Here's a precursor to paintball.  From Le Rire, 1896.

Here's a precursor to video conferencing.  From Le Rire, 1896.

The tall hat and umbrella are precursors to the Cat in the Hat's.  From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1884.

Here's a precursor to the Coneheads from Saturday Night Live.  You'll recall their catchphrase, "We're from France."  It turns out they were telling the truth.  From Le Rire, 1897.

Here's a precursor to the Night at the Museum films and book.  From Fliegende Blätter, 1935.

Here's a precursor to artist John Baldessari's dots-over-faces pieces.  From Le Rire, 1899.

Here's a precursor to J. G. Ballard's novel Crash.  The caption reads, "Dearest Bolly, only think, there has been such a lovely railway accident!"  From English Illustrated, 1897.

Here's a precursor to Debbie Does Dallas, except that "the kings did not really have sexual intercourse with Rome or Babylon."  This commentary on Revelation 18:9 appears in The Book of Revelation, Introduction and Prophecy by George Wesley Buchanan, 2005.

Before Annie Lennox sang for Eurythmics, there was just Eurythmie.  From Die Bühne, 1930.

Here's a precursor to drones.  From Fliegende Blätter, 1935.

Here's a precursor to Maurice Sendak's Alligators All Around.  It's the insignia of the Calcutta Pococurante Society, courtesy of West Bengal Public Library Network.

"Where a scene is laid in total darkness," from Pearson's, 1904.  This is a precursor to "Why darkness? Why now?" from Larry Blamire’s Dark and Stormy Night, a very funny spoof of the "old dark house" mystery genre and Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians in particular.

Here's a precursor to Paris Syndrome (first diagnosed in 1986), in which the filth and rudeness of that city puts romanticist tourists into a state of extreme shock (including anxiety, dizziness, tachycardia, vomiting, and hallucinations).  "So this is Paris!"  From Medical Pickwick, 1922.

Here's a precursor to the fishy tasting coffee in Twin Peaks -- fishy tasting lemonade.  From Fliegende Blätter, 1935.

"Believe it or not, boxing is dancing," said Frank Abderholden in 2007.  Here's proof, from Ulk, 1930.

Our very own The One Minute Mystic (2009) is a precursor to Simon Parke's One-Minute Mystic (2010).

Here's a precursor to video conferencing -- looking through the telephone in Die Muskete, 1933.

Here's a precursor to Rob Lowe.  From Fliegende Blätter, 1937.

Long before "Lucy in the sky with diamonds," there was Lucy of the Stars (Frederick Palmer, 1906).