Birth of a Nation : A Comic Novel

Rating:
Summary: Impressive
Review: Leading up to purchasing "Birth of a Nation" I was unsure about the direction the book would take. From the previews I read,(and the direction that "The Boondocks" has taken post 9/11) I was anticipating a heavy-handed, Michael Moore style beatdown of the Bush administration. Not that I am dissapprove of sticking it to GW (and his cabinet) at every opportunity. I just figured that this book be a case of preaching to the crowd.

Much to my delight, "Birth of a Nation" not only provides biting social satire, but a rich story line and vibrant characters. This reminds me why I started reading the boondocks in the first place and why McGruder was hailed as a wunderkind when he first entered the comic world. I don't think anyone slept on Bebe's Kids or the House party, but Hudlin has been doing it big for a while now. The brilliance of Mcgruder and Hudlin has to go alongside other prominent duos of our generation: EPMD, Outkast, Madvillain. I was not previously familiar with Kyle Baker's work, but his illustrations are definately on point. The style is similar to the way Bebe's Kids was drawn.(in case some were expecting The Boondocks' anime/manga style of illustration)

Not only putting the Bush administration of blast, "Birth Of a Nation" pokes fun at several areas of the Black community(generational gap, nationalism, materialism). I imagine that this book would be hard to follow if you are not immersed in Hip Hop culture. If you avoid rap music and Spike Lee movies this book might not be for you. Otherwise, if you enjoy Dave Chappelle, okayplayer.com, and Ego Trip's Big Book of Racism/Rap lists, I guarantee you will enjoy it.

Bonus points for finding

- find lyrics from Mobb Deep and Notorious BIG songs
-grown up versions Jazmine, Caesar, and Riley

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: another interesting Book with so many topics being mentioned&they are blended well here.the cover alone sold me on the Book. seeing Black Folks on Dollar signs always gets me.I still dig how I watched a Brian Hooks film where He had a Aretha Franklin Bill. Moments like that will always get a laugh out of me&also make me take notice. this Book explores so many Political&other areas of everyday life&Pop Culture. very well put together.

Rating:
Summary: It Takes a Nation
Review: At one time or another, many have heard of the sentiment "we should have our own" from the Black community. Well Aaron McGruder, creator of the highly acclaimed comic strip The Boondocks and Reginald Hudlin writer/director of the all too funny House Party, have teamed up to give readers their impression on what having our own would be like in the social satire BIRTH OF A NATION, illustrated by Kyle Baker. The comic novel pokes fun at different areas of the Black community such as nationalism, materialism and the generational gap.

The book opens with an illustration displaying the stark contrast between St Louis and East St. Louis. As I viewed the illustrations, I did not find it hard to believe that the depiction was more of an accurate assessment rather than just the artist view. As the fictional mayor Fred Fredricks of East St. Louis rounds up the citizens to vote, they are turned away because they are all listed as convicted felons - including the mayor. This along with the persuasive tactics of the multi-billionaire, John Roberts, who has his own agenda, Fredricks decides to secede the Union.

As the Republic of Blackland is formed, the citizens can not come to agreements on the flag, the national anthem, or whose face will appear on the paper money and coins. The flag that is chosen to represent them is a picture of a White Jesus Christ on a red, black and green background. The national anthem is sung to the melody of "Good Times," and it is a toss up between rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur for the face of the nickel. To counteract their efforts to secede the Union, the president and his cabinet shut down the welfare office, the unemployment office and the post office, which means no unemployment checks, no welfare checks, and no social security checks. Can you imagine the civil unrest?

This social/political satire, although funny, made me think - how would the Black community handle "having our own," and how would those efforts be thwarted by the powers that be. I don't think it would be far-fetched from the ideas and antics presented here. After reading BIRTH OF A NATION, it should make you go hmmmm.

Reviewed by Aiesha Flowers
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers


Rating:
Summary: A Must Read Comic Commentary!
Review: Hilarious. Revolutionary. Fresh. Controversial. Honest. Prominent cartoonist Aaron McGruder and accomplished writer/director Reginald Hudlin collectively present a unique, creative brand of political and social satire in this comical commentary properly titled Birth of a Nation (Crown, $25). In the first few pages it's easy to see why these young brothas felt the need to fuse their talents together, in part, to takes shots at Black Entertainment Television (BET), President George W. Bush, Hip-Hop, and Bill Cosby, while presenting a quality storyline that exists as a critical analysis of the confusing events surrounding the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Early-on in the narrative the fictional city of East St. Louis decides to secede from the United States and establish themselves as an independent nation known as "Blackland". Much like reality, the mayor turned president sells-out his newfound constituency for money, power, and sex. Need I say more?

Hudlin's writer/director credits include House Party, The Great White Hype, and Serving Sara. I'm a bit partial to McGruder's works, being that we are both alumni of the University of Maryland and fellow African American Studies majors. McGruder's most-heralded production to date, The Boondocks, a politically and culturally conscious comic strip with African American characters, first ran in the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, The Diamondback, and has since gone on to critical acclaim.

Birth of a Nation is inspired and based on the 1915 racist, silent film of the same name, whose White actors in black face played roles depicting Black men as savages, in order to continue perpetuating the classic Black male rapist myth. The superb illustrations and clever dialogue are guaranteed to keep you laughing, sometimes to keep from crying but mostly, because Birth of a Nation is so daggone funny!

This creation is definitely not meant to be a bedtime story for children. Nor is it for the faint of heart. The adult language and content are definitely for grown folks. Dr. Julia Hare once said, "In order to get something you've never had before you've got to be willing to do something that you've never done before." Birth of a Nation is about just that, encouraging the African American community to change for the better. A little introspection never hurt anyone ya'll and neither will the truthful perspective presented in Birth of a Nation.

Rating:
Summary: meh
Review: I'm a huge fan of McGruder, having even had the pleasure of speaking with him on occasion, but this book lags pretty often. It has its moments, but only occassionally. Maybe I just don't get it.

Rating:
Summary: Ain't we lucky we got it!
Review: What's the story behind the story? Well, movie director Reginald Hudlin and comic strip creator were hanging out together at the San Diego Comic Book Convention. They were trying to come up with an idea for a movie, when Hudlin suggested the idea of his hometown of East St. Louis seceding from the United States. They wrote a script based on that idea, but they couldn't get a movie studio to make the film. So, rather than just let the script sit on the shelf, they decided to turn it into a graphic novel. Rather than have McGruder draw it himself, they got the brilliant Kyle Baker to illustrate it. So, how is the final result? It's great, in my opinion. It's a very funny book with great movie storyboard style illustrations. No doubt it will seem funnier to a liberal than it would to a consevative. But anyone who enjoys Aaron McGruder's Boondocks comic strip should also enjoy this book.