Verbal Business Card

Despite this it is still possible he came in thru da window, knowing him.

Kevin: (shaking hands with Phyllis's boyfriend Bob) Kevin Malone.
Bob: Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.
Stanley: Stanley Hudson.
Bob: Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.
Ryan: Ryan Howard.
Bob: Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.
Ryan: ... What line of work you in, Bob?

— The Office (US)

A character establishes their cachet by making a laconic self-statement, often in the form of a Badass Creed. This commonly follows the formula:

"I am [Full Name]! I [Verb] [Nouns]!"

A variation inserts the character's role or vocation:

"I am [Full Name]. I'm a [Job Tag]. I [Verb] [Nouns]."

This trope echoes the old military tradition of revealing nothing to your captors but "name, rank and serial number," as well as the poetry of saga.

See also Badass Creed.

Not to be confused with Try to Fit That on a Business Card, which is usually much wordier.

Compare I Am X, Son of Y and Large Ham Title ("I'm [Full Name], [Noun Verber]!") with which this can be combined ("I'm [Full Name], [Noun Verber] — I [Verb] [Noun]s.")

---

Examples:

Anime and Manga

• Ange from her titular anime, Cross Ange, introduces herself as a an Ace Pilot Action Survivor as she fights DRAGONs in her Ragnamail, Villkiss.
  Ange: My name is Ange... and I will live. Even if I have to kill. (opens fire)
• Todoroki in My Hero Academia introduces himself to a bunch of children, as such, in his Remedial Training Course.
  Todoroki: I'm Shoto, a U.A. student, and aspiring hero. My father, Endeavor, is the current number one hero, but I've always hated him and wanted to... [The rest gets tuned out].
  Present Mic: He's talking like a character introduction page!
  

Comic Books

• X-Factor — "I'm Layla Miller. I know stuff."
• Daredevil and Spider-Man supporting character Ben Urich, "investigative reporter for the Daily Bugle."
  Urich: I've been saying that for so long I feel like "investigative reporter for the Daily Bugle" is my last name.

Fan Works

• Hellsing Ultimate Abridged: "Hello. My name is Walter C. Dornez, ex-vampire hunter and butler to the Hellsing Organization. I answer the door, I clean up the estate, and I take out the trash. And I also kill self-entitled little twats like yourself."

Films — Animation

• Big Hero 6:
  Baymax: Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion.
• Hercules:
  Hades: Name is Hades. Lord of the dead. Hey, how you doin'?
• In Robin Hood (1973), a disguised Little John introduces himself this way.
  I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney. And don't stick your tongue out at me, kid.

Films — Live-Action

• Apocalypto: "My name is Jaguar Paw. I am a hunter."
• Bonnie and Clyde: "This here's Miss Bonnie Parker. I'm Clyde Barrow. We rob banks."
• Happens a lot in Conspiracy (2001) as the various Nazi bigwigs arrive for the conference at Wannsee, especially the diffident Erich Neumann who introduces himself as: "Neumann, Office of the Four Year Plan" to everyone he meets. It's moot as Reinhard Heydrich has everyone state their names and titles at the start of the conference.
  Neumann: Neumann, Director, Office of the Four Year Plan.
  Luther: Neumann, I introduce Dr. Klopfer, a close associate of the Brown Eminence.
  Neumann: I'm sorry?
  Klopfer: I represent Martin Bormann, Party Chairman of the Thousand Year Plan.
• The Doors: "I'm the Lizard King. I can do anything."
• At the beginning of Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime: "I'm Eloise. I'm six."
• A Fish Called Wanda: "I'm Harvey Manfren-gen-sen-ten. I'm, uh... with the CIA".
• Fierce Creatures: "My name is Rollo Lee, and as of yesterday, I have assumed command of this zoo."
• Gladiator: - "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of etc., etc..."
• The Last Airbender: "My name is Katara, and I'm the last waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe."
• Lawrence of Arabia :
  Auda: I am Auda Abu Tayi, does Auda serve?
  Lawrence: Lawrence. I've been seconded to the Arab Bureau.
• Parodied a few times in Mystery Men, particularly in the Terrible Interviewees Montage.
  The Waffler: I... am the Waffler. With my griddle of justice, I bash the enemy in the head, or I burn them like so! I also have some truth syrup, which is low in fat.
  • The comic book adaptation adds a snarky one, based on the fact that they're conducting the interviews in the front yard of one of the heroes.
    Postal Carrier: I'm the mailman. Here's your mail. Heh.
• In Pitch Black, there are two in the same scene.
  Paris: Paris P. Ogilvie. Antiquities dealer. Entrepreneur.
  Riddick: Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict. Murderer.
• The Princess Bride:
  Inigo Montoya: Hello! My Name Is Inigo Montoya! You Killed My Father! Prepare to Die!
• The Prophecy: Christopher Walken, as Gabriel, has a great one.
  I'm an angel. I kill firstborns while their mamas watch. I turn cities into salt. I even, when I feel like it, rip the souls from little girls. And from now till kingdom come, the only thing you can count on, in your existence, is never understanding why.
• Public Enemies: "I'm John Dillinger. I rob banks."
• Pulp Fiction: "I'm Winston Wolf. I solve problems."
• The Rock:
  Stanley Goodspeed: I'm an agent with the federal, FBI, well... I'm Stanley Goodspeed.
  John Mason: But of course you are.^note Also an Actor Allusion, given that Sean Connery's James Bond used that exact response in Diamonds Are Forever
• In Sky High (2005), Ron Wilson, bus driver, always refers to himself as "Ron Wilson, bus driver."
• Shutter Island : "My name is EDWARD DANIELS !"(twice). Later: - "My name is Andrew Laeddis. And I murdered my wife in the spring of fifty-two."
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country has Captain Kirk tackling the President of the Federation (to foil an assassination attempt) before introducing himself simply as "Kirk, Enterprise." Which is kind of funny because Kirk is possibly the only man in the Federation who wouldn't need to introduce himself, but the film implies that the President may be blind.
• Throughout the Star Wars films: "I am C-3PO! Human-Cyborg Relations!"

