"KQED Arts and Culture: Art Clokey"

“The essence of Gumby is that he makes children feel safe. He's their greatest pal.”

“I didn’t allow merchandising for seven years after it was on the air because I was very idealistic, and I didn’t want parents to think we were trying to exploit their children.”

“There's none of this wisecracking and cynicism that you see in … some of the other cartoons. He's supposed to be a role model for kids. He cares about other people.”

“It’s so satisfying, and when you see it on screen, you feel like God because you’re bringing life to clay.”

“Clay is embedded in our subconscious. It has been there for at least 50,000 years.”