All the Rage: The Boondocks Past and Present

For any fan of Aaron McGruder or his 'Boondocks' series, this book should be at the top of your list. I've bought two copies for my daughters and need to buy one to keep for myself. Not only are the drawings great, but McGruder's comments are invaluable in painting a good picture of the current political climate, especially the ways in which Freedom of Speech rights are being violated and squelched. Please read this book (and his others) and save it to pass along to your descendants.

Hilarious and thought-provoking!!! This is the first Boondocks book that I purchased and it was worth the wait. I got one for myself and as a present for my boyfriend. The stories, commentaries, interviews and comments by various people shows you how Aaron came to create these strips. Can't wait for the second season of the Boondocks to end so I can get the DVD!!!

"All The Rage" is the Sunday morning newsmagazine for "The Boondocks". It isn't about an anthology of all of the strips, but it does highlight the strips that did -and DIDN'T- make the papers; strips that brought about a sense of discussion and (alleged; because like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder) controversy. Interviews with McGruder (that weren't nationally published) and his commentary on particular strips that raised the hackles of readers and prompted editors to either banish him to editorial pages or the black hole of "yanked" only helped to prove the practiced narrowness of thinking when it benefits a small group (namely newspaper advertisers). I would make a small change to one of the other reviewer's recommendation: start with "A Right To Be Hostile". There are a couple other collections after and before this one, but this is the best. Then, get "Birth of a Nation" (written by Reginald Hudlin and Aaron McGrude; illustrated by Kyle Baker). This is the screenplay that took too long to be "greenlighted" (an interesting story in itself). The idea of a state seceding from the nation is not new (uh...remember Texas and Juneteenth?), but what of a city...a poor city...a poor BLACK city? It's politicing at its grassroots best!

If you have never read a Boondocks book this is the perfect jumping on point. It has a lot of new strips that the first season of the hit show was based on and it also has a lot of the old strips that started the controversy. I love that McGruder isn't afraid to call out our "Leadership" in Washington and voicing his opinion. He will make you think about several issues from racism, the war on "Terror", G.W. Bush, and so many more!! Great read and it has some interviews with McGruder that offer some some insight into his state of mind. Definite Buy!!!

I have been awaiting the release of this book for what seems like forever, it is SOOOOO amazing! This book is definitely the best out of all the previous collections of strips. The book has a bunch of interviews with McGruder & articles about the strip. As well as banned & censored strips, uncensored & reasons why they where censored. This collection is VERY substantial, 267 pages with little blurbs (both good & bad) in between strips from mostly newspapers as well some of the people McGruder disses, Larry Elder, Al Sharpton & the like. The book is divided into 3 parts... Part 1: The Strips 12/04 - 12/05 Part 2: Media (interviews & articles about the strip & McGruder) 7/99 - 7/06 Part 3: The Controversy 5/99 - 3/06 (uncensored strips before & after, comments about which newspapers didn't run which strips, why people where offended, a really Great comment about the Washington Post "Now that I am safely retired from the print world, I'd like to say that the Washington Post were some real b****s on this one" about a Condi strip) I have to admit when I read that previous comment about the Post, I was ever so sad, I still have even the tiniest of hopes the strip will return someday. I mean the show is fine, but the strip was so timely, which you can't get from a cartoon, that has to be created months & months ahead of its airdate. The only episode that was just as great as the strip was the MLK episode. If Aaron McGruder happens to ever see this, I am begging you, PLEASE BRING THE STRIP BACK! I HAVE NO REASON TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WITHOUT IT! I obviously miss it terribly, but this book does make me feel all warm & fuzzy, Thanks, Aaron! I would recomend this book to everyone who misses the strip, who loves the TV show, Larry Elder, Al Sharpton, Bob Johnson, everyone at any newspaper who has ever banned or censored The Boondocks & mostly to every idiot that wrote a letter or called your local newspaper to complain, you either watch too much BET or have too much "rich white guilt" to understand or enjoy this smart, funny, amazing, witty comic!