Zap's alter ego?

I think Zap reminds me a bit of Zaphod Beeblebrox from the hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy - same sort of ego-maniac, and we know that Greoning and that other guy (David Cohen, I think) spent over a year researching sci-fi stuff - surely they read THHGTTG. And their names look quite similar - Zap Brannigan / Zaphod Beeblebrox - both notorious characters and stuff.

Has this come up before, and what do others think?

Are there any other subtle references in the characters to other fictitious characters - because for the most part, I don't see any other references (other than in general to robots in films, and first officers, etc. ).

Actually, I believe Zaphod Beeblebrox is listed as a possible influence for Zapp in Haynes Lee's character origins file. It's quite possible that Zaphod was an influence, but not the only one. I'd say the most obvious influence on Zapp was Captain Kirk, but his charcter seems to draw from other sources, too. Actually, I'd say that the pompous, egomaniacal, inept captain is essentially an archetype that appears all over.

Now that you mention it, I could easily see Zapp going back in time in order to hit on some sexy 20th-century ladies.

David Thomson wrote in message news:85hmuo$1bj$[email]...

and

fictitious

I think I mentioned this when the show first aired. It also made me reflect that Futurama may be the best executed sci-fi comedy since the Hitchhiker's books. With their Z.B. characters, they're nicely homing in on the macho space cowboy stereotype seen from Flash Gordon to Han Solo.

maybe... after all, if that head gets any bigger it's bounds to divide like an amoeba.

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Fred
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