A few words from Seething on the idea behind Bumtree:

G’day (again) Dover,

I’ve been pondering the feedback on Bumtree and realised I hadn’t informed either yourself or a potential audience of the nature of the comic.

I wonder if some were expecting the type of political caricatures that Tom links to each morning?

Bumtree is not an immediate-reward, laugh out loud strip featuring recognisable, real world individuals. Bumtree is character-based, somewhat like Dilbert in the sense that if you are familiar with the characters, you will understand their responses to particular events and situations. The humour in Bumtree is dry and observational, rather than slapstick. 

Over the course of the short series – if you stick with it, which I understand many won’t – you get to know how the two characters view both their immediate experiences, and the broader world. Like many of us, they struggle to make sense of the social and economic changes that are taking place. Hopefully, the reader will empathise with them. 

It is probably not obvious that the two main characters live in a zoo-like tourist park. 

There is a surprise conclusion to the series, if you choose to continue.     

Rather than stand-alone frames, each Bumtree strip fits into a loose narrative, so it’s a bit novel compared to what some might be expecting.

Just between you and I, Bumtree rhymes (roughly) with ‘country.’ The series was conceived during the lead-up to the inVoice. Hence in the second frame of the first strip, one of the koalas (who will eventually be named) says ‘Welcome to Bumtree [country]. It’s not for you [not yours].’ 

They reference other issues we discuss at D’Over Cat, but not in an expository manner. The cynicism of the two characters mirrors both my own, and some Cats.

Just musing, for what it’s worth. 

Seething.