Aaron McGruder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aaron McGruder
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McGruder in 2002
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| Born | Aaron Vincent McGruder May 29, 1974 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Education | University of Maryland (B.A.) |
| Genre | Comic strips, television screenwriter |
| Notable works | The Boondocks (comic strip) The Boondocks (TV series) |
Aaron Vincent McGruder, born on May 29, 1974, is a talented American writer, cartoonist, and producer. He is most famous for creating The Boondocks, which started as a comic strip and later became a popular animated TV show.
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Early Life and School
Aaron McGruder was born in Chicago, Illinois. When he was six years old, his family moved to Columbia, Maryland. This move happened because his father got a job with the National Transportation Safety Board. Aaron also has an older brother.
For middle school, Aaron went to a Jesuit school called Loyola Blakefield for three years. After that, he transferred to a public school, Oakland Mills High School. Later, he studied at the University of Maryland. He earned a degree in African American Studies.
Aaron McGruder's Career
Creating The Boondocks
The Boondocks first appeared in 1996 as a webcomic. This means it was a comic strip published online on a website called Hitlist.com. At that time, Aaron was also a DJ for a radio show.
The comic strip was briefly featured in the University of Maryland's newspaper, The Diamondback. Soon, McGruder signed a deal with Universal Press Syndicate. In April 1999, The Boondocks began appearing in 160 different newspapers.
Characters in The Boondocks
The main characters in The Boondocks are two young African-American brothers. Their names are Huey and Riley. Huey is named after Huey P. Newton, a famous political leader. Riley is his younger brother, who acts like a tough "gangsta." These brothers move from inner-city Chicago to live with their grandfather in a quiet suburb.
Within six months, the comic strip was being shown in over 200 publications. Several collections of The Boondocks comic strips have been published as books. These include All The Rage and Public Enemy #2.
The Boondocks TV Show
An animated television series based on the comic strip became very popular. It was shown on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
In 2013, McGruder was interested in making a movie about a supporting character from The Boondocks TV series. This character was Uncle Ruckus. The actor Gary Anthony Williams would play Uncle Ruckus again. McGruder tried to raise money for the movie online, but he did not reach his goal.
In March 2014, a new season of The Boondocks TV show was released. However, Aaron McGruder was not involved in making it. The first episode of this fourth season aired on April 21, 2014. In 2019, it was announced that a fifth season of The Boondocks would be made with McGruder's help. But this project was later canceled in February 2022.
Other Creative Projects
Aaron McGruder has worked on other projects too. He created a comedy series called The Super Rumble Mix Show for Super Deluxe. He also developed Black Jesus. This is another comedy series that was broadcast on Adult Swim, part of Cartoon Network.
McGruder has also become a public speaker. He talks about important cultural topics. In 2003, he spoke at an event hosted by The Nation magazine. He shared his views on politics. In 2009, a newspaper reported that McGruder spoke at a Martin Luther King Day event. He later clarified his statements, saying he was "cautiously pessimistic" about the presidency at the time.
In 2004, McGruder co-wrote a graphic novel called Birth of a Nation: A Comic Novel. He wrote it with Reginald Hudlin. The book is about African Americans in East St. Louis during an election. The pictures for the book were drawn by cartoonist Kyle Baker.
In 2010, McGruder worked as a screenwriter for the movie Red Tails. This film was released in early 2012. Its story is based on the Tuskegee Airmen. They were a group of African American combat pilots during World War II.
In August 2017, it was announced that McGruder would work with producer Will Packer. They planned to develop a series for Amazon Video called Black America. This show would be set in an alternative history. In this history, black Americans who were freed from slavery receive three Southern states. They would then form their own independent nation. As of 2025, there have been no new updates about Black America. Its current status is unknown.
Personal Life
By 2005, and as of 2013, Aaron McGruder was living in Los Angeles.
