Herbie Popnecker

Herbie Popnecker
Examples of Recurring Themes

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Herbie, disguised as a fairy

Herbie Popnecker Examples:
Speech Patterns:
Little Fat Nothing

Created: 2004-10-13     Updated: 2012-05-16  
Stories: 28     Examples: 49     Links: 6  

Related:

Herbie's father often refers to him as a "little fat nothing". Dad wonders why he should have such an undeserved lot in life as a son like Herbie.

Note the order of the words and their first letters -- L-F-N -- which sounds a little like "elephant", which is shaped like Herbie, but not as fat. Learn it, or you want I should bop you with this here lollipop?

Index terms: denigrate, worthless, blood pressure, karma, kismet, envy, Richard E. Hughes, Ogden Whitney

Dad uttering the famous name for the first time in Forbidden Worlds #73, and Mom defends Herbie.
Source: Forbidden Worlds #73 p.2 (1958-12)
Updated: 2005-02-02
Dad uttering the famous name for the first time in Forbidden Worlds #73 , and Mom defends Herbie .
Prime Example: Dad is getting worked up and Mom tries to calm him down.
Source: Forbidden Worlds #114 p.2 (1963-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Prime Example : Dad is getting worked up and Mom tries to calm him down .
Herbyitis! It's a medical condition...
Source: Forbidden Worlds #114 p.3 (1963-09)
Updated: 2008-11-04
Herbyitis!
...and it affects Dad's blood pressure!
Source: Forbidden Worlds #114 p.14 (1963-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
...and it affects Dad's blood pressure!
In this lament, Dad refers to the previous story.
Source: Forbidden Worlds #116 p.2 (1963-11)
Updated: 2004-10-13
In this lament, Dad refers to the previous story .
Many references to "little fat nothing" came at the end of stories, this at the end of the first story in Herbie #1a.
Source: Herbie #1a p.13 (1964-04)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Many references to "little fat nothing" came at the end of stories, this at the end of the first story in Herbie #1a .
Another blood pressure reference.
Source: Herbie #1b p.12 (1964-04)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Another blood pressure reference.
A sad moment of rejection for Herbie.
Source: Herbie #2b p.12 (1964-06)
Updated: 2005-03-09
A sad moment of rejection for Herbie.
Source: Herbie #3a p.12 (1964-08)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #3a12
In #3b, the story begins with...
Source: Herbie #3b p.2 (1964-08)
Updated: 2004-10-13
In #3b , the story begins with...
...and ends with a "little fat nothing".
Source: Herbie #3b p.12 (1964-08)
Updated: 2004-10-13
...and ends with a "little fat nothing".
Source: Herbie #4a p.14 (1964-09)
Updated: 2008-11-04
Herbie #4a14
Source: Herbie #4b p.2 (1964-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #4b2
Mr. Bibblesnicker refers to Herbie as a little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #6a p.5 (1964-12)
Updated: 2008-12-02
Mr.
Source: Herbie #6b p.11 (1964-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #6b11
Source: Herbie #8a p.15 (1965-03)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #8a15
Source: Herbie #9a p.5 (1965-04)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #9a5
In #11a, Dad seems particularly upset with Herbie as he sleeps while he eats. In the second frame, he refers to Herbie as a "little fat slug".
Source: Herbie #11a p.2 (1965-08)
Updated: 2004-11-12
In #11a , Dad seems particularly upset with Herbie as he sleeps while he eats.
Source: Herbie #11a p.6 (1965-08)
Updated: 2004-10-15
Herbie #11a6
Hmmm. Dad can't say "Little Fatter Nothing" so he has to change the word order.
Source: Herbie #11a p.15 (1965-08)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Hmmm.
Source: Herbie #12b p.2 (1965-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #12b2
Source: Herbie #12b p.10 (1965-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #12b10
Source: Herbie #14a p.2 (1965-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #14a2
Dad does not notice that Herbie is floating.
Source: Herbie #14a p.14 (1965-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Dad does not notice that Herbie is floating.
In #14b, Mom asks Dad to avoid being, uh, negative? no, hmmm, inaccurate!
Source: Herbie #14b p.2 (1965-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
In #14b , Mom asks Dad to avoid being, uh, negative?
Not just Dad calls Herbie a little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #14b p.5 (1965-12)
Updated: 2008-10-18
