Mar 25, 2014

New Season of "Boondocks" Excludes Creator Aaron Magruder

It was recently announced that after a nearly four-year hiatus, Adult Swim's animated series "The Boondocks" will be returning for its fourth and final season on April 21. However, the excitement experienced by fans of the show upon hearing the news was cut short when they learned that the show's creator, Aaron McGruder, would not be involved.

Adapted by McGruder in 2005 from his popular syndicated comic of the same name, "Boondocks" follows the social misadventures of Huey and Riley, two urban black pre-teens being raised in the suburbs by their bigoted grandfather. The show's brazen mockery of everything from conservative politics to black intellectuals has been controversial since its initial run, but has also developed a cult following among Adult Swim viewers.

When Sony Pictures Television, which produces the show, announced news of its final season, it said, "This season was produced without the involvement of Aaron Magruder." The company stated only that McGruder is currently working on a new live-action Adult Swim show, "Black Jesus," and has not revealed any details about his departure. However, McGruder's relationship with the show's producers may not be all that smooth. Both before and after Sony's announcement, McGruder posted on the "Black Jesus" Facebook page claiming that the "Boondocks" Facebook page had been "hijacked" and that "as of Friday, March 14, I have absolutely no control over what is being posted.

As a result of the "hijacking" of the Boondocks Facebook page, the Los Angeles Times article announcing the new season and McGruder's departure was re-posted several times and received thousands of comments from Facebook followers ranging from outrage to optimism.