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My partner took one look at Yin, the penangalan...


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I'm trying to think of what else we got.

 

We may as well state the super obvious:

The Oni keyword pulls from Japanese mythology, but that should go without saying.  

There's many of the special edition model's referencing the everything from the Turtle and the Hare, to other things like the Easter Bunny, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.  Most special editions are typically in reference or theme of something else.  Day of the Dead, etc.

 

 

Stitched Together are just Oogie Boogie from the Nightmare Before Christmas.

 

Ryle Hoffman is likely named after Gilbert Ryle, who coined the term "Ghost in the Machine".  Somewhat fitting given his lore.

 

Titania is named after the queen of the fairies from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".


And let's not forget the famed Jackalope!  Not only is it in North American Folklore, but it also references Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

 

The new Story Keyword is pulling from Asian Tales.  There is the monkey with the staff, which is a reference to Journey to the West.

 

Nellie Cochrane is named after Elizabeth Cochrane and Nellie By.  They are both female journalists.

 

Vernon and Welles appear to be named after author Jules Vern and Orson Welles, but I'm not positive.  It could be pulling from something else.   They also remind me of the Wright Brothers for some reason.  Speaking of the Wright brothers:

 

Orville Agassiz pulls his first name from Orville Wright.

 

I'm certain Maxine Agassiz is a reference to someone.  Louis Agassiz?  Someone more knowledgeable than me has got to know this one.  Her ship, the Superior, is likely a nod to the SS Superior City.  I was close, but no cigar.  Maxine was based on Louis' son, Alexander.   See much further below.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Captain Zipp's "Blasting Off Again" is likely a Team Rocket reference from the original Pokemon show.  They show up in nearly every episode before getting flung into the sky declaring "Team Rocket is blasting off again."  Zipp is also a reference to old serial TV/radio show villains from the like of Buck Rodgers and Flash Gordon.  Which character in particular he is based on I am not sure.

 

Dread Pirate Zipp is a nod to the Dread Pirate Roberts from the Princess Bride.

 

Mancha Roja references both the wrestler John Cena and Rocky IV opponent Ivan Drago.  "My time is now" is John Cena's theme song, and "I must break you" is Drago's most iconic quote from the movie.

 

The Crossroad's Seven character Sloth is a reference to Slash from Guns 'n Roses.  Similarly, Pride is a reference to Motörhead's Lemmy.

 

Lenny Jones is a reference to Lennie Small from John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men".  Lennie in the book has a small mouse he keeps as a friend, whereas Lenny has his piglet.

 

Will-of-the-Wisp's are based on a phenomenon of the same name.  It dates back quite a ways and has no known country of origin I'm aware of.  They most commonly are considered supernatural beings around swamps or marshes, typically with negative connotations.

 

Lilith is named after a woman in the Bible who was banished from the Garden of Eden and became a demon.

 

Gweneth Maddox is likely a nod to Lady Luck.

 

English Ivan's Black Mirror is a reference to... Black Mirror, a British TV show like the Twilight Zone with a technological twist.  Mr. Mordrake could possibly be inspired by Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekell's notorious alter ego, but there's no way to know for sure.

 

Did we mention Tuco and Angel Eye's already?  They are named after characters from Sergio Leone's "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".  Tuco is the ever entertaining "the Ugly", played by Eli Wallach.  Angel Eye's is Lee Van Cleef's ruthless and efficient killer, "The Bad".  Francois is similarly modelled off of Clint Eastwood, who plays "the Good".  The "good" in this instance is very much deserving of quotations, as he is most assuredly not.  While I have no proof of this, Papa Loco is vaguely reminiscent of Jame's Corburn's character in Sergio Leone's "Duck you sucker!".  Jame's plays a rather crazy and unhinged demolitions expert who really enjoys blowing things up.

 

And it could be my imagination, but Dr. Grimwell has the crazy Laura Palmer smile from Twin Peaks.  There is a point where Laura Palmer stares up at a ceiling fan getting an increasingly devilish grin, without a doubt one of the creepiest moments in David Lynch's iconic series.

