NYT: The Comic-Strip Revolution Will Be Televised (The Boondocks)

[highplainsdem]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/arts/television/30ogun.html


The Comic-Strip Revolution Will Be Televised

By LOLA OGUNNAIKE
Published: October 30, 2005

Los Angeles

FANS fearing that "The Boondocks," the wildly scathing, racially charged comic strip, will lose its bite when it appears on television next week need not worry. Within the first 10 seconds of the new show of the same name, viewers will be offered the following Molotov cocktail of social criticism: "Jesus is black, Ronald Reagan is the devil and the government is lying about 9/11."

Since its national debut six years ago, the strip, about two black children living in white suburbia, has slaughtered its share of sacred cows, eviscerating everyone from Condoleezza Rice and Strom Thurmond to 50 Cent and Ralph Nader. President Bush has been a frequent target. As a result, the strip has been suspended, banished to editorial pages and dropped from some newspapers (it currently appears in more than 300).

Trying to translate that incendiary spirit into great television will be a challenge, an expensive challenge at that. Cartoon Network pays Sony Pictures Television, producer of the series, an estimated license fee of $400,000 per episode. Add to that the millions the network has spent on marketing, including many billboards in New York and Los Angeles trumpeting the show's premiere on Nov. 6 in the late-night "Adult Swim" block, and "The Boondocks" becomes the most expensive show the network has made.

<snip>

Standing just over 5 feet 7, Mr. McGruder is a slight, handsome man with small features and slim hands. Dressed in jeans, a Stevie Wonder T-shirt and horn-rimmed glasses, the cartoonist could easily pass for a bookish high school sophomore. Unlike his alter ego, Huey, whose face is all furrowed brow and self-righteous scowl, Mr. McGruder is quick to smile. One afternoon this month, he was brimming with opinions. Mr. McGruder on Senator Barack Obama's chances of ever sitting in the Oval Office: "He's not even going to be able to smell the White House unless he's a member of Skull and Bones or any of those close-knit secret societies that really aren't so secret anymore." Regarding the rapper Kanye West's recent remark that Mr. Bush doesn't care about black people: "If you're black and you don't know that by now, you're in trouble. I think it's time that poor whites start realizing that George Bush doesn't care about them either and he will let them die too."

<snip>

I've never watched the Cartoon Network, but I think I will for this.

[Solon]

1. Saw the previews, I can't WAIT for this show...

Loved the Comics, and I will love this show!!!

[CanOfWhoopAss]

2. Cartoon Network is now a part of my schedule. Thanks for sharing

[0rganism]

34. CN should be part of your schedule every day!

Adult Swim contains multiple mind nutrients and positive engrams that are part of a balanced daily entertainment for humans and higher life forms (and higher humans :smoke:).

[Pirate Smile]

3. Me too. It sounds like appointment TV.

[rurallib]

4. When is it on? Time?

I seldom watch cartoon network but will make time to watch this. Help me out please!

[highplainsdem]

6. 11 pm ET, according to this Orlando Sentinel review:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-boondock05oct29,0,2544820.story?coll=orl-home-entlife

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Anyone know the broadcast time in the Pacific Time zone? n/t

[sakabatou]

28. 11 PM as well

[fishwax]

7. I'm really looking forward to this

it should be great :D

[Hekate]

8. I've been a major fan ever since he took on Bush

Aaron McGruder's political satire is deadly funny, and I've posted a number of his strips on my frig.

His post-9/11 strip on getting back to normal:
HUEY: "So what do I normally do?"
FRIEND: "Criticize Bush?"
HUEY: "Right!"

Hekate

[goclark]

9. Hope I have the channel on my comcast lineup!

I love Boondocks!!!!
Edit: I checked, I've got it!

[MagickMuffin]

10. I've been "Adult Swimming" for some time now!

They have a pretty good line up IMHO. Of course I prefer the Saturday line up as opposed to Sunday's.

However when they started adverts for Boondocks, I knew that would round out my other Sunday anima programs over @ Fox.

I was surprised that the NY Times wrote a story on it, that should help generate viewership.

Crossing my fingers!

[sakabatou]

29. Otaku, you are not

It's anime... not anima... >_<

Anyhoo, what do you watch Sat.? FMA, IY?

[MagickMuffin]

30. oops typo

Big InuYasha fan, Samurai Shamploo, FMA, Wolf's Rain,
Trigun, Cowboy Bebop (of course these were before it was on Adult Swim, as were a lot more of my "anime")

Of course I have so many more that haven't been shown on AS, but they do show quite a few a never heard of, stopped getting Anime to rent.

[sakabatou]

35. We have much in common MM

We're watching Last Exile in my high school's anime club.

