Herbie Popnecker Examples of Recurring Themes Page Header, with Links to Examples and a Catalog of Stories (Materials on Herbie Popnecker to migrate to HerbiePopnecker.com)

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

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, though he can be impatient.
• 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 deception, 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. He has a strong sense of honor.
• Herbie is adored by all women unlike his dad), but he can be sensitive about comments about his weight, and sometimes finds himself in embarrassing situations. Herbie appreciates the finer things. He is not shown eating as often as one might expect.
• 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, fainting, sudden stops, butt jokes, plunger problems, and things often get squished or splashed. Everything has sound-effects, of course.

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 Herbie is sleeping. Herbie shrugs off these criticisms.

The Story Behind this Collection

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. It is not complete for some areas (Herbie's speech comes to mind, and not just his catchphrase), so it might get expanded as time goes on. Some compilations might even be controversial (the one on Jewish references comes to mind, as well as racial stereotypes). I hope that the compilations can be used for scholarly work: Herbiology™. 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 productions (e.g., Rocky & Bullwinkle).

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

Catalog of Stories | Covers and Indicia from Issues | Splash Pages and Ending Panels of Stories | Calendar | Captionless | Errors | Ads

Recurring Themes

• Recurring Plot Devices A plot device is a means of advancing the plot in a story, often used to motivate characters, create urgency or resolve a difficulty. -- Wikipedia
• Herbie's Amazing Powers Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used. -- Wikipedia
• Recurring Gags A joke or an amusing story or scene, esp. one forming part of a comedian's act or in a film or play. -- encyclopedia.com
• You Can Say That Again What characters say in Herbie comics to communicate verbally.

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

Recurring Plot Devices
1. Dad's Ideas Herbie's dad, Pincus Popnecker, is a failed businessman with one terrible business idea after another. When Dad gets into trouble with his idea, he is bailed out by Herbie, and thinks that he is business genius. Created: 2004-10-15 Updated: 2012-02-13 Stories: 11  Examples: 22
2. The Unknown The Unknown is a mysterious world with ghosts, witches, spirits, and monsters in outer space, above the clouds on which it rests. Some of Herbie's lollipops come from the Unknown, and Herbie goes there to learn magic. Created: 2005-03-09 Updated: 2012-02-14 Stories: 11  Examples: 18
3. Love Herbie is a great lover, or so think all the women who swoon for him, and ask for a kiss, but that is just a running gag. Created: 2011-12-31 Updated: 2012-02-14 Stories: 7  Examples: 19
4. Sports Herbie's dad wished that Herbie would be an athlete instead of a little fat nothing. Created: 2011-12-31 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 17  Examples: 24
5. Villains/Adversaries Herbie faced many adversaries, including some evil villains who stole lollipops. All had silly names. Created: 2005-10-02 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 37  Examples: 47

