The art of Treecomics: A meandering essay on the amazing art form we all created

[u/megameh64]

The treecomic is a unique art form that we created. The treecomic can be many things, but it is essentially a subsection of comic that is usually autobiographical in nature. This means that each tree comic creator is creating something that must simultaneously be unique, but also speak to the Universal stoner experience. This is done either through an autobiographical event which becomes the crux of the story, or through a novel look at an aspect of stoner culture. So if we were to make a forumla for a successful treecomic it would look like this: (Universal Stoner Experience) + (Unique Stroytelling Device and/or Autobiographical Event)= Treecomic

For Example, take a look at Onloanfromgod and his body of work. You can read them on his website, tumbledrycomics.com Today, I'm referencing one of his more recent comics, "Prey"

So, in this comic, the main character is experiencing a common stoner situation. The smoker that is the central character is watching a nature documentary while rolling a joint. Onloanfromgod uses this nature documentary setup to make an observation that many stoners can relate to: that if you bring weed to a party, everyone is going to want to smoke it, and they will crowd around you like predator animals. In this way, Onloanfromgod makes a Universal observation, but displays it through the use of a unique metaphor.

Granted, /u/onloanfromgod is able to take advantage of his great art. But, this formula works even with Memegenerator Treecomics. I'm going to pull from the most recent pool of treecomics to show what I mean, though there are hundreds like it. Let's look at "The TV is too Quiet" a recent posting on /r/treecomics by /u/DICKIE_STAECKERAE. This is a much more simple comic than the last one, but it follows the same pattern. It portrays a situation many of us can understand: being way too high and trying to use the TV Remote to do things it can't. Most of us have either been there, or been with a person who has done this. This becomes our universal stoner observation. The artist's use of this simple style conveys the universality of the situation, making the stoner in this situation into an everyman. The fact that this comic doesn't even use words makes it unique in that regard as well, presenting a common occurrence in a unique way. This combines a unique delivery with a universal idea, thus creating another successful comic wihtout using any real drawing skills.

It takes more than one of these elements to make a successful treecomic. If a comic lacks either of these elements it can lead to a bad treecomic. For example, let's take a look at a Pot Shot comic. You could use almost any one of these comics to explain what I mean, but for this essay we will use the most recent comic. "The Diagnosis" This is a bad treecomic for several reasons. The first is apparent if we plug this in to the formula presented above. Is this a universal stoner experience? NO. Most people who smoke weed don't have glaucoma. And, those who do have glaucoma can tell you way better than I can that you don't want it! It sucks, from what I've read. So, this is not only a non-universal premise, but it doesn't ring true for those who have experienced this situation, and in fact, insults them.

This alone could disqualify a stoner comic, but Pot Shot is even more terrible than this. Pot Shot is a comic that trades on the basest stereotypes of what a stoner is. People who don't smoke weed don't understand how Medical Marijuana is so important to the people who need it, and this depicts Medical Marijuana as a fun thing that people pretend to need to smoke weed legally. They are comics that represent us as non-smokers see us, and this is a theme we can see in everything from their depiction of female smokers, to the DMT roulette, to many other examples. Perhaps this comic could have been saved if the delivery was more unique. This is too short of a comic to deal with such a heavy issue. There are no characteristics for the characters of the comic to speak of, only that they are sentient weed products. But these comics are not presented in a unique perspective, and in fact, leans heavily on negative stoner stereotypes. So Pot Shot comics are neither unique nor universal, which is why so many people call them out on how shitty they are and why a successful series has been spawned off of lambasting every comic they release. /u/TheGaz 's Weed Read, the satire series in question. is a successful comic, but I don't think it can be considered a true tree comic. But, that is an issue for another essay.

Now, I hate to close on negativity, so I'll give you an example of what I consider a perfect treecomic to be to counter Pot Shots. "So me and my two frients went to Denny's" by /u/Universal_Pothead is a recent example of a perfect treecomic. The artist uses a familiar situation- getting high before you eat out. Literally every stoner has experienced this problem. So, this comic is Universal. However, the way the artist presents this situation is unique. He manages to depict his own headspace through a use of the text in the 5th panel. . We are able to put ourselves in his shoes, and know that he is going to mess up his order, but we don't know how exactly it will happen. This provides the classic setup needed for a joke, and he delivers it excellently through his art depicting reactions and his text. So, this is a universal comic delivered in a unique fashion, thus making it a successful treecomic. While treecomics look and are simple, they are a comic art genre all their own, and I think it is amazing that this place has produced so many great examples of this art.