 

Edit:  Forgot Paul Crockett.  Part Davey Crockett, iconic for his raccoon skin hat, famously perished in the Alamo.  Paul is possibly a reference to Paul Bunyan, axe wield giant of American Folk Tales.  It's a shame he doesn't have Jeremiah Johnson's iconic nod of approval.

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What else do we have?

 

Wong the Enchanter has a couple of nods to Tim the Enchanter from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  This is from the design, name, and the iconic scene change.

 

The normal Wong also comes off as yet another Big Trouble in Little China reference, the reference again being Lo Pan.

 

Howard Langston is named after Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in Jingle All the Way.

 

Mr. Cooper is named after Alice Cooper, and even resembles him.

 

Mr. Cooper's flying monkey's are a Wizard of Oz reference.  In the movie the Wicked Witch of the West using Flying Monkey's to harass the main characters.

 

The Brewmaster's "Riddles in the dark" ability is named after a chapter in the Hobbit where Bilbo meets Gollum.

 

Nurse Heartsbane is likely loosely based on Nurse Ratched from Ken Kesey's "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest".  The box containing Grimwell and his followers is called "One Flew Over".

 

Similarly with the Sue/Convict Gunslinger's box, it is called Folsom Prison Blues, a Johnny Cash song.

 

Probably obvious to 99% of you, but Pandora is based on Pandora from Greek Myth, along with her accursed box (probably already stated).

 

We all know that Teddy is named after a Teddy bear.  Teddy bears are named after US President Theodore Roosevelt.

 

Ashes and Dust is a reference to western funerary practices.  It can be traced further back to several Bible passages. 

 

To further explain some things earlier, Hamelin is named after the town that the Pied Piper story takes place in.

 

Collodi is the name of the man who wrote Pinocchio.

 

Let's also not forget Dr. Watson!  He is the man who recounts all of Sherlock's Holmes tales.  Sherlock Holmes also shows up in a murder mystery story concerning the Red Library.  In that story there is a man named Von Stoker, who is a manifestation of Sherlock Holme's and Van Helsing (a man who hunts Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula).

 

Lazarus is named after a man Jesus brings back from the dead in the Bible.

 

Rat Kings are named after a bizarre phenomenon where a group of rats get theirs tales tangled together forming a large group of stuck together rats.

 

Aionus resembles Father Time.

 

Draugr are named after norse zombies of the same name.

 

And lastly, Manos is likely named after Manos: the Hands of Fate.  It is one of the worst movies ever made, but also contains it's greatest character, Torgo.

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All right, this will probably be my last on this (I'm running out of things I can spot or find anything on)...

 

Today I'll start with the obvious, the four horseman of the apocalypse.  The four horseman models, Pale Rider (War), Hooded Rider (Famine), Mechanical Rider (Conquest), and the Dead Rider (Death) all come from the book of Revelations in the Bible.  For those unaware, the Book of Revelations is about the end of the world and God's final judgement (or Judgement Day if you will).   While Levi may not be one of the horseman in the Bible, his name does reference a Book of the Bible.

 

Banjonista has a trigger called "Dueling Banjos".  This is a reference to the Burt Reynolds starring movie Deliverance.  Even if you've never seen the movie, you've likely heard pop culture taking "pot shots" at rural redneck areas by having a character imitate part of the famous banjo duel between a blind kid and one of the main characters.  Without saying too much, the famous song has very negative connotations, especially given what happens later in the movie (don't ask).

 

Similarly, many models have an ability called "Rebel Yell".  This specific style of yelling was used to intimidate enemies in the American Civil War.  It potentially dates back further than that.

 

Georgy and Olaf are inspired by misunderstood Mad Max villain Master Blaster from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.  In the movie, Max gets in a fight to the death with Master Blaster in the title's famed Thunderdome, a gladiator pit where two men enter... and one man leaves!  He also has an ability called "What a Lovely Day", which is from Mad Max Fury Road.   In the movie, Nux, a radiated war boy, sees many of his companions dying a glorious death worthy of Vahalla, and states "What a Lovely Day" in hopes of going out in a similar blaze of glory.  Also, "Who runs gremlin town" is a reference to Thunderdome's "Who runs barter town".

 

Samael Hopkins is named after 17th century British Witch Hunter, Matthew Hopkins.  He is also named after the Biblical Angel Samael, one of the many angels that rebels against God.

