Today is the anniversary of one of the few cartoon pilots that didn't contain the show's protagonist, or any characters for that matter. Gumbasia is a three minute short from the 50's made by a man named Art Clokey. The short is a Claymation tech demo set to lively jazz, made as homage to the classic Disney movie "Fantasia", which was a little over a decade old at the time. The short features no language or characters, focusing more on having a solid vibe and development of technique.
This short is probably best known for its follow up, in which Clokey honed his technique into a longer short about a young boy going to space. This short is called "Gumby Goes to the Moon" and launched the now iconic character of Gumby into the world. But before two TV shows and a movie, Gumby was just another experiment in animation, following three minutes of Jazz and experimental animation.
[ASSOCIATE NOTE: Gumbasia and Gumby both get their names from "gumbo" mud. Also the name of a popular Cajun dish, it also refers to a very sticky variety of clay mud known for being difficult to maneuver. Gumbaia's title is a Portmanteau of the aforementioned Fantasia and gumbo. Gumby's name is stated to be a shortening of Gumbino, gumbo with a Latin diminutive indicating youth. By the same Latin conventions, Gumby's parents are named Gumbo and Gumba. Gumby also has a sister named Minga, but she didn't appear until well into the series run and her name seems to be without deeper meaning.}
My first note😁