Jokes

• British Stuffiness gets parodies like this: Two gentlemen introduce themselves at some reception:
  "Stevenson, an industrialist. Coal and nature oil."
  "Blackstone, prison warden. Bread and water."

Literature

• The Lorax: "I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees."
• The Wheel of Time: "I am Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn."

Live-Action TV

• All That: "Lester Oaks Construction Worker" he even expects others to call him by that.
• Aquí no hay quien viva: "Andrés Guerra, from Deportes Guerra. Field, beach and sierra."
• Batman (1966): In a sort of Inversion (crossing over with Phrase Catcher), other characters almost always refer to Bruce as "Millionaire Bruce Wayne" (Dick sometimes gets appended on as "his youthful ward"). To the point where some people joke that in this particular continuity, Millionaire is actually his first name.
• Breaking Bad: Saul Goodman, the sleazy criminal lawyer for Walter White, whenever recognized by someone for his often intrusive advertising, will always happily spout the name of his office’s tagline/catchphrase, “Better Call Saul!” This is accentuated in the scene where he offers his services as Walt’s personal lawyer for his meth business.
  Saul: So if you wanna make more money, and uh, keep the money that you make, BETTER CALL SAUL!
• Chappelle's Show: "I'm Rick James, bitch!"
• Danger Man varies the order a bit: "A messy job? That's when they usually call on me or someone like me. Oh, yes — my name is Drake. John Drake."
• Doctor Who:
  • "I'm The Doctor. I make things better."
  • And "Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North," later "Prime Minister" and "former Prime Minister".
    "Yes, we know who you are."
  • "Good evening. I'm a lizard woman from the dawn of time. And this is my wife."
• Dragnet: "My name's Friday. I carry a badge."
• The Office (US): "Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration"
• In the premiere of Farscape, Aeryn identifies herself as "Officer Aeryn Sun, Special Peacekeeper Commando, Icarion Company, Pleisar Regiment" and demands John Crichton provide his own rank and regiment. Rygel, being former royalty and proud of it, introduces himself to John thus: "I am Rygel the XVI, Dominar to over 600 billion people. I don't need to talk to you!" Later in the series, John will introduce himself to aliens ignorant of Earth pop culture with lines like: "John Crichton, Wizard of Oz."
• Saturday Night Live:
  • I am Lothar, of the Hill People. Much have I seen, and much have I done.
  • Hi. I'm Matt. I'm a radar technician.
• Star Trek:
  • [threateningly] "Maybe you didn't read the crew roster, but my name is Dax, and I'm the new science officer on this garbage scow, and you were in my seat."
  • "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."
  • "Brunt, FCA."
• In the pilot episode of Star Trek: Voyager, our latest captain introduces herself to the first denizen of the Delta Quadrant she meets:
  Janeway: Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager.
  Neelix: A very impressive title. I have no idea what it means, but it sounds very impressive.
  • In the corny Show Within a Show The Adventures of Captain Proton, our hero introduces himself thus:
    "Captain Proton! Spaceman First Class, protector of Earth, scourge of intergalactic evil...at your service."
• Ted Lasso: "Trent Crimm, The Independent".

