Comments on: New Werewolf Poll for September: The Great Tail Debate

By: Dragoniakmp

Dragoniakmp — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:37:37 +0000

Sometimes if a werewolf doesn’t have a tail it can risk looking more like a grizzly bear. The werewolf from Cursed comes to mind.

By: Roukwolf

Roukwolf — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:56:49 +0000

I too love werewolves of all shapes and sizes, but I’m going to be honest and go pro-tail. While the function and aesthetic of a tail are important, I’m of the opinion that ‘if you’re going to go animal, go ANIMAL.’ I like it when any were-animal is as feral as possible while still retaining the controlling spark of its human soul.
And finally, tails are good for grabbing and pulling, provided we bring the females of this species into the equation. X )

By: ArcLight

ArcLight — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:33:19 +0000

Guess I’ll have to go with “who cares?” because I pretty much agree with what’s already been stated; a wolfier “Howling” style werewolf needs one but a classic “Wolfman” – not so much.

What can I say? I just love werewolves of all shapes/sizes/etc.

By: Severen

Severen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:52:14 +0000

Realistically, I’d have to say no. A big part of why I love werewolves so much is the thought behind them; what kinds of things would turn into what on the human body and how, etc, etc. Magically growing bones just doesn’t sit right with me.

… Though I am definitely guilty of drawing all my weres with tails. As stated before, it’s an aesthetic thing.

By: Berserker

Berserker — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:12:27 +0000

Pro Tail is smashing the competition. Honestly that surprises me, I wonder if this poll would have shown the same results 20 years ago. The times, they are a changin’. I think people are expecting more animal than monster now, so design is more scrutinized.

By: Mac

Mac — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:05:07 +0000

I rather like werewolves having a tail when it’s the more modernistic interpretation of a werewolf. I think it would look awkward on a more typical “Chaney” type werewolf.

That being said, you could argue the functionality or lack thereof until your blue in the face. If the werewolf is bipedal with digitigrade legs they could be put off balance depending on their stance. As opposed to a human foot they would likely end up having less area to distribute their weight on, therefore requiring a tail for improved stability.

In any case, I think it’s fascinating to see the various arguments/discussions for whether or not werewolves should have a tail as a part of their anatomy.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:28:04 +0000

Berserker, the “argument” at the end of the post was meant to stimulate comments precisely like yours and Shadowfang’s. :D There’s really no clear answer– I agree with many of your points, but because we’re talking about the morphology of a fictional creature, there’s a lot of fun to be had in the discussion. For quadrupeds and even bipeds with digitigrade legs, a tail makes sense, but I personally prefer the lack of a tail. Then again, I have a rather particular aesthetic when it comes to werewolves.

By: Berserker

Berserker — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:01:01 +0000

I think Option 3 should be “Depends on the werewolf” instead of “who cares.” It would be the winning option, for sure.

Closing the poll with an argument about functionality isn’t the best idea, because fur, pointy ears, yellow eyes, and digitigrade feet don’t have much function for a bipedal werewolf either. (Although I suppose the argument could be made that a digitigrade werewolf wouldn’t have an completely upright stance, in which case a tail would function for balance.)

Tails are about aesthetic. A tail might look ridiculous on a 1940s style werewolf, but on more lupine werewolves it adds form and another bestial aspect to the character. For example, look at the images in the werewolf calendar, linked from a story on the front page. Those werewolves are extremely wolf-like, and they just wouldn’t look right without a tail.

By: Shadowfang

Shadowfang — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:25:28 +0000

There is no easy answer to this. It really depends on whether a person believes if a werewolf should walk primarily on two legs or four. A werewolf who spends most of his time on two legs would most likely not have a tail. On the flip side, if said werewolf spent most of his time on all fours then a tail would most likely be present.

I guess it really boils down to a person’s believe on what a werewolf should look like or, in this case how it should walk.