Aaron McGruder is mean, antisocial and a little on the scrawny side. In other words, not your typical entertainment industry power player. But for someone with so many self-described flaws, McGruder may be the most influential man in comicprint (move over, Calvin and Hobbes) and pretty soon television (move over Desperate Housewives).
McGruder is the creator of the controversial comic strip "The Boondocks," which chronicles the life of Riley and Huey Freeman, two African-American children who move from Chicago's dodgy Southside to the "warm embrace" of Woodcrest, a suburban paradise, with their guardian Robert "Granddad" Freeman.
Older brother Huey, 10 years old, is a pint-sized rabble-rouser who is quick to point out hypocrisy and harshly criticize anyone, regardless of age, gender, or vital status. While Huey uses his cool demeanor to attack the White power structure around him, eight-year-old Riley fights the man by "keepin' it gangsta." However outrageous the kids may be, they're kept in check by Granddad, a "crazy a-- old Black man" who isn't afraid to go old-school by laying down the law.
The comic strip premiered in 1999 as the second largest strip launch ever. In six years' time, its circulation has nearly doubled. After fandom and four published volumes, television is the next frontier as the cartoon joins Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup Sunday night.
McGruder, who finds the animated series to be "creatively liberating," originally hooked the idea to Fox, who wanted the show to be more of a sitcom than a straight comedy. Adult Swim, which is credited for the revival of Family Guy and features surreal comedies such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Sealab 2021, was glad to give McGruder the space he needed to create his vision, and yes, that does include the N-word.
"To me using the N-word isn't a big deal. It's just the way people talk," McGruder said.
It has been McGruder's bold attitude that has attracted so much simultaneous praise and controversy. He plans to carry on the tradition to his television show but doesn't plan on "doing a whole lot of running around arguing." For instance, he has been criticized for his take on biracial identity, R. Kelly and Hurricane Katrina.
Two years ago, The Washington Post dropped a week of Boondocks for its portrayal of Condoleezza Rice. Oddly enough Rice requested to be in the strip after meeting McGruder at the 2002 NAACP Image Awards, where McGruder won the distinguished Chairman's Award.
Over the past half-decade, McGruder, who admittedly inserts personal political beliefs into his strip, has gained an impressive amount of clout. He has been compared to Gary Trudeau of Doonesbury and legendary African-American writer Langston Hughes. He was one of People's "Top 25 Most Intriguing People" and USA Today's "Most Dangerous Black Man in America." And while all this attention makes him a shoe-in for a political career (in fact he was approached by the Green Party for the 2004 presidential run) don't say that to his face. McGruder sees himself as a satirist and entertainer and nothing more.
Although his popularity may not lead to a career on Capitol Hill, it has helped him land some of the biggest talent around for the cartoon show. Regina King, who plays the voice of both Huey and Riley, has starred across from Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock and most recently played Sandra Bullock's sassy partner in Miss Congeniality 2. John Witherspoon, recognizable from his roles as the eccentric father in the Friday Trilogy, Boomerang and the Wayans Brothers' Show, lends his distinct voice to the character of Granddad Freeman. Other experienced actors, such as Gary Anthony Williams, (Stevie's Dad from Malcolm in the Middle), TV veteran Ed Asner, and Chappelle's Show funny man Charlie Murphy, join the regular cast; guest stars include Mos-Def, Xzibit and Quincy Jones.
The cartoon show retains the neo-anime feel of the strip by shipping the production overseas to a Korean animation studio. The toon's vibrant feel is reminiscent of other Adult Swim hits Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop. While the show is obviously carried by its hilariously sarcastic dialogue, the excellent visual style coupled with the outstanding soundtrack, featuring esoteric artists and hip-hop legends such as Kanye West, add a great amount of depth to the cartoon.
While the newsprint version of Boondocks focuses on political and social commentary, the Adult Swim feature will concentrate on the characters and develope a story not producible in comic form. McGruder assures his fans though, that there will be plenty of pop culture jabs and current events in the 15-episode first season of Boondocks.
While many people think McGruder is using the show as a platform for more than just comedy, McGruder insists that he really isn't out to seize power.
"There's nothing I can say that people are going to listen to," he said. Regardless of what he thinks of himself, McGruder has a whole nation reading, listening and now watching what he's going to do next.
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