A few years ago, Aaron McGruder, a young college student dissatisfied with
both college and the comic-book world, decided to create a comic strip
inspired by his love of hip-hop culture that reflected the true racial
diversity and complexity of the world in which he lived.
The result was "The Boondocks," the story of a group of African-American
city kids adjusting to life in white suburbia. After an initial debut on the
Internet, "The Boondocks" made its print debut in 1997 in The Diamondback,
the independent student newspaper of the University of Maryland. It received
rave reviews and quickly drew national attention. After Aaron "escaped" from
the University of Maryland with a degree in African-American studies, The
Source, one of the country's largest urban music magazines, began publishing
the strip.
Through his work, Aaron seeks to provoke thought and help improve the state
of racial discourse.
Aaron resides in Los Angeles, where he's working on television projects and
a host of other interesting ideas for "The Boondocks." He's a near-fanatical
"Star Wars" fan and a hip-hop enthusiast of the greatest magnitude.
