Gumby (and Pokey) have played an interesting (and influential)  role in my life ever since I first laid eyes on him back in the early 60s. We were visiting my Grandparents in Southern California, who were up on the latest in entertainment technology - COLOR TV. It was a double whammy for me, the first time to see TV in color and the first time I saw Gumby.  Fascinated by this new form of cartoon, I immediately did some "research" and  became familiar with the stop motion technique used to animate Gumby.

I'm not certain what happened next, all I remember is that on long our drive back home (to Maryland) I had a bendable Gumby figure and in my head was planning my first movie using the family's 8mm movie camera.   Art Clokey's work had truly inspired me onto a path I would follow to this day.  I made TONS of 8mm movies (maybe some day I'll post them)  but never really did anything with Gumby oddly enough, until now. 

Inspired by Kurt Gugisberg's Nibbles the Astro-Cat at LDRS 20, I decided to go for a smaller (more affordable) scaled project.  Peter and I were already flying "Clayola Crayon" rockets,  I had a REAL Gumby (given to me by Art Clokey) and a cool "tower" video system developed for the Vidroc 5. The REAL Gumby was a little too big for the available room in the capsule, so a classic Gumby bendable was enlisted to pilot the bird.

Original Gumby Press Release

Follow-up Press Release - The first launch was scrubbed because of weather and logistics (I was also going for my Level 2 certification) 

GUMBY's First flight at Aeronaut 2002!

XPRS Press release

Sorry - you need the Google Video plug-in

Videos  DivX format

• First Launch at Aeronaut - Gumby makes it into SPACE!! (well, near space) 

• The Gumby Video - this is the Gumby movie that most rocketry people talk about.

• Gumby on Evening Magazine - a local infotainment show puts Gumby on the air.

Videos in WMV format - same footage, better movie format

• The Gumby Video