NuPerspective: HAIRBAG

Peace peeps. Hopefully everyone is as good as can be during these crazy times. Fabian and I are back with another sanitized, safe-distance edition of NuPerspective. 

What IS Nu-Perspective you ask? Well I'm glad you asked. This the column where me and my writing collaborator Fabian Wood revamp and update various underdeveloped, underutilized, cheesy and/or all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) comic book and pop culture characters. We stay within continuity for the characters as best we can and then take the stories and art to places we think will showcase them in cool, fresh, contemporary and exciting ways both visually and story-wise.  

Seems we got an animal theme this month...last post was Gamecock and now we're back with Marvel's HAIRBAG!!

Hairbag appearance in X-Factor drawn by Larry Stroman

And now, the NuPerspective revamp...

NuPerspective Hairbag design by Shawn Alleyne

Real Name: Michael Suggs
Current Alias: Hairbag
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Agent for Mr Sinister
Place of Birth: Krakoa
Base of Operations: Krakoa
Affiliations: Nasty Boys
First Appearance: X-Factor #75 (1992)
Original Creators: Peter David & Larry Stroman

Story: Not much of Michael Sugg’s past is known prior to him being part of Mr. Sinister’s “Nasty Boys” – a personal strike force in direct opposition to the government-funded mutant team called X-Factor. No match for their X-Factor counterparts however, Hairbag eventually found himself in league with the Mutant Liberation Front – a small anarchistic cell of disillusioned young mutants – before returning to the Nasty Boys ranks. After the cataclysmic “de-mutation” of M-Day, Hairbag was fortunate to retain his powers. Unfortunately, he was hunted down and brainwashed by a cybernetically-enhanced anti-mutant zealot William Stryker. Freed by Sabretooth’s iteration of the X-Force, Hairbag wound up on the opposite side of where he started, becoming a reluctant crusader for mutants. Tragically, this was short-lived, as he perished at the hands of a clandestine mutant gang known as the Upstarts. This however would not be the end of Hairbag; as once the thrall of mad mutant geneticist Mr. Sinister, Hairbag’s DNA has always been part of his repository. With the recent events of “House of X” and “Powers of X” (the latest gambit to save the mutant race involving a draconian takeover by the triumvirate of Magneto, Professor X and Moira X) Mr. Sinister finds himself elevated to the nascent Krakoa government’s auspicious Quiet Council – both an overt and covert hand of authority and law on the budding mutant nation. This leads to Sinister being tasked with leading a new group of mutants under the name Hellions. However, knowing full well he cannot truly trust his benign benefactors and duplicitous colleagues, and always having his own personal agenda, Mr. Sinister has cloned, and ostensibly resurrected, his Nasty Boys with some slight improvements. Used as his private espionage team to spy on the Krakoa oligarchy and harvest new mutant samples in secret, Mr. Sinister plans to usurp the control of Krakoa and dominate an entire empire of mutants!

Powers/Abilities: Hairbag has feral wolf-like characteristics, such as fur, fangs and claws. He innately has strength, speed, stamina, senses and a healing factor significantly above normal human limit. Of particular note, he has nocturnal vision and is an exceptional tracker. His hair follicles are particularly sharp like a porcupine’s and he has demonstrated a degree of control over them. Since his re-cloning, Hairbag’s DNA has been enhanced, greatly increasing his previous powers by a factor of five. This has also granted Hairbag a high resistance to diseases, poisons, toxins, venoms and lethal gases (he is still vulnerable to powerful narcotics). He also now possesses a heightened resilience to extreme temperatures and his denser physiology makes him more durable to harm or injury. In addition, his claws have been tipped in adamantium as well as his fangs, making them both virtually indestructible and able to slice/sever any material. An added augmentation to his genetic makeup also makes him both immune and invisible to telepaths. The only drawback to his new spliced DNA is that prolonged adrenaline in his system can cause him to enter a berserk state of mind

Paraphernalia: None

******
And there you have it. Check out Hairbag's original look and story in those X-Factor issues (great stuff) and let us know if you like what we did with this revamp. Then see ya sooner than later for another Nu-Perspective. But wait, before you go, check out this Q&A with yours truly as I dive deeper into my process, complete with bonus sketches.

 

Costume design and pose sketches by Shawn Alleyne

 

 

What do you like most about the character?
Unfortunately Hairbag was never a fav of mine, but if I had to pick something I would say his weird design. He was different. I like the fact that he was this little ball of fur and didn't have to look "cool".

Did the character pose a challenge to update and if so what was the hardest part of the redesign? 

The hardest parts were self-imposed artistic challenges. Such as trying to capture Larry Stroman's amazing insane energy. Also drawing the close-up face in the pic; just could get it for some reason. I also wanted to make sure I retained that short unique stature. Last, I wanted to make his facial feature more dog-like but I don't think I'm satisfied with what I did. 

 

In hindsight is there anything you would do differently now? 
I wish I had come up with a pose that showcased his costume more. I had a fun "Guilty Gear" influenced design that I would like to see highlighted. I also wish I had contacted Larry Stroman about his memories and thoughts on designing Hairbag.

 

What was the most fun part to redesign?

I like were-wolfs so this was a nice close challenge.

 

In regards to the story aspect of the update, what was your main inspiration for the direction?

Well, despite what I said above I wanted to see how I could push the canine aspects of him but not make him look too much like a werewolf.

 

Is there something in particular you want to point out? 

Just the fact that Hairbag is Jamaican. We need more Caribbean representation. 

 

 

Fine print: All characters are copyrights and trademarks of the respective publishers and creators. This column is used solely for artistic enjoyment. We aim to showcase Nubian characters in fresh, contemporary and exciting ways both visually and story-wise.


