Classic claymation character Gumby has been acquired by Fox Entertainment with live-action and animated movies planned.
First created in 1953 by Art Clokey, the character grew into a cultural phenomenon after appearing on NBC in 1955 and running for two seasons on the Howdy Doody show. Though this first look at the character and his orange pony sidekick Pokey was a brief one, it brought syndication for The Gumby Show, running from 1957-1969 with new episodes added along the way. Apart from The Gumby Show, the character starred in Gumby Adventures in 1988 – while also headlining a feature film, Gumby: The Movie in 1995. Gumby was joined by his entertaining cast of characters such as his best friend Pokey, his parents Gumbo and Gumba, his little sister Minga, Prickle and Goo, the troublemaking Blockheads, Professor Kapp, and Denali.
The estate of Joseph Clokey, son of Gumby creator Art Clokey, sold the licensing rights as FOX looks to build its library of IP across linear, AVOD, blockchain, and other platforms. Part of the acquisition includes the full library of Gumby animated series, specials, movies, and content, which will help build up Tubi’s streaming offerings. New Gumby film, television and streaming, consumer products, licensing, and publishing content is also planned for the future.
“Picking a new home was important to me, and I’ve found great partners in FOX Entertainment. They have a vision for my modern, multi-platform reemergence, which is thrilling. Throughout our conversations, Pokey and I reiterated that we are talent they can mold. Literally,” Gumby said in a statement.
“Competition for globally recognized intellectual property is fierce. Uncovering this gem, with its built-in awareness and affinity, and bringing it to FOX, adds meaningful value and creative possibilities to the IP itself and to multiple divisions of our company,” said FOX Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier. “FOX is proud to be home to these iconic characters. Welcome one and all.”
Since a feature length film was made in 1995 titled, Gumby: The Movie, Gumby has been in and out of popularity, but always comes back stronger than ever to bring life lessons to the younger generations through incredible stop-motion clay animation. With the huge names involved in this new revival of Gumby and friends, we can only expect to see a continued thoughtful storyline paired with masterful animation.
Along with a brand new animated series, the network is planning to give Gumby a live-action makeover, NFTs, a new product line, and more.