Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Art Clokey passed away Friday. What started over fifty years ago as a student project for the USC grad, led to the making of short films for the Howdy Doody Show, a television series, a video games, a feature film and a giant merchandising franchise, all featuring his creation, Gumby, a green clay figure with an asymmetrical head designed to simulate his fathers cowlick hairdo. Together with his side kick, the red talking steed Pokey, they would go on adventures and battle their nemeses the Block Heads. Many remember Gumby as the cigar smoking, foul mouthed, borscht belt comedian as satirized by Eddie Murphy on SNL. Clokey died at his home in Los Osos on California from complications of bladder infections. He was 88.

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Saturday Night Live alumni Jimmy Fallon will replace fellow SNL alumni Conan O'Brien on Late Night when Conan moves over to Tonight and Leno is forced out. I guess NBC executive Lorne Michaels thinks the formerly not ready for prime timers are ready, but I'm not sure even Fallon agrees. At the Press conference Fallon said to Michaels "You started my career, you might as well end it."

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