Herbie's Amazing Powers
1. Travels Back in Time Herbie, with a special time-travel lollipop, rode the family grandfather clock back in time, often finding that history was not as historians had claimed. Created: 2004-10-19 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 15  Examples: 26
2. Lollipops Herbie is always eating lollipops, even when sleeping. There are special lollipops for time-travel and bopping, and we learn that Herbie loses many of his powers without lollipops. Herbie is always on the look-out for hard-to-get cinnamon. Created: 2004-11-10 Updated: 2012-02-15 Stories: 32  Examples: 59
3. Famous Herbie is known to people and animals everywhere, throughout history, and he often uses that to his advantage. Presidents and royalty seek his help. He's always exchanging favors. Created: 2004-10-07 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 47  Examples: 84
4. Virtuous Herbie has many virtues. He has a strong sense of honor, a respect for authority, and he is empathetic, loyal, patriotic, generous, modest, and even chivalrous. And from his efforts to cope with his dad's ideas, it's clear that he's loyal to his parents, for which he is rewarded by being called a little fat nothing. Created: 2008-12-14 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 27  Examples: 32
5. Talks with Animals Herbie helps and is helped by animals everywhere, even in space! It helps that he can speak their language and knows them by name. They are constantly asking for his autograph. Created: 2004-10-07 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 39  Examples: 59
6. Hypnotic Eyes Often, Herbie's hypnotic eyes are all he needs to overpower an adversary. One look and a surrender and confession follows. They may say "anything but that face", but it's the eyes. Created: 2004-10-06 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 22  Examples: 29
7. Flying Herbie flew by walking on air or in space in almost every story, and in those where he did not walk on air, he flew into the past in a grandfather clock or as a costume superhero as the Fat Fury. Created: 2005-03-13 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 49  Examples: 94
8. Falling It's not an unusual power to be able to fall, unless you factor in Herbie's weight, but Herbie (and others) jump or fall into action butt first, often on an adversary, resulting in squished adversaries. Created: 2011-12-28 Updated: 2012-02-19 Stories: 12  Examples: 13
9. Travels in Space Herbie walks and talks in space pretty much the same way he walks in air. What else would you expect? Created: 2004-11-12 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 10  Examples: 13
10. Travels Underground Herbie can "fly" through the earth, invariably ending up in Hades. Created: 2004-11-06 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 4  Examples: 5
11. Travels in Water Whether on land, in air, in space, underwater, or on water, Herbie walks the same way. Does he breath? He seems deep in thought, with his hands behind his back. Created: 2004-11-06 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 7  Examples: 8
12. Travels Mysteriously In addition to flying by walking, in space, underground, underwater, or just time travel, Herbie has other ways of getting around. He can run, ride a bike, push a train, ride a rocket, or a flaming comet, or a horse, or a flaming horse. Created: 2005-03-14 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 14  Examples: 18
13. Punching Herbie did not punch anyone until he got his own comic. Before that, he used lollipops to bop. Sometimes, Herbie is squished by a double-fisted punch. But he can give it as good as he takes, especially in rapid flurries of punches. Created: 2004-11-13 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 16  Examples: 27
14. Can't be Hurt We don't know why, but Herbie can not be hurt (unless it's funny). Bullets bounce off him, punches have no effect, he can't be executes, and he is not affected by fire. Created: 2004-10-21 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 21  Examples: 32
15. Breaking In, Out, and Through Like in many cartoons, the shape of the hole in the wall matches what's gone through. Unlike most cartoons, Herbie often goes through walls butt first. Created: 2004-11-06 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 15  Examples: 21
16. Swinging Adversaries Swinging is a great gag power, so humiliating to the swingee. The correct technique is by the feet for humans and by the tail or trunk for animals. After they are released, who knows where they will land -- maybe a mountain-top. Created: 2005-02-09 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 14  Examples: 16
17. Strong Despite having all he needed, Herbie seldom displayed his superhuman strength. Created: 2005-09-22 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 9  Examples: 12
18. Invisible Early on, it looked like invisibility would be a regular power, but it soon disappeared. Created: 2004-11-07 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 5  Examples: 6
19. Magical Powers Herbie uses magic in early stories, then not until the final few stories, when Herbie needs to learn magic because he has lost his powers. Created: 2004-11-14 Updated: 2012-02-14 Stories: 12  Examples: 20
20. Lightning Bolts Herbie could harness the power of lightning, often directing it to someone's butt. CR-RAK! Created: 2005-03-09 Updated: 2012-02-14 Stories: 6  Examples: 6
21. Communicates Mysteriously In addition to his odd speech patterns, his ability to talk to animals, or just his ability to stare down an opponent, Herbie had others ways to communicate. Created: 2005-03-14 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 6  Examples: 6
22. Biting Herbie sometimes bit his adversaries, and sometimes they bit him. Created: 2004-10-07 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 14  Examples: 19
23. Tripping Herbie is resourceful enough to use tripping when he needs it, and generous enough to explain to us how it's done. Created: 2011-12-28 Updated: 2012-02-12 Stories: 2  Examples: 2
24. Tickling There is only one example of Herbie ticking, in the next to last story in the series, but it's a great gag attack. Created: 2005-03-10 Updated: 2012-02-12 Stories: 1  Examples: 1

