According to animator Jake Clark (who animated most of the bosses in the game), the mermaid boss was inspired by not only Betty Boop, but also Disney's Ariel (for the bra) and the moth character from the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon "The Moth and The Flame".

In the background of the garden level where the player has to fight the potato and carrot bosses, there's a bag that says 'Acme Grow'. This is a reference to classic Warner Bros. cartoons, which would often contain fictional "Acme" products.