Line #35 ShoutOut/TheSpectralChronicles


1	A list of the [[ShoutOut shout-outs]] and {{homage}}s in ''Literature/TheSpectralChronicles''.
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3	[[WMG:The series overall]]
4	* One of the most feared demons, the [[OlympusMons Gigantoshambler]], is a deadly combination of the [[BossInMookClothing Shambler]] from ''[[VideoGame/QuakeI Quake]]'' and ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giganotosaurus Giganotosaurus]]''.
5	* Now and then, Demetrios expresses his exasperation to bad news with [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars "Well that's just prime."]]
6	* One of the demons' favorite proclamations/taunts is "[[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 None can stand against the coming Darkness]]."
7	* Ghosts tend to have [[BigEater enormous appetites]] similar to those of [[Anime/DragonBallZ the Saiyans]]. In their case, however, it mostly comes up after epic battles.
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9	[[WMG:''Literature/TheSportOfGhostWrestling'']]
10	* William changes his name to Mephistopheles because, in his own words, Mephistopheles is the [[VideoGame/{{Diablo}} Lord of Hatred]] (referring to his hatred of Demetrios).
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12	[[WMG:''Literature/TheReturnOfMephistophelesWorldWarIII'']]
13	* When Demetrios and his fellow Ghost Wrestlers are fighting the rebellious ghosts, one of them disparagingly calls Moon Shadow "[[Franchise/MyLittlePony your little pony]]," which he doesn't take too kindly to.
14	* When Shandara confronts Shapetaker in Demetrios's [[DemonicPossession possessed mind]], the [[TheCorruption corrupting slime that makes up his body]] takes on the appearance of "[[Literature/AnimalFarm a greedy Berkshire boar]]."
15	* Since Atrocitas is based on the fear William/Mephistopheles causes, many of his minions are based on [[NightmareFuel the things that (in)famously scared us when we were kids]]. To name a few:
16	** Remember when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgIBGjXIoEs Carol Channing turned into a super-scary sheep]] in [[TheFilmOfTheBook the 1985 version]] of ''[[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Alice in Wonderland]]''? [[AKindOfOne Now there's]] [[ComMons more of them]].
17	** Remember the (in)famous pictures from ''Literature/ScaryStoriesToTellInTheDark''? Now they're flesh and blood demons.
18	*** Speaking of which, the demon based on the pale woman from “The Dream” (which are called “Dark Omens”) is actually [[EvolutionaryLevels the larval form of a much stronger demon]], the Winged Nightmare.
19	** There is a funny reference to it as well, though:
20	-->“Relax, D, it was just a dream. [[http://hello-zombie.tumblr.com/post/1141603449/oh-susannah-susannah-and-jane-shared-a-small When you wake up, everything will be all right]],” he [Max] said.
21	-->“[[LampshadeHanging I heard that before]],” I replied.
22	* One of the paintings in Demetrios's new room is "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalen_with_the_Smoking_Flame Magdalen with the Smoking Flame]]," which, as he puts it, "I recognized from [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 a movie I watched quite often in my younger years]]."
23	* When Aristotle points out the demonic Moon hovering above Atrocitas's base, Max says "That's no Moon," to which Anna humorously replies "[[Franchise/StarWars I knew you were going to say that]]." Lily backs him since it is indeed not a Moon.
24	* William/Mephistopheles's [[spoiler:second punishment for failing to take over the world is to spend eternity [[Film/HistoryOfTheWorldPartI ice-skating with Hitler]]]].
25	* Ira's throne room is guarded by a pair of [[GiantMook mega demons]], reminiscent of the "Bruiser Brothers" from the first ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.
26	* In another nod to ''Beast Wars'', Max and one of the demons fight each other like the Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots.
27	* During the {{knighting}} ceremony, Demetrios pulls a fast one on Zasedis by acting like he accidentally [[Film/KingRalph cut his ear with the sword]].
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29	[[WMG:''Literature/DawnOfANewCentury'']]
30	* For the masquerade party, Anne-Marie wears the silver dress Raquel Welch wore in ''[[Film/TheNakedGun Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult]]'', just with a couple of modifications.
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32	[[WMG:''Literature/TheRiseOfAtlantisLightAndDarkness'']]
33	* Anturoc's curse that he casts on Luke. He cuts out his heart (or its ghostly counterpart), which takes on a crystalline form, and uses it to control him. It's like a combination of ''Series/OnceUponATime'' and ''Franchise/SailorMoon''.
34	* When exploring Atlantis and seeing the dinosaurs, Ruby remarks that it reminds her of ''Franchise/JurassicPark''. Demetrios later says he read it too.
35	* When the Stone Cutters are evacuating Kinardas City, [[Film/TheTenCommandments1956 they have a little trouble getting their African wild asses and burros to move at first]].
36	* One of the pastimes Demetrios and Lily picked up in between volumes is [[Webcomic/{{xkcd}} playing chess while riding roller coasters]].