 

And lastly I got a couple of long shots.  Model 9 is potentially a reference to Cyborg 9, a Japanese manga/anime.  In the story there are 9 characters turned into assassin Cyborgs.   Potentially less likely is that Model 9 is inspired by the You tube short "9", which later got turned into a theatrical movie of the same name.

 

Then there is Big Brain Brin, who resembles the aliens from Mars Attacks!  It is a movie made by Tim Burton in the 90's, and previous trading cards made by Tops in the 60's.  He also has a bit of a Dr. Evil vibe from Austin Powers with his hairless mole rat (in the style of Mr. Bigglesworth, Dr. Evil's hairless cat).  Dr. Evil is based on James Bond's most famous villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who carries around a cat.  Austin Powers is a movie series that famously parodies James Bond and James Bond imitator Harry Palmer (played by Michael Caine).  Michael Myers, who plays Austin Powers, even sought out Michael Caine for the 3rd Austin Powers movie, Goldmember.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think I can muster a few more....

 

The alternate Zipp, "Don't Worry, be Zappy" is a nod to Stanley Kubrick's dark comedy Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

 

One of the Molly stories is called "There's Something About Molly".  This is a reference to a comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller called "There's Something About Mary".

 

Alt McMourning, Dr. Dufresne, is potentially a reference to the Shawshank Redemption character Andy Dufresne.

 

The Crossroads Seven are named after the Seven Deadly sins.  Forgot to mention that earlier.

 

Marcus' Beastmaster is potentially a reference to the cult movie of the same name.  Call of the Wild is also a common saying.

 

Coppelius resembles a Mind Flayer from D&D

 

Convict Gunslinger #2 is totally Danny Trejo.

 

Toshiro is possibly named after famous Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, who starred in Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, as well as many other great Kurosawa's movies.

 

To expand on things listed earlier:  Phiona Gage is named after Phineas Gage, a man who had a metal bar blast clean through his skull... and survive.

 

Moleman is a potentially reference to 1950's movie the Mole People.

 

The Sabertooth Cerberus is a reference to the Cerebus of Greek Myth, a fearsome 3 headed cat protecting the gates of the underworld. Similarly, the rouge necromancy pulls from a Chimera, also of Greek Myth.  As do Cherub's.  Artemis, Lord Cooper's dog, is named after Greek Goddess of the hunt.  Calypso is an island Odysseus got stuck on in his journey's.

 

Potential longshot, Bellaventine Thorpe resembles Liz Sherman from Hellboy.  She has an affinity for fire, and looks like her movie incarnation, just with skull face paint.  However, this could easily be me looking too much into this given Marco's close resemblance to Johann Kraus from Hellboy.  If Damian had a big red demon and a fish man, it would be a sure assumption.

 

The Nightmare Version of Nekima pulls from multiple places.  One, is mermaids as should be apparent.  The Lagan closely resemble Ursula's eel minions from the Little Mermaid, Flotsam and Jetsam.  Adi Adara is a fishlike interpretation of the god Neptune.  They're announcement of the alt nightmare box, Heart of the Sea, is not only a common sea term, but is also close to the name of the story "In the Heart of the Sea", the true story that was the inspiration for Herman Melville's Moby Dick. I'd also like to think it pulls from Smashing Pumpkins "Tonight Tonight" music videos underwater sequence, starring Spongebob's voice actor and wife, in a remake of 1902's "Trip to the Moon", but that's just me grasping at straws.  Edit:  I forgot the Sirens!  Sirens in Greek myth would sing a song so beautiful it would cause men to lose control and chase them.  It would led to the men's deaths.

 

Edit edit: And then there is 33, who is named after, um, page 33 of the rulebook, the page for burying.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, I lied.  I'm not done yet (is anyone still reading these?)

 

Got a whole bunch of musical themed inspirations this time.

 

First up we got a small thing I missed earlier.

 

The "Don't Worry, be Zappy" box is named after the song "Don't Worry, be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin.

 

Next up we got a whole bunch from the Alt McCabe box, starting with Rollins Black.  The name Rollins is presumably named after Henry Rollins.  Black is likely coming from Black Sabbath with a slim chance of it being named after Jack Black.

