Gumby-themed on Google Doodle

Search giant Google on Wednesday paid tribute to stop-motion clay animation director Arthur "Art" Clokey with an interactive Google Doodle featuring "clay-animated" characters.

Replacing the usual Google logo on Google's home page are "balls" of clay beside a "G" block. The "L" animates to invite the user to click on the other balls.

Each ball is a different character that animates when clicked on. They are based on characters crated by Clokey.

A screenshot of Google's doodle paying tribute to clay animation.

Clicking on the text on top of the doodle – "Art Clokey's 90th Birthday" – takes the visitor to a search results page on Art Clokey.

Clokey was born October 12, 1921 and died January 8, 2010.