When Harrison Ford first signed on to play Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," he was a little bewildered by the vision. Creator George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg's original concept for Indy had Ford asking questions such as "Why am I wearing a leather jacket in the jungle? Isn't it hot here?" and "What am I going to do with a f*****g whip?" The idea was, of course, to evoke famous adventurers of movies past, with Lucas emulating the style of the 1930s and '40s serials on which he grew up. But Indy's now iconic look also had clear antecedents in Humphrey Bogart's Fred C. Dobbs from "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and Charlton Heston's Harry Steele from 1954's "Secret of the Incas." In fact, the similarity between Steele and Indiana Jones is perhaps the most striking of all, with Heston's adventurer donning an almost identical outfit that included a tan leather jacket and brown fedora.

But almost as important to the look of Indiana Jones was Jim Steranko, whose original "Raiders" concept art, informed by Lucas' preferences, formed the real basis of the character's distinctive style. The comic book artist produced four paintings of Indy, all of which pictured a much more buff hero than the comparatively slender figure cut by eventual star Ford. The Indiana Jones of Steranko's drawing was a bulky meathead of a man, with pecs bursting through his open shirt and a permanent grimace etched on his face. You can see, then, why Spielberg and co. were taken with Tom Selleck as a potential star for their movie. The mustachioed hunk seemed to fit the exact physical proportions and possessed the uber macho aura of Steranko's vision. So, why didn't we end up with Selleck as Indiana Jones? Mostly because he wasn't allowed to play the role, which must have been incredibly frustrating for the then up-and-coming star. Today, however, it seems Selleck has no regrets.