Difference between revisions of "Herb Powell"

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Herbert Powell

Character Information Gender: Male ♂ Status: Alive Hair: Brown Occupation: Businessman Relatives: Parents: Abe Simpson and an unnamed prostitute Adoptive parents: Edward Powell and Mililani Osler Half-siblings: Homer Simpson and Abbie Adoptive siblings: Coco, Wanda and Carla Powell Sister-in-law: Marge Simpson Nephew: Bart Simpson Nieces: Lisa and Maggie Simpson First appearance: "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" Voiced by: Danny DeVito v • d • e • h

Herbert "Herb" Powell is the older half-brother of Homer Simpson.

Biography

The product of a short-lived affair between Homer's father, Abraham Simpson, and a female carnival worker, Herb was adopted by Edward Powell and Mililani Osler. He put himself through Harvard by working odd jobs because his adoptive parents refused to pay for his admission (or may not have been able to afford his college tuition). He then founded Powell Motors, a car company based in Detroit. Herb was overjoyed to learn that he had a birth family and bonded with his nieces and nephew, and - in his role as CEO - allowed Homer to design a car. However, Homer's car was a failure and it bankrupted the company. Herb ended up becoming a street vagrant. He prefers to be called "Unky Herb" by his nieces and nephew, because he thinks the term "uncle" is too formal. His birthday is also in July 16, 1954.

He briefly settled in the Simpson household, despite his intense continuing antipathy toward Homer. Homer loaned Herb $2000 (from the power plant, as compensation for making him sterile from radiation), which Herb used to build an invention that translated infantile speech into comprehensible English, based on observations he made of Maggie Simpson. He proceeded to mass-produce his new product and regained his fortune. He then proceeded to pay back the Simpson family the $2,000, but also bought Homer a vibrating chair, Marge a new washer and dryer set, Bart a life membership in the National Rifle Association, Lisa a monthly set of classic novels, and a promise that he will buy something nice for Maggie. (It is also believed Herb did something for the Flanders family to show his gratitude to them for giving him a suit and not making look like a bum anymore). Most of all, Herb ends his antipathy towards Homer and is happy to call him his brother once again.

Herb exhibits a drive uncommon for anyone with Simpson blood in his veins,^[1] and given that he started his own automobile company and later invented a baby translator it can be assumed that he is also remarkably intelligent for a member of the Simpson family.

Herb has not been seen since then, although he appeared in a picture when Homer listed off family members who needed to lose weight. Homer calls him "my seldom seen half-brother Herb". He considers wealth in terms of love and family, not money.^[2] He is the only Simpson male that doesn't have the "Simpson Gene".

Family

Original parents

Herb's biological parents are Abraham Simpson and an unnamed woman. Abe first met the attractive female prostitute at a traveling carnival, where they were taken with each other. One year later, Abe saw the same woman again at the carnival to find out he had fathered an illegitimate son (Herb) with her. Unmarried and ashamed, Abe and the woman took their infant son to the Shelbyville Orphanage, where he was later adopted by the Powell family. A year later, Abe married Mona and Abe told Mona about what happened at the carnival. When Homer was born, Mona told Abe to never tell Homer about the out-of-wedlock birth. Later, however, Abe had a mild heart attack and decided he needed to tell Homer about Herb.

Half-siblings

Herb has a younger half-brother, Homer, and an older half-sister, Abbie. Abe also had an affair with a woman he met in England during World War II. Homer met Abbie when Grampa tracked down her mother. While Abbie is never explicitly called a Simpson, she looks and acts just like a female version of Homer.^[3]

Adoptive family

Herb was adopted by Mr. Edward Powell and Mrs. Mililani Osler.^[4] Mililani gave birth to Coco Powell, Wanda Powell, Carla Powell. Sometime before Herb met Homer, Edward and Mililani told Herb he was adopted, which upset Herb as it left him with no feeling of having a family.

