The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder

The Boondocks

A political and social commentary comic about a young black boy and his family and friends in a middle class white suburb. Huey Freeman is intelligent and radically minded. His brother Riley is heavily influenced by gangsta rap and thug culture. Their grandfather was a Civil Rights activist and disagrees with both brothers' opinions on almost everything. The characters clash over and discuss current events in politics and the media. Huey hosts the "Most Embarrassing Black People Awards" each year, needles the naive biracial girl next door, and talks back to racism as it appears in the media.

Appeal: Liberal politics, black representation, satire, children in surreal situations, adults.

Art: Manga-influenced, the style changed slightly in 2003 when another artist took over drawing duty from the writer, Aaron McGruder.

Textual style: High-level vocabulary, heavily tied to current events, awash in irony and sarcasm. 

Other: The comic strip was adapted as an animated television show in 2005, and has aired four seasons to date. 

Awards: The animated adaptation won a Peabody Award in 2006.

McGruder, Aaron. Public Enemy #2: An All-new Boondocks Collection. New York : Three Rivers Press, 2005. Print.

Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

Dykes to Watch Out For

A continuity and political and social commentary comic about a group of friends, mostly lesbians, in an American city. The characters age in real time from their 20s to their 40s, finding new partners, break up, losing and getting jobs, having children, and participating in political activism. Mo Testa is the main character, a neurotic, paranoid lesbian trying to survive in a world of conservative politicians and the threat of World War III. Mo's paranoia is balanced by her best friend Lois, a laid-back drag king with little interest in politics. By comparison, Lois's roommates Sparrow and Ginger often argue politics with partners and moms Clarice and Toni, who split their time between work, each other, and their son Rafael. 

Appeal: lesbian and queer representation, person of color representation, realism, liberal politics, ironic humor, adults.

Art: Cartoony, expressive, consistent throughout the run.

Textual style: Debate, diatribes, simultaneous conversations among multiple parties.

Other: Alison Bechdel has written two memoirs and drawn comics for many national magazines. She won the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2012.

Awards: The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For won a Publishing Triangle Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Fiction in 2008, and had a starred review in Publisher's Weekly.

Bechdel, Alison. The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008. Print.