Herbie Popnecker

Herbie Popnecker
Examples of Recurring Themes

Herbie Comic Covers
Fat Fury

Gary Perlman's Compilation and Observations of Herbie Popnecker (the Fat Fury)

This page started when I realized that Herbie sometimes bit his adversaries. I compiled a few examples, adding to them occasionally, and eventually, it turned into an obsession. It represents all the examples of Herbie's powers, recurring gags, and oddities that I could find. The format is admittedly dense, but it allows an overview of when and how often the examples appeared. It is not complete for some areas (Herbie's speech comes to mind, and not just his catchphrase), so it might get expanded some time in the future. Some compilations might even be controversial (the one on Jewish references comes to mind). I hope that the compilations can be used for scholarly work I have used them to provide an explanation for Herbie's fatness, and to document why I think Richard Hughes was a fan of Jay Ward (e.g., Rocky and Bullwinkle) productions.

Herbie Popnecker is unique among superheroes. While looking less like a superhero than any other, he may also be the most powerful.

Despite Herbie's fame, his father, business bonehead Pincus Popnecker, unaware of his powers or the many villains Herbie faces, often refers to Herbie as a "little fat nothing," especially when he is sleeping. Herbie shrugs off these criticisms.

Links: Catalog of Stories | Cover Pages | Splash Pages of Stories | Indicia from Issues

Acknowledgment: Some categories here inspired by Bob Hughes' The Popnecker Papers: A Herbie History, Amazing Heroes #173, November 1989.

How to use the table: For each Herbie story (a-e from Forbidden Worlds, 1-23 from Herbie comics, DFA from the 1990s) a "+" is shown for one example, a "#" is shown for more. Note that 17b and 23b were reprints of FW94 and FW73 and are blank columns. Click a column header to see the splash page for that story. Hover your cursor over the + or # to see page numbers. Click the label at the right to show pictures of the examples with commentary. The bottom of the table shows the number of themes per story ("." for 5-9 themes, "-" for 10-14, "+" for 15-19, and "#" for 20 or more).

Order themes by: Theme Category | Example Count | When Created | When Updated | Theme Label | Theme Name

