The Team Fortress Blog was recently updated with a look back at the origins of the Demoman.
At this point, the 3D model for the Demoman was being built and we were preparing to move on. However, there were still some who didn't think he was quite there. A nagging feeling that perhaps the embracing of the archetype was a little to generic. Perhaps a little too much like a groundskeeper in Springfield. We needed a twist to make him more interesting. We didn't want to lose his personality but felt like visually he needed something that broke the cliche. A suggestion was made to have him of African descent and we ran with it.The TF Blog has even more early concept art and history to share with you. Do be a sport and head on over to take a look.
With a few modifications to his overall shape we soon arrived at the final concept and what you all see and play in the game today.