introducing sir alfred, an awkward rules-loving nutcracker, and postman basil, a sly troublemaking marionette. they don’t always get along, but basil thinks alfred is great fun (to mess with) and alfred won’t stop giving basil second chances for reasons he can’t properly explain.
[image ID: four sketch pages featuring sir alfred, a nutcracker doll with tan skin, a red coat with blue and yellow accents, epaulettes, a tall black hat, and a sword on his belt; and postman basil, an anthropomorphic cat marionette with black and white fur, blue eyes, a long navy blue coat and matching hat, a mail bag, a segmented black tail, and an x-shaped marionette controller he wears on his back with strings attached to various body parts.
page one has a sketch of alfred and basil from the knees up, where basil is tipping his hat with a smile and saying “mr. guard,” to which alfred replies “mr. postman,” with his arms behind his back and a serious expression.
page two has several sketches in blue of each of them, including basil from the back; with his controller held up and an envelope in his hand; and leaning on his hands with a sly smile and light blush; as well as alfred walking; frowning and blushing with his hat off; and crossing his arms while saying “you’re being ridiculous, basil.” at the bottom the two of them are shown very close together, basil leaning forward smiling and alfred leaning back in surprise, with basil holding alfred’s hat behind his back.
page three is a single sketch of basil dipping alfred backwards as if they were dancing and leaning in close to his face to say “my, my, sir alfred, you sure are light on your feet,” to which alfred annoyedly replies, “unhand me, you scoundrel!”
page four is a three panel comic. in panel one, basil and alfred perk up as someone out of frame says “sir alfred, come quick! someone’s stolen my favourite thimble!” in panel two, basil starts to sneak away behind alfred while clutching his mail bag with a suspicious smile and says “heh heh heh, well would you look at the time, be seeing you, freddie.” and is cut off. in panel three, alfred grabs the controller on basil’s back before he can get away and looks unimpressed as he says, “not so fast, cat.” end ID]