abcde1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223DFA         link to examples
          #     #      ++   ##           +   ##      # 10 20 * Dad's Ideas
 ++ #    #        #   +        +  +        #   +    +  11 18 * The Unknown
     #  #  #   +    + +   +  #    # ++    #   +  #  #  15 26 * Travels Back in Time UPDATED
++######+##++#+# #+ +++++#++++++#+###  +##++ ++#++  #  46 83 * Famous UPDATED
+++#++ #+   +#++ #+ + # + ++##++ +++#+ ### +#++#++   # 39 58 * Talks with Animals UPDATED
   +#  +  ++  +       +++#   #+      + +    +##  + +++ 21 27 * Hypnotic Eyes
   + +       +      +                        +          5  5 * Communicates Mysteriously
++ #####++    +     #  + #     #+ #++# +   ++#+# # +#  28 47 * Lollipops
  ++ +  ++ ++ + +#   ++  +  ++   # +++    # ###  +     24 35 * Bop you with this here lollipop
         ++     +   #        ++ ++   +  # +  #   +     13 18 * Biting
      +  +   +     + #     +  +  #+#+  #+      #+#     16 26 * Punching
                                                +       1  1 * Tickling
    +        +                  +    +  +  +            6  6 * Lightning Bolts
+           ++ +   #  +  +       +++     +     +++     14 15 * Swinging Adversaries UPDATED
  + + +++  #   +    ##+ +++   #+  +# +   +    # +      21 30 * Can't be Hurt UPDATED
  + +  #   +    +    #+   +    #   +   #   # +  +      14 20 * Breaks through walls UPDATED
         +       # #  +   +                   +  +      7 10 * Strong
########+++ ##+++#+# ##++#++#+###++#+# ##+##+#+### +#  49 94 * Flies UPDATED
  #      #+ #                    ++ +    + +   +       10 13 * Travels in Space by Walking UPDATED
    + +          #                          +           4  5 * Travels Underground by Flying
         +                +  +   + ++           #       7  8 * Travels Underwater by Walking UPDATED
 ++   ++ +   #  +   +           +              # +     11 13 * Travels by Moving Mysteriously UPDATED
# +  ++  +                                              5  6 * Invisible UPDATED
 ++ +#  +             +        +               ###     10 18 * Magical Powers
                         +        #+   + + +         +  7  8 * Speech - Says 'Something...?'
             +  +    +       #    +     + +  +   +      9 10 * Appreciates the Finer Things NEW
+   + # + +   #    +  +++#     +    #      +     + +++ 18 23 * Calm, Deadpan
    +  +  ++   + # ++    +     + #+ #            +     14 19 * Breaking the 4th Wall UPDATED
    + #    +## #  + + #      +   #       ++#  + ++     17 26 * Jewish References UPDATED
 +     ++  #####++#        + +  +   +# +      ##+#  +  22 38 * Shrugging UPDATED
   +###  #   ### +    + +++  #+   #++#  +#+   + #      24 41 * Women Swoon
      #                  #  +            ##             5  9 * Dad is a Masher NEW
      +       +                + +      #        +      6  7 * Dad is Unobservant NEW
++ +####+ ## ##++#+##++++# #+++++# ++# ++  # #+++#     41 82 * Disguises UPDATED
        +                + +     ++#                 +  7  8 * Deception NEW UPDATED
++++#  + ++# ++++ #+ +#++# #+++# #+++  +## +++ ++      37 47 * Villains/Adversaries
       + +  ++ #     ++ # ++ +  ++  ++ #   +  +#       19 23 * Lookalikes Galore
+  #+++ ++#++   +  + +   #  #  ###   + #    ## # + #++ 27 48 * Little Fat Nothing
       + + + ++  # +   +#  + +++#+ + + +# + ## + +     24 36 * Fat, Fat, Water Rat
#++   +  ++     +  + #++ +     +  +     + +  +     +   18 20 * Eating
    + +  + #      +#+#+# +  #+ #+    #  #+#+   ++    # 23 33 * Sleeping
 + +# #+++  + + + +##  #+ #+ # ### + # +# +++++# +   + 33 54 * Butt Jokes
         + +       + +  #  +   +  #    #       +#      11 15 * Squishing
    ++   ++ ++   +  +  +       +   +         +         12 12 * Stopping by Sticking Out Feet NEW UPDATED
         +    #   + + ++++    # +    +     +     #     13 17 * Boxer Shorts
          ++               #        +        +   +      6  7 * Baby Herbie
             + +                   +                    3  3 * Mountain Top Placement
               +                    +    +      +       4  4 * Animal Love
                +    +         +   +++                  6  6 * Buck Teeth
     +       +  +  +  +     + +   +                     8  8 * Handy Items UPDATED
                   +   +       +   +   +       +        6  6 * Plunger in the Ground UPDATED
         +      +                  +                    3  3 * Two-Headed Adversaries
   ++      +     +            +++                       7 11 * Errors
abcde1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223DFA         total examples: 1226
----#-++-#-+-++++--+++#+++---+-#+++#++ ++--+-++#+# ...         themes per orig story: 16.2 (1.3/page)

Order themes by: Theme Category | Example Count | When Created | When Updated | Theme Label | Theme Name


