Where does the Gnomish Tinker stereo/archetype come from?

[johnsemlak]

Mystara for AD&D came out in the early 1990s. Mystara, the Basic D&D setting (signature villain Bargle appeared in the adventure in the red box rulebook), predates all of TSR's worlds but the World of Greyhawk and Blackmoor (Blackmoor was later turned into the prehistory of Mystara, at that).

The Top Ballista Creature Crucible came out in 1989, and featured the flying gnomish city of Serraine, along with World War I flying ace rules for D&D.

The Module CM4 Earthshaker also featured a huge mechanical metal giant (like, HUUUUGE) built and operated by 'tinkering' gnomes.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

It seems to be mostly a FR thing, but I'm curious if the archetype of the mad Gnomish inventor/tinker and their odd constructs and contraptions comes from somewhere in particular?

Hell, along with the gnome race and all things gnomish.

 

[frankthedm]

Paranoia Research and Development?