Gumby always waves. Pokey is standoffish. (Image by Bridget DeVries.)

Animation legend Art Clokey passed away in January at the age of 88. A pioneer in the field of stop-motion clay animation, Clokey created Gumby, Pokey and their many friends.  His first foray into creating clay-based films was the three-minute 1955 short called “Gumbasia.” This copy is very scratchy but very worth watching for insight into the history of the form. View it here.