Gumby was made out of plasticine, which disintegrates quickly. Animators went through five or six Gumbys for every scene.
Each show called for 60 artists and technicians animating about two minutes of film every eight working hours. Gumby and his friends were moved up to 9,000 times in a 6-minute show.
The shape of Gumby's head was inspired by an old family photo of Art Clokey's father, Charles Farrington, at age 18, which showed a rather large cowlick on one side.
The series went dormant for many years, but during all of this time Gumby had developed an audience interested in classic television animation. Soon, the marketing of Gumby had exploded, as it became the most popular flexible toy on the market, and later appearing in many forms, from cups to ice cream bars.
Newly produced episodes were added in 1962 (by which time Dal McKennon became the voice of Gumby) and 1966-67.