everyone. It is my hope parents will recognize Gumby and want to instill that magic in their kids’ reading.
Does your love of comic books go back to when you were a child?
Oh, yes! I started with Sonic the Hedgehog that I found at my local supermarket. When I discovered comic book stores existed, I quickly got my hands on some old Gumby comics, and my love for the medium never ceased.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Gumby issue #1, featuring a story by Jeff Whitman, is now available. Click here for more information. A graphic novel of the series’ first three issues will be released in November from Papercutz.
