Gumby's Summer Fun Special

Writer: Bob Burden
Artist: Art Adams
Publisher: Comico
Published: July 1987

Gumby's Summer Fun Adventure is just that: Gumby and Pokey have a series of adventures. This issue is like the goulash of comics. It's got Halloween monsters, popped-eyed aliens, robots, a werewolf, pirates, space bears, and one really depressed suicidal couch potato (he's my favorite).

To the best of my recollection, I don't know if I watched Gumby as a child, but if this comic is any indication of the type of genres Gumby ventured into, I'm saddened by the joy's I may have missed. The issue follows Gumby and Pokey as they play with some robot kids, are attacked by aliens and a werewolf, go to Halloween town, and Gumby becomes a pirate captain. As I mentioned the best is when they visit Wooster, who has tied strings to his lightening rod, because he has given up on life. Also Pokey gets drunk.

This is when childhood ends.


"Ain't nuthin' but a G thang"

Gumby's Winter Fun Special

Writer: Steve Purcell
Artist: Art Adams
Colorist: Rick Taylor
Publisher: Comico The Comic Company
Published: December 1988

Now here's an odd one. We got Gumby and Pokey helping to rescue trapped toy miners who have been captured by Mole People, who then recruit Gumby and Pokey to save Ray Crabbe (aka Santa Claus) who has been captured by Beelzebub and is interned in Heck.

Ok, let that sink in...toy miners...Mole People...Santa...Beelzebub...Heck...Gumby & Pokey.

I know what you're thinking: "Awesome". Me too.The toy miners were pretty neat. The miners have to dig around in the earth, harvesting toys, but the toys can't be given out to kids right away because they are unrefined and unprocessed. The Earth has different pockets of toys, from plush toys to Etch-A-Sketchs. Oh also Gumby and Pokey own a giant robotic insect shaped drill. The Mole People are responsible for cooling the overheating Earth, and Heck is a land filled with 24/7 advertisements, concerts that don't end, forced gluttony, and Santa looks like a biker while Satan looks like the Lord of Darkness. The best part of the whole issue was when Gumby and Pokey are in Heck rescuing Santa, they start to melt cause it's so hot. By the end of the rescue, the little Mole girl, Natasha, has to carry them out in buckets. Oh, too funny!

One last thing I forgot: the issue ends with Santa piloting a giant Gumby Gundam Mech to battle giant monsters.

Jurassic Park in 1988? Gumby you're ahead of your time!