Happy Birthday, Gumby!

May 17, 2005 6:48 AM

Gumby turns 50! As a kid, I loved the show, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it was the claymation, which I still love. But I was a loyal Gumby fan. I even liked Eddie Murphy's version (but I didn't know that SNL "reversed" Gumby's head to avoid copyright infringment) - I'm Gumby, dammit! No, not a Gumby Dammit.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan (10 comments total)

Though usually considered horrible, especially considered it was released at the same time as "Toy Story", I must stand up for the 1995 movie which, watched under the - ahem - proper conditions, is a laugh riot. Happy birthday Gumby.
posted by stinkycheese at 6:53 AM on May 17, 2005

I love the movie. In an age where the CGI was the next big thing, Clokey released that handmade jem.

I have to go now, but I meant what i said.
posted by Item at 7:06 AM on May 17, 2005

I just remember watching Gumby on TV at my grandparents' house in rural Georgia when I was a kid, in the late 80's ... and wondering just what in the hell these people were smoking.

Still, an instituition, and I didn't realize he was half a century old. Happy birthday, you green slab o' clay. Dammit.
posted by Floach at 7:27 AM on May 17, 2005

Dang! I can't believe I missed the movie. What a blockhead!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:31 AM on May 17, 2005

My freshman English teacher (high school) loooved Gumby. She had Gumby stuff all over the classroom and a giant inflatable Gumby in the corner. We always joked about who would have to save Gumby if the school caught on fire.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:15 AM on May 17, 2005

My wife told me this this morning. I will have to let her know that she's leading MetaFilter now.

Go Gumby! What was the girl Gumby called? Goo, I think. Hehehe.
posted by fenriq at 9:20 AM on May 17, 2005

the lump on gumby's head is supposed to be a reference to buddhism -- it signifies enlightenment. or, er, something.
posted by pxe2000 at 11:51 AM on May 17, 2005

I missed it too (those blockheads were actually scary back then). It's so fun that Gumby, and Davy and Goliath are back. : >
posted by amberglow at 11:52 AM on May 17, 2005

Gumby's cameo in This is Spinal Tap was great. Brief, but great.
posted by chaz at 11:58 AM on May 17, 2005

One of these days, I shall have to encode my Gumby CD (it's Gumby green and has a half-dozen Gumby-themed songs by big-name artists) and share it with y'all.
posted by five fresh fish at 12:37 PM on May 17, 2005