Characters / Gumby

Gumby

Actor(s): Dallas McKennon (occasionally in the 1950s and '60s, main voice in 1980s series and 1995 movie), Ruth Eggleston (1950s), Ginny Taylor (1950s), Dick Beals (1960s), Norma McMillan (1960s)

The titular star of the show, a young boy made of green clay, who can do almost anything.

Tropes:

• The Ace
• Cheerful Child
• Dimensional Traveler: He and his friends can enter books and other forms of media. Presumably this is how he can walk through the wall (that is, if you want him to).
• Eye Color Change: In the 1950s, the pupils of his eyes were small and red, they became big and black in the 1960s, though he still retains his red eyes on merchandise.
• Interspecies Romance: Shows an interest in Goo sometimes. He officially gain a girlfriend named Tara in the 1995 movie.
• Living Toys: if modeling clay counts.
• Nice Guy
• Vague Age: He acts and sounds like a preteen child in 1950s, but later it's more vague in the 1980s, when he's more or less a teenager.

Gumby's friends

Pokey

Actors: Art Clokey

Our hero's best friend. An orange or red pony/horse from a storybook set in the The Wild West.

• Big Eater: He regularly has food on his mind.
• Catchphrase: "Holy Toledo!"
• Cool Horse
• Cowardly Sidekick: Gumby's the adventurous one, he's the sensible one.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's usually got something wry to say about a situation or his friends' flights of fancy.
• Lovable Coward: He would much rather stay at home and play it safe than go on adventures. That being said, he always sticks by Gumby no matter what.
• Silent Snarker: His ears help his face to be particularly expressive.

Prickle

Actors: Art Clokey

A yellow dinosaur, though sometimes he's a dragon, introduced along with Goo in the 1960s series. He is based on the "prickly" personality as described by Alan Watts.

• Big Little Brother: His younger brother is a massive dragon who keeps getting into trouble.
• Breath Weapon: He can breathe fire.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's a tad more sarcastic and cynical than the others.
• Dinosaurs Are Dragons: The show doesn't really make a distinction between the two. Though he could have mixed-species heritage.
• Endangered Species: There's a scientist who wants to capture him since he's a dinosaur.
• Foil: Designed to be one for Goo.
• Goshdang It To Heck: "Aw, dinosaur chips!"
• Interspecies Romance: Shows an interest in Goo sometimes.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Specifically intended to be "rigid and uptight, analytical, and critical".
• Lovable Coward: Probably more than Pokey.
• Never Bring A Knife To A Gunfight: One episode has him challenging Gumby to a duel over Goo's handkerchief. He brings a sword and shield. Gumby brings a train.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Fresh turnips.
• Translator Buddy: On at least one occasion, he's been able to talk to a dragon the others couldn't.

Goo

Actors: Norma McMillan (1960s), Gloria Clokey (1980s, 1995 movie)

A blue fish-like creature with blonde hair, introduced along with Prickle in the 1960s series. Though it is never mentioned what she actually is in the shorts, Word of God says she's a mermaid! She represents the "gooey" personality as described by Alan Watts.

• Breath Weapon: She can spit goo balls.
• Flight: When she shifts into airplane form.
• Foil: Designed to be one for Prickle.
• Interspecies Romance: She debuted showing an interest in Pokey (a horse). At different times she also shows interest in Prickle (a dinosaur/dragon) and Gumby (a... an, um... n-not a mermaid).
• Lampshade Hanging: In the movie, Prickle says he learned all about what he is by reading books at the library. He suggests Goo go to the library so they can find out what she is exactly.
• Our Mermaids Are Different: She's never seen in the water and she can fly!
• The Pollyanna: Specifically intended to be "easygoing, flowing in the here and now, friendly and jolly".
• Rubber Man: Part of her shapeshifting powers.
• Stalker with a Crush: In "Goo for Pokey", she follows the poor guy everywhere, eventually capturing him inside herself and dragging him off to do Clokey-knows-what.
• Tailfin Walking: In the 1980s version and the movie. In the 1960s she slides on her belly, like a pinniped.
• True Blue Femininity

Gumby's family

Gumbo

Gumby's father, a firefighter

Gumba

Gumby's mother, a homemaker

• Good Parents: The classic, caring mother. She's very nurturing, and kind, but she's also not afraid to discipline Gumby if she sees it necessary.

Minga

Gumby's younger sister and Gumbo and Gumba's second child, introduced in the 1980s series.

• Cheerful Child
• Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Well, actually more like Pink Girl, Green Boy!
• Tagalong Kid

Others

Introduced in the series

The Blockheads

Gumby's archenemies, two red clay figures with alphabet blocks for heads.

• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
• Silent Antagonists
• Stupid Evil: Their plans never work and always backfire, or maybe Gumby and his friends know what they usually do and it's usually them causing it.
• The Voiceless
• Trickster Twins

Henry and Rodgy

Two characters, a teddy bear and a bird made of clay, who made a few appearances in the early 1960s. They were intended to get their own spin-off, but nothing came of it.

• Big Guy, Little Guy

Professor Kapp

• Absent-Minded Professor
• Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Gumby notes that he seems to know everything. At the least he's shown interests in engineering, chemistry and biology.

Nopey

A dog who can talk, but can only say "no". He appeared in a handful of episodes in 1967 and 1968.

• Meaningful Name

The Groobee

Another of Gumby's pets, a bee with a hammer for an arm, who builds crates around his enemies.

Denali

A woolly mammoth or a "furry elephant" as some call him.

• Artistic License – Biology: Actually, the jury's still out on whether or nor mastodons could shoot ice cubes through their nose.
• Breath Weapon: He can launch ice cubes from his trunk.
• Parental Abandonment: His mother was accidentally killed, and his father died off-screen beforehand.

Introduced in the movie

The Clayboys

Gumby's band.

Lowbelly

Actors: Bonnie Rudolph

A dachshund dog with the ability to cry pearls instead of tears.

Tara

Actors: Patti Morse (speaking), Melisa Kary (singing)

A fan who becomes Gumby's love interest.

Ginger

Actors:

Tara's best friend.

Larry Claybert

Actor: Dallas McKennon

A talent agent who signs Gumby and his band.

• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Resembles Groucho Marx, but talks like W. C. Fields.

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