Aaron McGruder's comic strip "The Boondocks" first appeared in 1996 in the pages of The Diamondback, the school newspaper of the University of Maryland. McGruder attended U of M, graduating with a degree in African American Studies. "The Boondocks" followed the life and experiences of a 10-year-old big-city Chicago boy named Huey and his brother Riley, who have to go live with their grandfather in the suburbs of Maryland. Huey, like McGruder, was sharply aware of the fineries of Black culture and the way it was commonly misused by corporate America. Riley, meanwhile, loved gangsta rap culture and sought the wealth and conspicuous consumption featured in so many rap videos. Both kids butted heads with their grandfather, who, being a WWII veteran and former civil rights activist, had a perspective all his own.

"The Boondocks" was assertively political, which was refreshing in the funny pages. McGruder tried to partner with several distribution syndicates,...