Recurring Gags
1. Disguises Despite having a unique physique, Herbie was able to use disguises to avoid recognition. Herbie created his disguises from a chest of costumes labeled "DISGUISES" Created: 2004-11-09 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 42  Examples: 83
2. Deception Sometimes Herbie and others used misdirection or absurdly bad attempts at deception, such as without the obligatory bad disguise. Created: 2008-11-21 Updated: 2012-02-15 Stories: 7  Examples: 8
3. Lookalikes Galore People from both sides of Herbie's family looked like him, including his father and grandfather. Then, random people through history bore an uncanny resemblance. Some look-alikes looked good to Herbie, but some were ugly to him. Created: 2004-10-02 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 21  Examples: 25
4. Baby Herbie Sometimes by time travel, disguise, memory, imagination, or a fountain of youth, we get to see Herbie as a baby, looking just like him as a boy. Created: 2004-11-12 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 7  Examples: 8
5. Fat, Fat, Water Rat Herbie's dad always referred to his disappointing son as a little fat nothing, and it's hard not to notice Herbie's shape, a shape Herbie's father once had. But Herbie was never limited by his weight. As Herbie put it, "So I'm fat. So what?" Created: 2005-03-09 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 27  Examples: 39
6. Women Swoon Women find Herbie irresistible, despite his weight, despite his face, despite his ineloquence. Maybe it's his savoir-faire. Created: 2004-11-14 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 24  Examples: 41
7. Sleeping Herbie was often sleeping during the day, much to his father's dismay. Herbie slept with his glasses on, often with a lollipop in his mouth. Created: 2004-10-17 Updated: 2012-02-15 Stories: 25  Examples: 38
8. Sound-Effects Like many comics, every Herbie story had sound effects, mostly silly, almost all with exclamation points. There were many sound effects with punching, things getting squished, butt jokes, breaking through walls, lolli-bopping, ... Created: 2008-11-22 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 51  Examples: 76
9. Butt Jokes Butts were the butt of many visual jokes, usually with sound-effects. Sometimes, Herbie fell on adversaries, butt first, resulting in severe damage. Created: 2005-02-05 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 40  Examples: 71
10. Jewish References Herbie stories had many Jewish references in character names, food, and manner of speaking. This may be attributable to the roots of the author of the stories. Created: 2005-07-30 Updated: 2012-02-15 Stories: 12  Examples: 17
11. Shrugging Often in response to Dad calling Herbie a "little fat nothing", Herbie's shrug is asking the reader for relief from his incomprehensible situation. Is this a Jewish expression? Created: 2004-11-07 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 26  Examples: 42
12. Tap-Tap Herbie must be stealthy to get so close that he can tap them to get their attention. Because he is about three feet tall, he only taps on the shoulder when flying. Created: 2011-12-26 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 8  Examples: 13
13. Calm, Deadpan While one could call Herbie calm, cool, and collected, one could also call him comically detached or clinically Asperger, but he shows genuine empathy for others. Created: 2004-10-05 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 23  Examples: 29
14. Impatient/Busy/Rushed When Herbie is ready to act, he doesn't like waiting around. Enough dilly-dallying, enough shilly-shallying, or just enough. Created: 2008-12-14 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 16  Examples: 18
15. Appreciates the Finer Things Maybe it's from being famous and part of the reason that women swoon for him, or maybe it's related to his relationship with Professor Flipdome, Herbie is interested in and appreciates things. Created: 2008-11-09 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 16  Examples: 17
16. Breaking the 4th Wall Like many cartoons, characters in Herbie comics broke the 4th wall and |referred to being in a comic and addressed the audience. Herbie went further by breaking the 4th wall within the comic: Herbie broke into a movie to hit up Cary Grant for money; Herbie grabbed thought balloons and even climbed in. Created: 2005-03-13 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 15  Examples: 21
17. Eating Herbie was introduced as a fat boy who ate a lot, but in later issues, he was not often depicted as eating (except lollipops, of course). Created: 2004-10-15 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 19  Examples: 21
18. Handy Items Sometimes, Herbie just happened to have handy just what he needed. It didn't matter where he was, the size of the item, or how unusual it would be to have it handy. Never mind where he got it from, either. Created: 2004-11-12 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 10  Examples: 10
19. Squishing No one gets injured in Herbie comics, so to show how badly someone had been beaten, they would appear to be compressed, flattened, squished like an accordion. Often, the squished would decompress, sometimes with the aid of a handy airpump. Created: 2003-03-09 Updated: 2012-02-16 Stories: 11  Examples: 15
20. Splashing Splashing is usually the effect of landing in a liquid (butt first), or an insult from an animal. Created: 2008-11-24 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 14  Examples: 17
21. Stopping by Sticking Out Feet Herbie and others stopped on land and in the air by sticking out their feet and leaning back SKREE-EEEE! Created: 2008-11-20 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 13  Examples: 13
22. Boxer Shorts Somehow, Herbie often ends up in his underwear in public, which always includes polka dot boxer shorts. Created: 2004-11-11 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 13  Examples: 17
23. Stereotypes They were different times back then. I don't think any of the stereotypes were mean-spirited, but there are examples of African, Native American (Indian), Eskimo, and Chinese stereotypes that today would probably not appear in print. Created: 2011-12-25 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 9  Examples: 12
24. Buck Teeth It's pretty clear that Herbie does not find buck-teeth objectionable. Created: 2004-11-12 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 9  Examples: 9
25. Fainting Women fainted, men fainted, animals fainted. Created: 2008-11-29 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 8  Examples: 8
26. Dad is a Masher Pincus Popnecker loved his wife, but thought he was quite a stud. Created: 2008-10-23 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 5  Examples: 9
27. Dad is an Idiot Sure, Dad has bad ideas, so we think he's an idiot, but characters in Herbie stories think so, too. Created: 2011-12-29 Updated: 2012-02-12 Stories: 7  Examples: 8
28. Dad is Unobservant Dad could never see through any of Herbie's disguises, or notice when Herbie was floating in air. Dad would convince himself that he was imagining things he thought he saw Herbie doing. Created: 2008-10-23 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 6  Examples: 7
29. Herbie's Secret Powers Although Herbie was famous around the world and throughout history, his parents were unaware of his powers. Herbie thought that it was better that they not know, especially his father. Created: 2011-12-26 Updated: 2012-02-15 Stories: 6  Examples: 9
30. Herbie is Oblivious While Dad is unobservant, Herbie can be completely unaware of what's going on around him. Created: 2011-12-28 Updated: 2012-02-15 Stories: 5  Examples: 5
31. Animal Love Several Herbie stories conclude with a main female character falling in love with someone (or something) unusual: a caveman, an alien, or an animal. Created: 2004-11-12 Updated: 2012-02-11 Stories: 4  Examples: 4
32. Plunger Jokes Herbie wore a plunger on his head when disguised as the Fat Fury. It never served a useful purpose, except as a prop in a gag, usually with its own sound-effect, FWOINNNG!, as Fat Fury plunged into the ground, possibly because Herbie was not using his usual flying style. Created: 2005-02-07 Updated: 2012-02-11 Stories: 6  Examples: 6
33. Mountain Top Placement Herbie puts his foes on mountain tops because it leaves them with no options. They are defeated non-violently. Created: 2004-10-04 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 3  Examples: 3
34. Two-Headed Adversaries Two-headed creatures were the main villains in two stories, and a camel with two elephant heads made it a trio. They all laughed like this: HAW-HAW-HAW! Created: 2005-03-09 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 3  Examples: 3

