Alfa

Model

My entire idea for this werewolf hip-hop crew that is Southpaw came from the observation I had that the traditional take on werewolves involves a character that is cursed, and not happy with their condition as a werewolf. These characters also tend to be loners for the fear of hurting others. I wanted to completely spin that around. Wolves aren’t solitary creatures, and I also wanted a pack of werewolves that were proud of who they were and put that feeling on display. I couldn’t think of people more proud and expressive than a hip-hop crew, so I ran with that. Sadly that means that these characters may one day become a dated reference, so I just hope that everyone today can appreciate them in their full glory.

Alfa is the leader of this crew, so he was built to be the most proud and visible of them. I wanted to convey that as confrontational as Southpaw is, they aren’t bad people. Alfa has his own views of fairness and honor, and follows a strict code of morals. They just usual end up with him on top.

Alfa, like the other members of Southpaw, doesn’t have a specific character model that inspired him. They are simply meant to exude the attitudes of hip-hop while being antagonistic.

Design

I started with basing Alfa’s design off of the rapper Lil’ Wayne. His music isn’t really my cup of tea, but he has a presences that was similar to my idea of Alfa’s personality. From there I added the same lycanthropic features I gave Luna with the dark sclera of wolves. A simple sleeveless shirt and baggy shorts was chosen to emphasize his fur in his wolf state. Originally Alfa and the members of Southpaw had shoes, but I decided to get rid of them because it made them look more feral without them.

Beta

Model

Beta is the ultimate hype man through and through. Everything he does is to build up Alfa’s reputation. Unlike Victor, Beta may have a lot of talk, but he also has a lot of talent. He will usually be taking action along side Alfa to support him in Southpaw’s plans. Beta does a lot of the talking for the crew, and his constant rhyming is a pain to write.

Design

I looked up some photos of various b-boys to settle on his design. A lot like Alfa I wanted short pants and sleeves for his werewolf form. I received a lot of comments that people thought Beta was female, so I purposely started intentionally drawing him to look more androgynous, and overall have a lot of fun with that.

 

Gamma

Model

I originally wanted Gamma to be a silent character… but that didn’t work out very well. Still, he a character of few words to contrast Alfa and Beta. Even though he supports Alfa and Beta, he’s the most practical and realistic of the group.

Design

As he contrast the other two Southpaw members in attitude he also contrast them in appearance. I designed him in baggy, full body clothing that reflects that, unlike Beta, he is usually supporting the crew from the sidelines . His design is also influenced by the musician P-Thug from the electro-funk band Chromeo, and I decided to reflect that bands influence by giving him a mixed heritage that matched the two band members. I was alerted by a reader that his real name’s meaning is rather questionable. If anyone is willing to suggest a better one, I’m open to retconning that.