History Main / HowardHughesHomage

** "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" depicted Sam Simon as a Howard Hughes type [[https://frinkiac.com/caption/S07E10/160726 with a long beard and long fingernails in a hospital or mental institution bed.]] Simon [[SelfDeprecation personally drew the image]] after rejecting the writers' initial joke of him being represented by a "No Photo Available" card.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': [[EmperorScientist Robert Edwin House]], former CEO of [[MegaCorp RobCo]] and present [[OneNationUnderCopyright Autocrat of New Vegas]], is clearly based upon Howard Hughes. It's possible to find a photo of House where he stands in [[https://lensebender.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/mr-house-post.jpg identical pose and clothes]] to one of the most famous photos of Hughes. His appearance, economic views, status as a SelfMadeMan and EccentricMillionaire, and pursuit of technology for the better of mankind are based on the younger Hughes as a famous billionaire, while his obsession with Vegas and seclusion in a sterile life support pod in a hotel penthouse, interacting with the world [[BrainUploading through a computer]], resembles the older, shut-in Hughes.
* While Andrew Ryan of ''VideoGame/BioShock'' is clearly primarily based on Creator/AynRand, with the game's strong theme of objectivism, it's not hard to see that there are some traits inspired by Howard Hughes as well. Primarily, Ryan having a background with industrialism, and his slow descent into madness and paranoia once his dream slowly begins to collapse onto him.

** In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E10Springfield $pringfield]]", Mr. Burns temporarily turns into a germophobic recluse with many of the traits of Hughes in his later years. He also becomes obsessed with a model air-plane which he names "The Spruce Moose", a clear reference to Hugh's "The Spruce Goose" plane.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': [[EmperorScientist Robert Edwin House]], former CEO of [[MegaCorp RobCo]] and present [[OneNationUnderCopyright Autocrat of New Vegas]], is clearly based upon Howard Hughes. It's possible to find a photo of House where he stands in [[https://lensebender.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/mr-house-post.jpg identical pose and clothes]] to one of the most famous photos of Hughes. His appearance, economic views, status as a SelfMadeMan and EccentricMillionaire, and pursuit of technology for the better of mankind are based on the younger Hughes as a famous billionaire, while his obsession with Vegas and seclusion in the penthouse of a hotel. He's also in a sterile life support pod and interacting with the world [[BrainUploading through a computer]] -- resembles the older, shut-in Hughes.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': [[EmperorScientist Robert Edwin House]], former CEO of [[MegaCorp RobCo]] and present [[OneNationUnderCopyright Autocrat of New Vegas]], is clearly based upon Howard Hughes. It's possible to find a photo of House where he stands in [[https://lensebender.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/mr-house-post.jpg identical pose and clothes]] to one of the most famous photos of Hughes. His appearance, economic views, status as a SelfMadeMan and EccentricMillionaire, and pursuit of technology for the better of mankind are based on the younger Hughes as a famous billionaire, while his obsession with Vegas and seclusion in the penthouse of a hotel -- taken UpToEleven in that he's in a sterile life support pod and interacting with the world [[BrainUploading through a computer]] -- resembles the older, shut-in Hughes.

* Sir Iknik Blackstone Varrick in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. Varrick is a brilliant inventor and a wealthy businessman who is one of the pioneers of his setting's movie industry. And calling him "eccentric" would be [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} putting it mildly]]. Varrick also has an exceedingly stylish 'stache.

** "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" depicted Sam Simon as a Howard Hughes type [[https://frinkiac.com/caption/S07E10/160726 with a long beard and long fingernails in a hospital or mental institution bed.]]

* A 1970s ''Comicbook/CaptainAmerica'' story features a reclusive Las Vegas-based millionaire named Harold Howard [[spoiler: who turns out to be the Kingpin]].

* While Andrew Ryan of ''VideoGame/BioShock'' is clearly primarily based on Creator/AynRand, with the game's strong theme of objectivism, it's not to see that there are some traits inspired by Howard Hughes as well, primarily with Ryan having background with industrialism, and his slow descent into madness and paranoia once his dream slowly begins to collapse onto him.

* ''Series/{{Wiseguy}}''. Vinnie Terranova is framed for a GovernmentConspiracy to destabilize the Japanese economy with counterfeit yen. A reclusive billionaire with dubious intelligence connections called Prescott Wilson is supposedly behind the scheme. He lives in isolation in his mountain retreat, only communicating with visitors by having them come halfway up the mountain on a chairlift, to have Prescott meet them half way while carrying a LAAW rocket on his lap. When Vinnie is HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee, Prescott is the SurpriseWitness who appears at the eleventh hour to clear him. This was likely inspired by a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Irving fake Howard Hughes autobiography]] written by scammers who assumed (incorrectly) that he would never break his isolation to expose it.

** In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E10Springfield $pringfield]]", Mr. Burns temporarily turns into a germophobic recluse with many of the traits of Hughes in his later years.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': [[EmperorScientist Robert Edwin House]], former CEO of [[MegaCorp RobCorp]] and present [[OneNationUnderCopyright Autocrat of New Vegas]], is clearly based upon Howard Hughes. It's possible to find a photo of House where he stands in [[https://lensebender.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/mr-house-post.jpg identical pose and clothes]] to one of the most famous photos of Hughes. His appearance, economic views, status as a SelfMadeMan and EccentricMillionaire, and pursuit of technology for the better of mankind are based on the younger Hughes as a famous billionaire, while his obsession with Vegas and seclusion in the penthouse of a hotel -- taken UpToEleven in that he's in a sterile life support pod and interacting with the world [[BrainUploading through a computer]] -- resembles the older, shut-in Hughes.

