COH Detective "Homages"

[MrBadman]

I don't know if this has been discussed (I've done a quick search but didn't find anything), but I'm trying to piece together all of the homages for the detectives in COH.  I'm trying to line up who all the homages are referening, but I'm missing a couple.

Kings Row
- Becktrees - Pep Streebeck (Dragnet)
-Freitag - Joe Friday (Dragnet)

Steel Canyon
- Martins - Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon)
-Rogers - Roger Murtaugh (Lethal Weapon)

Skyway City
-Sluggit - Frank Bullitt - (Bullitt)
-Westbrush - Harry Hallahan - (Dirty Harry)

Faultline
-Frasenbacker - Dudly Doright
-Kowaccio -????

Independance Port
-Davids - David Starsky (Starsky & Hutch)
-Hutchinson -Ken Hutchinson (Starsky & Hutch)

Talos Island
-Basinns - Rico Tubbs (Miami Vice)
-Croquette - Sonny Crockett (Miami Vice)

Founders Falls
-Murwell  - Alex Murphy (Robocop)
- Junkers - ???

Perigrin Island
- McKing - ???
- Selnum - Thomas Magnum (Magnum PI)


So, who am I missing?
 

[PeregrineFalcon]

It's not McKing, it's Detective McLord. And it's Jack Lord as Detective Steve McGarrett from the original Hawaii Five-0.

 

You got me on Kowaccio and Junkers though. The Homecoming City of Heroes wiki probably has the answers.

 

 

[Clave Dark 5]

Inanimate Carbon Rod, Dr. Forrester, all of the above... I've wondered if anyone's ever compiled a solid list of all the call-outs and injokes in CoH.

[Techwright]

6 hours ago, MrBadman said:

I don't know if this has been discussed (I've done a quick search but didn't find anything), but I'm trying to piece together all of the homages for the detectives in COH.  I'm trying to line up who all the homages are referening, but I'm missing a couple.

Faultline
-Frasenbacker - Dudly Doright
-Kowaccio -????

Founders Falls
-Murwell  - Alex Murphy (Robocop)
- Junkers - ???

Perigrin Island
- McKing - ???
- Selnum - Thomas Magnum (Magnum PI)


So, who am I missing?
 

 

6 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

 

You got me on Kowaccio and Junkers though. The Homecoming City of Heroes wiki probably has the answers.

 

 

 

Faultline is actually not Dudley Do-Right.  The zone's cops are a reference to the TV series "Due South", where a Canadian Mountie is given special assignment with the Chicago police. 

Frasenbaker = Benton Fraser, the Mountie

Kowaccio = Ray Veccio, the Chicago partner

 

Founders Falls is themed to sci-fi cops therefore...

Junkers = Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford's replicant-hunting detective in Blade Runner. 

NOTE: I was puzzled at the name, not seeing the comparison (is there a "junker" reference that I've forgotten in the movie?)  However, I then learned about "Snatcher" a 1988 video game which was apparently a knockoff of Blade Runner.  In the game, the equivalent to runners (Decker's job) are "Junkers".  Looks to me like someone was a fan of that game, too.

 

Peregrine Island is themed to "island", specifically Hawaii TV detectives...

McLord (not McKing) = Steve McGarrett, played by Jack Lord in the original Hawaii 5-0

 

 

You've not got Brickstown listed, which is themed to the 1970's TV cop sitcom "Barney Miller", but also, cleverly, to the original development team

Miller = Barney Miller.  Seems straightforward, eh?  His looks, though, are modeled on Matt Miller, aka "Positron" from the original game's development team.

Fish = Phil Fish, Abe Vigoda's character on TV.   His look, however, comes from Sean Fish, a former writer for COH.

 

 

To the best of my recollection, that is it.  Which is unfortunate, as we have at least 2 zones that might qualify for cops:  Striga Island, and Croatoa.  While you might say that each has a small village in ratio to the rest of the zone, well, so does Faultline, and Faultline was a hazard zone as well.    Perhaps it needs to be added to the Suggestions section, but I'd really like to see radio mission cops added to Croatoa at least, and Striga if possible.  Maybe have a single contact at each, if you think the size doesn't merit two contacts.

Edited April 30, 2021 by Techwright

[Parabola]

To my now eternal shame I hadn't picked up on a single one of these. Now it makes more sense why there are two of them in each zone...

[Grouchybeast]

4 hours ago, Techwright said:

Faultline is actually not Dudley Do-Right.  The zone's cops are a reference to the TV series "Due South", where a Canadian Mountie is given special assignment with the Chicago police. 

Frasenbaker = Benton Fraser, the Mountie

Kowaccio = Ray Veccio, the Chicago partner

 

Kowaccio is a mash-up of both the Due South detective Rays, Vecchio (original) and Kowalski (replacement), who were Fraser's partners.

 

Frasenbaker is also a mash-up name, of Benton Fraser (the Mountie) and Diefenbaker (his lip-reading deaf wolf sidekick).