[MagickMuffin]

37. That's really kewl you have an anime club

I'll be showing my age here, but when I was growing up all we had was SpeedRacer :-( .

My brothers watched it but it wasn't for me, I didn't start liking anime until Sailor Moon became a hit.

From what I've seen of the adverts on Boondocks, it appears to me that it's styled after Samurai Shamploo! I'm almost certain it will be extremely well done.

[sakabatou]

38. Aaron did style the comic after manga he read when he was younger

So, it kinda goes along that route. So Sailor Moon was your turning point. Mine was Akira.

[Orsino]

11. This will draw me to CN, too.

Gonna go set it up to record now.

[0007]

12. "The Boondocks," is a great comic strip packed with the truth.

I wonder how long it will last?

I recommend it highly.

[Bombero1956]

13. set your Tivo

Sunday November 6 at 11:00 PM. Regina King will voice both Huey and Riley while John Witherspoon will be granddad. I don't see how an adult woman can be the voice of boys aged 10 and 8.

[mac56]

14. Nancy Cartwright is the voice of Bart Simpson

and several other boys on the show too.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. It's not uncommon for voice actresses to portray young boys

Nancy Cartright is just one in a long line, including the venerable June Foray.

If you've ever listened to the Peanuts specials, where they use real children for the voices, you'll notice that the acting quality is uneven.

In the fantasy world of The Simpsons, and presumably The Boondocks, the child characters say things and assume attitudes that are not typical of real children. so adult actors are used to give the characters the proper edge.

(Besides, imagine if they had started The Simpsons all those years ago with a real boy actor. They'd either have had to replace him when his voice changed or hire a different boy.)

[tavalon]

24. Can you see how an adult man with a fairly deep voice

can be the voice of elmo? I've seen him and he is amazing.

[tavalon]

23. It's on the same network with The Daily Show

If it taps the same demographic, it will do just fine.

I won't be able to watch it. I don't have cable.

[michaelwb]

27. nope

Not the same network as the Daily Show.

Daily Show = Comedy Network

Boondocks = Cartoon Network

[tavalon]

32. Oops, my bad

Still won't be able to see it. No cable.

[Arkana]

15. That quote is in my sig.

I can't WAIT for that show!

[Cha]

16. I saw Aaron McGruder on tv

a few years ago when he called consleeza, "Darth Vader". I don't remember what the program was but did he ever have her number.

[fortyfeetunder]

17. Yes, the next generation should pull back no punches

We were anti-establishment in the 60's and now having seen what happened in the last 5 years, there is no reason for the next generation to be silent. McGruder is saying what a lot of young'uns are talking about...

[meganmonkey]

18. Rec'd. I know a lot of folks lookingforward to the beginning of this show

I can't wait! I am sure McGruder has high standards and it won't be watered down - if the preview is any indication it is gonna kick some major ass

:bounce:

[jasmeel]

19. I was looking for the air date and it should be Nov 6th!

It was originally scheduled to air in Oct but will now air Nov 6th at 11PM
http://www.adultswim.com/williams/news/index.html?http%3A//www.adultswim.com/williams/news/articles/news013.html
Schedule Revisions
09/12/2005

The Boondocks will now premiere Sunday, November 6, at 11 p.m. with encore Saturday showings beginning November 12 at midnight.

[Mr_Spock]

20. Sounds like fun

I'll have to checkl it out :D

[tomreedtoon]

21. Someone's seen the first two episodes.

I am a fan of a lot of Cartoon Network's stuff, but even I have to admit that most of the humor on the show is aimed at white college males. The kind of Harvard Lampoon/National Lampoon/Saturday Night Live audiences that pretend to cynicism and disdain of the establishment - who immediately go to work for that establishment when they graduate and fall right into line.

McGruder, however, is the real thing. The series sounds like a serious challenge from the not-so-rich and not-so-white in the comedy arena. I've seen the previews at conventions for over two years. Over at toonzone.net, someone has seen the first two episodes and here's the review:

http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=6268

My only hope is that this series becomes popular enough that another great cartoonist with attitude, Keith Knight, will get some of his stuff animated.

[LiberalFighter]

25. Today's edition of Boondocks was great!!!

[ellenfl]

26. will someone please remind those of us with older memories?

i won't remember to watch otherwise.

tia

ellen fl

[CanSocDem]

31. McGruder was on TV last night....

...being interviewed, presumably about this launch. That such profound social commentary should come from such a "...a bookish high school sophomore"(in appearance)...is a measure of his genius.

Should be on Saturday morning. He educates me(an ol' white liberal) on "black" issues.

[0rganism]

33. Just one more reason why CN/AS is on the cutting edge

I'm all choked up...

[AX10]

36. kick, kick, kick!

It's about time!