Herbie Popnecker
Examples of Recurring Themes

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Herbie Popnecker Examples:
Miscellaneous Collections:
Roots of Herbie, the Fat Fury

Created: 2012-03-11 Updated: 2012-08-31
Examples: 14 Links: 26

Evolution of Herbie (27 examples)
Herbie's Creators (6 examples)

Herbie's backstory is revealed throughout the Herbie series, sometimes as an offhand remark. This page describes Herbie's early life, lollipop powers, and the origin of the Fat Fury.

Herbie developed an attachment to lollipops as a baby. Herbie's physique is hereditary, but his father, Pincus Popnecker, worked hard to slim down. Dad, unaware of Herbie's fame and powers, feels self-pity because his son is a little fat nothing. Judging from Herbie's Grandpa, Herbie's terse language may also be hereditary. Herbie gets his powers from special lollipops from the Unknown. Different lollipop flavors convey different powers. For purely conformist reasons, Herbie created his "costume hero" persona, the Fat Fury, but did not acquire new powers in the process.

Early History
Lollipop Powers
Origin of the Fat Fury

Index terms: origin, roots, back story, background, lollipops, hard-to-get cinnamon, schlemiehl, schlemiel, Unknown, Supernatural Lollipops, costume hero, licensed graduate hero, Richard E. Hughes, Ogden Whitney

Herbie's mom gave him a lollipop pacifier, which was stolen by a bird. A circus owner with pained ears earned Herbie's eternal gratitude by providing a replacement.

Source: Herbie #12a p.1 (1965-09)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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Herbie's mom gave him a lollipop pacifier, which was stolen by a bird.

Herbie's dad was a little fat nothing when he was young, but worked hard to get into shape. Dad clearly loves Mom, but is still a woman-chaser to feed his weak ego.

Source: Herbie #15a p.5 (1966-02)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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Herbie's dad was a little fat nothing when he was young, but worked hard to get into shape.

Without lollipops, Herbie becomes weak.

Source: Herbie #2a p.3 (1964-06)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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Without lollipops , Herbie becomes weak.

When Question Mark learns that Fat Fury gets his powers from lollipops, victory is simply a matter of destroying all lollipops. Fat Fury's animal friend finds one that Question Mark missed, and good prevails.

Source: Herbie #18a p.6 (1966-06)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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When Question Mark learns that Fat Fury gets his powers from lollipops , victory is simply a matter of destroying all lollipops.

Fat Fury naïvely explains to Magical Moe: Orange for flying. Lemon for mighty muscles. Strawberry for power to disappear. And so on. Fortunately, hard-to-get cinnamon is out of Magical Moe's reach and he can't remove its power.

Source: Herbie #22a p.6 (1966-12)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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Fat Fury naïvely explains to Magical Moe : Orange for flying .

While visiting a museum, Fat Fury finds an ancient hard-to-get cinnamon lollipop, "loaded with practically every power", and soon he's "even fatter, more furious than usual".

Source: Herbie #22a p.11 (1966-12)

Updated: 2012-03-11

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While visiting a museum , Fat Fury finds an ancient hard-to-get cinnamon lollipop , "loaded with practically every power", and soon he's "even fatter, more furious than usual".

And it's not just having the right lollipop, it also matters how they are used. You don't eat a time lollipop, you suck it.

Source: Herbie #8b p.3 (1965-03)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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And it's not just having the right lollipop , it also matters how they are used.

Herbie's special powers come from special lollipops from the Unknown. As a mortal, Herbie should not be doing business with Supernatural Lollipops, Inc., but Herbie is "not nearly as human as you think!"

Source: Herbie #15b p.2 (1966-02)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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Herbie's special powers come from special lollipops from the Unknown .

Herbie takes Napoleon to the Unknown, to his favorite lollipop factory.

Source: Herbie #15b p.8 (1966-02)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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Herbie takes Napoleon to the Unknown , to his favorite lollipop factory.

Reacting to the President Johnson's question "What are you doing about it?", Dad asks his little fat nothing of a son what he is doing about Mr. Horrible, and Herbie asks himself the same question. Herbie decides that costume heroes can meet the challenge.

Source: Herbie #8a p.4 (1965-03)

Updated: 2012-03-10

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