Making Gumby, An Interview with Puppet Maker Nicole LaPointe-McKay
We caught up with Gumby puppet maker Nicole LaPointe-McKay to get the inside scoop on making puppets as a profession. Part One of our interview follows, and Part Two will appear in a future blog post, so stayed tuned; you’ll want to read the full story.
GC: Welcome Nicole. Thank you for taking time to join us at Gumby World today to tell us more about yourself and your experiences as a puppet maker.
NLM: I’m happy to be here. I appreciate the opportunity.
GC: How did you become interested in being a puppet maker?
NLM: I’ve been interested in puppets since I was a kid. I was obsessed with the Muppet Show and stop animation programs. I watched Gumby on TV with my little brother. My mother would craft puppets for me to use in plays that I made up. I put on shows with hand puppets, my favorite monkey puppet, and a few marionettes. I always volunteered to get up in front of people to perform and lead others, such as the Girl Scouts, in plays. I was a thespian in high school, and it seemed natural that I would go on to study theater in college.
GC: How did you get involved with Gumby?
NLM: After college and having gained a few years of experience in puppet making, set design and animation, I applied to a posting on AWN.com (Animation World Network), not knowing what the studio was. I didn’t get that particular job, since it had already been filled, but I kept in touch with the studio—Clokey Productions. When studio producer Joe Clokey had an opening for a set designer, he called me. I worked on the Gumby Namco game commercial and have been with Gumby ever since. You can see some production photos here: (http://www.gumbyworld.com/gumbys-studio/)
GC: What kinds of puppets do you make?
NLM: I’m trained to work with just about any material and style of puppet. In my studies I was exposed to puppets from around the world and different time periods. Some of my favorites were the Japanese bunraku, the French Guinol and the Italian Commedia dell’Arte. Currently I fashion a lot of clay puppets for stop motion. I do have some personal projects in the works that involve hand-rod, big-mouth puppets (like the Muppets-type puppets.) I’m doing some new clay animation, too.
GC: How do you make a Gumby puppet?
NLM: Gumby is made of mostly Van Aken clay—a secret recipe! I whip up a batch following his unique recipe, mix, and boil it down in a double boiler to a unified color and the right consistency. I prep the silicone/stone mold with a floating armature. This is Gumby’s skeleton. I then pour the mixture into the mold and let it cool. Sometimes I chill it in the fridge to speed the process. Next, I pop him out of the mold and clean him up by trimming the seams and patching the bubble marks. Gumby gets an oil massage to make him smooth. I then drop a faceplate on him to mark where the features will go. Finally, I add the delicate clay features of his face.
GC: How many Gumby puppets does it take to make a Gumby TV episode?
NLM: More than you would think. The number of puppets needed really depends upon the storyline and type of morphing and movement that the puppet does. When Gumby morphs and changes shape, he needs to be replaced after every few seconds of animation, because the clay loses its shape. One minute of animation can require 20 Gumbys, sometimes more. The lights can also melt the clay, requiring a change of puppets. Because we go through so many puppets, it’s critical that they are all identical and made to the same specifications.
GC: You were involved in the Gumby Google doodle that appeared on October 12, 2011 to honor Art Clokey’s 90th birthday. Tell us about that.
NLM: It was a collaborative effort, involving a small subset of the Clokey Productions’ crew. We worked long distance—by phone, Skype and email. With the short deadline, I made puppets non-stop for a week before the animator could do his part. We used 3-6 puppets of each character for about 4-6 seconds of animation per character. The individual segments of animation were then sent to Google, where their programming team integrated them into their home page. It was exciting to see the characters come to life and move with the click of a mouse. The interaction was really fun! I think this was the first clay animation doodle that Google has used. The doodle was online around the world, so I hope that it inspired a renewed interest in clay animation. You can view it live and interact with it here: http://www.gumbygoogle.co.cc/
GC: What do you do for fun?
NLM: I’m always brainstorming and designing puppet shows and animations based on the interests of little kids that I know. I watch a lot of cartoons with my two-year-old daughter. I love to create (working in clay, painting…) and most enjoy brainstorming creative ideas with my artsy friends.
GC: What are your favorite recent animated productions?