Recurring Story Lines

1. Dad's Ideas

Created: 2004-10-15

Updated: 2008-11-11

Stories: 10  Examples: 20

Herbie Popnecker examples: Dad's Ideas

2. The Unknown

Created: 2005-03-09

Updated: 2008-09-11

Stories: 11  Examples: 18

Herbie Popnecker examples: The Unknown

Herbie's Amazing Powers

1. Travels Back in Time

Created: 2004-10-19

Updated: 2008-11-17

Stories: 15  Examples: 26

Herbie Popnecker examples: Travels Back in Time

2. Famous

Created: 2004-10-07

Updated: 2008-11-20

Stories: 46  Examples: 83

Herbie Popnecker examples: Famous

3. Talks with Animals

Created: 2004-10-07

Updated: 2008-11-21

Stories: 39  Examples: 58

Herbie Popnecker examples: Talks with Animals

4. Hypnotic Eyes

Created: 2004-10-06

Updated: 2008-11-04

Stories: 21  Examples: 27

Herbie Popnecker examples: Hypnotic Eyes

5. Communicates Mysteriously

Created: 2005-03-14

Updated: 2008-09-06

Stories: 5  Examples: 5

Herbie Popnecker examples: Communicates Mysteriously

6. Lollipops

Created: 2004-11-10

Updated: 2008-11-04

Stories: 28  Examples: 47

Herbie Popnecker examples: Lollipops

7. Bop you with this here lollipop

Created: 2004-10-16

Updated: 2008-09-11

Stories: 24  Examples: 35

Herbie Popnecker examples: Bop you with this here lollipop

8. Biting

Created: 2004-10-07

Updated: 2008-11-10

Stories: 13  Examples: 18

Herbie Popnecker examples: Biting

9. Punching

Created: 2004-11-13

Updated: 2008-11-10

Stories: 16  Examples: 26

Herbie Popnecker examples: Punching

10. Tickling

Created: 2005-03-10

Updated: 2008-10-24

Stories: 1  Examples: 1

Herbie Popnecker examples: Tickling

11. Lightning Bolts

Created: 2005-03-09

Updated: 2008-11-10

Stories: 6  Examples: 6

Herbie Popnecker examples: Lightning Bolts

12. Swinging Adversaries

Created: 2005-02-09

Updated: 2008-11-22

Stories: 14  Examples: 15

Herbie Popnecker examples: Swinging Adversaries

13. Can't be Hurt

Created: 2004-10-21

Updated: 2008-11-22

Stories: 21  Examples: 30

Herbie Popnecker examples: Can't be Hurt

14. Breaks through walls

Created: 2004-11-06

Updated: 2008-11-17

Stories: 14  Examples: 20

Herbie Popnecker examples: Breaks through walls

15. Strong

Created: 2005-09-22

Updated: 2008-11-04

Stories: 7  Examples: 10

Herbie Popnecker examples: Strong

16. Flies

Created: 2005-03-13

Updated: 2008-11-20

Stories: 49  Examples: 94

Herbie Popnecker examples: Flies

17. Travels in Space by Walking

Created: 2004-11-12

Updated: 2008-11-17

Stories: 10  Examples: 13

Herbie Popnecker examples: Travels in Space by Walking

18. Travels Underground by Flying

Created: 2004-11-06

Updated: 2008-09-06

Stories: 4  Examples: 5

Herbie Popnecker examples: Travels Underground by Flying

19. Travels Underwater by Walking

Created: 2004-11-06

Updated: 2008-11-22

Stories: 7  Examples: 8

Herbie Popnecker examples: Travels Underwater by Walking

20. Travels by Moving Mysteriously

Created: 2005-03-14

Updated: 2008-11-21

Stories: 11  Examples: 13

Herbie Popnecker examples: Travels by Moving Mysteriously

21. Invisible

Created: 2004-11-07

Updated: 2008-11-22

Stories: 5  Examples: 6

Herbie Popnecker examples: Invisible

22. Magical Powers

Created: 2004-11-14

Updated: 2008-09-03

Stories: 10  Examples: 18

Herbie Popnecker examples: Magical Powers

Gags

1. Speech - Says 'Something...?'

Created: 2004-11-17

Updated: 2008-09-11

Stories: 7  Examples: 8

Herbie Popnecker examples: Speech - Says 'Something...?'

2. Appreciates the Finer Things

Created: 2008-11-09

Updated: 2008-11-10

Stories: 9  Examples: 10

Herbie Popnecker examples: Appreciates the Finer Things

3. Calm, Deadpan

Created: 2004-10-05

Updated: 2008-09-14

Stories: 18  Examples: 23

Herbie Popnecker examples: Calm, Deadpan

4. Breaking the 4th Wall

Created: 2005-03-13

Updated: 2008-11-22

Stories: 14  Examples: 19

Herbie Popnecker examples: Breaking the 4th Wall

5. Jewish References

Created: 2005-07-30

Updated: 2008-11-19

Stories: 17  Examples: 26

Herbie Popnecker examples: Jewish References

6. Shrugging

Created: 2004-11-07

Updated: 2008-11-14

Stories: 22  Examples: 38

Herbie Popnecker examples: Shrugging