Den (comics) - Influences

Influences

The stories of Den are shaped by several well-known works of fiction. Sometimes the references are featured in the story itself.

• A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The story of the short film Neverwhere, as well as the whole concept behind Den, is based on this novel and its sequels. The 1963 edition of A Princess of Mars is featured in the short and the novels are mentioned in the first comics story. Den gets a new body that is perfect and, like the characters in the Barsoom novels everyone, including himself, remains nude for the entire adventure. This aspect of the story was retained in the subsequent comic versions, unlike the Burroughs’ comics adaptations. Furthermore, with the relaxed social mores for depicting sexuality arising at the time of the series' inception, the erotic possibilities of Neverwhere are eagerly indulged by the characters. Kil and both Dens come from a planet whose inhabitants resemble Homo sapiens in most respects, except for being oviparous, like all Barsoomian races.
• The Wizard of Oz. As pointed out by Philip José Farmer Den, like Dorothy Gale, travels to a strange world and is sent on a mission, eventually returning to his former existence. Like Dorothy, Den is from Kansas.
• The stories of Robert E. Howard. Before completing the first Den collection, Corben adapted a short story by Howard, "Bloodstar", where the muscular hero fought a demonic amorphous creature, similar to Uhluhtc.
• The tales of H. P. Lovecraft. Particularly in the first volume of Den, the presence of Uhluhtc (Cthulhu spelled backwards) is a constant theme in the story. Uhluhtc is also mentioned in "For the Love of a Daemon" and Children of Fire.
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. As pointed out by SidSid Keränen, the Nar stones and the scepter made from them, the Locnar, are similar to the One Ring and its corrupting power.