 

Iggy Pup is named after Iggy Pop.

 

Elli Ramone and Patti Ramone are named after the Ramones.

 

Cherri Bomb is named after the song Cherry Bomb by the Runaways.

 

Let's not forget Mr. Cooper, named after Alice Cooper.  His pose and name also could be referencing the famous English Occultist, Aleister Crowley.  Ozzy Osborne famously did the song "Mr. Crowley".    I don't know what Mr. Cooper's first name is, but I'm almost certain it's Aleister. 

 

Several models have a "Boomstick".  This is a nickname used for a shotgun given by the worst (and by worst I mean best) hero of all time, Ash Williams from Evil Dead.  In the movie Army of Darkness he uses his shotgun to scare the people of medieval England by firing it saying "This is my boomstick!"  One of the Scavengers also closely resembles Ash.

 

The fast action "Chain gang" references the Jim Crow era practice to use convicts/prisoners for hard labor, chaining them together so they can't escape.

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Okay, maybe one or two more. 

 

Yan Lo's "It's dangerous to go alone" is a quote pulled from the original Zelda game.  At the very beginning the protagonist Link enters a cave with an old man who says "It's dangerous to go alone!  Take this!" and gives Link a wooden sword.

 

Artemis "I can dig it" is not only a common quote, but also the name of several songs.  The most likely candidate it Alex Chilton's rendition.  Plus it makes me think of cult classic movie, "The Warriors", where gang leader Cyrus says "Can you dig it?" though it likely does not come from there.

 

Cadmus ability "We are legion" is a slightly altered quote from the Bible.  In the Bible Jesus asks a demon who it is and it/they reply "My name is Legion, for we are many".

 

The mighty sandworm resembles the Tremor's worms that burst out of the desert ground and eat you.  Tremor's is an 80's action movie starring Kevin Bacon.  They are also reminiscent of Frank Herbert's sandworms from Dune.

 

Dead Rider's "The dead hate the living" comes from a movie of the same name.  I could have also sworn it was said in one of George Romero's movies, but can't locate it.  Similarly, mindless zombie's "Brains!" comes from Dan O'Bannons "Return of the Living Dead" where zombies eat brains to ease their pain.

 

Sovereign's "Thunderstruck" is possibly an AC/DC reference.

 

Witch Hunter ability "I didn't start the fire" is possibly a Billy Joel song reference to "We didn't start the fire".

 

Molly Squidpiddge Chaotic Conductor resembles the Dance Macabre.

 

Bultungin's "Homeward Bound" is a common saying.  It is also a famous song by Simon & Garfunkel, as well as a 90's Disney movie where 2 dogs and a cat are lost and are trying to get home.

 

Survivor number 2... hmmm.  The beer gut, awkward posture, a vest that just looks wrong, pants that don't fit quite right, and cybernetic parts... I think he resembles David Carradine from the Future Force series.  Future Force is a horrible 80's B movie series that are absolutely dreadful.  I am almost certain David pulls off that exact pose at some point in one of those movies with his pistol aimed forwards, and I refuse to watch them to verify it.

 

And to expand on something else said earlier:  Ana and Hannah Lovelace are named after Ada Lovelace, who is considered the mother of programming.  Ada is also the daughter of famed poet Lord Byron, who was good friends with Frankenstein author Mary Shelly.  I just absolutely love that Hannah Lovelace, who could have used her intelligence to further humanity along into a new golden era, instead used it to build a giant robot so she can punch things.  Nice!

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On 12/1/2022 at 10:58 AM, Unrefined said:

While browsing the Black Friday sale I noticed Francisco sure looks a lot like Inigo Montoya from Princess Bride and Bishop definitely resembles Lobo from DC comics

Great call on Lobo.  I thought Bishop looked painfully familiar, I just couldn't place where.

 

Hopefully Papa Loco doesn't have a run in with the six fingered man.

 

Edit:

 

Amelia Bathory is named after Elizabeth Bathory, a woman who killed young women to bath in their blood, she believed it provided her youth.

 

One of the Juggernauts (alt riot breakers), resembles Executioner Smough from Dark Souls.  Not sure if intentional.

