Talk:Reaper Mouse

Similarity to "Death of Rats"

I know Dave V. removed this trivia, but really? Hard to believe there's no connection. For example, compare this fan art of Terry Pratchett's "Death of Rats" character (the EXIF file info shows the image was created well before the Reaper Mouse appeared in MH) and the MH image. (Here they are side by side for easy comparison, right down to the blue glow around the sickle.) Not trying to argue with the devs, but this is just one example out of dozens of similar images that predate the Reaper Mouse. --B.Rossow · talk 14:55, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Well, let's see. There's a Grim Reaper's cloak-and-cowl, which is fairly standard amongst all renditions of any Reaper-ish characters. Then there's a rat's tail sticking out of it; Only so many ways you can draw that. Then there's a scythe (or sickle) which might vary only in length, thickness, curviness, and shape of handle. I don't really see any inch-for-inch equalities there with the book's one. The only similarity at all is the blue glow...but think rationally for a minute. You have D&D, you have Baldur's Gate, you have umpty-billion renditions of skeletons, undead, lich-like characters, and so forth. Death is associated with ice, with cold, with actinic energy. The undeathly glow seen all over the place is argent and blue.

So...no. It's the same Grim Reaper we see everywhere, with a tail sticking out of it. Terry Pratchett didn't come up with the Grim Reaper idea, and neither did HitGrab. It's just another theme mouse, like a Zombie mouse (zombies aren't original...stick a tail on it). It is unbearably adorable to lich-lovers like me, though. I want one. - Jakj 15:30, 8 November 2009 (UTC)