The Boondocks was a daily syndicated comic strip written and originally drawn by Aaron McGruder. Created by McGruder in 1996 for The Diamondback, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park, the strip moved from the college pages and was printed in the monthly hip hop magazine The Source in 1997. As it gained popularity, the comic strip was picked up by the Universal Press Syndicate and made its national debut on April 19, 1999. A popular and controversial strip, The Boondocks deals with African American culture and American politics as seen through the eyes of its protagonist, 10-year-old black radical Huey Freeman.

McGruder sold the television and film rights for the strip to Sony Pictures Entertainment. The Boondocks animated TV series premiered on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming November 6, 2005.