You Can Say That Again
1. Little Fat Nothing Herbie's father often referred to him as a "little fat nothing". Dad wonders why he should have such an undeserved lot in life as a son like Herbie. Created: 2004-10-13 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 28  Examples: 49
2. Bop you with this here lollipop Herbie often bopped his adversaries with special bopping lollipops, which makes bopping a power. But bopping led to his catchphrase rhetorical question "You want I should bop you with this here lollipop?" Created: 2004-10-16 Updated: 2012-02-14 Stories: 24  Examples: 35
3. Says 'WANNA' Herbie took many shortcuts in his speech, saying DUNNO, GIMME, GONNA, GOTTA, WANNA, and WOTTA. Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 25  Examples: 36
4. Says 'TCH, TCH' Herbie says "TCH, TCH" when he does not like what he sees. So do some others. Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 20  Examples: 25
5. Says 'Something...?' Herbie is a man of few words. Herbie uses unusual speech patterns, often leaving out subjects and objects or verbs. Rather than ask "Is something happening?" Herbie will just say "Something?" sometimes in response to an attack. Created: 2004-11-17 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 9  Examples: 10
6. Says 'HO-HUM' Herbie says "HO-HUM" when he's bored with what he thinks are mundane events. Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 9  Examples: 10
7. Says 'OH-OH' Herbie says "OH-OH" when something has gone wrong. Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 7  Examples: 8
8. Says 'Always Trouble' Herbie sometimes used the pattern "problem, always problem". Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 8  Examples: 9
9. Says-Schmez Herbie uses some fancy-schmancy language to mock things. Is this speech pattern a Jewish reference? Created: 2005-07-30 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 11  Examples: 14
10. Says 'UH-UH' When Herbie says "UH-UH", he means "No", or he is stammering. He'll also say "Nope." Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 11  Examples: 14
11. Says 'Hate Something' Herbie has a lot of dislikes, some very specific, such as fat jokes and some look-alikes. Ah, irony. Herbie hates fat, trouble, fighting, talk, snakes, scaredy-cats, pinch of salt, touch of gravy, being disintegrated, rats, and he can't stand thar water rat business. Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-18 Stories: 11  Examples: 13
12. Says 'Wiseguy' A wise guy is someone who does something Herbie does not like, a jerk. Created: 2008-12-01 Updated: 2012-02-17 Stories: 10  Examples: 13

