The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Union’s Distinguished Lecture Series presents Aaron McGruder, creator of the The Boondocks comic strip and animated comedy series on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 7pm in the UWM Union’s Wisconsin Room at 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. McGruder’s lecture – The Boondocks: All the Rage –  is part of UWM’s Year of the Arts.

Aaron McGruder has tackled controversial topics such as race relations, interracial marriage, bi-racial identity and juvenile delinquency, in addition to political happenings and current events, through his comic strip characters Huey and Riley – two kids from the south side of Chicago who move to the suburbs (“The Boondocks”) to be raised by their grandfather. Launched in 1999, The Boondocks was a runaway hit, published in over 350 newspapers nationwide and becoming an animated series on Cartoon Network in 2005.

In addition to publishing six books of The Boondocks comic strips, Aaron McGruder also co-wrote the political comedy graphic novel Birth of a Nation. He received the prestigious “Chairman’s Award” at the NAACP Image Awards in 2002 and was featured as one of People magazine’s “25 Most Intriguing People”. USA Today also called him “the most dangerous black man” and compared his voice to that of Langston Hughes.

In his talk at UWM, McGruder will discuss the tumultuous history of The Boondocks, past and present. From his 9/11 strips banned in New York to the BET episodes banned from the air, McGruder will discuss the politics, themes and characters that have so often landed him in hot water. Fans of the show and comic strips will have a rare opportunity to dialogue directly with McGruder about the creative process and the worldview that informs the strip, as well as get a sneak peek at his upcoming projects.