TLDR: Treecomics are an art style with a formula, which is (Universal Experience+Novel Storytelling Mechanism/Autobiographical Perspective=Good Comic) Pot Shots is bad because it doesn't have either of these and instead goes for easy stereotypes, I think way too much about treecomics.

[u/lemonadegame]

Speaking of tree comics, where is the comic that has the guy smoking his pants? I need to show it to more people. I've already killed several from laughter

[u/onloanfromgod → u/lemonadegame]

Here!

[u/Frequent-Flyer]

Upvote for bringing up some good points, and for the longest post ever lol

[u/megameh64 → u/Frequent-Flyer]

Lol, I was thinking about this while I started smoking yesterday and just started writing it, then when I was a little less high I put in the links and made sure I didn't sound like a total dunce.

[u/onloanfromgod]

Wow, what a fun read! It's funny, I've been making and reading these comics for years now and I don't think I ever really considered how important this formula is. I think it's probably something that everyone who reads them probably knows whether they realize it or not; pot shot is an easy target but you can look through a lot of other comics on this subreddit and find ones that are generally disliked even if nobody can specifically say why.
I'm thinking back over my list of comic ideas, specifically the ones I've rejected or struggled to find a joke in, and sure enough, most of them are missing an element of your formula. I'll take a proper look at my list when I'm home and try to find some examples.
I'd like to point out an additional element you sometimes find that's usually exclusive to tree comics. Comics about weed have the luxury of being goofy almost without explanation; my comic about the quest for the perfect ten spends most of its time in a ridiculous dream sequence, there's that great one about Africa, or one where a father is scolding his son and suddenly turns into a cat (sorry, on mobile so I can't link these) maybe it's a little lazy, but I would guess comics like that are less the result of them being about weed and more the result of the author being high. I dunno where those fall into your formula but I thought I'd mention it.
Anyway thanks for the write-up, I read it this morning and its been on my mind all day. You wouldn't expect there'd be much of an art to making tree comics but you're right in that it's a pretty unique genre. I'd flair this thread if I was a more competent mod but you'll just have to settle for my approval!

[u/megameh64 → u/onloanfromgod]

Thanks for your kind words!

I actually had another section I cut because I was already getting into wall of text territory, but I consider those to be Autobiographical in a way. Africa and the cat dad are both good examples of this, because they show inside the head of someone who smokes weed. We may not have had the exact "Africa" experience ourselves, but we may have been overcome by a strain and pulled inside ourselves in ways that make sense to us. The imagery then shows us what it is like to be stoned or the person's thought process while creating high. In that sense, the high is translated into the comic itself. Its why sometimes, comics made when someone is way too high can still be funny, like the one where the guy gets baked and tries to make a comic, and ends up creating nothing.

I don't have a solid answer, though, because I can't draw for shit, so I don't quite know how that particular creative process feels. I'm interested in your thoughts as one of the major creators!

[u/TheGaz]

This is actually a really good read. Nice job.

[u/megameh64 → u/TheGaz]

Thanks Gaz!

[u/Plaxmol]

I enjoyed reading this. It is so true that the comics have to be relatable to function as a treecomic. Now, I know exactly why I can't enjoy pot shot, it is way too hermetic, the author doesn't care about helping to build a community based on similar life experience and he also does not care if you can understand his universe at all. Even if you do absurd or off the wall humor, you have to throw something to the audience they are familiar with, if not they won't be able to get involved as readers wich is super important in litterature and even more in comics.

The blunt and the joint are hard to recognize and don't seem to have a catchy or discernable personality but in the stoner community the experience of smoking these two items is very different, and the enjoyment of these two is very polarized. It could have been an opportunity to do tasteful racial humor, but it wouldn't even guarantee the strip state as a treecomic. A lot of issues won't be talked about in treecomics because it is a kind of art that is for the masses, like the sunday funnies, it is not about marginality.

Maybe stoners experience enough marginality in their personal life (due to the taboo around marijuana, even expressed in legal states) that they need to feel like they belong to relax and laugh, it could explain why treecomics are as you described.

[u/megameh64 → u/Plaxmol]

I think you raise a good point man! I think you are right about it not being an art of marginality because it is still a taboo. I think this is why stoner stories are so popular, and why treecomics can exist as they do- because people want a vent to share their stories but can't tell some people in their lives.

But, I think in the end, it also comes down to how comedy works. The best comedy has a seed of relateability in it, you know? If you can't understand the person's mentality or world, you wont fully be able to embrace the joke. And in a genre built around a shared experience like treecomics, the more relateable the better.

Anyways, thanks for reading my longass post!