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"The Boondocks" (2005) More at IMDbPro »

"The Boondocks Theme" by Asheru.

Aaron McGruder decided to discontinue the daily comic strip in order to focus on the show. McGruder said in an interview: "I wanted to hang on to both, but ultimately I made the decision that the show could not be sacrificed. Once I decided that, it was an easy decision, even if it cost me. I didn't want to do the strip badly and the show badly." He has not ruled out reviving the strip once the show has run its course.

Source:http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-ca-boondocks30sep30,1,4034796.story?coll=la-entnews-tv

Tom's name appears to be a reference to the tragic African-American slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1853). Due to his spiritual beliefs, Uncle Tom was very loyal to his masters despite suffering horrible abuse. Although the novel portrayed African-Americans in a positive light and was partly responsible for the ending of American slavery, subsequent stage and film adaptations changed Uncle Tom into a weak-minded, docile, happy slave. This stereotype endured through the 20th century. The name "Uncle Tom" became an insult to African-Americans who are accused of being subservient to Whites. However, Tom's last name, Dubois, comes from W.E.B. Dubois, a black philosopher and one of the founders of the NAACP; Dubois theorized that African Americans would be elevated in the eyes of the rest of society by the "talented tenth," the ten most intellectually astute percent of all African Americans. Thus, a conflicting dichotomy is created between the character of Tom and the origins of his first and last names.

Uncle Ruckus's name and appearance appear to be a reference to Uncle Remus, the narrator from Joel Chandler Harris's series of folktales (1880-1905). Remus was a kindly, elderly slave who enjoys telling whimsical, educational stories to White children. Ruckus's love of White children in "A Huey Freeman Christmas" also is a reference though his hatred of African-Americans is not a characteristic of Remus. Like Uncle Tom, Uncle Remus became controversial in the 20th century as many felt the character perpetuated the stereotype of the happy slave. A film adaptation, Song of the South (1946), was very popular at the time but has not been released on home video or DVD in the US. Many consider Ruckus to be a parody of controversial writer Stanley Crouch with whom he shares a passing resemblance. Crouch is controversial for his belligerence, his criticism of several African-American intellectuals, and his frequent use of the word "Negro" which is considered derogatory.