If it seems surreal that a conventional American soap opera like "The Young and the Restless" is popular in Turkey (my late father's country), it may seem even stranger that the 1950s American claymation cartoon "Gumby" which featured Pokey the Horse is popular in Venezuela!
According to the NPR series "The World," which airs at 3:00 p.m. daily on 90.7 WUNC-FM (Chapel Hill, NC) , Gumby toys are among those which are most sought for at The Socialist Toy Fair that is currently happening in that country's capital of Caracas.
The report from Anahi Aradas indicated that the cartoon is one that Hugo Chavez admires a great deal.
I did not get acquainted with Gumby until Eddie Murphy made fun of Gumby on "Saturday Night Live" when I was a kid. He had the trademark line: "I am Gumby, damnit."
"Gumby" was created by Art Clokey, who is still alive in his late 80s. Clokey also produced the Biblical-themed cartoon "Davey and Goliath," which was funded by the Lutheran Church.
A great documentary about the landmark animation series called "Gumby Dharma," whichhas aired on The Sundance Channel, explored the Buddhist philosophy behind the show.
This sort of reminds me of how the Polish cartoon "Lolek and Bolek" (now available on dvd in America) was the only cartoon allowed to be shown on television in the Islamic Republic of Iran!
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