* Preston Whitmore from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' is an unshaven, bony, and nutty old codger that welcomes Helga Sinclair and Milo Thatch into his study while barefoot and half-dressed. He persuades Milo to join his crack team of adventurers in finding the lost city of Atlantis, for which Preston has custom-built an elaborate submarine for the purpose.

* Billionaire-playboy-engineer-superhero [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]. He even designed for the military -- munitions instead of planes -- and went through a major struggle with a debilitating psychological problem, although in Tony's case it was alcoholism, not OCD. In his early comics appearances, he even had the mustache.

** In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E10Springfield Springfield]]", Mr. Burns temporarily turns into a germophobic recluse with many of the traits of Hughes in his later years.

[[folder:Comics]]

[[folder:Film-Animated]]

[[folder:Film-Live Action]]

* Cave Johnson in ''Videogame/{{Portal 2}}'' was an eccentric mid-twentieth-century shower curtain tycoon who used his fortune to sponsor cutting-edge scientific research (much of it well into MadScientist territory) and suffered a mental and physical breakdown late in life. He was also asked to testify in [[HauledBeforeASenateSubCommittee Senate hearings]] about missing test subjects.

* Sir Iknik Blackstone Varrick in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. Varrick is a brilliant inventor and a wealthy businessman who is one of the pioneers of his setting's movie industry. And calling him "eccentric" would be [[CloudCuckooLander putting it mildly]]. Varrick also has an exceedingly stylish 'stache.

** In the episode Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E10Springfield, Mr. Burns temporarily turns into a germophobic recluse with many of the traits of Hughes in his later years.
** ''The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular'' depicted Sam Simon as a Howard Hughes type [[https://frinkiac.com/caption/S07E10/160726 with a long beard and long fingernails in a hospital or mental institution bed.]]

** "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" depicted Sam Simon as a Howard Hughes type with a long beard and long fingernails in a hospital or mental institution bed: https://frinkiac.com/caption/S07E10/160726

[[AC:Comics]]
* Billionaire-playboy-engineer-superhero [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]. He even designed for the military - munitions instead of planes - and went through a major struggle with a debilitating psychological problem, although in Tony's case it was alcoholism, not OCD. In his early comics appearances he even had the mustache.

[[AC:Film-Animated]]
* Preston Whitmore from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' is an unshaven, bony and nutty old codger that welcomes Helga Sinclair and Milo Thatch into his study while barefoot and half-dressed. He persuades Milo to join his crack team of adventurers in finding the lost city of Atlantis, for which Preston has custom-built an elaborate submarine for the purpose.

[[AC:Film-Live Action]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': [[EmperorScientist Robert Edwin House]], former CEO of [[MegaCorp RobCorp]] and present [[OneNationUnderCopyright Autocrat of New Vegas]] is clearly based upon Howard Hughes. To the point it's possible to find a photo of House, where he stands in identical pose and clothes as one of the most famous photos of Hughes. His appearance, economic views, status as a SelfMadeMan and EccentricMillionaire and pursuit of technology for the better of mankind, are based on the younger Hughes as a famous billionaire. Meanwhile his obsession with Vegas and seclusion in the penthouse of a hotel -- taken UpToEleven in that he's in a sterile life support pod and interacting with the world [[BrainUploading through a computer]] -- resembles the older shut-in Hughes.

[[AC:Western Animation]]

** "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" depicted Sam Simon as a Howard Hughes type with a long beard and long fingernails in a hospital or mental institution bed: https://frinkiac.com/caption/S07E10/160726

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': [[EmperorScientist Robert Edwin House]], former CEO of [[MegaCorp RobCorp]] and present [[OneNationUnderCopyright Autocrat of New Vegas]] is clearly based upon Howard Hughes. To the point it's possible to find a photo of House, where he stands in identical pose and clothes as one of the most famous photos of Hughes. His appearance, economic views, status as a SelfMadeMan and EccentricMillionaire and pursuit of technology for the better of mankind, are based on the younger Hughes as a famous billionaire. Whilst his obsession with Vegas and seclusion in the penthouse of a hotel, resembles the older shut in Hughes.

Sister Trope to EccentricMillionaire, RichGenius, and TheWonka, and often overlaps with ByronicHero or BrokenAce. See also MrAltDisney, another trope inspired by a real-world 20th century tycoon, which has some features in common. In fact, characters inspired by both Hughes and Disney are not rare.

Howard Hughes Homages based on Hughes' more outgoing younger years are often dashing playboys with [[TheCasanova very active love lives]]. Characters based on Hughes in his old age are more reclusive and often share Hughes's mental illnesses, such as agoraphobia, germophobia, or OCD, and some of his odd habits like wearing tissue boxes on their feet or not cutting their fingernails. Many Howard Hughes Homages have dapper mustaches, although Hughes himself was clean-shaven as a young man.