Rating: 
Summary: Ignore the Sad Reviewers.....
Review: This comic works on several levels. First, Mr. McGruder is one of the most insightful political commentators today. His shots at Rush Limbaugh's hypocrisy, the Iraq war, the CIA "tip line." Second, while I have never met Mr. McGruder (nor have any hope of doing so), it is interesting watching the interplay of the four main characters, and imagining they represent four aspects of McGruder's psyche. The Grandfather, representing traditional values and history (fishing, homeownership, and Dorothy Dandridge (sp?)). Caesar, the creative, hip hop musical side. Riley, the struggle of coping with contemporary amerika's portrait of young black males--enjoying the thrills of being "bad," while ignoring how manipulated he really is. And Huey, my personal favorite, one of the last radical socialists in contemporary culture--an unapologetic leftist who is never not reading.....All four struggling to form a balance, a home on Timid Deer Lane....The most important point though, is the strips are funny. If a comic isn't funny, you might as well be reading Mary Worth. I did knock off one star, because this "treasury" suffers from the same marketing issues as the Bloom County books: Right to be Hostile has many, but not all, of the comics in the first two books. It also has comics that are *not* in the first two books. So, if you are a freakish, die hard, crazy fan--you need to buy all three books for a whole set. That's the only reason for removing a star (harsh, I know. But I'm an old crank). As for two previous reviews, the person who called Michael Moore Mr. McGruder's "massa" is an insulting moron. His own prose demonstrates what a hopeless idiot he really is. The second review takes Mr. McGruder to task because Huey Freeman (named after Huey Newton, co-founder of the Back Panther Party) was upset about missing Kwanza--a holiday created by Dr. Karenga, founder of United Slaves (US). The reviewer is correct that US and the Party were enemies, and courtesy of J Edgar Hoover's FBI, US was outfitted with equipment & weapons, with the goal of destroying the Party. Karenga was (and probably still is) a dangerous, unsympathetic character. Nevertheless, I know many people who celebrate Kwanza for the message it carries--despite Karenga. If you read the strips, Huey is torn because he forgot kwanza--on the one hand, Huey is a radical socialist as opposed to a black cultural nationalist. Still, "Blackness" is his culture, and forgetting holiday was understandably upsetting--all of which led to my favorite strip, when Huey asks Riley for advice........My point is, Mr. McGruder is consistent, accurate, and draws a comic based on what he knows. And is funny. And Free Jolly Jenkins!
Rating: 
Summary: Give me a break!!!
Review: While you may not have to like Aaron M. or his comic strip, just remember that comic strips are just that comic strips. It's satire for God's sakes!!! The issues that he touches on in this book and others ( i proudly own the first two books he put out...) often reflect the extremities of his characters (from Huey being "too damn black" to his little brother Riley just not getting the concept of hip hop culture and thinking it's all about "bling blingin' and being gangsta"), which sometimes may not be right. He's not here to respresent the "entire" black race but it's just nice to laugh at ourselves (and others) every once in a while. I don't know about you, but i'm enjoying my life and the lives of others, so why not lighten up and laugh. It won't kill you. And to the farmers that wrote negative reviews and didn't leave an e-mail address, you're just better off not posting at all. Nuff said.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny sometimes, but...
Review: Yeah, sure, some of it makes for good satire, but let's face it. This comic book is just plain one-sided and angry and hardly has an ounce of redeeming value. This is all I got: Good African American equals Leftist African American. McGruder wanted us to think with boondocks, but all I got was anger coming from the pages... that's all. Sorry, but it's too narrow minded for my taste. And yes, he does owe Asians and Codi Rice an apology. There's a new website out there, check it out: members, dot, asianavenue, dot, com, forwardslash, BoycottMcgruder.
