Stable N-heterocyclic carbene analogues of Thiele and Chichibabin hydrocarbons, [(IPr)(C6H4)(IPr)] and [(IPr)(C6H4)(2)(IPr)] (4 and 5, respectively; IPr - C{N(2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3))}(2)CHCH), are reported. In a nickel-catalyzed double carbenylation of 1,4-Br2C6H4 and 4,4'-Br-2(C6H4)(2) with IPr (1), [(IPr)(C6H4)(IPr)](Br)(2) (2) and [(IPr)(C6H4)(2)(IPr)](Br)(2) (3) were generated, which respectively afforded 4 and 5 as crystalline solids upon reduction with KC8. Experimental and computational studies support the semiquinoidal nature of 5 with a small singlet-triplet energy gap Delta ES-T of 10.7 kcal mol(-1), whereas 4 features more quinoidal character with a rather large Delta ES-T of 25.6 kcal mol(-1). In view of the low Delta ES-T, 4 and 5 may be described as biradicaloids. Moreover, 5 has considerable (41%) diradical character.