 

The jester Stiltzkin is named after Rumplestiltskin, a character from one of the Tales Grimm who could spin straw into gold.

 

Catelin Abernathy, alt cat obsessed Hamelin, is named after Eleanor Abernathy, aka crazy cat lady from the Simpsons.  Catelin is there because, you know, puns.

 

Alexi Sokolov is possibly named after Russian Scientists Alexei Gvishiani and Vladimir Sokolov.

 

There was something else I was missing... hmmmm... I'm sure it will come back to me.

 

Edit edit:

Ah yes, the Daeva!  One of their designs is based on Nosferatu, a silent era German film version of Dracula.

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  • 1 month later...

Did you think I was finished?  Not even remotely!

 

I was listening to a video on the history of batteries and a name came up, Michael Faraday.  He is a scientist who set the foundation for harnessing electricity, whose name influenced the Faraday Collar for the Broken Spectres.

 

Neil Henry is named after folk song hero John Henry.  

 

Harrison Frodsham is named after two things.  The first is John Harrison, a British Clockmaker.   The second is British Watchmaker (and then company) Charles Frodsham.

 

The Clampett's "Ogopogo" trigger is a reference to a first nations equivalent of the Loch Ness monster in British Columbia, Canada.


The Hermit's have an ability called "Seashells by the swampshore".  This is a reference to an English tongue twister, "She sells seashells by the seashore."  Now say that 10 times as fast as you can.

 

Another one of the Clampett's model's has an ability called "Not my first rodeo".  This is just an American way of saying "I've done this before".

 

Linh Ly's "A New Cry From a Broken Heart" is the English name of a famous Vietnamese story.  I'm sure the story keyword has a million other of these hidden in their cards.

 

Uncle Bogg is a reference to the crazy uncle everyone has in their family, at least in the United States.  I have no basis for this, but I think there is probably a healthy dose of National Lampoon's cousin Eddie in there.

 

Edit:

 

I forgot Scavenger's Weird Science.  The ability is likely a reference to the 80's comedy of the same name.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Alisson Dade’s “The plot is afoot” is similar to Sherlock Holme’s “The game is afoot.”

 

Jin Baccara reminds me of DJ Steve Aoki with glasses ready to bust out some Michael Jackson moves… could just be me though.

 

Oro Boro is based on the Ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail, and is often a symbol of renewal. It dates back to Egyptian mythology, except here it is a lizard.

 

Von Schtook’s card references Delios and Illios.  Delios is the name of an island where Apollo was born.  Ilios means “Sun” in Greek.

 

Paper Tiger has an ability called 7th Fold in the Page.  This is a reference to how it is impossible to fold a regular piece of paper in half 7 times.

 

Nellie’s “Lesson’s of Ephraim Wade” is possibly a reference to fiery English theologian Ephraim Pagit.

 

Miya’s “Dreams of the Red Chamber” could be a reference to the Red Room from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.  Many characters would dream, or even enter the Red Room, where nothing was ever quite what it seemed.

 

Damian’s “Die Thou, Unsung” ability is presumably the name of his Runic Blade.  It follows the naming conventions often associated with Executioner Blades.

 

Harold Tull’s MFGL resembles the BFG from the Doom games.  Unfortunately you will have to use your imagination for what the names are short for.

 

Harata’s “Haka” is a reference to a Maori war dance.

 

Good Ol’ Boy is a reference to rebellious young rednecks always getting into trouble.  The most famous are the Dukes of Hazard.

 

Young LaCroix's "I need an adult" is something taught to American children.  The term was made very popular by Family Guy.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I think I can muster a few more.

 

Georgy and Olaf, particularly Olaf's mask, resembles that of Ned Kelly, famed Australian Outlaw.

 

Squealer's mask resembles Immortan Joe's from Mad Max Fury Road.

 

Most people might think Hard Knock Life comes from the Jay Z song.  A musical variant pre-dates that, and the term actually comes from Annie the Musical.  Even prior to that it was said by Alan Shipnuck in 1967.

 

Barbaros' Macuahuitl is named after a Mesoamerican wooden club with Obsidian attached to the side.

 

No Rest for the Wicked is a slight alteration of a Bible Quote.

