Cards by Alastair was a line of Christmas and birthday cards that were sold by Alastair Mitchell in various neighborhood craft sales in Edmonton from 2015 to 2018. Originally started as a form of fundraising, the cards were sold primarily in packages of 10 or 15 but could be bought individually as well. It was the first attempt at bringing his drawings to market before Mitchellcomix was fully formed. It was a modest success, which encouraged him to aim for something bigger.
There were 4 waves of Christmas cards sold in this period.
Holly Design Series
The Holly Design Series was the first set of cards made in 2015. It depicts 3 reoccurring characters: a snowman, a penguin, and a reindeer. It was also the first appearance of Fuel. It was popular for its rough art style and how each of the 5 cards contributed to a larger story. It remained the best-selling series until the Reunion Design Series in 2018.
Jolly Design Series
The Jolly Design Series was the second set of 5 cards made in 2016. The snowman, penguin, and reindeer return as a theme. While the drawing, was still done by hand, the coloring was done digitally for the first time. This series is also notable for being the first appearance of a girl who would eventually be known as Diamond.
Angelic Design Series
The Angelic Design Series was the third set of Christmas cards made in 2017. Unlike the general theming of the previous sets, this series had a Biblical Christmas theme, this theme resulted in only 3 cards as part of it rather than the previous 5. The coloring was done by a combination of digital, marker, and pencil crayons. The designs of the three wise men were based on the designs of the three magi seen on the walls of the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Italy.
Reunion Design Series
The Reunion Design Series was the fourth and final set of Christmas cards made in 2018. As its name implies, it brings together elements of the previous 3 series. This theme also resulted in only 3 cards, one representing one of the previous 3. This series was also sold simultaneously with 2 Birthday cards, which marks the first appearance of Jet, 2 years before Jet and Diamond’s release.
Mitchellcomix 