Edited April 30, 2021 by Grouchybeast

[Sailboat]

Croatoa being magical, may I suggest Harry Dresden and his cop buddy, Karrin Murphy?

[MrBadman]

3 hours ago, Grouchybeast said:

 

Kowaccio is a mash-up of both the Due South detective Rays, Vecchio (original) and Kowalski (replacement), who were Fraser's partners.

 

Frasenbaker is also a mash-up name, of Benton Fraser (the Mountie) and Diefenbaker (his lip-reading deaf wolf sidekick).

OK, see the Fraser threw me, as Brendon Fraser played Dudly Do-Right.  I couldn't figure out what the Baker was referencing, but the Mountie - Fraser seemed like a Dudly Do-Right reference.

 

[MrBadman]

1 hour ago, Sailboat said:

Croatoa being magical, may I suggest Harry Dresden and his cop buddy, Karrin Murphy?

I would think going a bit older...with the great granddaddy of T.V. supernatural investigation, Carl Krochack. - Perhaps Det. McGavin as an expy.

Given that Striga is populated with seemingly supernatural creatures that are actually alien in origin, I'd suggest expys of two FBI agents.  Agents Cully and Vulpes

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by MrBadman

[MrBadman]

6 hours ago, Techwright said:

 

 

Faultline is actually not Dudley Do-Right.  The zone's cops are a reference to the TV series "Due South", where a Canadian Mountie is given special assignment with the Chicago police. 

Frasenbaker = Benton Fraser, the Mountie

Kowaccio = Ray Veccio, the Chicago partner

 

Founders Falls is themed to sci-fi cops therefore...

Junkers = Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford's replicant-hunting detective in Blade Runner. 

NOTE: I was puzzled at the name, not seeing the comparison (is there a "junker" reference that I've forgotten in the movie?)  However, I then learned about "Snatcher" a 1988 video game which was apparently a knockoff of Blade Runner.  In the game, the equivalent to runners (Decker's job) are "Junkers".  Looks to me like someone was a fan of that game, too.

 

Peregrine Island is themed to "island", specifically Hawaii TV detectives...

McLord (not McKing) = Steve McGarrett, played by Jack Lord in the original Hawaii 5-0

 

 

You've not got Brickstown listed, which is themed to the 1970's TV cop sitcom "Barney Miller", but also, cleverly, to the original development team

Miller = Barney Miller.  Seems straightforward, eh?  His looks, though, are modeled on Matt Miller, aka "Positron" from the original game's development team.

Fish = Phil Fish, Abe Vigoda's character on TV.   His look, however, comes from Sean Fish, a former writer for COH.

 

 

To the best of my recollection, that is it.  Which is unfortunate, as we have at least 2 zones that might qualify for cops:  Striga Island, and Croatoa.  While you might say that each has a small village in ratio to the rest of the zone, well, so does Faultline, and Faultline was a hazard zone as well.    Perhaps it needs to be added to the Suggestions section, but I'd really like to see radio mission cops added to Croatoa at least, and Striga if possible.  Maybe have a single contact at each, if you think the size doesn't merit two contacts.

I completely forgot about Bricks.  I picked up on both Fish and Miller, but I didn't get the character model references.  Thanks for the Hawaii 5-0 reference, I should have picked up on that given the Hawaii connection of Magnum PI.

[Vulpoid]

11 minutes ago, MrBadman said:

Cully and Vulpes

SKULLy and Moulder (slow rot/decay from neglect)

Edited April 30, 2021 by Vulpoid

[ZekeStenzland]

17 minutes ago, MrBadman said:

I would think going a bit older...with the great granddaddy of T.V. supernatural investigation, Carl Krochack. - Perhaps Det. McGavin as an expy.

 

Alas, Carl Kolchak was a reporter, not law enforcement, so probably doesn’t qualify. Much to my disappointment. 

[MrBadman]

Just now, ZekeStenzland said:

Alas, Carl Kolchak was a reporter, not law enforcement, so probably doesn’t qualify. Much to my disappointment. 

Deckart was a private investigator, so there does seem to be some wiggle room.  Harry Dresden wasn't a police officer, he was a consultant, but never an actual officer.

[Fire Chief]

The Grimm TV series with Nick Burkhardt and his partner Hank Griffin would make a good fit in Croatoa or Striga.

[MrBadman]

1 hour ago, Fire Chief said:

The Grimm TV series with Nick Burkhardt and his partner Hank Griffin would make a good fit in Croatoa or Striga.

Sam and Dean Winchester would have fit into Croatoa.  As would have John Constantine.

q

 

[Ironblade]

14 hours ago, MrBadman said:

Skyway City
-Sluggit - Frank Bullitt - (Bullitt)
-Westbrush - Harry Hallahan - (Dirty Harry)

His last name was Callahan.  And, for anyone who doesn't see the connection, the Westbrush name is derived from the actor who played him, Clint Eastwood.

