This is America, and in America, you're never finished as long as you have a brain in your head, because all a man really needs is an idea.Herbert Powell
Herbert Walter "Herb" Powell (born Herbert Walter Simpson) is the former owner of Powell Motors in Detroit, Michigan. He is the biological son of Abe Simpson II and an unnamed carnival floozy, as well as the long-lost, seldom-seen paternal half-brother of Abbey and Homer Simpson. Ashamed out of what he did, Abe and Herb's birth mother took him to the Shelbyville Orphanage, where he was adopted by the Powell family.
It wouldn't be until four decades later that Herb would be contacted by his half-brother Homer Simpson, where he learned who his biological family members were. He makes his first appearance in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
He is voiced by Danny DeVito.
Personality
When Herb was introduced, he was a successful but very lonely man. When Herb found out Homer was his long-lost half-brother, he was overjoyed. Upon meeting his Simpsons family for the first time, he made sure they felt right at home. He was very welcoming, charming, and friendly when they arrived and got along great with Marge and the kids. His relationship with Homer started off great but went downhill after the car he designed ruined his company. However, after he gained wealth again after Homer lent him his money, he forgave him and was happy to call Homer his "brother", which was what both men had really wanted.
Herb is an intelligent, ambitious, charismatic, passionate, but also a lonesome person. Unlike his half-brother, he doesn't have a family to share his life with. Whereas Homer wishes he had Herb's wealth and lifestyle, Herb was envious of Homer for having a more complete life with a family. He learns how to love a family from meeting the Simpsons. However, he doesn't have his employees' total respect as he becomes very assertive when it comes to business, but he seems to be pretty optimistic that a man can make a huge success. He also hasn't seemed to inherit the Simpson Gene.
Biography
The product of a short-lived affair between Homer's father, Abraham Simpson, and carnival floozy, while Abraham was courting Homer's mother, Mona, 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 (now owned by Kumatsu Motors). Herb ended up becoming a street vagrant. He prefers to be called "Unky Herb" by Bart and Lisa because he thinks the term "uncle" is too formal.
He briefly settled in the Simpson household, despite his intense continuing antipathy toward Homer. Homer loaned Herb $2,000 (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. Most of all, Herb ends his antipathy towards Homer and is happy to call him his brother once again.
While far smarter and more successful than most other male Simpsons as well as having a trim figure and full head of hair he still does exhibit signs of the "Simpson Gene", although much more hidden.
Herb does have cameo appearances such as when he appeared in a picture as Homer was listing off family members who needed to lose weight. Homer referred to him as "my seldom seen half-brother Herb". He considers wealth in terms of love and family, not money.[1] Danny DeVito voiced Herb again in "Changing of the Guardian", when he was heard briefly as a voicemail greeting. It is revealed that he lost his wealth again, although the circumstances behind this misfortune were not explained.[2]
Fortune
Herbert Powell made his fame and fortune by making and designing cars at Powell Motors but lost it all after he met his long-lost half-brother Homer Simpson when he asked Homer to make a car of his choice. The car was called "blunder of the century", due to the car looking ridiculous and costing $82,000. This sent the company into bankruptcy and Herb to the street. Herb would regain his fame by inventing a baby-talk converter.
When he was called by Homer, it is revealed in a voicemail that he ended up losing his fortune again, though this time Homer was not at fault.
Family
Abe first met the attractive female dunk tank operator 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 of himself, 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. However, Abe had a mild heart attack in his senior years and decided to tell Homer about Herb. If Abe's story about Virgil Simpson is true, then Herb is 1/32 Black.
Half-Siblings
Herb has a younger half-brother, Homer, and an older half-sister, Abbey. Abbie is the product of an affair Abe had during World War II. While Abbie is never explicitly called a Simpson, she looks and acts just like a female version of Homer.[3]
Adoptive Family
Herb lived at Shelbyville Orphanage. Herb was adopted by Mr. Edward Powell and Mrs. Mililani Osler.[4] Mililani also gave birth to Coco Powell, Wanda Powell, and 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.
Quotes
Hi, you've reached Herb Powell. I'm poor again.Herb's answering machine
Bart, Uncle Herb sounds so formal. Do you think you can call me "Unky Herb"?Herb telling Bart to call him "Unky Herb".
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?Herb, telling Homer that he doesn't see him as his brother anymore after the latter accidentally caused Herb's company to go under.
Behind the Laughter
Herb is voiced by Danny DeVito ("Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?"). After "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" Herb does not appear again until "The Heartbroke Kid" where you can see a picture him, then again in "Changing of the Guardian". Homer calls Herb remembering he is rich. Homer reaches Herb's answering machine and on it, Herb answers that he is poor again. Homer then quickly hangs up. Herb is voiced again by DeVito (single line).
Mortality Status
His voice actor, Danny DeVito, did not return for many years. Both Danny and Herb eventually do return in the Season 36 opening episode "Bart's Birthday."
Trivia
- Herb's voice actor, Danny DeVito, was a regular on Simpsons co-producer James L. Brooks' 1978-1983 television series Taxi.
- Ironically, a few elements of Herb's personality, such as him being a first-born son and someone who was not raised by his biological parent and who had no first-hand knowledge of his biological relatives, would be used for DeVito's Batman Returns Penguin when the film was released in theaters in 1992.
- He has yet to meet Abe, his biological father.
- He has yet to meet his extended relatives such as his uncles and aunts.
- Herb does not know about his half-sister, Abbey, probably because Abe and Homer didn't know about her until they went to England.
- Herb does not make a physical appearance in "Changing of the Guardian", but is heard over the phone when Marge and Homer turn to him as guardians for Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Also, it revealed that he went poor again however it is not revealed how it happened.
- Herb was given an indirect reference in The Simpsons Road Rage with the selection screen for The Homer car, where Homer says "And the sticker price... is $82,000?!" and accompanied by multiple shocked gasps from a crowd and La Cucaracha playing in the background, alluding to the events of "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" and more specifically the unveiling of The Homer and Herb's reaction to learning the sticker price.
- While Herb is apparently less affected by the "Simpson Gene" that affects most men in the family, he's still affected through short bursts of idiocy and recklessness (e.g. letting Homer design a car ignoring the warnings from his employees, which caused the company to go bankrupt, and spitting out of a hot air balloon into the street).
Appearances
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Episode – "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" - Episode – "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?"
- Episode – "Gump Roast" (clip in end song)
- Episode – "The Heartbroke Kid" (seen in picture)
- Episode – "Changing of the Guardian" (Voice only)
- Episode – "Every Man's Dream" (couch gag only)
- Episode – "Bart's Birthday"
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Video game – The Simpsons: Tapped Out -
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- link=|35x35px Couch gag – "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band couch gag"[src]
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