The Gumby Guidebook – Review
Gumby?
I know the comic books I normally review are more superheroes, monsters, action and horror. Well The Gumby Guidebook is a little different. The Gumby of the title refers to newbie rock climbers. Those who aren’t experienced enough to know how not to get into bad situations, or how to get out of them. The guidebook aims to act as a sort of distance mentor programme for newcomers to the sport.
I found out about this one as the illustrator, Kett McKenna, is a very good friend of mine. We met while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail back in 2015, he would regularly sketch other hikers, including me and my boyfriend, and it was clear that he was very talented.
As you can see, I was still a total fangirl even when I was on trail for Kett to have put this much detail into the drawing!
The Guidebook
Kett and I have tossed around the idea of writing our own comic for ages now. While I got stuck on the actual writing part, he’s been working away on other projects. He has spent the last four years honing and refining his skills, and learning to rock climb (amongst other things). His passions seem to have combined in the perfect storm here in The Gumby Guidebook.
The Gumby Guidebook is an informational comic, designed to introduce climbers to situations they may encounter, and teach them how to overcome those obstacles. It is written by Erik Allsopp, a climbing gym manager with over 20 years experience. He had this to say about the basic idea behind the book;
Rock Climbing has gotten incredibly popular in recent years and there aren’t enough mentors to assist in the development of rock climbers to make informed decisions regarding technical skills, etiquette at the crag and overall support for everyone’s enjoyment of the outdoors.
Each section of the guide will have twin illustrations showing a common issue/mistake made by a Gumby, and then the correct form. This will be accompanied by Erik’s explanation of the techniques. There will also be a comprehensive checklist at the start of each chapter of the things that a climber should be able to achieve at that stage.
I understand that climbing isn’t everyone’s chosen hobby, but if you do have an interest in the sport, then I’d recommend this book for sure.
Kickstarter
The Gumby Guidebook is funding on Kickstarter now, with some pretty cool tiers. If you want to be immortalised in print, that’s totally possible. The two upper tiers will include Kett putting your likeness in to the finished book. They have already smashed through their funding target, and still have 18 days to go. Please check the kickstarter out and considering helping them towards the target.