Rating: 
Summary: in response to some reviewers
Review: Ok, one thing that many people have griped on through their reviews has been Hueys celebration of Kwanzaa and McGruders so-called exploits of Asisan Culture. First thing I think that Aaron who is a Anime fan just incorporated the style of Anime and Manga into his own work, this is something that is done by many artist in the U.S. that are fans of anime. The only difference is that McGruder has done this with a widely written comic strip. You say that he makes fun of Cindy for appropriating black culture yet he appropriates asian culture. First thing their has always been jokes inside the black community through comedy or just everyday talk of some white person so called "trying to act black" or being a so called "wigger". Throughout the 70s and 80s since kung fu movies have become popular many in the black community have love kung-fu (an aspect of asian culture). So were we not doing the same thing then as Aaron is doing in his book? No one said anything when Quincy Jones produced The Last Dragon which was a cheap 80s knock off of a Bruce Lee film. Huey addresses Kwanzaa , who cares if an NSO leader founded the holiday and a character named after a Panther addresses the holiday. Their are many people in the black community who don't know the origins of the holiday but still celebrate. If many of them did know the person who started Kwanzaa they would probably not even celebrate it. These things have been going in American culture for a long time, the only difference is when an African American male who uses a comic strip and a pro-black character named after a Panther to voice his opinions people take offense. Many of you have criticized this man for doing or shining a light on what many Americans do everyday. Most of the things we do in this country are very hypocritical. He is not required to show balance in all 4 characters. For those who commented about Miceal Moore writing the foreword to this book need to find something else to talk about. This book is of Aarons strips not Micheal Moore. If you are not a fan of Moore then take your comments else where. As for the "reader" from so called Seattle needs to find his own opinion and not those of coolguy. This is a collection of his strips...if your a fan then you can appreciate them but if you are a not a fan then dont buy the book or come here to just bad mouth this mans work. Cause if he took most of your suggestions on how to write his strips their would be no comedy.
Rating:
Summary: Aaron McGruder & coolguy's comment
Review: (4 stars=have yet to read it, but as i've read many of his strips i'm assuming the collection is good)
first of all, let me say that Aaron McGruder is an amazing comedian...it took me a while to get into the bookdocks, but now when my mom boys the paper, i go stright for the comics, just for that strip. bravo! the next thing i would like to do is respond to "coolguy". the part that really maked me laugh, was when you called michael moore a "limousine-liberal"...mm is hardly one for showing off (if thats what you were implying...correct me if i'm wrong). i mean, have you seen the way he dresses? like an everyday american (which, i believe is on purpose). he is mad fun of horribly. its been said that he doesnt wash, etc. and why dont you note that comics are supposed to be funny...and mcgruder is certainly not a hypocrite. and, excuse me, you live in LA. LA is not exactly "culture rich" so, just go back to your huge LA "Crib" and quit your whining. if you dislike this book so much (sorry, but the truth hurts!) why did you even bother going on amazon and writing a review about it??
Rating:
Summary: A SURPRISING TREASURY
Review: Having enjoyed The Boondocks in The Washington Post for the last several years, I finally got my act together and bought all 3 of Aaron McGruder's collections. After reading Because I Know You Don't Read The Newspaper and Fresh For '01... You Suckas!, I figured that this treasury would just be those 2 books combined but with the Sunday strips in full color (the formula most treasuries follow). How wrong I was. The first third of A Right To Be Hostile is taken up by selected strips from those books (Part 1 : The Classics) while the final two-thirds contains new material (Part 2 : The Story Continues...) which also includes the color Sunday strips. While I was happily surprised to have new strips to read, I must admit I was a little disappointed that it didn't include every strip from this timeframe. I guess this will just have to hold me until Aaron drops the next batch. Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind it at all if he put out his old U of M strips (The Diamondback Collection?). Either way, this is a must have for any The Boondocks fan who can't get enough of Huey, Riley, Granddad, and Caesar.
