Aaron Mcgruder
About
Biography
Filmography
Biography
Aaron McGruder's biting, incisive wit and utter disdain for hypocrisy and authority were infused into the politically-charged characters of "The Boondocks" (Cartoon Network/ Adult Swim, 2005-14) - from their inception during his college days, to years later, when they were splashed across newspapers and starred in their own successful animated show. Through each of McGruder's personal triumphs as an political cartoonist and artist - including requests for him to run for presidential office - the creator of one of the most popular African-American centric programs never lost sight of the envelope-pushing instincts that made the "The Boondocks" so compelling from the onset.
Aaron McGruder was born on the South Side of Chicago, IL on May 29, 1974. His family moved frequently before finally settling in suburban Columbia, MD, when he was six years old. McGruder attended a strict Jesuit school outside of Columbus from seventh to ninth grade before he moved on to a public high school, where he first began to socialize - and identify - with other members of the African-American community. The music he discovered at that time - that of early, politically conscious rappers - was a hugely important influence on his sensibilities. McGruder went on to major in African-American Studies at the University of Maryland.
It was while working DJing on the "Soul Controllers Mix Show" on WMUC and working at the Presentation Graphics Lab on campus, that he began doodling and created "The Boondocks" - chronicling two young African-American brothers from inner-city Chicago who live with their grandfather in a sedate suburb. Through the leftist Huey and his younger brother Riley, a gangsta-wannabe, the strip explored issues involving African-American culture and American politics. A first of its kind, really. In 1996, the University of Maryland's campus newspaper, The Diamondback, which was edited at the time by Jayson Blair (who went on to legendary disgrace at The New York Times), was the first publication to feature "The Boondocks." They became so successful, that by 1998, McGruder signed with the influential publisher Universal Press Syndicate and in early 1999, the comic had one of the largest launches in history. The strip, one of a very small number of Black-penned cartoons, was highly controversial from its outset, what with Huey and Riley discussing black culture, politics and the American political scene as a whole through a prism that strongly resembled McGruder's own life experiences.
Its volatile blend of social commentary, and barbed, often indelicate attacks on cultural and political figures led many papers that carried the strip to refuse to run it for days, even weeks at a time. Although more specific charges were leveled at individual strips, from the very beginning, many blacks found the strip derogatory and many whites found it racist. Nevertheless, "The Boondocks" remained sharp and more importantly, funny, in spite - or perhaps because - of the risks it took.
Eventually, the popularity (or perhaps notoriety) of the strip earned McGruder the chance to work in other media. He seized on the opportunity to bring "The Boondocks" to television. A show was originally intended for air on FOX, but the project went bust due to problems making the show conform to network standards. In 2005, however, the show premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim to reasonable success. While not identical, the show and the cartoon shared many elements, including the three main characters: pre-teen Huey (named after the Black Panther Huey Newton, and whose left-wing radical politics and conspiracy theories exaggerated McGruders') and Riley, who better resembled a stereotypical fan of gangsta rap and much of hip-hop society. Meanwhile, their curmudgeonly grandfather retained an almost pre-integrationist distrust, if not outright dislike for white America.
Although his career since college was tied almost inextricably to his collection of "The Boondocks" mouthpieces, McGruder did have other ideas, including an expansion into film. He told The New Yorker that he thought of himself as a writer, more than an artist (he had already ceded responsibility for actually drawing the comic strip himself). He also was a frequent speaker on the lecture circuit, and was actually asked to run for president by the Green Party, but he was just 29 at the time - six years too young to accept the position. McGruder, however, opted instead to continue his position as critic-via-comic strip - someone able to point out the problems without any obligation to solve them himself.
Life Events
1996
His comic "The Boondocks" debuted at University of Maryland's campus newspaper The Diamondback
1998
Signed with publisher Universal Press Syndicate
1999
Universal Press Syndicate made the largest launch ever of a single comic strip in the history of the printed page when it debuted "The Boondocks" in more than 160 newspapers
2003
Made guest appearances on the controversial talk show "Real Time with Bill Maher" (HBO)
2005
"The Boondocks" animated series premiered on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim
2012
Made feature writing debut with the George Lucas produced WWII drama "Red Tails"; co-wrote screenplay with John Ridley
