Who were the Minutemen based on?

[Thor-Ul]

Ok, everybody here knows than the Watchmen characters were based in the Charlton characters, that has been said several times here.

However little has been said of their predecessors, the Minutemen. Outside the original Nite-Owl, who I guess it was bassed in Dan Garret, the first Blue Beetle, little is known about the background of the Minutemen. Well, it is true than in the story itself there was also little said about them too. But still I am curious about them.
Were they totally new ideas of Moore and Gibbons or were they based in other characters too? I have read than the Red Circle characters were the basis for such ideas but I never had seen a clear explanation or a more clear description of that idea.
So who were they based on if they also had some analogues around? Captain Metropolis, Hooded Justice, Dollar Bill, Silhouette, Mothman. We know about Silk Spectre, Comedian and Nite Owl. But the rest?
Do you have any idea?

[kcekada]

I don't think those characters were based on any specific character. I think they had roles to play in Moore's story and he created characters to match.

[Riv86672]

I don't think those characters were based on any specific character. I think they had roles to play in Moore's story and he created characters to match.

^^^This sounds right.
Good question, though!

[kcekada]

In addition, I thought he based a lot of their backstories on untold tales of Hollywood actors of that era -- especially the sexual scandals. Honestly, it was one of my favorite aspects of the series and especially the movie. I thought Minutemen could easily have been a TV mini-series. Still do.

[j9ac9k]

In addition, I thought he based a lot of their backstories on untold tales of Hollywood actors of that era -- especially the sexual scandals. Honestly, it was one of my favorite aspects of the series and especially the movie. I thought Minutemen could easily have been a TV mini-series. Still do.

Especially when you factor in Darwyn Cooke's work with the Minutemen. I loved his take on the team.

[Aarkus]

this is pure conjecture on my part... in reality, it probably wasn't too difficult to come up some pulp-y characters without a frame of reference for them... but I do see some resemblance to the JSA/All-Stars:

Captain Metropolis - Commander Steel
Hooded Justice - Hourman
Dollar Bill - The Atom
Silhouette - Dr, Midnight
Mothman - Sandman
Silk Spectre - Black Canary
Comedian - Wildcat
Nite Owl - Hawkman

[Thor-Ul]

In addition, I thought he based a lot of their backstories on untold tales of Hollywood actors of that era -- especially the sexual scandals. Honestly, it was one of my favorite aspects of the series and especially the movie. I thought Minutemen could easily have been a TV mini-series. Still do.

I can see what you mena. The Minutemen had tragic ends and there is a lot than could be explored. I understand the dark Hollywood parallel, after all Moore wanted to present the secret life of the characters as less than glamorous and victims of human weakness.

this is pure conjecture on my part... in reality, it probably wasn't too difficult to come up some pulp-y characters without a frame of reference for them... but I do see some resemblance to the JSA/All-Stars:

Captain Metropolis - Commander Steel
Hooded Justice - Hourman
Dollar Bill - The Atom
Silhouette - Dr, Midnight
Mothman - Sandman
Silk Spectre - Black Canary
Comedian - Wildcat
Nite Owl - Hawkman

Dunno, it seems forced to me, specially in the case of Commander Steel, which is a golden age character by retcon and always was more a way to put an analog to Captain America/Shield in the golden age.
Not long ago I read about how the MLJ characters were the characters to whom Watchmen was going to be written for. So I wonder if the MLJ character saw themselves in a new intepretation in the Minutemen. But honestly, I saw little analogies.

[fatebuddy27]

The way Darwyn Cooke did it, they're clearly meant to parallel the JSA -- the third issue of the miniseries literally features a 'Minutemen' comic with a cover homage to All-Star Comics #3. I don't think there's necessarily any direct parallels, though a case could be made about Captain Metropolis being an Alan Scott-like figure considering current goings on with Mr. Scott and Mothman shares Hourman's addiction issues and Starman's history of institutionalization (a la The Golden Age 1993 but later made canon in Starman 1994).

[kcekada]

Yes, JSA is clearly the basis for the Minutemen, but I think the correlations are mostly indirect. Silk Spectre having a daughter who followed in her footsteps was obviously inspired by the Black Canary mother-daughter relationship. Don't think that is news.

[Thor-Ul]

The way Darwyn Cooke did it, they're clearly meant to parallel the JSA -- the third issue of the miniseries literally features a 'Minutemen' comic with a cover homage to All-Star Comics #3. I don't think there's necessarily any direct parallels, though a case could be made about Captain Metropolis being an Alan Scott-like figure considering current goings on with Mr. Scott and Mothman shares Hourman's addiction issues and Starman's history of institutionalization (a la The Golden Age 1993 but later made canon in Starman 1994).

I have not read any one of the Before Watchmen series, except the Moloch mini and Dollar Bill special, more for the creators than for the content, honestly. So I will trust your persepective.
I suppose Cooke wanted to make them similar to the JSA in spirit to make the contrast to the Watchmen bigger (it is a guess) but I don't know if that was the intention of Moore. I don't think so.
I can see parallelisms as seeing second generation characters as with Black Canary/Silk Spectre. But that also was a trait of the Blue Beetle/Niteowl.
And the aspects of Hourman as an addict and Starman being institutionalized, where they elements of the characters previous to 1985 or are post Watchmen introductions? The Golden Age, than explored really darker aspects of the Golden Age, is a post Watchmen story, but I don't know if those issues were revealed before or at leats hinted previously to Moore & Gibbons story.
Honestly I am thinking than @kcekada is the one of the right here.