Herbie Popnecker
Examples of Recurring Themes

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.

Herbie can "fly" by walking through air, or space, or water.
Herbie can travel through time, or the ground, or through walls (some damage occurs), sometimes breaking the fourth wall.
Herbie is the least emotional of any super hero, and one of few words.
Herbie defeats many of his opponents by looking at them, but sometimes, he bops them with this here lollipop.
Herbie gets many of his powers from lollipops, some of which come from the Unknown.
Herbie is pretty much indestructible, and he's strong, sometimes swinging his adversaries. Herbie occasionally uses magic.
Herbie is a master of disguise, and he meets with a surprising number of look alikes.
Herbie gets a lot of help from his friends. He is well known to people throughout the world, and beyond, throughout time. Animals know and talk to Herbie.
Herbie is adored by all women (unlike his dad), but sometimes he can be sensitive about comments about his weight. He is not often shown eating.
Herbie is mysterious. He sometimes communicates mysteriously, moves mysteriously, and mysteriously, has handy items with him.
Herbie is sometimes involved in visual humor, such as biting, punching, butt jokes, plunger problems, and embarrassing situations. Things often get squished.

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).

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)

Recurring Story Lines
1. Dad's Ideas Created: 2004-10-15 Updated: 2008-11-11 Stories: 10 Examples: 20
2. The Unknown Created: 2005-03-09 Updated: 2008-09-11 Stories: 11 Examples: 18
Herbie's Amazing Powers
1. Travels Back in Time Created: 2004-10-19 Updated: 2008-11-17 Stories: 15 Examples: 26
2. Famous Created: 2004-10-07 Updated: 2008-11-20 Stories: 46 Examples: 83
3. Talks with Animals Created: 2004-10-07 Updated: 2008-11-21 Stories: 39 Examples: 58
4. Hypnotic Eyes Created: 2004-10-06 Updated: 2008-11-04 Stories: 21 Examples: 27
5. Communicates Mysteriously Created: 2005-03-14 Updated: 2008-09-06 Stories: 5 Examples: 5
6. Lollipops Created: 2004-11-10 Updated: 2008-11-04 Stories: 28 Examples: 47
7. Bop you with this here lollipop Created: 2004-10-16 Updated: 2008-09-11 Stories: 24 Examples: 35
8. Biting Created: 2004-10-07 Updated: 2008-11-10 Stories: 13 Examples: 18
9. Punching Created: 2004-11-13 Updated: 2008-11-10 Stories: 16 Examples: 26
10. Tickling Created: 2005-03-10 Updated: 2008-10-24 Stories: 1 Examples: 1
11. Lightning Bolts Created: 2005-03-09 Updated: 2008-11-10 Stories: 6 Examples: 6
12. Swinging Adversaries Created: 2005-02-09 Updated: 2008-11-22 Stories: 14 Examples: 15
13. Can't be Hurt Created: 2004-10-21 Updated: 2008-11-22 Stories: 21 Examples: 30
14. Breaks through walls Created: 2004-11-06 Updated: 2008-11-17 Stories: 14 Examples: 20
15. Strong Created: 2005-09-22 Updated: 2008-11-04 Stories: 7 Examples: 10
16. Flies Created: 2005-03-13 Updated: 2008-11-20 Stories: 49 Examples: 94
17. Travels in Space by Walking Created: 2004-11-12 Updated: 2008-11-17 Stories: 10 Examples: 13
18. Travels Underground by Flying Created: 2004-11-06 Updated: 2008-09-06 Stories: 4 Examples: 5
19. Travels Underwater by Walking Created: 2004-11-06 Updated: 2008-11-22 Stories: 7 Examples: 8
20. Travels by Moving Mysteriously Created: 2005-03-14 Updated: 2008-11-21 Stories: 11 Examples: 13
21. Invisible Created: 2004-11-07 Updated: 2008-11-22 Stories: 5 Examples: 6
22. Magical Powers Created: 2004-11-14 Updated: 2008-09-03 Stories: 10 Examples: 18
Gags
1. Speech - Says 'Something...?' Created: 2004-11-17 Updated: 2008-09-11 Stories: 7 Examples: 8
2. Appreciates the Finer Things Created: 2008-11-09 Updated: 2008-11-10 Stories: 9 Examples: 10
3. Calm, Deadpan Created: 2004-10-05 Updated: 2008-09-14 Stories: 18 Examples: 23
4. Breaking the 4th Wall Created: 2005-03-13 Updated: 2008-11-22 Stories: 14 Examples: 19
5. Jewish References Created: 2005-07-30 Updated: 2008-11-19 Stories: 17 Examples: 26
6. Shrugging Created: 2004-11-07 Updated: 2008-11-14 Stories: 22 Examples: 38