Herbie Popnecker is a fictional comic book character who first appeared in Forbidden Worlds #73 in December 1958, published by American Comics Group. He was created by Richard E. Hughes (using the pseudonym "Shane O'Shea") and Ogden Whitney.
Herbie is an atypical hero - a short, obese, unemotional, terse, unstylish boy. Deriving some of his powers from genetics and some from magical lollipops he obtains from a salesman (from a mysterious realm called "the Unknown"), Herbie can carry on detailed conversations with animals and sometimes even inanimate objects (who all know him by name), quickly reach any location (including other galaxies) by walking through the sky, become invisible, cast spells, summon spirits from other dimensions, quickly dispatch all enemies with ease, and travel through time. Despite his appearance and terse personality, he is irresistible to women.
Publication history
Herbie made several appearances in Forbidden Worlds, in issues #73, #94, #110, #114, and #116—the final two issues with Herbie featured on the cover. Herbie also made a cameo appearance—albeit very much out of character—in Unknown Worlds #20, published in 1961.
Herbie received his own title, Herbie, in April 1964. The series ran for twenty-three issues until February 1967, shortly before the demise of American Comics Group.
Fictional character biography
Herbie's parents are unaware of his great powers and fame. His mother is reasonably supportive; however, his father, Pincus Popnecker, repeatedly refers to him as a "little fat nothing" and longs for a more ambitious son. Pincus believes himself to be a financial genius and destined for greatness. Despite his wholesome and conservative "1950s dad" appearance, he constantly engages in foolish schemes, inevitably fails in spectacular fashion and winds up in varying levels of trouble. Herbie is always obliged to help him in each circumstance, though the clueless Pincus never notices this and always takes the credit for victory himself.
Herbie is practically always shown with a lollipop, and lollipops are the main subjects of several stories. Herbie can "bop" adversaries with his lollipops, immediately defeating them. Herbie intimidates his adversaries by asking them rhetorically, "You want I should bop you with this here lollipop?", which almost always results in them backing down.
Fat Fury
In Herbie #8 (March 1965), Herbie feels a need to become a costumed superhero; but, after failing superhero school, he creates the Fat Fury by donning full-body red underwear with a drop seat, a blue cape, a blue plastic mask, and a plunger on his head. He is bare-footed. Herbie's obtuse father then begins to wish that his "little fat nothing" of a son could be more like the Fat Fury.
As the Fat Fury, Herbie does not have any powers beyond the many he had before donning the costume. Although Herbie travels back in time, the Fat Fury never does. The Fat Fury was featured in even-numbered Herbie comics from #8 to #22.
Powers
Hypnotic eyes that can defeat opponents by staring
Famous throughout history and able to depend on the help of others
By talking to animals, able to gather information and use animals' abilities
Powerful lollipops provide superhuman strength and other special abilities
Punching, often very rapidly
Time travel (using a special lollipop and a grandfather clock) Indestructibility—Herbie is often unaware he is even being attacked Fly at great speed, but doing so by walking upright. In addition to being able to walk on air and through space, he can walk underwater. Herbie can also fly underground and often breaks through walls Invisibility—early on, Herbie could become invisible, but stopped using that power by the third Herbie issue Magic—visiting "the Unknown", a mysterious spirit world which supplies him with his lollipops