 

The Dead Man's Hand is an infamous poker hand, containing the Black 8's and Aces, with an unknown fifth card.  This was supposedly Wild Bill Hickok's hand when he was shot and killed.  The hand has lived in infamy ever since.

 

Edit:  Forgot Gremlins!  They were a way to explain issues on Aircrafts in the early 20th century.  Famous examples of Gremlins involves a Twilight Zone Episode "Nightmare at 20,000 feet", starring William Shatner early on in his TV career.  Many examples of Gremlins, like the movie series, have subtle ties to technology.  I am tempted to watch Gremlins 2 again just to see if anything on Brin's card references the movie's "smart" gremlin.

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  • 2 weeks later...

On the Discord, several people smarter than myself got these.  I removed my incorrect assessments and updated them here (I'm sure there are many more corrections to be made).

 

Cornelius Basse's name is a reference to Bass Reeves, a slave turned Marshal on the American Frontier.

 

Somehow with Parker Barrows I only realized half of his name pulls from the Barrows gang from the Great Depression.  As it turns out, his full name is a reference to the Barrows gang and not just half of it.  Bonnie and Clyde are possibly the most famous American outlaws in history.  Their last names are Parker and Barrows respectively.

 

I thought Gibson Dewalt was a potential reference to Mel Gibson and Dewalt tools.  I mean, it may still be, but far more likely his name is a reference to the comic book author Walter Gibson who created the character "The Shadow".

 

I thought Desper Laraux was an Assassin's Creed reference with hints of Arsene Lupin, the famed French Gentleman thief.  As it turns out his name is a reference to a similar character from the show Psych named Desperaux, played by Cary Elwes.

 

I believe Pistolero #3 pose is one pulled off by Antonio Banderas in Desparado.  I cannot say that for certain though, it's been many years since I've seen it.

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6 hours ago, Nathan Caroland said:

Scratching the surface there. :) 

Lots of good ones caught here. A few of them are quite wrong, but I won't say which as that's half the fun. Hell, the fellas have slipped some of them in there as well that even I missed, so ...

Being wrong is an artform I mastered in elementary school.  And middle school.  And high school.  Then college.  And, well, now.  It's an ongoing process.

 

But dang, we're only scratching the surface?  

 

Well, I'll keep on trying...

 

My buddy was telling me about a whole bunch of things that were book references, but since I'm unfamiliar with the books it all went way over my head.

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  • 5 months later...

Okay, a few more.

 

Danger Planet pointed out that Ulix (and his dog Penelope) are subtle nods to the Odyssey of Greek myth.  Also, the sow has a striking resemblance to to the Cerberus.

 

The UnSeelie Engine resembles Atlas holding up the World, again of Greek Myth.

 

Another Danger Planet special is Jedza, which is Polish for old hag/witch.

 

So'mer Teeth Jones name is a reference to the term "Summer Teeth".  It is a term associated with kids who go out and play during the summer, often knocking out their front Teeth, hence So'mer Teeth.

 

A subtle pun, Moon Shinobi is a play on Moonshiner.

 

The Viks prized Masamune sword is a reference to the Honjo Masamune.  It was a sword passed down from Shogun to Shogun, and was turned over to the US during the disarmament of Japan after World War 2.  The person who claimed the sword used a fake name, and the sword remains missing.  It was potentially even melted down.

 

Jack Daw's name is a reference to a bird often associated with death.

 

Corvus Rook is an interesting one.  Like Daw, both his name's has to do with birds.  This is potentially a James Bond reference.  How?  Well, English Ivan is sort of the James Bond of the Malifaux universe, and James Bond himself was named after an American Ornithologist named James Bond.  An Ornithologist is someone who studies birds.  It's it a bit of a stretch?  Sure.  Is it plausible due to Ivan's James Bond-ness?  Also sure.

 

We are back at the Brocken Spectre.  In Germany there is a mountain called Brocken.  There is a curious effect in the region referred to as the Brocken Spectre.  It's when some ones shadowy silhouette appears extra large with a bright halo near the person's head.  It's a cool sight to behold, so be sure to Google that one.   My hat is off to the designers that made the model reflect the phenomena.

