Herman Hermann
Herman
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Character Information
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Herman, voiced by Harry Shearer, is the owner of Herman's Military Antiques. He dresses in military fatigues.
Contents
Arm
He has only one arm; the other arm was lost by sticking it out of the window of a moving bus, although the writers had originally intended for him to give a different reason each time he appeared.
Creation
His voice is similar to that of George H. W. Bush, and he is based on Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder.
Role in The Simpsons
Herman is a very minor character on the show, although he does appear in the background crowds once in a while.
He is a brilliant military tactician, though his sanity is somewhat questionable (Bart considered him "a little crazy", while Abraham Simpson actually said he was "out of his mind"). Herman was instrumental in Bart’s victory in water balloon combat against Nelson, and the negotiation of the peace treaty between the two combatants in "Bart the General".
Herman was the villain in the episode "Springfield Connection", selling counterfeit jeans in Marge's garage. In "Treehouse of Horror VIII" he was trying to sell Homer a bomb shelter, and got caught in a nuclear blast while doing so. Herman seems to be very friendly with Abraham Simpson, and is also quite friendly with Homer, despite holding him hostage in "Springfield Connection".
Herman is said to be "just like Maynard in Pulp Fiction": there is a reference to this in "22 Short Films About Springfield". Snake and Chief Wiggum barged into Herman's store while fighting each other, and ended up being held prisoner in his basement (then inadvertently saved by Milhouse). This whole scene is a parody of Marsellus and Butch's captivity in Pulp Fiction.
Herman was meant to be robbed by Snake in The Simpsons: Hit and Run, but didn't make it into the final version.
Friends
He is friends with Abraham Simpson, to whom he sold a fez hat, claiming it was previously owned by Napoleon, after briefly owning “the hat McKinley was shot in”. He also has a mysterious friend called Zed. Some fans belive Zed is Abraham Simpson. Herman is a member of The Stonecutters.
Criminal Activities
In most of his major appearances he is wacko like person trying to do illegal acts, such as the time he tried to sell counterfeit jeans out of the Simpsons’ garage, but was foiled by Marge Simpson, though he was not put in jail because the evidence was stolen by the Springfield PD. He once captured Chief Wiggum and Snake and held them hostage (in an homage to a scene from Pulp Fiction), but was thwarted (accidentally) by Milhouse Van Houten wielding a flail.
Episode Appearances
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