NLM: I’m into watching Timmy Time, a stop motion animation with clay, foam, and rubber puppets done by the Aardman studio in England. I like this style of animation, because there is little speaking; it’s simple and tells the story through actions. Rather than a lot of words, they use onomatopoeia. Timmy Time is a preschool of animals, which children of all ages can enjoy watching. It’s cute, funny, has bright colors and teaches a lesson.
GC: What inspires you about the future?
NLM: Giving back is essential. I grew up in an area that did not provide many opportunities for kids to learn the arts. I still remember a week in my fifth grade class when our teacher had us make puppets and do a book report using them. That changed my life I think. You never know how you can have a positive influence on the next generation. To do my part, I teach stop motion animation classes and workshops at summer camps for kids.
Today, kids are animating with their phones and digital SLR’s. They have so many opportunities to create animations or other imaginative works. The tools are readily available. I love to help spark their imaginations.
GC: You can see some of Nicole’s work and read more on her blog:
http://www.nicolelapointe-mckay.blogspot.com/
Learn more about the career of puppet making in the second segment of our interview with Nicole. Look for it in a future blog post.
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Art Clokey and Gumby Featured in Google Doodle and New Website
San Luis Obispo – October 12, 2011, we celebrate Gumby creator Art Clokey’s 90th birthday, and Google is honoring this stop motion pioneer with a doodle. Google’s home page will feature a unique interactive stop motion clay doodle created by the Clokey Productions Premavision studios. Coinciding with the birthday fanfare is the premiere of the new Gumbyworld.com website—Gumby’s new home!
“The Google Doodle is the perfect tribute to my fathers work,” says Joe Clokey, Art Clokey’s son and creator of Gumby’s new website. “Art’s life and film career were ahead of their time. My dad would have been thrilled to be connected with Google in this way.”
A true visionary and pioneer, Art Clokey touched millions around the world with his creations. Art’s clay animation short Gumbasia expressed an exciting kinesthetic brand of film making that has influenced many of our current leading directors. The new Gumbyworld.com website is rich with new, classic and rare film clips, pictures, biographical information about Art Clokey’s formative years along with an in-depth look at his five decade long run of his cutting-edge film making.
From the Adventures of Gumby and Davey and Goliath to surrealistic art films, Art Clokey had a fascinating and influential career. The new website Gumbyworld.com is the most comprehensive look ever at the iconic green clay boy and all of the other characters in Art’s limitless universe of imagination and artistic expression. Included are clips of Art Clokey talking about the creative process and a look into some of his lesser known pilots. Gumby and Art Clokey, two American originals.
Renowned animator Anthony Scott created the doodle animation. Scott is known for his animation direction and supervision on Coraline, Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Scott got his start in animation working on the 1980’s Gumby series, under Art Clokey himself. He was also the lead animator under the direction of Art’s son Joe Clokey on the Davey and Goliath Snowboard Christmas movie, which was released in 2004. Gumby lead puppet maker Nicole La Pointe-McKay modeled the various characters for the Google animation.
About Premavision
Clokey Productions and Premavison studios, founded by Art Clokey in 1956, produce stop motion animation TV series, films and commercials. They are best known for creating the iconic characters Gumby, Pokey and friends and Davey and Goliath. Located in central California, they draw the most talented animators, puppet makers and set designers in the industry.
For more information about Gumby, Premavision and existing licensing opportunities visit www.gumby.com
Nicole LaPointe-Mckay Making Gumby
Anthony Scott - Gumby Google Doodle Animator
Calling All Gumby Fans! GumbyCentral is Now Live!
GumbyCentral, the official social media source for all things Gumby, is looking for a few million fans. We know you’re out there! We’ve gotten truckloads of mail and terabytes of emails over the years from fans who want to express their appreciation, have questions or want to know what’s new. Now you can become a fan of GumbyCentral on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube station to keep up on Gumby’s newest news.
Gumby fans are everywhere. Online you can find creative videos by long-time Gumby aficionados who hop into a Gumby costume for some interesting break dance maneuvers and unbelievable crazy antics. Others photograph or film their Gumby bendable figure in exotic locations. Fans show their love for Gumby offline by sporting Gumby hairdos and donning Gumby-inspired green apparel. You may have even seen a Gumby and Pokey or two roaming the streets. Hint: they are often seen at major sporting events. During a trip to northeastern Ohio not long ago, we ended up behind a custom-painted, Gumby-green car with Gumby license plates. Gumby creator Art Clokey would have loved the ingenuity.
