Oh it’s ON, baby!!
Nah, it’s mainly just a silly goof-con, in which case almost every sci-fi series one might possibly imagine has plainly borrowed from earlier ones in one way or another. At least, I THINK so.
That said, I seem to recall Mézières being pretty upset about this at some point. In any case, he passed on a couple years ago, so hmm…
EDIT: Whoops, pardon. This specifically appeared in the annex of the Cinebook edition of v2, The Empire of a Thousand Planets. There was a text accompaniment that I could post, if necessary. It was pretty rubbish, frankly.
The bronze bikini is all inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Scary Helmet, Fucked-Up Face, and Winged Tapir aren’t all that original in their own rights.
I definitely see inspiration for the Millennium Falcon and Carbonite freezing, though.
If I remember correctly, in Light & Magic they talk about how they came up with the design of the M.Falcon (and George Lucas wasn’t much involved). In fact, let me check… Ah ha:
The carbonite thing feels like more of a straightforward copy, though.
I feel like there were saucer shaped space ships in other things previously.
If it were an asymmetric design with the cockpit off to the side, then sure there’s a real connection. But a spaceship being vaguely saucer shaped? Nah it’s just a common design for a spaceship.
Ooh, that’s right!
Hail to the princess Dejah Thoris, pleasantly bronzed by yon inspirational Martian sun. ^^
(they warn’t no vanishing Ray Bradbury Martians, neither)
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G-e-n-t-l-e-m-e-n… (voice of Charles Winchester from M*A*S*H)… please.