Herbert (Family Guy)
Encyclopedia
Herbert is a character from the animated television series Family Guy
. He is voiced by writer and voice actor Mike Henry, who created and designed the character. An elderly neighbor of the Griffin family
, Herbert, who first appeared in the November 15, 2001 episode, "To Love and Die in Dixie", is a pederast who harbors an unrequited lust for Chris Griffin
, though Griffin and the citizens of Quahog are either oblivious to this or indifferent because of his frailty.
Herbert's voice and appearance are inspired by an elderly man who Henry met while working at a grocery store while at high school. MacFarlane has also stated that his design was made so his creepy humor would seem funny. Herbert has received mixed reviews from critics. He has also appeared in various Family Guy merchandise and made a crossover appearance in the Family Guy spin-off, The Cleveland Show
.
, a pederast who lusts for Chris Griffin
. He lives in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island which is modeled after Cranston, Rhode Island
. Herbert also does simple jobs in various episodes. In the episode "Play It Again, Brian", (season 6, 2008) Herbert is hired by Peter
and Lois
to babysit their children Stewie
, Meg
, and Chris
. While in "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air
", (season 6, 2007) Herbert appears opening the "Quahog Boys Club".
In the episode "Padre de Familia
", (season 6, 2007) Herbert is revealed to be a war veteran as he is singing "God Bless the USA
" in the Veteran's Day parade. This is furthered in the season 9 episode "German Guy", in which Herbert reveals he was a member of the United States Army Air Forces
during World War II
and was captured by Nazi
soldiers when he was shot down over Germany while escorting a bombing raid. Although the Nazis could have placed Herbert into a Prisoner-of-war camp
, they instead threw him into a concentration camp
because they thought he was gay
, having found several pictures of young boys in his wallet.
Herbert has appeared on various occasions in Family Guy spinoffs, as in a cutaway in "A Cleveland Brown Christmas", an episode of The Cleveland Show
. In Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy
, — Herbert appears as Obi-Wan Kenobi
.
when his brother Patrick and MacFarlane attended the Rhode Island School of Design
. Henry was invited to work on Family Guy after the show was picked up, to write and create characters for the show. The first character he created was Cleveland Brown
. Then he created Herbert.
Herbert was not a pedophile originally; Henry pitched the idea to the writers of the show, leading to the decision to make him a pedophile. Henry also voices Herbert like most characters he created. Henry based Herbert's voice and appearance on an elderly man he met when he worked in a grocery store when he was in high school. In an interview Henry described that man as a sweet person.
, 2001) Herbert tries to get Chris inside the house by offering him a popsicle
. While
Herbert's relationship with his fellow Quahogians differs with each neighbor, Chris is the neighbor with whom Herbert most communicates, as Chris is the paperboy and Herbert is waiting for him each day. In the episode "The Courtship of Stewie's Father
", (season 4
, 2005) Chris breaks Herbert's window and, to pay off the debt, Chris helps him with chores around the house. Herbert starts to like Chris and later invites him to dinner. The relationship of Herbert with the other members of the Griffin family is minimal. Peter
and Lois
have no knowledge of Herbert's pedophilia, as they have asked him to babysit and have no qualms with Chris visiting Herbert at his house. Chris is also oblivious to Herbert's feelings for him, and considers him a friend.
has generally commented positively to Herbert. They pointed out that Herbert is one of the most popular recurring characters in the series, referring to him (with his dog Jesse) as one of the recurring characters that stuck out from the rest. They also noted that one of the reasons that Herbert is funny is because of his "soft, high-pitched whistling voice". Although IGN has praised Herbert in general they have criticized some aspects of him. In their review of "Blue Harvest", they criticized the choice of putting Herbert in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, stating that it never creates any actual humor. They also criticized the constant use of Herbert, commenting that it was entertaining the first two times, but that it quickly became overused. In their list of "What Else Should Family Guy Make Fun Of?", IGN
commented that Herbert would be perfect to play Major Toht and Hogwarts
' new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor should Family Guy ever decides to make parodies of Raiders of the Lost Ark
and Harry Potter
, respectively. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
criticized the character, writing that his "every appearance brings out the worst tendencies of Family Guy".
Herbert also ranked number 5 on IGN's "The Cleveland Show Casting Couch", which showed characters that IGN would find interesting to put in The Cleveland Show
.