Summary Table of Examples

How to use the table: The format is admittedly dense, but it allows an overview of when and how often the examples appeared.

• 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. Hover your cursor over the + or # to see page numbers.
• 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.
• Click an asterisk to see a popup example theme.
• 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 10-14 themes, "-" for 15-19, "+" for 20-24, and "#" for 25 or more); each symbol links to a page of all the themes in that story.

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
          #     #      ++   ##          #+   ##      # 11 22 * Dad's Ideas UPDATED
 ++ #    #        #   +        +  +        #   +    +  11 18 * The Unknown UPDATED
        #      #        #       ++  #           #       7 19 * Love NEW
  +  +#     +   ++  ++#    + +  +#       +   #+      + 17 24 * Sports NEW
++++#  + ++# ++++ #+ +#++# #+++# #+++  +## +++ ++      37 47 * Villains/Adversaries UPDATED
     #  #  #   +    + +   +  #    # ++    #   +  #  #  15 26 * Travels Back in Time UPDATED
++ #####++    +  +  #+ + #+  + #+ #++# #   ++#+# # +#  32 59 * Lollipops UPDATED
++######+##++#+# #+ +++++#++++++#+###  +##++ ++#++  #+ 47 84 * Famous UPDATED
    #+ ++    ++# + ++ + + +   + ++ +++  + + ++#++#     27 32 * Virtuous UPDATED
+++#++ #+   +#++ #+ + # + ++##++ ++##+ ### +#++#++   # 39 59 * Talks with Animals UPDATED
   +#  +  ++  +   +   +++#   #+      + +    +##  + +++ 22 29 * Hypnotic Eyes UPDATED
########+++ ##+++#+# ##++#++#+###++#+# ##+##+#+### +#  49 94 * Flying UPDATED
   +   +     +     +  +++ +    #       +      ++       12 13 * Falling NEW
  #      #+     #                ++ +    + +   +       10 13 * Travels in Space UPDATED
    + +          #                          +           4  5 * Travels Underground UPDATED
         +                +  +   + ++           #       7  8 * Travels in Water UPDATED
 ++   ++ +   #  #   +  +        ++         #   # +     14 18 * Travels Mysteriously UPDATED
      +  +   +     + #     +  +  #+#+  #+      #+#     16 27 * Punching UPDATED
  + # +++  #   +    ##+ +++   #+  +# +   +    # +      21 32 * Can't be Hurt UPDATED
  + +  #   +    +    #+   +    #   +   # + # +  +      15 21 * Breaking In, Out, and Through UPDATED
+           ++ +   #  +  +       +++     +     +++     14 16 * Swinging Adversaries UPDATED
      +  +       # #  +   +            +      +  +      9 12 * Strong UPDATED
# +  ++  +                                              5  6 * Invisible UPDATED
 ++ +#  +             +        ++           +  ###     12 20 * Magical Powers UPDATED
    +        +                  +    +  +  +            6  6 * Lightning Bolts UPDATED
   + +       +      +              +         +          6  6 * Communicates Mysteriously UPDATED
         ++     +   #        ++ ++   +  # ++ #   +     14 19 * Biting UPDATED
        +                 +                             2  2 * Tripping NEW
                                                +       1  1 * Tickling UPDATED
++ +####+ ## ##++#+##++++# #+++++# ++# ++  # #+++# +   42 83 * Disguises UPDATED
        +                + +     ++#                 +  7  8 * Deception UPDATED
  +     ++  ++ #     ++ # ++ +  ++  ++ #   ++ +#       21 25 * Lookalikes Galore UPDATED
          ++            +  #        +        +   +      7  8 * Baby Herbie UPDATED
     +  ++ + ++  # +  ++#  +++++#+ + + +# + ## + +     27 39 * Fat, Fat, Water Rat UPDATED
   +###  #   ### +    + +++  #+   #++#  +#+   + #      24 41 * Women Swoon UPDATED
    # +  + #   +  +#+#+##+  #+ #+    #  #+#+   ++    # 25 38 * Sleeping UPDATED
