Clay animation has been around for decades and has been popular particularly for children’s television programs and movie-length features. Due to the often cartoon-like nature of the productions the technique became associated with character-driven children’s programming – particularly as the clay medium allowed the producers to make magical and wonderful things occur – such as have animals and objects talk and act like humans, have figures change shape and walk through walls, and give objects magical powers.
One of the most famous practitioners of the clay animation style was Will Vinton, who began experimenting with the style in the late 1960s and onwards. Some of his most famous productions include ‘Will Vinton’s A Claymation Christmas Celebration’ (1987), ‘Return to Oz’, and the television series ‘The PJs’. Will Vinton has trade-marked the term ‘claymation’ as applying specifically to his work and style of clay animation, however the popularity of the technique in recent years has lead to it becoming a generally accepted descriptive term.
Another famous director of clay animation films and television series is Art Clokely, who’s ‘Gumbasia’ feature in 1955 lead to the ‘Gumby’ television series which, after originally being broadcast in 1957 by NBC, went on to be shown for 35 years and 223 episodes. The Gumby characters – such as Gumby, Pokey the red horse and the evil Block-Heads – have become cultural icons and are instantly recognisable by many today. Clokely’s success continued with his Davey & Goliath TV series in the 1960s which was funded by the Lutheran Foundation.
Other favourites from times past include ‘Pingu’, a Swiss television series about a penguin family living in Antarctica; ‘The Trap Door’, a British television series from the 1980s, and ‘Creature Comforts’, a 1989 UK short film and 2003 television series.
One of the most famous practitioners of the clay animation style was Will Vinton, who began experimenting with the style in the late 1960s and onwards. Some of his most famous productions include ‘Will Vinton’s A Claymation Christmas Celebration’ (1987), ‘Return to Oz’, and the television series ‘The PJs’. Will Vinton has trade-marked the term ‘claymation’ as applying specifically to his work and style of clay animation, however the popularity of the technique in recent years has lead to it becoming a generally accepted descriptive term.
Another famous director of clay animation films and television series is Art Clokely, who’s ‘Gumbasia’ feature in 1955 lead to the ‘Gumby’ television series which, after originally being broadcast in 1957 by NBC, went on to be shown for 35 years and 223 episodes. The Gumby characters – such as Gumby, Pokey the red horse and the evil Block-Heads – have become cultural icons and are instantly recognisable by many today. Clokely’s success continued with his Davey & Goliath TV series in the 1960s which was funded by the Lutheran Foundation.
Other favourites from times past include ‘Pingu’, a Swiss television series about a penguin family living in Antarctica; ‘The Trap Door’, a British television series from the 1980s, and ‘Creature Comforts’, a 1989 UK short film and 2003 television series.