Based on the response to the first new Gumby comic in over ten years, writer Bob Burden feels that the Claymation hero is poised for a comeback.  He told ICv2 that the response to the recently released Gumby #1 at both the San Diego Comic-Con and Wizard World Chicago was very strong, with a constant flow of customers of all ages picking up the comic. 

Diamond sold about 5000 copies of Gumby #1 to comic stores in its first month of release, a respectable number for a $3.99 indy comic.  The story and art, by Burden and Rick Geary, with colors by Steve Oliff and Lance Borde, are well presented in a 36-page full color, glossy format. 

Burden has a history with the character.  His 1987 Gumby Summer Fun Special, which Art Adams drew, won an Eisner for best single issue of a comic.  He told us that he's trying the write stories for this new incarnation that can be enjoyed by kids, with another layer of meaning that can be appreciated by adult readers.

Beyond the grass roots response that he's seeing at the cons, Burden also expects external events to play a role in the character's popularity.  While over 100 of the 223 episodes produced since the character's launch on the Howdy Doody Show in 1955 have been released on DVD by Rhino, many have not, primarily because of music rights issues, according to Burden.  By the end of 2007, however, he expects the remaining episodes to be available, which will stimulate interest in the character. 

A Game Boy Advance game was released last year, and the N.J. Croce figures are also still available.