Nibblonians

[on:]

Has anyone else noticed that when Nibbler is in "pet" mode, he seems to have three fingers, but when he is on Eternium with other Nibblonians, they have four?

[Reply #1 on:]

I never noticed that before.

Some grabs:

3 fingers:


4 fingers:

[Reply #2 on:]

I guess he grows an extra finger when he starts talking.

[Reply #3 on:]

Here's a question: Has anyone ever noticed that when Nibbler is in "pet" mode he makes squealing noises, but when he's on Eternium with the other Nibblonians, he speaks? Perhaps the finger thing is just like that. Hmm...but if I remember correctly, the Nibblonian shadow in SP3000 had three fingers. I wonder...

[Reply #4 on:]

Too much irradiated Kibbles N' Snouts.

[Reply #5 on:]

I think Nibbler said in 'The Day the Earth Stood Stupid' he is speaking with Leela through telepathy so the squealing is probably his native language.  I have never noticed the 3 fingers/4 fingers good eyes.  Maybe that is just an illusion having 3 fingers created by telepathy.  The question is, no matter the cause, why does he do? 

[Reply #6 on:]

I think I have the most important Nibbler question: in my icon, it shows Nibbler's coat buttoned right over left, but in the picture victor2000 showed us, it's left over right. Duh, duh, dunnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!

P.S. I see only three fingers in my icon while Nibbler is in Eternium mode.

[Reply #7 on:]

Your 'picture' is a scan that was flipped for use as an avatar image. As you can see, it is not a perfect scan.

[Reply #8 on:]

All right, thank you for crapping all over my theory!!! (J/K)

[Reply #9 on:]

Hmm a conundrum it sems not to be as known as...

[Reply #10 on:]

Maybe when Nibbler is in his pet mode he wants to seem like a creature with no thumbs, and when he is in his secret identity mode he has four fingers to act more human like.  THat or we can just say it was a flaw.

[Reply #11 on:]

Or possibly its genetic condition. EFS perhaps (Extra Finger Syndrome)? Maybe he takes medication as pet nibbler in order to control this, but when he turns into "intelligent nibbler" he has more on his mind; and as a result, forgets to take his pills and grows the extra finger.

[Reply #12 on:]

Maybe the forth finger is retractable (like a cat's claws) and he has three fingers on Earth because Leela thinks it makes him look cuter.

[Reply #13 on:]

But why put so much thought into hiding an extra digit.  Bender has three fingers and does fine. 

[Reply #14 on:]

I'm assuming the three finger thing is to do with how he gets about, normally using his hands to hop around on occasionaly, three fingers may be better than four.

[Reply #15 on:]

Dogs have five. Cats have five or six. Monkeys have five. I don't know what Nibbler was thinking 

[Reply #16 on:]

Well, the Nibblonians are a very educated society. They didn't make a retractable finger for show. It probably has some purpose. Or it could be something that only a lord has. His name, afterall, is LORD Nibbler.

[Reply #17 on:]

Being the most advanced civilization known, the Nibblonians, unlike Farnsworth, have invented the finglonger. And the fingretracter. 

[Reply #18 on:]

Does anyone have better grabs than that upper one above in post #2? Looks like Nibbler's thumb is actually in Leela's palm...

[Reply #19 on:]

I think it's just that Nibbler has black fur which means you can't see the outline of his fingers and so it is difficult to count how many he has. In pet mode, he tends to keep his fingers together making it even harder to tell but in superintelligent mode he makes hand gestures that give an opportunity.

Also, I agree with Nosebleed here - if you look closely at the top picture he appears to have three fingers above Leela's finger and one underneath it.

[Reply #20 on:]

Yeah, I noticed that too. That's about at her waist, so it's probably her darker pants that appear to be the thumb.

I think I'm gonna stick with passerby's "fingretractor" theory.

[Reply #21 on:]

no, it looks to me like Nibbler is grasping Leela's index finger

[Reply #22 on:]

i agree. It just looks like he's holding Leela's finger.

[Reply #23 on:]

My futile searching for a decent shot of Nibbler's fingers on CGEF merely reinforces my original hypothesis that it is bloody difficult to count how many he has. Every shot I checked seems to show a block that could be anything from 2-4 fingers and if you're lucky a thumb separate from that. I think it's just luck that the only decent shot we could get is when he is in intelligent mode.

[Reply #24 on:]

oh snuggleplush

[Reply #25 on:]

Seems like I first noticed his extra digit when he was taking off in the spaceship.  Remember when he's explaining the origin of the universe in his ship, and he does that sort of "chewing" noise while wiggling his fingers?  Maybe that's the clearest shot we have of four distinct appendages.

[Reply #26 on:]

I saw it! In TDTESS, when Nibbler is falling after he bites the elephant balloon, he has his hands out and you can only see 3 fingers. When he is in the "adorable spaceship" with Leela he has 4. Maybe he just holds his thumb in when he's trying to pass as a pet.

[Reply #27 on:]

I was watching The Day the Earth Stood Stupid and I've come to the conclusion that there is no rhyme or reason to how many fingers he has.  Even when he's in 'Pet Mode' he can either have 2 or 3 fingers.  Same as when he is in 'Intelligent Mode'  Here are some screen captures:
Pet Mode:


In-between Modes:


Intelligent Mode:

Personally, I just think it's an animator's goof.

[Reply #28 on:]

I'm going to have to agree with BiG.  I believe it's just an animators goof since he's off model no matter what mode he's in.

[Reply #29 on:]

Back to what Nibblonian said about the difference in buttoning directions of Nibbler's coat; in the above grabs you can see it buttoned first from right over left and then left over right...that's not an avatar, nor is it in seperate episodes, so does the same principle apply?

[Reply #30 on:]

Myabe they are just lazy bastard writers...

[Reply #31 on:]

Or how about lazy bastard animators? 

[Reply #32 on:]

Once again we witness the shame of Amazing animaters! *runs to room crying*

[Reply #33 on:]

Yeah, i'll go with that 
*comforts Dr.Jerkbird*

[Reply #34 on:]

either way.. nibbler is cute

[Reply #35 on:]

Maybe as a pet he doesn't need so many fingers but when he needs to fly a spaceship he does and he has the capacity to grow an extra finger.

[Reply #36 on:]

Hmm, I doubt theres some mystical reason behind the extra digit, its probably just the animation.

With black fingers there's no lines defining the edges, so it doesn't matter how many fingers there are because most of the time the hand looks like a mitten.
Which is cute    .

My cat has 6 claws on the front paws, she's a real death machine  .

[Reply #37 on:]

I think that nibbler is only supposed to have 3 fingers but when he was being animated the animators were used to drawing the characters with 4 fingers and they just made a simple mistake.