NP

******

 

 

NuPerspective: GAMECOCK

The last NuPerspective post I wrote was Monday Jan 6th, 2020. At the time I was super excited by what the new decade had to offer. A few short months later and the world is facing a pandemic that has changed life in every way we know. I hope everyone is doing the best they can in these overwhelming times. To cope I am continuing to create art, and hopefully any small joy I can bring to the world means something. With that said, let's get to this newest edition of NuPerspective. 

What IS Nu-Perspective you ask? This the column where me and my writing collaborator fam Fabian Wood revamp and update various underdeveloped, underutilized, cheesy and/or all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) comic book and pop culture characters. Our goal is to showcase them in fresh, contemporary and exciting ways both visually and story-wise.    

Although it's been too long we're returning with probably one of our toughest but most rewarding challenges yet- the Marvel character: GAMECOCK!!

Original Gamecock design and art from Captain America #183

 And now, the NuPerspective revamp...

NuPerspective design by Shawn Alleyne

Real Name: Rudy Fowler
Current Alias: Gamecock
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Gang enforcer; Gang Leader; Informant
Place of Birth: New York
Base of Operations: Harlem
Affiliations: The Brood; New Pride
First Appearance: Originally Captain America #183 (1975)
Original Creators: Steve Englehart, Frank Robbins

Story: The original Gamecock was Carlos Cabrera, a two-bit thug with delusions of Crime lord grandeur. He never made the mark in the criminal underworld that he wanted to and had in fact apparently died at the hands of Puma during Madripoor’s blood sport competition. While Carlos was alive, he had a small crew he ran by the name of The Brood, who were poor reflections of Gamecock and wore similarly themed costumes. When the members heard of Gamecock’s seeming demise, his second-in-command Rudy Fowler decided to step up to the mantle and assume the title of the new Gamecock. He made drastic changes to the gang’s methods and they quickly become a force in the crime world of Harlem. This drew the attention of the young criminal genius Alex Wilder who was creating a conglomerate of Harlem’s most notorious gangster hierarchs to form the New Pride. However, Rudy was approached by the super intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D who wanted to use him to bring down the New Pride from within. Their leverage was the fact that Carlos’ daughter Marta Cardona, was in fact the child of Fowler, who had also slept with “Gamecock’s woman”, but only Rudy knew the truth about Marta’s parentage. To get Fowler to cooperate, S.H.I.E.L.D held his daughter in custody in exchange for his help. To make sure he was as valuable to Alex Wilder as possible, S.H.I.E.L.D outfitted Rudy with a new costume, weapons and training. How long he can continue the ruse will have to be determined.

Powers/Abilities: Originally possessing no discernible attributes whatsoever, Rudy’s S.H.I.E.L.D training unlocked latent proficient skills of boxing and savate (French kickboxing). He has developed remarkable skills in deception, interrogation and manipulation. Most incredibly, he also exhibited a sort of “dumb luck” ability, and it is not sure whether this is a latent mutant ability of probability manipulation, or ridiculous fortune.

Paraphernalia: The original Gamecock costume was a refitted carnival get-up made to look like a rooster. After joining with S.H.I.E.L.D working as an informant, Rudy gained access to an updated costume with bullet-proof lining, resilience to extreme weather conditions and habitats, and protection against most bladed weapons. The “rooster claws” and “feather blades” are sharp and light-weight, but extremely durable. However, he still carries replaceable blades as a backup. His “beak” carapace is able to project a powerful sonic blast that can devastate a person’s hearing or create a crippling concussive force. Special contact lenses have rudimentary infra-red and night vision features. His costume also has retractable wings for short-distance gliding. He once dabbled in carrying egg-shaped specialized grenades (gas, flash, chaff, etc), but he could never get the hang of them and thought them overly ridiculous.


 ******

And there you have it. Check out his original look and story and let us know if you like what we did with this revamp. Then see ya sooner than later for another Nu-Perspective. But wait, before you go, check out this Q&A with yours truly as I dive deeper into my process, complete with bonus sketches.

NuPerspective costume design and pose thumbnails

 What do you like most about the character?
 To be honest, the best thing I like about this character is the fact that he's so horrible. lol This is the perfect candidate for a NuPerspective. With such a low bar me and Fabian can really flex our creative muscles.

Gamecock believing his own hype

Did the character pose a challenge to update and if so what was the hardest part of the redesign? 
While I like the fact that he's a classic cheesy character, the biggest challenge was how best to deal with his motif. I could either lean into the whole rooster aspect or do away with it. And in leaning into it, how does one make a gamecock formidable? So stuff like interpreting the beak and the feathers was really tough.

So it seems you leaned into it. What were your favorites parts and when did it "click" for you?
My favorite parts were transforming the comb of the rooster and the wattles, which is a word I only learned writing this. lol The wattles, for people who don't know, are the flaps of skin hanging under a rooster's neck. In this case the comb design came through in his hairstyle and the attachments on top of his hood. The wattles are displayed at the base of the hood as an extra curve aesthetic. I'm particularly pleased with the manifestation of his hair, but the part that REALLY took it home for me was when I came up with the idea of making the beak a weapon. THAT'S how you lean into a chicken character. lol

  

A look at Gamecock's crew. They had the same costume but with the addition of a green cap

In hindsight is there anything you would do differently now? 
I wouldn't have inked the "feather" straps on his jacket. It makes him look too much like a crow or raven themed character. Maybe with colors I can convey the rooster theme a little more clearly. 

Fine print: All characters are copyrights and trademarks of the respective publishers and creators. This column is used solely for artistic enjoyment. We aim to showcase Nubian characters in fresh, contemporary and exciting ways both visually and story-wise.


NP

******