, each member of the Griffin family and other characters (including Herbert) had their own toy, with the exception of Stewie, of whom two different figures were made. Over the course of two years, four more series of toy figures have been released. Herbert is also featured on the Family Guy: Live in Vegas
CD.
As of 2009, six books have been released about the Family Guy universe
, all published by HarperCollins
since 2005. These include Family Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One
(ISBN 978-0-7528-7593-4), which covers the entire events of the episode "It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One", and Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide, Seasons 1–3, (ISBN 978-0-06-083305-3), which covers the plots and references of all the episodes from season 1-3. Both these books include the character.
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. He is voiced by writer and voice actor Mike Henry, who created and designed the character. An elderly neighbor of the Griffin family
Griffin family
The Griffin family is a family from the animated television series Family Guy. The Griffins are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode...
, Herbert, who first appeared in the November 15, 2001 episode, "To Love and Die in Dixie", is a pederast who harbors an unrequited lust for Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
, though Griffin and the citizens of Quahog are either oblivious to this or indifferent because of his frailty.
Herbert's voice and appearance are inspired by an elderly man who Henry met while working at a grocery store while at high school. MacFarlane has also stated that his design was made so his creepy humor would seem funny. Herbert has received mixed reviews from critics. He has also appeared in various Family Guy merchandise and made a crossover appearance in the Family Guy spin-off, The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
.
Role in Family Guy
Herbert is an elderly neighbor of the Griffin familyGriffin family
The Griffin family is a family from the animated television series Family Guy. The Griffins are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode...
, a pederast who lusts for Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
. He lives in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island which is modeled after Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 80,387 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
. Herbert also does simple jobs in various episodes. In the episode "Play It Again, Brian", (season 6, 2008) Herbert is hired by Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
and Lois
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
to babysit their children Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
, Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
, and Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
. While in "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air
Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air
"Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air" is a season six episode 3 of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. Bonnie tells Joe that she is tired of being married to a handicapped person so he decides to get a leg transplant. Excited about his new ability to walk, Joe dives head first into...
", (season 6, 2007) Herbert appears opening the "Quahog Boys Club".
In the episode "Padre de Familia
Padre de Familia
"Padre de Familia" is a season six episode of the FOX animated series Family Guy. Guest starring are Carrie Fisher as Peter's supervisor, Angela, Phyllis Diller as Peter's mother, Thelma Griffin and Gabriel Iglesias as Gerardo....
", (season 6, 2007) Herbert is revealed to be a war veteran as he is singing "God Bless the USA
God Bless the USA
"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written and recorded by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's You've Got a Good Love Comin'. It reached No...
" in the Veteran's Day parade. This is furthered in the season 9 episode "German Guy", in which Herbert reveals he was a member of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was captured by Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
soldiers when he was shot down over Germany while escorting a bombing raid. Although the Nazis could have placed Herbert into a Prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
, they instead threw him into a concentration camp
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
because they thought he was gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, having found several pictures of young boys in his wallet.
Herbert has appeared on various occasions in Family Guy spinoffs, as in a cutaway in "A Cleveland Brown Christmas", an episode of The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. In Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy
Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy
Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy consists of three episode specials from the American animated television series Family Guy. The episodes are a remake parody of the original Star Wars films A New Hope , The Empire Strikes Back , and Return of the Jedi...
, — Herbert appears as Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
.
Creation
Herbert was created by writer and voice actor Mike Henry. Henry met Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlaneSeth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
when his brother Patrick and MacFarlane attended the Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
. Henry was invited to work on Family Guy after the show was picked up, to write and create characters for the show. The first character he created was Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
. Then he created Herbert.
Herbert was not a pedophile originally; Henry pitched the idea to the writers of the show, leading to the decision to make him a pedophile. Henry also voices Herbert like most characters he created. Henry based Herbert's voice and appearance on an elderly man he met when he worked in a grocery store when he was in high school. In an interview Henry described that man as a sweet person.
Personality
Herbert is a retired elderly man. He frequently waits to receive the newspaper from the paperboy, who on many occasions is Chris. In the episode "To Love and Die in Dixie" (season 3Family Guy (season 3)
Family Guy third season first aired on the Fox network in twenty-two episodes from July 11, 2001 to November 9, 2003 before being released as a DVD box set and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "The Thin White Line" and finished with "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein"...
