Herbie Popnecker

Herbie Popnecker
Examples of Recurring Themes

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Herbie Claus, stuck in a chimney

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
Themes Cover Scan
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
Another blood pressure reference.
A sad moment of rejection for Herbie.
Source: Herbie #2b p.12 (1964-06)
Updated: 2005-03-09
Themes Cover
A sad moment of rejection for Herbie.
Source: Herbie #3a p.12 (1964-08)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #3a12
In #3b, the story begins with...
Source: Herbie #3b p.2 (1964-08)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
In #3b , the story begins with...
...and ends with a "little fat nothing".
Source: Herbie #3b p.12 (1964-08)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
...and ends with a "little fat nothing".
Source: Herbie #4a p.14 (1964-09)
Updated: 2008-11-04
Themes Cover
Herbie #4a14
Source: Herbie #4b p.2 (1964-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #4b2
Mr. Bibblesnicker refers to Herbie as a little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #6a p.5 (1964-12)
Updated: 2008-12-02
Themes Cover
Mr.
Source: Herbie #6b p.11 (1964-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #6b11
Source: Herbie #8a p.15 (1965-03)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #8a15
Source: Herbie #9a p.5 (1965-04)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
Hmmm.
Source: Herbie #12b p.2 (1965-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #12b2
Source: Herbie #12b p.10 (1965-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #12b10
Source: Herbie #14a p.2 (1965-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #14a2
Dad does not notice that Herbie is floating.
Source: Herbie #14a p.14 (1965-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
Not just Dad calls Herbie a little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #14b p.12 (1965-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
...and even Pincus Popnecker refers to himself as a former little fat nothing.
Source: Herbie #17a p.13 (1966-04)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #17a13
Source: Herbie #18a p.2 (1966-06)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #18a2
Source: Herbie #18a p.13 (1966-06)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #18a13
Source: Herbie #20b p.1 (1966-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
Herbie #20b10
Source: Herbie #20b p.12 (1966-09)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #20b12
Source: Herbie #21a p.1 (1966-10)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #21a1
Source: Herbie #21a p.5 (1966-10)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #21a5
Source: Herbie #21a p.14 (1966-10)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
Herbie #21a14
#22a starts with it...
Source: Herbie #22a p.1 (1966-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
#22a starts with it...
...and ends with it.
Source: Herbie #22a p.15 (1966-12)
Updated: 2004-10-13
Themes Cover
...and ends with it.
The last "little fat nothing" from Dad.
Source: Herbie #23a p.17 (1967-02)
Updated: 2004-11-09
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Themes Cover
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
Cover
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
Cover
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.