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Harald Altermann Blog Entry |
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March 28, 2025, 12:00:21 AM 3/28/25: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday." This week's character from my anthro WWII storyline is Hauptmann (Captain) Harald Altermann. If he's familiar it's because his son is said to look exactly like him when he grows up. Altermann I plays a tiny but significant role in Vischer's backstory when Vischer saves his life in the Great War; there'll be more about him later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se. Regarding his design, this is my first time trying a Pickelhaube (the spiky helmet), I simplified it a bit of course. I decided to draw it without the cloth cover it would likely have. If you notice a bit of borkiness in his coloring, I cheated in that I used his son's artwork to get that part identical. 🤫 TUMBLR EDIT: See Captain Harald Altermann II's entry linked above, but especially see Vischer's, where these two first meet and the details of their relationship are established. (Note that there's an error in Vischer's entry, the senior Altermann is described as wearing a Stahlhelm, which were worn later in the Great War; I originally was going to draw him this way, yet decided I'd go with a Pickelhaube, establishing his meeting with Vischer as taking place earlier in the war. So Vischer exits military service well before the war is over.) Vischer in fact first meets the older Hauptmann Altermann when he saves his life on the battlefield, yet Altermann still dies shortly after, leaving his debt to repay Vischer on his son's, Harald II's, shoulders. Learning of Altermann's death is what leads Vischer to retreat into seclusion until the younger Altermann, having followed in his father's footsteps and now a captain in the Wehrmacht, seeks him out to attempt to repay his father's debt. Vischer, already suffering from shell shock, is positively shaken to come face to face with a dead man, again alive. He soon learns there are two Altermanns, and now he's connected to the younger. Altermann II still has some secrets I haven't discovered yet; that's for another day. I really don't know much about the elder Altermann, alas. He plays no part in the story aside from his chance meeting with Vischer which sets the stage for Vischer meeting his son years later. Still, my characters have ways to surprise me, if I were to spend time on him I bet some details would pop up. I do know that when he goes off to fight in the Great War he has a wife and young son, and he carries their photo with him. He seems like a pretty decent person with strong morals, as evidenced by his promise to pay Vischer back, despite Vischer's protests, after he saves his life; he likely instilled these same values in his son, as the younger Altermann vows to keep this promise. I do believe the Altermann family is close knit and genuinely loving and happy, so Altermann's death is surely a hard blow. Before he unexpectedly dies, Altermann must mention his debt to Vischer to the medical team treating him, and they pass this info on to his widow and son when they come to collect his body. Although Harald is young, this makes an impression on him. He wants to be like his father, and follow through. Their lives largely take place outside the story, so developing this is not a priority at the moment; though at a future point, maybe more about the Altermann family will come to light. [Harald Altermann 2025 [Friday, March 28, 2025, 12:00:21 AM]] |