Slightly off-topic, I think it's important to understand that (IMHO) Perl is not a bells-and-whistles language. People who think VB is God's gift to anything will not (in general) be able to appreciate the strength and beauty of a proper tool.
As for PHBs, once they need a speedy solution to a serious problem, they'll thank God (and you). The GUIs can come later. I'm not saying it can't, or doesn't, happen differently, it's simply how I've seen it happen - a group of scripts grew in size and importance until it became important to supply an interface for the general public.