, 2001) Herbert tries to get Chris inside the house by offering him a popsicle
Popsicle
Popsicle is the most popular brand of ice pop in the United States and Canada. The first ice pop was created by accident in 1905 when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda on his porch in cold weather overnight. The next morning he went to go get the soda and it was frozen, so he put two...
. While
Herbert's relationship with his fellow Quahogians differs with each neighbor, Chris is the neighbor with whom Herbert most communicates, as Chris is the paperboy and Herbert is waiting for him each day. In the episode "The Courtship of Stewie's Father
The Courtship of Stewie's Father
"The Courtship of Stewie's Father" is the sixteenth episode of season four of Family Guy, which originally aired on November 20, 2005. The title of the episode parodies the title of the classic TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. The episode sees Peter attempt to bond with his youngest son,...
", (season 4
Family Guy (season 4)
The fourth season of Family Guy aired from May 1, 2005 to May 21, 2006. The season consisted of thirty episodes. The first half of the season is included within the Volume Three DVD box set, which was released on November 29, 2005 and the second half is included within the Volume Four DVD box set,...
, 2005) Chris breaks Herbert's window and, to pay off the debt, Chris helps him with chores around the house. Herbert starts to like Chris and later invites him to dinner. The relationship of Herbert with the other members of the Griffin family is minimal. Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
and Lois
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
have no knowledge of Herbert's pedophilia, as they have asked him to babysit and have no qualms with Chris visiting Herbert at his house. Chris is also oblivious to Herbert's feelings for him, and considers him a friend.
Reception
Herbert has received mixed reviews from critics. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
has generally commented positively to Herbert. They pointed out that Herbert is one of the most popular recurring characters in the series, referring to him (with his dog Jesse) as one of the recurring characters that stuck out from the rest. They also noted that one of the reasons that Herbert is funny is because of his "soft, high-pitched whistling voice". Although IGN has praised Herbert in general they have criticized some aspects of him. In their review of "Blue Harvest", they criticized the choice of putting Herbert in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, stating that it never creates any actual humor. They also criticized the constant use of Herbert, commenting that it was entertaining the first two times, but that it quickly became overused. In their list of "What Else Should Family Guy Make Fun Of?", IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
commented that Herbert would be perfect to play Major Toht and Hogwarts
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of...
' new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor should Family Guy ever decides to make parodies of Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
and Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
, respectively. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
criticized the character, writing that his "every appearance brings out the worst tendencies of Family Guy".
Commendations
Herbert along with his dog Jesse, ranked spot number 16 in IGN's "Top 25 Family Guy Characters". Herbert ranked higher than Mort Goldman, Carter Pewtershmit and Greased Up Deaf Guy, who is also voiced by Henry.Herbert also ranked number 5 on IGN's "The Cleveland Show Casting Couch", which showed characters that IGN would find interesting to put in The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
.
Merchandise
In 2004, the first series of Family Guy toy figurines was released by Mezco ToyzMezco Toyz
Mezco Toyz is a toy company that makes action figures and other collectibles based on original and licensed properties. Its most popular product is the cult hit toy line Living Dead Dolls. Other popular licensed properties include Family Guy, South Park and Hellboy...
, each member of the Griffin family and other characters (including Herbert) had their own toy, with the exception of Stewie, of whom two different figures were made. Over the course of two years, four more series of toy figures have been released. Herbert is also featured on the Family Guy: Live in Vegas
Family Guy: Live in Vegas
-Reception:The album received positive reviews from music sources and critics. Rob Theakston of Allmusic said that "[Family Guy is] back and raunchier than ever, sparing no expense and leaving no pop culture stone unturned" and "without the constraints of network censors, the profanity and heat are...
CD.
As of 2009, six books have been released about the Family Guy universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
, all published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
since 2005. These include Family Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One
Family Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One
Family Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One is an American humor book about Family Guy written by executive story editor Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and writer/voice actress Alex Borstein. The book was first published on 8 May 2007...
(ISBN 978-0-7528-7593-4), which covers the entire events of the episode "It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One", and Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide, Seasons 1–3, (ISBN 978-0-06-083305-3), which covers the plots and references of all the episodes from season 1-3. Both these books include the character.