 

This one... could be a bit of a stretch.  Jakob Lynch looks just like Mr. Dark from the movie Something Wicked This Way Comes, though I have to say that could easily be by chance.  Mr. Dark is played the always reliable Jonathan Pryce.  In the story he prey's on people's desires and enslaves them.  The movie also has someone turning into a withered husk, another potential coincidence.  It also has one of the coolest movie posters I've ever seen.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Update on Maxine Agassiz (thanks again to Danger Planet).  I though she was based on Louis Agassiz, but it was his son, Alexander Agassiz.  He was mining engineer who had a massive mining engine called the Superior.

 

The new Cayce Jones model is based on Casey Jones, a conductor killed in a train on train collision (thanks to Doc/Attus on the discord for that).

 

The newly announced Hoochdini is loosely inspired by real life magician Houdini, a man who could escape just about anything.  Apart from death.

 

The new Rotten Harvest is heavily inspired by Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and the Mel Brooks Movie Young Frankenstein.

 

Similarly, there is another one that appears to be inspired by the movie Hocus Pocus.

 

One of the new artwork pieces for Ashes of Malifaux shows a character holding something that closely resembles the Volleyball named Wilson from the Tom Hanks movie "Castaway".

 

More Crossroads Seven stuff.  The Crossroads is popular in American folk music, where a musician meets the devil and sells their soul to be able to play "enter instrument here".  They meet the devil at the Crossroads, which is both physical and metaphorical.

 

Doc on the discord says Envy is based on Paul Shaffer, a musician famous for their work on the David Letterman Show.

 

One of the Nightmare Edition Molly Pirates resembles a skeleton Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

Nightmare Jedza's model looks a lot like the scythe wielding Martyr Logarious from Bloodborne.

 

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Ah, I keep forgetting the Department of Ungentlemanly Affairs.  While Ivan may not be English, his organization has the single most British name in existence.  It's named after the British WW2 organization called Deparment of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

 

I was listening to T&G productions, and apparently Trixibelle is based on a Pamela Anderson poster.  There's probably also a solid dose of Daisy Duke from the Dukes of Hazard.

 

The Exorcist model resembles a Puritan.  Puritans were rather common in the early days of America, and were famously strict religious zealots notorious for Witch Hunting.  It's why many Witch Hunters in fiction have that design mostly identifiable by the hat.

 

The Scales of Justice seem obvious enough.  The idea of the Scales dates back to Egyptian mythology where Anubis weighs a person's heart in the afterlife.

 

The Copycat Killer is a Leprechaun.  Seamus also has serious mad hatter vibes, but that could just be me.

 

Couple of long shots.

Charles Hoffman possibly pulls his rather common first name from Charles Babbage, the father of computing. 

 

Whenever I see a Death Marshall I also see Marvel character Ghost Rider.  That is by no means a bad thing.

 

 

 

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Lady Legia is a reference to the Edgar Allan Poe story Legeia.

 

Similarly Montressor is the name of the narrator in the Cask of Amontillado, another Poe tale.

 

I'm sure there are more Poe references afoot.  This also a reminder to read Poe, his stuff is top notch.

 

This post is a little bare, so I'll throw in another long shot.  The Hodgepodge Emissary's "Pretty Floral Bonnet" upgrade is possibly a reference to Firefly, a show about space cowboys.  In it, the captain of the Serenity, Mal, disguises himself as a woman and says "By my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you".  It's probably the most famous quote from the show.

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On 1/11/2023 at 1:09 PM, Brilliance Laced Whiskey said:

Miya’s “Dreams of the Red Chamber” could be a reference to the Red Room from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.  Many characters would dream, or even enter the Red Room, where nothing was ever quite what it seemed.

I think this is just a reference to the classical Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Sun Wukong is from another classical chinese novel, Journey to the West.

Miya's name last name is a reference to contemporary Japanese author Hideki Murakami.

A few more based on what I'm painting right now:

Kin

Francois LaCroix's sculpt visually references Clint Eastwood's character from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Tuco and Angel Eyes from the Half-Bloods box are also named for characters from this movie.

Euripides / Savage:

Euripides is a ancient Greek playwright who is known for his tragedies. He's also the author of Cyclops, the only surviving satyr play.