+###########++++++++++++++++++##+###++ #++#+++#+++ + # 51 76 * Sound-Effects UPDATED
+++## #++++ #++ + +## ##+ ## #+####+ # +# +++++# +   + 40 71 * Butt Jokes UPDATED
  + +       ## #    +    +       +        +#  #  +     12 17 * Jewish References UPDATED
 +     ++  #####++# +   ++ + +  +   +# +     +##+#  +  26 42 * Shrugging UPDATED
          #        #        +   +  +     +  #+          8 13 * Tap-Tap NEW
+   + # + +   #    + ++++#  +  + + +#      +   + # +++ 23 29 * Calm, Deadpan UPDATED
  +   +  +  ++     +  +     + + +    +   #+   ++#      16 18 * Impatient/Busy/Rushed UPDATED
     +   +   +  +    +       #+   +     +++ ++++ +     16 17 * Appreciates the Finer Things UPDATED
    +  +  ++   + # ++    +     + ## #      +     +     15 21 * Breaking the 4th Wall UPDATED
#++   +  ++     +  + #++ +     +  + +   + +  +     +   19 21 * Eating UPDATED
     +       +  +  +  +  +  + +  ++                    10 10 * Handy Items UPDATED
         + +       + +  #  +   +  #    #       +#      11 15 * Squishing UPDATED
                #+++++      ++ +   # +  +   ++         14 17 * Splashing UPDATED
    ++   ++ ++   + ++  +       +   +         +         13 13 * Stopping by Sticking Out Feet UPDATED
         +    #   + + ++++    # +    +     +     #     13 17 * Boxer Shorts UPDATED
   +       +   #  + +         + #  #         +          9 12 * Stereotypes NEW
                +    +        ++   +++         + +      9  9 * Buck Teeth UPDATED
         +   + + +   ++   +       +                     8  8 * Fainting UPDATED
      #                  #  +            ##             5  9 * Dad is a Masher UPDATED
                            +    +     ++++   #         7  8 * Dad is an Idiot NEW
      +       +                + +      #        +      6  7 * Dad is Unobservant UPDATED
                             +   +     ## + #           6  9 * Herbie's Secret Powers NEW
       +   +   +        +       +                       5  5 * Herbie is Oblivious NEW
               +                    +    +      +       4  4 * Animal Love UPDATED
                   +   +       +   +   +       +        6  6 * Plunger Jokes UPDATED
             + +                   +                    3  3 * Mountain Top Placement UPDATED
         +      +                  +                    3  3 * Two-Headed Adversaries UPDATED
+  #+++ ++#++  ++  + +   #  #  ###   + #    ## # + #++ 28 49 * Little Fat Nothing UPDATED
  ++ +  ++ ++ + +#   ++  +  ++   # +++    # ###  +     24 35 * Bop you with this here lollipop UPDATED
 #    ++  #  ##   +++ #+++  #+##++  ++  +    #+  +     25 36 * Says 'WANNA' UPDATED
 +        #  ++# +     +    ++ #    +# +++  +++# +     20 25 * Says 'TCH, TCH' UPDATED
                         +        #+ + + + +   +     +  9 10 * Says 'Something...?' UPDATED
    + +  + +               +    +            + # +      9 10 * Says 'HO-HUM' UPDATED
            + #       + +     +             +    +      7  8 * Says 'OH-OH' UPDATED
          +    +    + +  +   +   +     #                8  9 * Says 'Always Trouble' UPDATED
      #    + # +  +   #      +   +       +      +    + 11 14 * Says-Schmez UPDATED
                 + +#   ++ # #      +  +   +   +       11 14 * Says 'UH-UH' UPDATED
        #   +         ++ #  ++       + +    +   +      11 13 * Says 'Hate Something' UPDATED
 +        + #   +          + ++     +#     +           10 13 * Says 'Wiseguy' UPDATED
abcde1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223DFA         total examples: 1696
.---+-+-+#++-#+#++-#++#+##--+#+###+### #++-++###+#   .         themes per orig story: 23.2 (1.9 / page)