Sunday, July 17, 2011

Writing about Huey Freeman (again)

Finally...I can start writing about Huey Freeman, the leading character from Aaron McGruder's comic strip and animation The Boondocks again. This fall, I'll teach a course about "black nerds" and another course focused on Malcolm X. Huey will be a topic for study and discussion in both classes.

I'll also teach two courses for first-year students at the university. Huey will also show up in those courses. I suspect the students, finding themselves in this new environment, will identify with Huey's alienation as well.


A few years ago, I was writing about Huey in essays and running an online discussion group that focused on The Boondocks. After a while though, I got pulled in some different directions. Among other things, I was inclined to blog about poetry rather than comics, and so, my writing on Huey subsided.

There was something else too.

McGruder's comic strip and cartoon stopped appearing--not that I necessarily needed the strip and show to continue in order for me write, but it helped. There was something exciting about researching and writing about The Boondocks at a time when there so much interest and conversation. With so many people exchanging ideas about the newest episodes on youtube, on discussion boards and online forums, and in face-to-face conversations, there was more motivation to write and converse with folks regularly.

There's been talk of a new season of The Boondocks. If it's true, I'm sure we'll see more talk of the show on the interwebs. But even if the show does not return, I'll start incorporating more monthly posts on the the strip and show simply because I'm interested. Plus, the writing will give me a chance to solidify some of my ideas about The Boondocks and our main man Huey.

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