Art created Gumby as a gift of love for all children and the child within us. The character captures the spirit of wonder, adventure and imagination. Gumby takes us to new worlds and opens our eyes and hearts. “If you’ve got a heart, then Gumby’s a part of you.”
Show your Gumby spirit, and join us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!
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Introducing: Gumby Dharma
Biography of Art Clokey, Gumby Creator
Documentary – Available on DVD.
In honor Art Clokey’s many creative accomplishments and impact on the film industry, we are proud to introduce Gumby Dharma. This Emmy Award winning documentary captures the fascinating life of Art Clokey and his famous creations Gumby and Pokey and Davey and Goliath. From the mud (called gumbo) on his grandparents’ farm in the Midwest to his many adventures with his adopted father out west, you’ll see the myriad of influences on Art’s life and how they translated into iconic characters, which the world has embraced.
Art’s life takes us from the seminary to the Hollywood movie business, and from traditional Episcopalian values to Buddhism and Indian Holy men. His world famous stop motion animation characters reflect the message of love that Art and his wife Ruth wanted to give the world, while at the same time, his revolutionary kinesthetic filming techniques combined with a real life clay animated world is still ahead of its time. Interviews with contemporary leaders in animation including Director Henry Selick (Coraline, Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach) and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, Adventures of Sinbad), along with Art himself give texture to this riveting movie. From his groundbreaking art film Gumbasia to his surrealistic masterpiece Mandala, you’ll see a life that is honest and rich with art. The tapestry of Art’s life is a classic American story of growth and transformation. With all of life’s tragedies and triumphs, Art finds the nuggets to create a rich mosaic of adventure and joy for all of us to enjoy. Also interviewed are his stars Gumby and Pokey (featuring new stop motion directed by Academy Award© Nominee Timothy Hittle) who come “offstage” to reveal the more personal facets of Clokey’s story. In this film, we uncover how Art’s animation and personal brand of love of life has influenced millions of TV and film viewers and filmmakers across the world for more than half a century.
A Clip from Gumby Dharma
DVD: 54 min. Includes a restored print of Gumbasia.
Read More »Let Your Inner Gumby Out!
Approved Uses for the Gumby Costume
With Halloween just around the corner, we’re pulling out our Gumby and Pokey costumes. The new Gumby costume has been incredibly popular—and not just for Halloween. Gumby costumes are popping up everywhere. We’ve heard about fans who keep the costumes in the trunks of their cars for easy access when they happen to be in situation that invites a green laugh or two. Need a character for your next video? Check. Need to entertain guests at a birthday party? Check. Need to dress up for a parade? Check. Gumby’s ready to go.
Gumby’s no stranger to the sports arena. One of the most common uses for the Gumby costume is to cheer teams on at nationally televised basketball, baseball and football games.
We’ve seen Gumby a number of times cheering from the stands on ESPN coverage of college basketball games, even from the front row. The Milwaukee Bucks have an “official Gumby fan” who made his own outfit. The Bucks star player sports a Gumby haircut. There is another player, on the Green Bay Packers, whose nickname is Gumby. Gumby and sports—it makes sense. Gumby is known for his flexibility and tenacity to succeed. He stretches for excellence.
We at Gumby Central love all of these. Art Clokey, Gumby creator, would have been honored. A true pioneer in stop motion animation who always pushed the envelope of the imagination and had a great sense of humor… that’s Art Clokey. The creativity that fans show is true to Gumby’s positive, enthusiastic spirit. Keep ‘em coming, and keep ‘em legal—unlike this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJyUwpOsmw
We’ll be sharing some of the fun ideas we come across on GumbyCentral, Gumby’s official social media sites. So you’ll want to become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Send us your favorite Gumby-inspired costume shots, and we may feature one in the Gumby Fans Hall of Fame or in a future blog post. Email us here.
Happy Halloween from Gumbyworld.com!
P.S. Don’t forget Gumby’s pal Pokey—he has a costume, too.
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