wfn.org | ELCA Agreement May Lead to New 'Davey and Goliath' Episodes

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 21, 2001

ELCA AGREEMENT MAY LEAD TO NEW 'DAVEY AND GOLIATH' EPISODES
01-237-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The producers of "Davey and Goliath," a popular,
Christian-oriented children's television series that aired on commercial
television in the 1950s through the early 1980s, may soon be making a
pilot film and more episodes.  New Davey and Goliath episodes could be
created as a result of a licensing agreement between the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a Washington firm that helps
market animated characters through merchandise creation.
     Davey and Goliath is a stop-motion animated series starring Davey
Hansen, his dog, Goliath, and other family and friends.  The series were
geared toward children and is well-known to many of today's so-called
"baby boomers."  Each story contained a Christian-oriented moral or
theme.  The programs were created through a partnership involving the
Lutheran church and Art and Ruth Clokey.  Sixty-five episodes and six
half-hour specials were created.
      Art Clokey is also the creator of Gumby and Pokey, another
popular stop motion animation television series. Clokey and his son,
Joe, are beginning work with the Disney Co. on a Gumby special, to be
shown on ABC Television, Art Clokey said.
     A similar goal -- to create new Davey and Goliath episodes -- is
shared by the ELCA churchwide organization; Heat Licensing Co., Sequiem,
Wash.; Program Source International, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; and the
Clokeys, whose company is Premavision, Los Osos, Calif.  If new episodes
are to be made, the Clokeys may oversee the project.
       The ELCA's agreement with Heat Licensing, effective Sept. 11, is
for creation of Davey and Goliath merchandise to raise funds to create
new programs, said the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director of the ELCA
Department for Communication.  Heat Licensing will also work with Al and
Dave Eicher, Program Source International, to market existing Davey and
Goliath episodes, he said.  The agreement also enables Heat Licensing to
seek partners to fund the creation of new episodes, Shafer said.
     "We are looking forward to using the funds raised through 'Davey
and Goliath' products to produce new episodes," Shafer said. "We hope to
introduce a new generation to 'Davey' and bring quality children's
programming to television and video, programming with a moral center and
a Christian theme."
     Patrick Lauerman, president, Heat Licensing, said he has started
the search for partners to manufacture Davey and Goliath products that
focus on existing episodes.  Merchandise could include, but is not
limited to, such things as apparel, glassware, key chains, magnets and
paper weights, he said.
     The marketing contract is a "great way" for funds to be raised for
Davey and Goliath programming, and for the positive messages from Davey
and Goliath to be communicated to new audiences, Lauerman said.
     "Our general strategy is to look for licensees for merchandise and
help get existing programs on more stations," he said.
     Heat Licensing markets other animated characters, such as Gumby
and Pokey.
     Program Source has the license to distribute existing Davey and
Goliath episodes.  Through various distribution channels, the company
has sold more than 600,000 Davey and Goliath video cassettes since the
early 1980s, said Al Eicher, company president through 1987.  His son,
Dave, is now president.
     The idea of creating new Davey and Goliath episodes will likely
benefit sales of existing episodes. "I think if Art Clokey is doing the
new episodes, they've got to be good," Al Eicher said.  "Knowing Art's
and the church's influence on the program's Christian content, the
product should be excellent."
     Art and Joe Clokey, Premavision, have a new studio and are looking
forward to the possibility of creating new Davey and Goliath episodes.
"We have the best animators in the world and we're very excited about
it," said Joe Clokey, Premavision president.
     Advances in technology will add greatly to any new Davey and
Goliath episodes, Joe Clokey said. The stop-motion animation technique,
the same technique used for the original Davey and Goliath and Gumby and
Pokey episodes "is still very much alive," he said.  "It brings some
'realness' to the characters," Joe Clokey added.
     Art and Joe Clokey both said the program's relationship to the
Lutheran Church remains important and the popularity of the program
remains strong today.
     "Every week we hear from somebody who remembers Davey and
Goliath," said Art Clokey, Premavision vice president.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html