Art Clokey created Gumby in 1955. An ingenious plot device created for the show was that Gumby could physically walk in and out of stories that resided within the pages of a book. Most of the books Gumby explored during his various runs on television were either King Arthur inspired or related to American colonization and the wild West. Suffice it to say, there were many other places and people he could have visited. Furthermore, Gumby could also travel in and out of all forms of physical media, like records and tapes, which only emphasizes my original point: Clokey and company left a lot of historical meat on the proverbial bone.

Presented here are titles that would have made for a more diverse and potentially more mature story-line for Gumby and pals. However, I do not see Gumby's adventures in these books as an ironic parody of wholesome entertainment--that joke is stale, uninspired, and unfunny--but rather an honest approach to serious matters, kind of like when Mr. Rogers did a show about death. If this were just a vehicle for insipid one-liners then there wouldn't be a need for Pokey, and you must have Pokey. Pokey is the comedic relief to Gumby's world solving. Therefore, an oat-based pun is included for every book below.

New books will continue to be donated until my brain, or work ethic, dries up like an old tub of play-doh.