Behind the Laughter

After "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?", Herb Powell has remained unseen character for 20 seasons, apart from his brief cameo in "The Heartbroke Kid", where he was seen in a picture. Also, Herb has remained an unseen character in the comics, apart from the comic story Battle For The Barks Billions, where he (again) only appeared in a picture. On September 1, 2012, Danny DeVito posted on his Twitter account that he would voice Herb in a season 24 episode, for one line only. He voiced the line the day before (August 31, 2012).^[5]

Appearances

• Episode – "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
• Episode – "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?"
• Episode – "The Heartbroke Kid" (seen in picture)
• Episode – "Changing of the Guardian"
• Comic story – Uncle Burn$ (seen in picture)
• Comic story – Formula for Disaster (mentioned)
• Comic story – Homer Fries! (mentioned)
• Book – Simpsons World The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1-20

References

view • talk • edit • past Simpson family

view • talk • edit • past Main family Homer Simpson • Marge Simpson • Bart Simpson • Lisa Simpson • Maggie Simpson Santa's Little Helper • Snowball II view • talk • edit • past Living relatives Abbey • Beggar relative • Cathy • Hurt leg relative • Jug band manager • Millionaire actor • Herbert Powell • Dave Rothman • Simpson woman 1 • Simpson woman 2 • Simpson woman 3 • Simpson woman 4 • Abraham Simpson • Bill Simpson • Chet Simpson • Dr. Simpson • Fester Simpson • Francine Simpson • Hugo Simpson I • Jessica Simpson • Prison snitch relative • Stanley Simpson • Tyrone Simpson • Valerie Simpson • 'Sueing' relative • Togonian cousins view • talk • edit • past Deceased relatives Bart-Beard the Pirate • Great Uncle Boris • Abigail Simpson • Abraham Simpson I • Amber Simpson • Claretta Simpson • Clowta Simpson • Dulcine Simpson • Eliza Simpson • Elrita Simpson • Floyd Simpson • Gabby Simpson • Galston Simpson • Garwood Simpson • "Happy" Simpson • Hiram Simpson • Hortense Simpson • Howland Simpson • Hubert Simpson • Ivy Simpson • Lambert Simpson • Lotus Simpson • Mabel Simpson • Mona Simpson • "Old Tut" Simpson • Orville Simpson • Pippa Simpson • Prudence Simpson • Rupert Simpson • Sven Simpson • Twitta Simpson • Trixie Simpson • Virgil Simpson • Yuma Simpson • Zeke Simpson view • talk • edit • past Status unknown Bonita Simpson • Gaston Simpson • Lou Simpson view • talk • edit • past Fictional Bart Simpson, Jr. • Dream Simpson sister • Lisa and Nelson's children view • talk • edit • past Non-canon relatives Abe Simpson Sr. • Bart's clones • Jenda • Cyrus Simpson • Skippy Simpson • Jiff Simpson • Homer's clones • Lisa and Nelson's children • Lisa's granddaughter • Maggie's daughter • Homer Simpson • Homer Simpson • Hugo Simpson • Jason Simpson • Jim Simpson • Leroy Simpson • Lisa Marie Simpson • Luke Simpson • Maggie Simpson, Jr. • Olidia Simpson • Rube Ella Simpson • Silas Simpson • Tori-Mae Simpson • Zeke Simpson • Zia Simpson • Zza-Zza Simpson • Milhouse Van Houten view • talk • edit • past Pets Raymond Bird • Bongo • Chirpy Boy & Bart Junior • Cinnamon • Coltrane • Duncan • Flushy • Greyhound puppies (first litter) • Greyhound puppies (second litter) • Henry the Canary • Bart Junior* • Laddie • Lou • Marge's rabbit • Mojo • Molly • Mr. Pinchy • Plopper • Pokey • Princess • Santa's Little Helper • She Biscuit • Smiley • Snowball I • Snowball II • Snowball III • Snowball V • Snuffy • Squawky • Mr. Squirm • Stampy • Strangles • Cottontail