Art Clokey and Sathya Sai Baba

[Guest guest]

Art Clokey is the creator of Gumby. What is Gumby? "Gumby is a green clay

humanoid figure who was the subject of a series of television shows, animated

using stop motion photography, known as claymation. The shows also featured

Pokey, an orange clay horse, and Gumby's nemesis, the Block-heads. Created by

Art Clokey, Gumby first appeared on the Howdy Doody show in 1956 and was given

his own NBC series in 1957. Newly produced episodes were added in 1962, 1966-67

and 1988." (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumby)

 

In 1979 Art Clokey and his wife Gloria, visited Sri Sathya Sai Baba in

Puttparthi. A Gumby doll at his side, Clokey photographed Sai Baba

materializing vibhuti in the palm of his hand. "He dropped it right on Gumby,"

Clokey says. "He does that for special blessings."

 

The Gumby Movie, created in the mid 1990s, was dedicated to Sai Baba.

 

The following is a page from Art Clokey's website Gumbyworld.

http://www.gumbyworld.com/friends/saibaba.htm

 

Premavision/Clokey Productions website is: http://www.premavision.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Art Clokey learned about Swami Satya Sai Baba from a documentary. He found it

mind-blowing. The Swami was the ultimate expression of what he was trying to do

with Gumby: remind people that nothing is impossible. The Swami transforms crude

substances into gold and jewels. He also produces sacred ash from the tips of

his fingers. Anything he sprinkles the ash on is deeply affected. Amazed but

skeptical, Art and Gloria Clokey journeyed to India in 1979 to see the holy man

because he represented every ideal they believed in.

 

 

They waited in the courtyard of the Swami's compound. When the Swami walked

along the crowd he sprinkled ash on a Gumby doll that Art and Gloria had

brought with them. At that time Gumby was not very popular at all. Shortly

after meeting the Swami, Art and Gloria put together a two hour Gumby show that

was very successful. Gumby's popularity has continued up to today, with Gumby:

The Movie, video rentals, and toy sales. This web site, Art believes, is a

continuation of the good fortune he experienced years ago, literally from the

Swami's hands.

 

 

The obstacle-overcoming spirit of Gumby contains the hopeful wishes of people

all over the world. The many things that Swami Satya Sai Baba has done for

people, spiritually, physically, and emotionally, relate to the hope-filled

spirit of our favorite boy, with his feet of clay and his head in the clouds.