Tree Toons have layers of wisdom, and rings of patience and understand from standing in the same place for over 150 years.  Along with Merferd's main side kick Red Elm, there is also Quercus, Black Jack and Dog Wood.  More tree toons are revealed in our lives, but not until we venture deeper into the woods of our existence.
Although Red Elm is as resilient as a tree can be, having withstood a century and a half of wind and storm, forest fires, lightning strikes, and earth quakes, there are two things in this modern world that he fears more than what nature ever sends his way....the 'DOZERS, and the Bank of Scamalofya.
Red Elm once was a WITNESS TREE, used in days of yore to mark boundaries.  Ancient boundary stones could be moved by the devious, but a Witness TreeTree could not be moved, and he is one of the few still standing, and he makes the most of that.

Merferd knows how to make the best out of a mess. He is a PROPHETIC comic character with big hands, feet, mustache, and a big heart.  Besides saving his Treetoon friends who sit on land repoed by the bank of SCAMALOFYA, Merferd is also into saving the printed page. This is a quandry for him, for you see Red Elm, his main Treetoons sidekick HATES 'HARD COPY'...can you wonder WHY?!​

SAP FLOWS ON in the Tree Toon stand.  Where Merferd is prophetic,  Red Elm is a seer.  Saving the earth, people and the press is a large task, but not if one is as moved as a Merferd and as tenured as a tree.   

Notice this Merferd (left) was drawn on an envelope. I did not notice the envelope until some time later and the words,  The Value of Community.  That says it much for Merferd. He is into conversation, community and comic friends. You can see how the roughed out drawing was given color and life in the classic 'Show Me' Merferd  portrait  next to it (right).  ​