Right now, a major influence is Netscape “illegal error” messages, so I know I’m not thinking sensibly enough to make a good list. Please may I suggest, however, that Terry Pratchett be admitted to the grand canon mentioned in the O.P?
Roger Zelazny’s Amber series and Lord of Light
Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings
Comics: Iron Man, Xenon: Heavy Metal Warrior; Wetworks
That’s where I get most of my background. there is other stuff, but I’m not thinking of it right now.
Anticlimactic, but it was half appendices with many of the references that claim a reality to it. Shortly after I read it a cabal of Italian Masons attempted a coup! Then I got creeped out.
Glad Firesign Theatre got a mention. I had most of their records memorized when I still had a memory.
Very good, but you’re all forgetting Mystery Science Theater 3000.
How could I have forgotten MST3K?!?!
As stated above, MP is my biggest influence along with MST3K, but I’ve also been influenced by Douglas Adams and the X-Men comic books.
How could this thread have gotten this far without Mad magazine being mentioned?
Don’t forget Terry Pratchett and Tom Lehrer.
Adams, Waters, gilmour, bobby gilespie, ian brown, john squire, Zack De la Rocha, Tolkien, Gaye, Wonder, Marley, Behan, Wilde, Yeats, Pratchett, Cleese, Idle, Jones, Chapman, palin and Gillingham
the Simpsons,
young ones
Blackadder
the list goes on and on…
Left out of this dazzling array of insanity is the primordial prototype for any young man:
Gomez Adams
I cannot believe that no one, not even me mentioned the Adams Family until now!
Harumph!
- Simpsons
- Comic Books (Yes I like the X-Men but it is not the source of my name)
- Sports, especially Michigan football. (The true source of my name)
- Douglas Adams - HG and Dirk Gently puts most other books to shame
- Greek Mythology
- Monty Python - a late comer so not as much influence
Greek Mythology is a suprise choice, but it remains to be a part of popular culture and thus fit the bill.
science fiction books are not really part of POPULAR CULTURE so sometimes i pretend to be influenced by Star Trek. Star Trek is good enough to watch but not read.
“Yoeman, your agonizer please”
Dal Timgar
Don’t forget the Sunday funny pages! America’s greatest contribution to world art, except for jazz!
Not only classics like “Pogo” and Krazy Kat" and “Thimble Theater” and “Little Nemo” and “Li’l Abner,” but surrealities and obscurities of genius like “The Little Hitchhiker,” “Boob McNutt,” “King Aroo,” “Dave’s Delicatessen,” “Barnaby,” “Alley Oop,” “Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend,” “Polly and her Pals,” “Barney Google,” and “The Bungle Family.”
The Pit is an obvious descendant of A.D. Condo and J.W. Raper’s brilliant 1905 strip, “The Outbursts of Everett True.”
Here’s one I accidentally left off my list earlier, and I’m really surprised no one else has listed it:
The Muppets
Sesame Street, the movies, the Muppet Show, etc.
[Ukulele Ike, just how the hell old ARE you? 
The sweeping vistas of “Little Nemo” were reflected in “Calvin and Hobbes,” but few other comics have broken out of the proscenium arch and used the medium to its full extent…
Ooops. This is POPULAR culture we’re talking about, isn’t it?
“Pogo.”
Also Robert Heinlien, Tom Robbins, and Richard Bach, my holy trinity.
Monty Python, Army of Darkness, Renaissance Faires, Star Trek, Highlander, Terry Pratchett, role-playing games and pretty much everything else came later.
Except Susan Cooper, Robin McKinley, The Muppet Show (especially Miss Piggy), Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock (which still influences my speech patterns), soap operas and Archie comics, all of which came earlier.
Two words: Bloom County. A great blend of biting satire and sweetness. Oh Bill and Opus, we hardly knew ye…
I’d add Richard Bach’s Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah and Piers Anthony’s The Incarnations of Immortality series.
Esprix
How, exactly, has the Far Side now been mentioned yet? And Bloom County only once? Precisely what sort of heathens are you people?
Oh, and ::cough:: Star Wars ::cough::
Other than those, hmm. Yeah, pretty much have to agree with everything else on the list. Here’s a hijack: what of today’s pop culture icons will still be fondly remembered in twenty years? Hint: It ain’t Strangers With Candy. Really.
Sad to say that I don’t think I’ve read any of the others on your list, but RAH is a god at my house… Once, to get my daughter to fall asleep, I read the first chaper of Stranger, and proceeded to read the whole thing… up till 3am, next to a sleeping 4 year old, reading Heinlein… one of the happiest moments in memory right now.
Monty Python
SCA
Illuinatus related reading
RAH
Douglas Adams
Larry Niven
Celtic Mythology (fiana!!!)
Bugs Bunny, and Daffy Duck
others have less influence, but these are the majority
Scratch De La Rocha, add LLP (Lee, Lifeson, Peart). We could very well be separated at birth, Twisty. Except for the fact that I’m 7 years older, and was born in another country.
You wouldn’t happen to like Guinness, would you?
