Where Did THAT Come From – Herb Powell, Powell Motors & Herb’s Mansion

Hey hey friends! In our silly lil game, we sometimes see things pop in that we have no clue as to their Origin. They seem familiar, but we just can’t pinpoint from where. So that is why we decided to make a fun lil reminder out of it. To let you know just Where did THAT Come From?

So with Level 55, all sorts of new stuff popped up. Two of the new premium items all have to do with Herb Powell. But who the heck is he and why does he resemble Homer so much? Where did they all appear in the Best. Show. Ever.? Gotta say I’ve always loved this character.  Basically Homer the way he always wants to look and the character is voiced by the amazing Danny Devito.  To find Herb, we head to “Oh Brother, Where Art Though?” (S2:E15).

Grampa Simpson has a heart attack, well, a mild arrhythmia, complaining about the McBain movie. At the hospital, he tells Homer about his half brother. When Grampa was courting Mona he met a carnie and one thing led to another and a baby resulted but Gramapa and his fling left the bundle at the Shelbyville Orphanage. Homer goes on a search for his long, lost brother and finds Herbert Powell in Detroit. (Dr. Hibbert’s long lost twin brother is the director of the orphanage.) Apparently Herb has done well for himself because he lives in a mansion that should look familiar.

You might recognize his business too as the Simpson family drives by it. “Whether you’re driving near or far, Powell makes a pow, pow, powerful car.”

Herb is the CEO of Powell Motors, a giant in the Detroit Motor Industry. He looks just like Homer with “a little more _______ and a little less _______.”

Herb is rich but thinks his brother is richer for having such a great family. Herb gives the Simpsons the layout of his mansion. An on-call chef, a tennis court, a swimming pool and a screening room. Towels, laundry, maids… a living room big enough to play baseball in… Unky Herb is living big… a millionaire even. You know you’re big time when you have your own hot air balloon.

Herb takes Homer to Powell Motors and offers him a free car. Unfortunately, they don’t have a big one with lots of pep. Herb decides to have Homer design a car for all the Homer Simpsons out there. The team of engineers at Powell Motors set about creating Homer’s vision to change American transportation forever. This includes an extremely large beverage holder, a ball on the aerial to find your car, tail fins, bubble domes, shag carpeting, three horns that play La Cucaracha, a separate soundproof bubble dome for the kids with optional restraints and muzzles and a motor that sounds like the world is coming to an end when revved.  “A car that feels a certain way. Powerful like a gorilla yet soft and yielding like a nerf ball.” THE HOMER.

Unfortunately the car built for the average man sticker prices at $82,000 and ruins Herb. He’s forced to sell his business to Kumatsu Motors.

But that’s not the end of Herb. He’s back again in “Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?” (S3:E24). Apparently, “The Homer” really left him destititute and he’s living as a bum. He used to make tons of dough selling cars with Japanese names like the Tempura hatchback but now he’s just bitter about what Homer did to him and his company while living in a cardboard box, sleeping on grates and eating out of dumpsters.

But Herb is convinced your never licked as long as you have a brain in your head… all a man needs is an idea. His new brain child is a baby translator. All he needs is some capitol to get it started. Herb heads to Springfield when he reads about Homer winning the First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence and getting a check for two grand.

The Simpsons take in Unky Herb. He’s none too thrilled with his half brother but even though the family has lots of things they’d like to spend Homer’s money winnings on (a vibrating chair, machine gun, classic books, new washer and dryer), Homer loans Herb the $2000. Herb’s plan is to make a baby translator… the cash will help him build a prototype. Maggie helps with his research too.

Herb’s invention tells exactly what the baby is thinking. He takes it to the Baby Expo and it is a huge success.

Best part is Herb repays the money to Homer and gives the family gifts in return. Lisa gets her great books of Western Civilization, Bart gets a membership to the NRA, Marge gets her washer and dryer and Homer gets the forgiveness of his brother… and the Spinemelter 2000. I love that when Herb offers Maggie whatever she wants, the translator says she wants what the dog is having. I also wonder if Herb ever got her something nice.

Anywho… Herb really leaves the show at that point. An image of him appears in the clips at the very end of “Gump Roast” (S13:E17) and a picture of him is seen in “The Heartbroke Kid” (S16:E17) in the Simpson home. Homer even refers to him as “my seldom seen half-brother Herb.”

You could also count his voice appearance in “Changing of the Guardian” (S24:E11).Homer and Marge narrowly survive a tornado and realize they might not always be around to take care of the kids. They look for guardians and one of the folks they call is Unky Herb. All they get is a message though announcing he’s poor again.

So there you go friends. The origins of Herb Powell, Powell Motors and Herb’s mansion. Now all three are in the game provided you’re willing to shell out the sprinklies for them. What’s your opinion? Did you buy them? Like Danny Devito too? Sound off in the comments and stay classy friends.

TTFN… Wookiee out