GLO Friends Save Christmas

GLO Friends Save Christmas

United States - 1986

Children's Video Library, 1985, VHS

Run Time - 30 minutes

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings

United States - 1978

Director - Ralph Bakshi

Republic Pictures, 1993, VHS

Run Time - 2 hours,  10 minutes

McGee and Me!: Skate Expectations

McGee and Me!: Skate Expectations

United States - 1990

Director - Chuck Bowman

Focus on the Family, 1990, VHS

Run Time - 30 minutes

G.I. Joe: The Movie

G.I. Joe The Movie

United States - 1987

Director - Don Jurwich

Celebrity Home Entertainment, 1995, VHS

Run Time - 1 hour, 33 minutes

Mortal Kombat Animated Video

Mortal Kombat: The Animated Video: The Journey Begins

United States - 1996

Director - Kevin Droney

New Line Home Video, 1997, VHS

Run Time - 1 hour

Had I not staggered across this shortly after reveling in the glory that is Expect No Mercy, I wouldn't have remembered the referrent. So, no thanks to Billy Blanks for reawakening memories of high-school, and thanks to my brain for stiffling them.

The Return of Gumby

The Return of Gumby

United States - 1956

Director - Art Clokey

F.H.E., 1987, VHS

Run Time - 50 minutes

Episodes

• Witty Witch
• Hot Rod Granny
• In a Fix
• King for a Day
• The Groobee
• Gopher Trouble
• Rain for a Roo
• Chicken Feed
• The Zoops

Battle Angel

Battle Angel

Japan - 1993

Director - Hiroshi Fukutomi

ADV Films, 1996, VHS

Run Time -1 hour, 10 minutes

I read a fair amount of comics, but rarely manga. However, I am a fan of the dark science fiction and like its predecessor Akira,  Battle Angel Alita is set in a violent dystopian future. I'm very picky, but this is one of the best. This anime, which is good but not as good as the source, covers portions of the first two volumes of the manga written and illustrated by Yukito Kishiro who won the Japanese Illustrator of the Year award at the age of 17.

Academy Award Winners Animated Short Films

Academy Award Winners Animated Short Films

Various Countries - 1959-1983

Vestron Video, 1985, VHS

Run Time - 1 hour

Robo Formers - Star of Fear

Robo Formers

Star of Fear: Imagination

Japan/United States - 1975-6/198?

FB Productions, 198?, VHS

Run Time - 1 hour

Thanks to Shelby Cobras over at Illogical Contraption for hooking me up with this old tape.

Dino Riders

Dino Riders

The Dino Riders Adventure

United States - 1987

Tyco, 1987, VHS

Run Time - 27 minutes including Tyco commercials!

Thus begins VHS animation week!

The World According to Gumby

The World According to Gumby

United States
F.H.E., 1987, VHS

Run Time – 30 minutes

• The Big Eye

• Outcast Marbles

• Tail Tale

• Haunted Hot Dog

• Indian Challenge

This is a short one. When I rented these as a kid I didn't understand the concept of running times and I was always profoundly disappointed when they were over after only five episodes. As a result I often ended up watching the same tape four or five times before returning it. Maybe that's why I feel compelled to gather them all together in the archive now; so I can play a constant loop of Gumby as my mind degenerates into psychosis.

Gumby For President

Gumby for President

F.H.E., 1987, VHS
Volume 9

Run Time – 1 hour

• Candidate for President

• Yard Work Made Easy

• Toy Joy

• Mysterious Fires

• Siege of Boonesborough

• Little Post Pony

• Point of Honor

• Do-It-Yourself Gumby

• Gold Rush Gumby

• Wishful Thinking

I'd vote for that wholesome son of a little green ball of clay.

Gumby and the Wild West

Gumby and the Wild West

United States

Director - Art Clokey

Avid Home Entertainment, 1991, VHS

Run Time - 1 hour

This volume is a mixture of anything remotely referring to the mythical American west and a few that don't. A confusing mix of naive racism and naive empathy and Gumby's usual childlike association with fantastic nonsense. I cannot find exact dates for any of these episodes. Amazon has this tape listed as "volume 4", though I can find no such label on the cassette or box. As with Gumby Magic, I think it's just an arbitrary designation particularly because the tapes with actual volume numbers are released by F.H.E.

Episodes:

• The Kachinas

• The Glob*

• School For Squares

• Goo For Pokey

• The Golden Iguana

• A Groobee Fight

• Hidden Valley

• Tricky Ball

• Ricochet Pete

*features the same public domain music that is featured prominently in Night of the Living Dead.

Gumby Magic

Gumby Magic

United States

Family Home Entertainment, 1987, VHS

Run Time - 50 minutes

This tape is listed at Amazon as "Gumby vol. 2," but it doesn't say that anywhere on the product. These later F.H.E. cassettes don't have volume numbers on 'em.

Episodes:

• The Magic Wand

• Mirror Land (Dec 29, 1956 modified version of Lost Found)

• Robot Rumpus

• Moon Trip

• Trapped on the Moon

• Gumby on the Moon (an edited a spliced version of the previous two episodes)

• The Eggs and Trixie (Dec. 28, 1957, a modified version of the episode Egg Trouble)

• Eager Beavers (modified version of Tree Trouble)

• The Magic Show (a modified version of episode The Magic Wand)

I found out the hard way when I was a kid that being a fan of Gumby didn't look cool with the ladies, and I still ocassionally get shit for it from my friends. Now, emboldened by the death of Gumby creator Art Clokey, I'd like to begin the semi-complete record of Gumby cassettes that I've been sitting on for a while.

Rhino issued a DVD box set in 2002, but they were all the re-dubbed versions from the 1980's. I don't remember too well, but in any case I couldn't afford the set so I stuck with the VHS tapes. The problem with those is that the episodes are all out of order chronologically, jumping from the early 50's to the late 60's on the same tape, and the tapes themselves seem to have little order. For that reason I offer this somewhat clarifying ongoing "Gumby Archive." I'll include whatever information I can dig up, but send clarifications if you have any.