Euripides' missing eye, gift for prophecy, and association with runes all allude to Odin from Norse myth. The reading of entrails or livers was practiced in the Ancient Mediterranean world and Ancient Near East world as a form of divination; "hepatomancy" is one name for a variant of this practice.

His crew draws inspiration extensively from Greek mythology:

Gigantes are primordial giants in Greek mythology who fought the Olympians. Thoon (pronounced with two syllables) is the name of many minor characters in Greek mythology, including ones of the Gigantes.

Geryon is the name of a giant with either 3 heads or 3 bodies. Getting his cattle was one of the labors of Heracles. The Erymanthian Boar is another reference to the labors of Heracles.

Lyssa is one of the Greek words for "rage" and is sometimes personified in as a spirit in Greek mythology. She makes an appearance in Eurpides' tragedy Herakles.

Bultungin is one of the many names for were-hyenas which are common in African folklore. Other models inspired by African Folklore include Adze and the Grootslang.

The Damned seems to be inspired by the wendigo of Native American / First Nations folklore.

Kaltgeists aren't a thing in real-world folklore (as far as I know), but their name means "cold spirits" and seems meant to evoke categories of real-world spirits from Germanic folklore. For example, Waldgeist (meaning "forest spirit") which is a term used in real-world folklore.

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

Got a few more!

 

Daeva are named after negative Zoroastrian gods.  Thanks to Defective Dice for that one.

 

Sandeep's "With Our Powers Combined" is a reference to 90's environmental superhero Captain Planet.  In the show, 5 kids are given rings representing the elements (Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Heart).  When they combine the power of their rings, Captain Planet shows up to rid the world of pollution.

 

Harris J-5's "Never Tell me the Odds" is a reference to Star Wars fan favorite hero, Han Solo.  Han Solo makes a desperate attempt to escape the Empire Forces by fleeing into an asteroid belt, causing C3-PO to state their odds of survival, at which point Han Solo says his ever iconic "Never tell me the odds".

 

Shashtar Vidya are references to Sikh warriors of the same name.

 

Sandeep's Guru is a term used to refer to Indian wise men/teachers.

 

The Good Boy Ullr is named after the Norse god of snow.

 

The Crooked Man is based on a rhyme from James Orchard Hallwell.  The term is also used to indicate someone is less than trustworthy.

 

A couple of a longshots here, but next we got Barbaros and Hayreddin.  The Ottoman Empire had an Admiral called Hayreddin Barbaros.  Barbaros is the Turkish evolution of the Greek name Barbarosa.  Hayreddin Barbaros roughly translates as "Faithful Red-Beard".

 

Kudra's "From One, All", I believe is a reference to the Sikh belief that God is in all things, and the goal of life is to become "One" with the universe.  But... I could be wrong on that.

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Newly announced models means new references:

 

In the new Ezekiel box there are 5 gremlin mindless zombies.  Each zombie corresponds with a horror icon.

Holding up Ezekiel is Jigsaw, from the Saw movie franchise.

The one with the cleaver stuck in him with the hockey mask is Jason from Friday the 13th.

The one with the sweatshirt and claws is based on Freddie from Nightmare in Elm Street.

The one wearing a face is likely Michael Myers from Halloween given the pose.  It's also possible he's Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  However, given the knife and the posturing, it's more likely Michael Myers.

The miner appears to be from My Bloody Valentine.

Bucket head = Carrie, and the bucket of blood poured on her in the movie (thanks to Branden on the discord for that).

 

And we have more Bloodborne references.  The new joint Apex/Cadmus box comes with a model named Kainhease.  That is one of the areas in the game based on the castle.  The characters design is based on common hunter outfit in the game.  And the "Prey Slain" is the wall of text you get when you beat a boss.  But wait, there's more.  Bloodborne is inspired by a French Movie called Brotherhood of the Wolf.  It's a French kung fu movie with great character design (the threaded cane from Bloodborne is in it as well).  The movie is inspired by the real life Beast of Gevaudan, which terrorized the French countryside.

 

The box, Ferryman's Toll, seems to be a play on Charon, the Greek Ferryman of the dead.  Coins would be placed on the eyes of the dead as payment for the Ferrymen to deliver them to the afterlife.  I am also going to assume there is some Flying Dutchmen in there as well.

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