I shall preface this by saying that I am not accusing anyone of plagiarism in suggesting that characters (and character concepts) may occasionally draw inspiration from established characters in print, video, or audio media. Heck, they may even draw inspiration from some other media, but you get my drift. Whether it's mannerisms, ideals, turns of phrases - who's your inspiration?
For myself:
Timulty Keel - Naturally draws a lot of his schtick from my own lovable personality, but I like to think that now and again he has some very Malcolm Reynolds moments, and juxtaposed in a modern era, I think he could be a fairly decent Harry Dresden.
Jodo Pomple-Moose - Jodo, while reflecting my love for all things culinary, is also a bit of a nod to a certain famous French literary detective. If you don't know which one, I'm not telling.
Kayiti The Endurant - is most likely the net result of the Medieval British Literature class I'm in - the one that makes Beowulf fun. It kinda impressed me with the warrior ideals of the Anglo-Saxon society, which are in turn reflected in Kayiti's own little quirks... and of course, Beowulf himself is called upon to act as inspiration for Kayiti's "I can stand there and take it" mentality. Nothing like a good Anglo-Saxon epic to get the blood stirring.
