LOL! Really? I'd probably have to look again to even realize if any of them could be on merchandise.
I don't know that any one thing really "inspires" me so to speak. So far anyway. I've been a lifelong fan of sci-fi. When I looked at the image for the first part, I tried to think of a story involving a black hole, and thought of a ship getting caught in one. Going past the event horizon would mean getting ripped apart by the tidal forces though...so I decided he would just be waylaid by it. Then I came up with something plausible to cause it, and just started writing.
There is a show I've watched where someone was trapped in a black hole, Andromeda. I didn't really want it to be anything like that. Although it is a kind of good show.
There are influences though. I would say Firefly definitely influences me in parts. Dark Matter also has snuck in a few places. I think it likely will more in the future as well.
But, I'm going back to the story, as I still have a ways to go in the latest part.