Boondocks Animated

The blogispheric reaction to the new Boondocks animated series has been lukewarm. But I am with the Republic of T in casting a dissenting vote. I've only watched one episode, the one T mentions in his post, but I thought it was hilarious. It's not subtle or smooth political commentary. It lacks the smart bite of McGruder's three-panel strips. What it does have is a talent for taking joke too far -- from funny to absurd to inappropriate and somehow back to funny again. I mean, George W and Rummy reincarnated as gun toting petty thugs sprouting Pulp Fiction-esque dialog? Funny. W and Rummy holding up a Mini-Mart owned by a Saddam look-a-like? Absurd. W and Rummy shooting "Saddam" after threatening him to give up the weapon he doesn't have? Borderline inappropriate. But having Rummy and W leave the minimart after a huge gunfight to be faced by approving chants of "U.S.A., U.S.A.!" somehow brings it all back to funny again.

What is perhaps a little lacking is more character development in Huey. Huey is a sardonic observer. This works perfectly in the comic strip where he mostly sits around looking disaffected while dropping scathing insights on the world around him. But in an animated show, there is a need for action to be carried forward, thus (at least in the one episode that I saw) causing Huey to be sidelined in his own show.