Cultural influences in roleplaying

[Baron Opal II]

So the question is what are your artistic and cultural influences from film, music, art and comics, and what themes and patterns from them have you noticed in your roleplaying?

My dad was big into adventure fiction, and a bit of an outdoorsman. So I've read a bit of Burroughs (Tarzan, John Carter), London (Call of the Wild, Klondike short stories), Melville (Moby Dick), the journals of Sir Richard Francis Burton, and so on. I've read countless fairy tales (HC Anderson, The Kalevala, Brothers Grimm, East of the Sun, West of the Moon). My parents had this magnificent copy of Beowulf from the '50s, Gargantua and Pantagruel, The Divine Comedy. Others.

Ditko Dr. Strange comics, psychadelic art, '60s rock posters, Timothy Leary-esque psychonaught journals, early New Age writing, Erich von Däniken (Chariots of the Gods), Zecharia Sitchin (The 12th Planet), other "Alien Conspiracy" ramblings.

Heavy Metal, Alt Rock, Prog Rock lyrics from the '70s and '80s; King Crimson, Ronnie Dio, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush, &c. I remember listening over and over again to Court of the Crimson King, Man on the Silver Mountain, Temple of the King, &c. and writing down the lyrics.

The theme was that we were the Big Damn Heroes in over our heads exploring places beyond our ken, performing deed of renown without peer. Us against the World, saving the girl, and showing the inept king how to get things done. Unless, of course, we got ourselves in over our heads and the girls would have to save us. Sub-optimal, but acceptable.

 

[Voadam]

I think the biggest influence on my games now is the movie Army of Darkness.

Horror but PG 13.

Action movie combat.

Humor.

Jerk protagonist.

Failing forward.

Eventually rising up a bit to meet the challenge.

Great one liners/quotes "Its a trick. Get an axe."

Medieval warriors, magic, monsters.

 

[pemerton]

"Its a trick. Get an axe."

I have memories of a Dwarf henchman known solely as "It's a trick".