[Techwright]

9 hours ago, Grouchybeast said:

 

Kowaccio is a mash-up of both the Due South detective Rays, Vecchio (original) and Kowalski (replacement), who were Fraser's partners.

 

Frasenbaker is also a mash-up name, of Benton Fraser (the Mountie) and Diefenbaker (his lip-reading deaf wolf sidekick).

 

Thanks for the clarification! 😊

[Techwright]

Probably taking the thread in a new direction here, but what TV or movie detectives would make a good fit for Khallisti Wharf?

 

"Wharf" makes me think of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, and that suggests the Karl Malden / Michael Douglas TV show The Streets of San Francisco.  Their characters were Mike Stone & Steve Keller, respectively.

 

I could see Simon & Simon working in that spot as well, as they were based in another port city, San Diego.

 

Ah, why not go all in:  of any zones not housing a police station currently, whom might you put into them?

 

I'm thinking Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle &  Buddy "Cloudy" Russo from The French Connection, probably in Perez Park due to the significant presence of the Skulls there (drug trade).

 

Maybe Jack Traven from Speed for Boomtown/Baumtown, should the rebuilt section ever finish.

 

I really want to work Hill Street Blues and maybe Knight Rider in somehow, but I've not thought of a fit for either yet.

 

But those are my ideas.  Yours may be better.

[Rathulfr]

6 minutes ago, Techwright said:

Probably taking the thread in a new direction here, but what TV or movie detectives would make a good fit for Khallisti Wharf?

 

If we want to drift further afield from actual law enforcement, and go with some variant of Travis McGee, a "Salvage Consultant" who lived on a house boat parked in a marina.  Technically neither cop or private eye, he filled that role as the protagonist in his successful book series.

 

[MTeague]

Anyone know if the Redside Brokers have any such TV/Film/Literature connections?

I'm kind of assuming no, at least, I can't place a single one of them. 

[MrBadman]

5 hours ago, Ironblade said:

His last name was Callahan.  And, for anyone who doesn't see the connection, the Westbrush name is derived from the actor who played him, Clint Eastwood.

Yep, you're right on the Callahan.  The Westbush/Eastwood connection is what lined the dots up for me.

 

[MrBadman]

1 hour ago, MTeague said:

Anyone know if the Redside Brokers have any such TV/Film/Literature connections?

I'm kind of assuming no, at least, I can't place a single one of them. 

Dr. Forrester is an homage to Dr. Clayton Forrester from Mystery Science 3000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Clayton_Forrester_(Mystery_Science_Theater_3000)

I've not made any connections with the other brokers yet.

EDIT:

I think Micky the Ear in Port Oaks is an homage to Mickey Goldmill from Rocky

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Goldmill

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by MrBadman

[Techwright]

3 hours ago, MTeague said:

Anyone know if the Redside Brokers have any such TV/Film/Literature connections?

I'm kind of assuming no, at least, I can't place a single one of them. 

 

I'm pretty sure that Stella the Mouth is based in part on Stella Payne, played by Angela Bassett in How Stella Got Her Groove Back.  Her description even says she "never lost her groove".  The movie Stella was also a broker: a stockbroker.  (Is that the hook? That the characters are in movies that have brokers? If so, where are the Wall Street references?)  I've never seen the movie, only heard of it, so I'm not sure where "the Mouth" comes from.

 

I'm guessing the same movie might also be a source for Winston the Gent, as the male lead character in How Stella... was a Winston Shakespeare.  Both Stella and Winston are in Nerva Archipelago, so it adds up, at least as far as I was able to take it.

 

I was really hoping Mikey the Ear was a reference to Mickey Blue Eyes, but nothing else matches up.

 

 

[DoctorDitko]

Let us hope for an appearance of the infamous Spawn Sensor and his partner Gordon "Gut" Buster. (They may not really be psionic, but they solve a lot off crimes.)

 

There's Hadrian, the "Hermit" of San Francisco (he has the real deal OCD), and in nearby Poseidon, CA, there's Harmonica Moon and her dad.

 

And can't we make room for the classic Rue B Rue gang in DA? (I'd love to see Thelma and Delphine pull the rubber mask off of Mot's ugly mug!)

Edited May 2, 2021 by DoctorDitko

[Techwright]

2 hours ago, DoctorDitko said:

And can't we make room for the classic Rue B Rue gang in DA? (I'd love to see Thelma and Delphine pull the rubber mask off of Mot's ugly mug!)

Never heard them called the "Rue B Rue gang", but that's hilarious.  Yeah, DA or maybe Croatoa would be great for a Mystery, Inc. homage.  Not sure how you'd work them as a duo detective setup though, unless they were divided into the classic teamups:  Fred & Daphne as one "detective" (with probably Fred "talking"), and Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby as the other "detective", with Velma talking.  Hmm, maybe, instead of putting them in a building, stand them next to an aqua & green van.

 

That said, I think they'd be more flexible as a standard set of mission givers on the street.  Still want to see the homage, though!