37	* When encountering the Dark Stone Cutters for the first time, Demetrios tells them "[[Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy So, we meet at last, my dark cousins]]." The Dark Stone Cutters, however, [[CulturalPosturing just laugh at him]].
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39	[[WMG:''Literature/FromOsloToKinardas'']]
40	* While Michael and Kayla observe the bald eagles and the plesiosaurs in Part III, [[WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}} one of the reptiles snatches a bird right out of the air]].
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42	[[WMG:''Literature/ANewBeginning'']]
43	* Berith's first [[MaliciousMisnaming blundering of Demetrios's name]] refers to a similar scene in ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft III}}: [[ExpansionPack The Frozen Throne]]'' where Varimathras gets Garithos's name wrong. He also refers to him as "[[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Minimal]]" and "[[Film/CasperASpiritedBeginning Chrysler]]." At one point he even calls him "[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Ponerius]]."
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45	[[WMG:''Literature/TheHeraldsOfFalseLight'']]
46	* Ashur puts on a pair of glasses to complete his disguise for infiltrating the Illuminati's secret city. [[LampshadeHanging He acknowledges that]] "[[LampshadeHanging I know it's not much,]] [[MythologyGag but it worked for]] Franchise/{{Superman}}."
47	* On the topic of his infiltration, the note he gives one of the guarding knights is a reference to the brainwashing chant from the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' episode "The Joy of Sect."
48	* In a nod to ''Film/{{Apocalypto}}'', the Illuminati slavedrivers give Jason the cruel and demotivating name [[ItIsDehumanizing Dorpha]], which in the [[LanguageOfMagic Enochian language]] means "[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman Almost]]."
49	* A heartwarming Shout Out: Remember the part in ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' when Ariel got into a human-made bed for the first time and she fell asleep instantly with a big smile on her face? Leah does the same when she gets into Ashur's bed after all their years of being separated.
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51	[[WMG:''Literature/ADayOfNewLife'']]
52	* Kurt's OneWingedAngel form is based on the [[NightmareFace unsettling]] [[FeatheredFiend bird-like monster]] from the title page of ''[[Literature/ScaryStoriesToTellInTheDark Scary Stories 3: More Tales To Chill Your Bones]]''.
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54	[[WMG:''Literature/BattleForTheAges'']]
55	* Astaroth using a spell to [[AndIMustScream trap the losing contestants in magic mirrors and making them motionless]] is inspired by the ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Mojovision."
56	* Astaroth's general Ioxoixohn has a lot in common with [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Ramiel]]; [[AlienGeometries a living geometric shape]] [[KillerRabbit that turns out to be quite deadly]].
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58	[[WMG:''Literature/TheKingdomOfDreams'']]
59	* As part of the fun for Demetrios and Lily’s romantic night out, Lily wears the black outfit Music/ShaniaTwain famously wore in the music video of her song "Man! I Feel Like a Woman."
60	* One of the effects of Mhithl’ithoth taking over is large clusters of black thorny vines growing throughout the Dream World and eventually the real world and choking out all other life. It's like a combination of ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', and ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''.
61	* The inspiration for the heroes’ nightmares:
62	** Anne-Marie’s nightmare is based on ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'', ''Literature/TheWitches'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', and ''Film/{{Willow}}''.
63	** The patterns on Elizabeth’s wings in her [[OneWingedAngel demonic butterfly form]] resemble [[Literature/ScaryStoriesToTellInTheDark Stephen Gammell illustrations]].
64	** [[BearsAreBadNews The demonic bear]] in Maebh’s nightmare is based on and inspired by the one from ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound''.
65	** In Caoimhe’s nightmare, she almost [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 gets her voice stolen]], and then she nearly gets killed by a demon based on [[WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty Maleficent in her dragon form]], which also has elements of [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Deathwing]].
66	* Mhithl’ithoth keeping his horrifying true form hidden from view is similar to [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Pale Night]].
67	* Heather makes a funny one when she mentions how much she likes [[CoolSword her new sword]] more than the shoddy one Astaroth made her fight with in ''Battle for the Ages'':
68	--> That one was in such a sorry state, it made [[Film/HistoryOfTheWorldPartI the cardboard prop sword]] look like {{Excalibur}}.
69	* One of the chapters is titled "[[Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth The Shadow over Kingsport]]."
70	* Zephorius calls the mysterious man in the lion costume [[spoiler:who's actually [[TheDragon Mhithl'ithoth's Dragon Rhagosct]]]] a "[[Theatre/{{Cats}} musical reject]]."
71	* During his first nightmare, Demetrios tries to get the mysterious stranger's attention by saying "Womp-bomp-a-do-domp," which he remembers as the {{Inherently Funny Word}} from the ''Series/EerieIndiana'' episode "Just Say No Fun."

Context ShoutOut / TheSpectralChronicles