Rating:
Summary: Some folks need to look up the definition of "satire"
Review: I've read the often ill-informed negative reviews here and it seems that most of the people deriding Aaron Mcgruder's work a) Don't know the meaning or purpose of satire, b) Didn't really read the book, c) Just have a personal agenda to badmouth the man. First of all, McGruder's probably reading all these negative reviews and laughing to himself, preparing to post them on his website or use them in future strips. Congratulations for giving the man more ammo to prove his point. If the nuances of satire (espcially the obvious satire contained in this strip) are lost on you then I advise you to stay far away from every single episode of The Simpsons. Second, it's odd so many people leap to call McGruder a hipocrite or a racist or whatever and site examples from the book to back these statements up when said examples do no such thing. McGruder never sings the praises of Kwanzaa and in the book even Huey comes to the conclusion that, as a holiday, it needs a lot of work before it can be considered legitimate. Also, Huey is a broadly painted caricature of a black revolutionary and the fact that he is never taken seriously by other characters in the strip shows that McGruder is poking fun at yet another stereotypical figure: The overzealous, conspiracy theory nut. True his personal politics spill over into the strip but he is far from projecting himself into the character of Huey Freeman; an immature, loney and misguided kid. And those who think he's a racist must have overlooked the fact that he lampoons black people far more than he does anyone else. As far as the kung fu getups on the cover, so what? McGruder's always said his art was steeped in Anime tradition and Asians are one of the few groups he hasn't directed his wrath at. Complaints about the cover are just desperate nit-picking. And last, there will always be those ready to tear down an artist for no other reason than they like to spit vitriol and hate toward anyone who's successful on their own terms. That they would actually take the time to read McGruder's work cover to cover for the sole purpose of blasting it online is pretty amazing . . . If I don't like something I just ignore it. But, then again, I'm not petty either. But I doubt anyone really takes these folks seriously anyway. Like someone else said, if you're curious about the book and unsure, you can always flip through it in the store before you buy it. I suspect real fans of The Boondocks already have it on their coffee tables.
Rating:
Summary: Bill Keane Must Die!
Review: Political satire was often the theme for most early American comics. Not only were they insightful, but oftentimes they contained a sarcastic humor that is absent from many of today's comic strips. Squeaky clean, "family values" (ie: family circus)taints the media of today, afraid to be daring, or ironically, the least bit funny. Physical humor is in, but social humor is dead. Then comes the Boondocks...
With probably the most biting social commentary around, it brings White American politics to Black America. The results are Huey (the commited Socialist who sometimes get's too serious for his own good) and brother Riley (the product of corporate hip hop culture). This book isn't just for blacks, fans of hip hop, or political junkies, but anyone who is fed up Garfield sleeping, Doonsbury lacking, or Ziggy doing whatever the hell it is Ziggy does. Aaron McGruder is a prime example of everything modern day cartoonists aren't, and that's a good thing.
Rating:
Summary: This is awesome
Review: Maybe my opinion is a little swayed, but anything related to The Boondocks is on the top of my list. Being from a tiny town, I can, in a way, relate to how Huey and Riley feel. Of course, I can't fully, being a white female, but the books are awesome. McGruder writes some of the funniest things I've ever read, but they still make a person think. He's taken subjects that were previously "tabooed" and put them into book form for the entire world to see. As long as this man pumps out the books, I will be pumping out the cash to buy them.
Rating:
Summary: Great, but....
Review: Overall, I can see both sides with this siiue, having read the book over the past few days. In displaying the examples of Boondockery from the first naional strip in 1999 (Riley, we're not in Chicago anymore) to the post 9-11 slams at the current wartime culture, Aaron McGruder shows the reader how the focus of the strip has shifted and lets us make up our minds. Even he admits in the intro that he was getting tired of the character based strips on Jazmine (who I miss, she was sweet), the Star Wars Guy, etc. and felt the necessity of speaking out during the Bush era and on things he felt were detrimental to African-American culture. McGruder can really be shrill and self-righteous against people he disagrees with, but this is typical of satirists. There is enough real-life fodder for all this, and this book will certainly stand as a good time capsule of American life in the early millennium. The problem is that in the future, the humor in this book (especially the constant hip-hop inside gags such as the title of this book, which is from a Public Enemy lyric) will be about as funny as Lenny Bruce, Jack Parr, the Smothers Brothers, Bloom County, and Lil Abner are today. "Deceased Brooklyn Rapper with Big swollen Belly/Any Karate flick starring Jim Kelly?" Hey, you have to give SOME stars to people who write lines like this.
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