Aaron McGruder's fantastic creation, The Boondocks, is the story of two young brothers, sent from the ghetto of Chicago to live in the suburbs (or "boondocks"). The strip's really great aspect is that it brings up a host of political and social issues, while making you laugh. Then you realize that you're laughing at yourself, too.
The Main Characters of this hilarious little world are:
- Huey Freeman: The radical scholar. Huey is best described as The Boondocks' main character. Intelligent far beyond his years and a passionate black revolutionary, it is mostly through Huey's eyes that The Boondocks illustrates the silliness and hypocrisy of our world. Symbolically, Huey personifies the infamous "black male rage" manifesting in a positive form. He is angry, but respectful. He is brilliant, but still young, inexperienced, and at times naive. He is almost always scowling, but he is also almost always reading. He is not perfect, but he is a brave little kid - hopefully an example many children will come to follow. His radical nature is balanced by the kinder, gentler members of the ensemble, particularly Jazmine...
- Riley Freeman (aka Riley Escobar) Hardcore knucklehead and Huey's little brother. Riley Freeman is the younger of the Freeman Brothers from Chicago's South Side. Riley is wholeheartedly commited to treating the tree-laned, opulent streets of Woodcrest like the roughest ghetto projects. Armed with a really bad attitude and a variety of water-based fire arms, Riley sets out each day to create havoc and disaster in the name of all that is real, and to make strong come-ups in this rich land just waiting for a criminal mastermind to take over and run things.
- Caesar: The lyrically rambunctious Brooklyn MC. M. Caesar (who usually goes by his last name) moves to Woodcrest after spending his early years in Brooklyn. Adjustment to life in Woodcrest is especially difficult for him - being far removed from the hip-hop life in NY.
Caesar is Huey's best friend and a good compliment to Huey's perpetually scornful outlook. Caesar is generally light hearted and fun - his more serious and ferocious side shown only when battling Big Willie MC's.
- Jazmine DuBois: Confused cutie-pie. With her uncontrollable light brown hair and hazel-green eyes, Jazmine is the daughter of Tom and Sarah DuBois, covert operatives of the NAACP who were responsible for the forced integration of the town of Woodcrest. Innocent and sheltered, Jazmine is often left confused and disturbed at the racially charged rantings of Huey Freeman, and steadfastly refuses to allow him to change her utopian view of the world in which they live. She becomes close friends with several characters, but ultimately feels lonely and torn between worlds that are often irreconcilable.
Those of you unfamiliar with the strip, go to
http://www.boondocks.net/main.html
And check the place out. That's where I lifted all this info from, anyway, but you'll get to see nifty pictures and get a good idea of where McGruder is coming from.
Since this was noded, The Boondocks has made the transition to television, appearing on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim late-night block. | 
