"You are the one fixed point in a changing age..."

Inspired by Mary Christmas' Basil of Baker Street in the 22nd Century, a wonderful concept based off the televised animated series, Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, even though I am not a big fan of the series at all, I daydreamed a "pastiche" concept for it! When I have such ideas, they will constantly bug me and preoccupy my entire mind until I channel them out on paper. The concept of Basil in the 22nd Century is simple:  Ratigan has been cloned and is wreaking havoc in New London of the 22nd century, a female Scotland Yard Inspector Vole resurrects the great Basil of Baker Street in help capture Ratigan with the help of a robot named Dawson. Imaginative, isn't it?

Therefore, here is Sherringford Basil in 22nd century outfit — with the high turned-down collar, the longer, meatier Inverness, the gold fasteners, the royal-blue tie, the all-purpose walking stick, and the much darker palette. If such a thing ever happened to Sherringford Basil, I strongly feel he would be darker, bitterer character. Everything in his world, everything that was comfortable is dead; all his friends are dead; everything he knew is dead; his most trusted friend Dawson is dead. Hence, the darker palette and more devious expression. The original 22nd series has a duel-tone colouring for shadow and volume, so I did that as well to more resemble the series. Unfortunately, the deep reddish-brown of the Inverness did not work out with light Basil's fur-tone, no matter what I tried, so I compromised with a more chocolate-mocha palette. The tan-on-tan shoes, in the series, did not work well either for this, thus made is similar to the original Basilian shoe colours, cream-on-brown. The background is a photographic still (with the light source on the left — a lucky chance, whee!) from Fritz Lang's silent sci-fi masterpiece, Metropolis (1927), which I thought worked as an advantage. The film Metropolis is set in 2026, the setting is a flawed-and-perfect visual mixture of the old-fashioned, bygone years yet still remains highly futuristic, even though the film as made nearly ninety years ago. The setting of Sherlock Holmes and the 22nd Century is a mixture of the old-fashioned ethos and the futuristic technology.

But what the concept of my "pastiche"? Here it is:

Professor James Ratigan is frustrated to death with his failed mastermind crimes due to that miserable Sherringford Basil and pines for the 19th century, when he had ruled the old London underworld and had the greatest minds at his side in. Ah, eureka! Ratigan plans his greatest experiment — to resurrect his nefarious ring! Therefore, Ratigan comes to clone his two highest-in-commands:  Capt. Sebastian Doran and, of course, Mlle. Irene Relda. Soon, James Ratigan will rule London again once his "old friends" return to his side and destroy that second-rate detective.

However, he is taken by surprise when Relda says "no!" and she escapes into a chase across New London. Infuriated by her treachery towards him, Ratigan ensures that the same mistake in the second resurrection. With a scene eerily reminiscent of Frankenstein (hint-hint, nudge-nudge), a nightmarish merge of flesh with robotics and weaponry. Sherringford Basil, Irene Relda, and Inspector Vole (who doesn't trust the new "ally") discovers their robot Dawson "murdered" horribly and the three ally together to stop a MONSTER!

Models - Barrie Ingham | Costume - Sherlock Holmes (from DiC's 22nd Century)

Medium - Photoshop, 2B mechanical pencil, 4B graphite.

Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (1999-2001) © DiC.
Basil of Baker Street in the 22nd Century © Mary Christmas, with her permission and blessing.
Metropolis (1927) © UFA.
Basil of Baker Street © Eve Titus/Walt Disney.
The name "Sherringford" © Diane N. Tran.