Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Mixed Plate

Media Credit: Courtesy of Random House Uncle Rukus' premier in the comic strip "The Boondocks" in December of 2004. [Click to enlarge]

Aaron McGruder,
Three Rivers Press (2007)
$17

Aaron McGruder's highly controversial comic strip "The Boondocks" was officially canceled in September 2006 after a six month hiatus, which just left fans with reprints of classic strips and reruns of the animated series (which only recently began its second season). "All the Rage" collects the final strips of McGruder's infamous series.

Following "A Right to be Hostile" and "Public Enemy #2," "All the Rage" completes the page-bound saga of Huey Freeman, a black youth with aspirations of socialist revolution, his culturally brainwashed brother Riley, his decrepit Granddad and their quirky neighbors. "All the Rage" begins in December 2004 with the entrance of the self-hating Uncle Ruckus, whose hatred of African-Americans goes beyond any Ku Klux Klan member's; his other occupation is as a replacement Mall Santa.

This collection has many memorable moments, making up for all the reruns. McGruder's assault on McDonald's commercials, Condoleezza Rice (whose face is Darth Vader's mask), and BET are brutally hilarious. From late September to late October 2005, McGruder shows his best in a story arc about the invasion of Hurricane Katrina victims. Huey's references to the disaster, and the brilliance of introducing the incredibly cheap Granddad to the concept of charity for his own relatives, show exactly how crafty McGruder is at representing all the problems of society while still remaining fresh.

Sadly the abruptness of the series' cancellation is pronounced by the last strips: Uncle Ruckus praises Peter Jackson's "King Kong" as a lesson of anti-integration. Also apparent are the close tie-ins with the animated series, which began airing on Cartoon Network in November 2005. The comic strips, especially censored ones, are followed by interviews and commentary.

With the animated series in its second season, I still miss the comic strip. The television show, while brilliant, comes off as a "Chappelle's Show" offshoot that isn't allowed to go beyond its own universe and attack its intended targets (namely the Bush administration).

"All the Rage" should be purchased and cherished by every "Boondocks" fan, even those only vaguely familiar with the cartoon.

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