Art Clokey Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

From humble clay scraps to a cultural phenomenon that shaped generations — the story of Art Clokey reads like a vibrant chapter in the history of animation. With his inventive spirit and deep commitment to creativity, Clokey transformed simple clay into beloved characters and timeless narratives.

Clay-Dreams Forged in Early Life

Born Arthur Charles Farrington on October 12, 1921 in Detroit, Michigan, Clokey’s childhood was marked by hardship and loss. After his parents divorced when he was about 8, his father died in a car accident soon afterward, and young Arthur moved with his mother to California. There, he was briefly placed in a children’s home before being adopted, around age 11, by Joseph W. Clokey — a respected composer and music professor. The elder Clokey nurtured Arthur’s artistic sensibilities, teaching him to draw, paint, and work with a motion-picture camera.

On his grandparents’ Michigan farm, the young Arthur had already been molding figures from clay and “gumbo” — experiences that planted the earliest seeds of his future in clay animation.

A First Glimpse of Magic: From Gumbasia to Television Stardom

Clokey went on to study film at the University of Southern California (USC), where under the mentorship of filmmaker Slavko Vorkapich, he created a short experimental film titled Gumbasia. Released in 1953, the three-minute film featured pulsating, morphing clay shapes moving to jazz music — a radical departure from traditional animation and a striking precursor to what would become claymation.

That bold experiment drew attention. A producer at 20th Century Fox was so impressed by Gumbasia’s visual novelty that he encouraged Clokey to develop a children’s show. Clokey obliged — giving birth to the green clay hero whose legacy would outlive him: Gumby.

Clokey and his first wife, Ruth Parkander, co-created what became The Adventures of Gumby. Gumby — along with his horse, Pokey — first appeared on The Howdy Doody Show, before getting their own series. The show is recognized as one of television’s earliest showcases of stop-motion clay animation.

Meanwhile, Clokey also produced another influential series for younger audiences: Davey and Goliath — reflecting his interest in moral and spiritual storytelling.

Rising Again: Gumby’s Resurgence and Cultural Impact

After initial popularity in the late 1950s and 1960s, Gumby flickered in and out of mainstream attention. But the 1980s brought a renaissance. When celebrity comedian Eddie Murphy parodied Gumby on Saturday Night Live — casting the friendly clay character as a cigar-chomping, gruff anti-hero — public interest surged. Gumby toys returned to store shelves, and a new generation rediscovered the quirky clay figure.

Clokey seized the momentum. In 1988, his studio produced a fresh wave of episodes for what became Gumby Adventures. Later, Clokey directed and co-wrote Gumby: The Movie, released in 1995 — his final major work. Though the film was not a box-office smash, it gained a cult following and helped cement Gumby’s status as a cultural icon.

Clokey’s clay-animation style — simple, tactile, often spiritual — influenced generations of animators. Many of those early collaborators later went on to work at major studios, including those behind productions at Pixar and Disney.

Personal Life: Partnerships, Spiritual Journeys and Creative Home

Art Clokey’s personal life was entwined with his creative journey. After marrying Ruth Parkander, the two collaborated on Gumby and the early experimental films. Their marriage ended in divorce — and though Ruth continued operating the studio for a time, Clokey embarked on a more introspective path.

In the 1970s, Clokey married his second wife, Gloria Clokey, who later served as art director on various Gumby projects in the 1980s and 1990s. Her influence helped shape the aesthetic revival of Gumby in those decades.

Clokey’s personal journey wasn’t limited to animation. He was drawn to spiritual exploration. According to one profile, during the 1970s he studied Zen Buddhism, traveled to India, and even experimented with consciousness-expanding experiences — a path that echoed through the dreamy, existential qualities of his later work.

On the family front, Clokey had children — at least one son, Joe Clokey, who followed in his father’s footsteps in animation.

Estimating Worth: What Was Art Clokey’s Net Worth?

Determining the net worth of pioneers like Art Clokey is always imprecise — especially given the decades-long lifespan of his creations. One publicly available figure places Clokey’s net worth at US$1 million at the time of his death.

It’s important to note, however, that such estimates seldom reflect the full scope of a creative legacy. Clokey’s real “worth” lives in the enduring popularity of Gumby and Pokey, the influence he exerted on stop-motion animation, and the dozens of animators whose careers he helped launch.

The Birthday That Sparked a Creative Revolution

Art Clokey’s birthdate — October 12, 1921 — marked the arrival of a dreamer destined to reshape the landscape of animation. The date lives on annually in tributes and renewed appreciation for his work.

His birthday isn’t just a personal milestone: it’s a reminder of how imagination, clay, and perseverance combined to birth characters that transcended generations.

Why Art Clokey Still Matters

Today, decades after his death on January 8, 2010, the influence of Art Clokey remains visible. His pioneering clay animation laid groundwork that subsequent creators — from independent animators to major studios — continue to build on. Gumby remains a nostalgic symbol for adults and an entry point to animation for children. His gently moral, often spiritual sensibility resonates in a world still hungry for art that feels handcrafted, heartfelt, and human.

In a media landscape increasingly dominated by hyper-real CGI and digital effects, Clokey’s legacy reminds us that sometimes, the most enduring stories come from a lump of clay, a steady hand, and a vivid imagination.