Not just Dad calls Herbie a little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #14b p.12 (1965-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #14b12
In #15a, we learn that Herbie's dad was once a little fat nothing Herbie look-alike...
Source: Herbie #15a p.2 (1966-02)
Updated: 2008-10-11
In #15a , we learn that Herbie's dad was once a little fat nothing Herbie look-alike ...
...and even Pincus Popnecker refers to himself as a former little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #15a p.5 (1966-02)
Updated: 2004-10-13
...and even Pincus Popnecker refers to himself as a former little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #17a p.13 (1966-04)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #17a13
Source: Herbie #18a p.2 (1966-06)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #18a2
Source: Herbie #18a p.13 (1966-06)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #18a13
Source: Herbie #20b p.1 (1966-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #20b1
In #20b, Herbie acknowledges that his dad likes to think of him as a little fat nothing, and that it's better if his dad does not know of his powers.
Source: Herbie #20b p.2 (1966-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
In #20b , Herbie acknowledges that his dad likes to think of him as a little fat nothing, and that it's better if his dad does not know of his powers.
Source: Herbie #20b p.10 (1966-09)
Updated: 2004-10-21
Herbie #20b10
Source: Herbie #20b p.12 (1966-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #20b12
Source: Herbie #21a p.1 (1966-10)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #21a1
Source: Herbie #21a p.5 (1966-10)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #21a5
Source: Herbie #21a p.14 (1966-10)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Herbie #21a14
#22a starts with it...
Source: Herbie #22a p.1 (1966-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
#22a starts with it...
...and ends with it.
Source: Herbie #22a p.15 (1966-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
...and ends with it.
The last "little fat nothing" from Dad.
Source: Herbie #23a p.17 (1967-02)
Updated: 2004-11-09
The last "little fat nothing" from Dad.
Poor Example: In the 1992 "The Most Beautiful Mom in the World!", Dad looks angry instead of woeful, and he gets the order of the words wrong. "Fat Little Nothing"?
Source: Dark Horse Herbie #1 (1992)
Updated: 2008-11-25
Poor Example : In the 1992 "The Most Beautiful Mom in the World!", Dad looks angry instead of woeful, and he gets the order of the words wrong.
Poor Example: Dad's out of character, looking angry instead of self-pitying, and he gets the word order wrong.
Source: Dark Horse Herbie #1 (1992)
Updated: 2008-11-25
Poor Example : Dad's out of character, looking angry instead of self-pitying, and he gets the word order wrong.
Poor Example: Wrong word order. Sigh. And, Herbie is wearing purple pants. Undignified.
Source: Dark Horse Herbie #1 (1992)
Updated: 2008-11-25
Poor Example : Wrong word order.
In 1994 Flaming Carrot #31, Dad gets it right. "Little Fat Nothing". But Herbie is much more talkative than normal. The real Herbie would say "Will try." or more likely "Zzzzzzz" because he'd be asleep.
Source: Flaming Carrot #31 p.4 (1994)
Updated: 2008-11-25
In 1994 Flaming Carrot #31 , Dad gets it right.
Poor Example: In the 1996 "Pass the Puck Herbie", Dad doesn't look like his self-pitying self or sound like himself when he gets the order of the words wrong. "Fat Little Nothing"?
Source: ACG Return of Herbie #1 p.1 (1996)
Updated: 2008-11-25
Poor Example : In the 1996 "Pass the Puck Herbie", Dad doesn't look like his self-pitying self or sound like himself when he gets the order of the words wrong.
The correct order for "Little Fat Nothing" is discussed in a letter in Herbie #10. "Big difference."
Source: Herbie #10 (1965-06)
Updated: 2004-11-06
The correct order for "Little Fat Nothing" is discussed in a letter in Herbie #10 .
In the letters from Herbie #12, Herbie does not correct Vernon Proctor, but repeats the order "Fat Little Nothing", which makes me wonder who was answering the letters that month. "Fat little nothing" does turn nicely into "fattest little nothing", which might explain the exception. You can't say "Little Fattest Nothing" can you?
Source: Herbie #12 (1965-09)
Updated: 2004-11-06
In the letters from Herbie #12 , Herbie does not correct Vernon Proctor, but repeats the order "Fat Little Nothing", which makes me wonder who was answering the letters that month.