Gumby creator Art Clokey dies at 88

ARTHUR C. Clokey, the creator of Gumby, has died aged 88.

"Art" Clokey, who lived in Los Osos, California, passed away in his sleep.

He is best known for popularizing stop-motion claymation with his children's series Gumby.

At age 9, Clokey was sent to an orphanage following the death of his father and rejection by his stepfather. He was adopted at age 12 by composer Joseph W. Clokey, who later provided music for the artist's work.

Clokey's first foray into claymation was a 1950s student film titled Gumbasia, a parody of Disney's famous Fantasia.

This film attracted the attention of broadcaster NBC, which featured Clokey's work on the Howdy Doody Show before making Gumby a series in 1957.

Clokey reportedly named Gumby after the sticky mud he used to play with as a child, known in Michigan as "gumbo".

Gumby's look was inspired by the Gingerbread Man – first suggested by Clokey's wife, Ruth – and the cowlick hairstyle of Clokey's father in an old photograph, according to National Public Radio.

The show became popular again in the 1980s following a skit by comedian Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live.

Fans pay tribute

Artists and fans have posted tributes to the animator on Twitter.

"Art Clokey, the creator of Gumby, has died... My heart has crumpled into a little clay ball," said New York Times journalist Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff).

"If you've got a heart, then Gumby's a part of you. RIP Art Clokey," said Disney artist Adam Koford (@apelad).

"Art Clokey, alas, has been rolled up into a comical ball with googly eyes for the last time," said web designer Robert N. Lee (@robertnlee).

And former Jim Henson puppeteer Robert Mills (@RobboMills) remarked on how the children's show opened doors of knowledge.

"I learned, as a child, Hamlet's soliloquy via an episode of Gumby. #RIPartclokey"

Clokey is survived by his son, Joe, who is also an animator.