It's just strange to think of him as American, or "American" (quotation marks due to there not actually being an America on DW). If he's not "Asian", then Interesting Times makes no sense. Also, Rincewind in this novel was described as a young man, wasn't he?

He IS supposed to be scary, but what can you do. So is Death. :D I guess Sky One budgets are not as big as, say, Stargate Atlantis's.