He and his then-wife Ruth Clokey created Gumby, which made its debut on The Howdy Doody Show in August 1956 while Clokey was studying under Slavko Vorkapich at USC. The Clokeys also created Davey and Goliath.
Father of Ann Clokey and video producer Joe Clokey.
Adopted by Joseph Clokey, a musician, a composer and dean of music department at Pomona College in California, after being sent by his mother to a home for abandoned boys.