Video Games

• BlazBlue: I am the White Void. I am the Cold Steel. I am the Just Sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world, and cleanse it in the fires of destruction! I am Hakumen! The end has come!
• Dragon Age II: "I am Cassandra Pentaghast, Seeker of the Chantry."
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: "I am ALDUIN, first-born of Akatosh!"
• GreedFall: "De Sardet, Legate of the Merchant Congregation."
• MadWorld: "I'm Jack. I don't help people. I kill them."
• Monkey Island: "I'm Guybrush Threepwood, mighty pirate!"
• Sam & Max: Freelance Police: "I'm Sam. This is Max. We bust punks."
• Sonic Adventure 2: Half the cast presents theirs at some point or another.
  • Shadow: My name is Shadow. I'm the world's Ultimate Lifeform. There's no time for games. Farewell!
  • Eggman: My name is Dr. Eggman, the world's greatest scientist and soon to be the world's greatest ruler!
  • Sonic: What you see is what you get. I'm just a guy who loves adventure; I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!
• Team Fortress 2: "I am Heavy Weapons Guy. And this is my weapon."
  • "I'm an Engineer, that means I solve problems. [...] I solve practical problems."
• Twisted Metal: "I am Calypso, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal!"
• Dreamfall: The Longest Journey and its sequel Dreamfall Chapters begin with the Player Character, Zoë, lying in a bed in coma, narrating the story. She begins by introducing herself.

Web Animation

• Mass Defect: "My name's EDI. I'm an awesome computer thingy that does stuff."

Webcomics

• 8-Bit Theater: "I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that make the people fall down!"
• Girl Genius: OTHAR TRYGGVASSEN, GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER!
• Questionable Content - "My name is Hannelore Ellicott-Chatham. I end messes."

Web Original

• The Nostalgia Critic — "Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it, so you don't have to."

Western Animation

• DuckTales (1987), "Armstrong": "I. AM. ARMSTRONG. I. AM. YOUR FRIEND!!!"
• Darkwing Duck would introduce himself this way when arriving on scene to perform a rescue or face a villain.
• Some Mickey Mouse Works cartoons have Mickey, Donald, and Goofy working together in a variety of professions, with Mickey answering the phone "[Name]'s [Noun] [Verb]ery! We [Verb] [Noun]s!
• King of the Hill: Hank will often introduce himself as "Hank Hill, Strickland Propane." or "Hank Hill, Assistant Manager [of] Strickland Propane." even when he's not at work or the people he's being introduced to have nothing to do with the propane industry.
• Looney Tunes - "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wile E. Coyote, genius."
• Megas XLR - "I am Ender. I end things."
• Transformers: Animated - "I am Wreck-Gar. I dare to be stupid."
• Metalocalypse: "I'm Doctor Rockzo the Rock N' Roll Clown! I do cocaine!"
• The Fairly OddParents!: "I'm Doug Dimmadome, owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome."
• South Park: Most of the other boys at South Park Elementary tease Scott Malkinson, saying, "I'm Scott Malkinson, and I have diabetes," as if to say his whole life revolves around his diabetes. When a girl moves into town who also has the disorder, he embraces the line and adopts it himself. Of course, by that point, it's turned out that his life actually does revolve around his diabetes.
• Rocky and Bullwinkle: Boris introduces many of his alter egos this way.
• The Simpsons:
  • In "Stark Raving Dad", Homer meets a man in a mental hospital who believes he's Michael Jackson. He introduces himself with "I'm Michael Jackson of The Jacksons." Homer responds with "I'm Homer Simpson of The Simpsons."
  • In "Homerpalooza", Homer meets The Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan introduces himself with "Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins." Homer responds with "Homer Simpson, smiling politely."
• The Boondocks has A Pimp Named Slickback, who repeatedly insists that he be referred to in exactly that way, "like A Tribe Called Quest". Just calling him "Slickback" makes him mad and he will correct you on it.

---