Customer Reviews

Birth of a Nation: A Comic Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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

What's the story behind the story? Well, movie director Reginald Hudlin and comic strip creator Aaron McGruder 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 conservative. But anyone who enjoys Aaron McGruder's Boondocks comic strip should also enjoy this book.

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

I purchased this book with high hopes. I'm a fan of the Boondocks comic strip (I actually called the New York Daily News to complain when they pulled the strip after 9/11!) and I regularly watch the animated TV series on Adult Swim.

And, I must say, McGruder does challenge American racism and electoral fraud head on...as I expected.

But, when it comes to the sistas, McGruder falls short...

His mysogynist tendencies, hinted at in the TV version of the Boondocks (most notably in the episode unfortunately entitled ``Guess ho`s coming to dinner``), are full blown here.

With the exception of little kids, old ladies and Condoleeza Rice, all of the Black female characters in Birth of a Nation are presented as loose women of low morals.

Several of the characters (in particular, the lightskinned ones) are drawn with absurdly huge breasts of Pamela Andersonesque proportions.

But, top-heavy or not, pretty much all of the sistas in this book throw themselves at the men, pretty indiscriminately.

In fact, the only moral adult Black woman in the book is the Condolezza Rice stand in!!! Other than her, the only Black women who don't act like hookers are little girls and grandmas.

McGruder`s Black MALE characters have a broad range - honest politicians, sleazy businessmen, viciously cunning gangsters, brave fighter pilots, hard working blue collar guys, young hustlers and comic jokers.

But his Black FEMALE characters are all sleazy loose women, who will do it with anybody...

Is that what Brother Aaron thinks of our sistas???

That alone is reason enough to NOT buy Birth of A Nation

just like B.I.G. and 2pac, noteworthy antagonists Reginald Hudlin (House Party, Black Panther ) and Aaron McGruder (The Boondocks) used to be good friends. good enough at least to co-author "Birth of a Nation", a socio-politically charged Original Graphic Novel released by Crown Publishers in 2004. the book satirizes the 2000 election by creating a scenario where citizens from the city of East St Louis are not allowed to vote, and the wrong person becomes President as a result. the disenfranchised and charismatic Mayor Fred Fredericks (with encouragement from fellow college alum and bubbling black billionaire, John Roberts) decides there is only one solution: East Saint Louis secedes from the union! the short critique: this book is brilliant!
Birth of a Nation is illustrated by Kyle Baker, a master cartoonist able to do more with less than just about any artist i can name. his style of drawing is impressionistic and descriptive. you can see his mind working on the page, and his method combines storybook and comics techniques to maximum effect. "Birth" still remains painfully relevant today, with intra- and interracial issues reaching up to the highest levels of American and international politics... COP IT!

Aaron McGruder and Reginald Hudlin, Birth of a Nation: A Comic Novel (Crown, 2004)

Despite having Kyle Baker artwork, which is always a "wow" factor in a graphic novel, I took one look at the synopsis for this book and had the sneaking suspicion I was going to hate it. Oh, boy, political satire in comic book form. Is it going to work any better than it does in the movies, in music, in poetry, etc.?

Can I get a hell, yeah!?

While McGruder (The Boondocks) and Hudlin (producer of a number of Hollywood hits) do occasionally cross the line between satire and being whacked repeatedly over the head with a week-old dead haddock, the bulk of this book is dead-on hilarious. The scenario: East St. Louis, one of the most economically depressed towns in America, decides to secede from the union and form the sovereign nation of Blackland (with a national anthem adapted from the Good Times! theme song that's worth the price of admission by itself) after the big disenfranchisement voting scandal we should all well remember. The new jefe of Blackland is its old mayor, who makes a deal with the leader of the criminal underworld-- and his ex's new boyfriend-- to head up the army. While the American government at first considers this an annoying publicity stunt, the (very Colin Powell-like) Secretary of State begins to wonder just how far Blackland is going to take this, and the government gets serious. Things come to a head when an ace Air Force captain who grew up in East St. Louis defects and a local 7-11 owner, who also happens to be a terrorist sleeper, is called into play by his bosses.

Great stuff, when it's not overbearing. Baker's artwork is, of course, wonderful throughout. Recommended. ***

This book, while using humor, was able to convey a sense of the power that Black people have when put to good use. If only it would resonate with everyone from the Buppies the the Thugs. Birth of a Nation shows that if you come together using the resources we have, then anything is possible....even Blackland.

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.

Would we really decorate the flag with red black and green with a white Jesus? Would the national anthem be sung to the melody of Good Times? Would we have Biggie and Pac on the back of silver money? This book was funny as hell but at the same time real as hell if you think of it from a <what if> perspective. What if we had a black nation? Do white america really think we would be so dumb? When you look at it from that perspective you don't be so quick to laugh. That's when you start to think.

This book touched on many different Social, Political, and Cultural issues....many of which Black projects in America are still facing today.

The artwork was phenomenal!

The storyline was emotionally compelling!! -- you wanted the "little guy" to win in this story after all the bad things that happened to the mayor and his towns people.

I had no idea of the condition our nation grow out of, but I'm happy that things are looking better since we no longer have the lame duck president that the book pokes fun at. (Even though Obama probably would have sat on his hands also, with how little attention he has given the Black community in his last 4 years...but I digress.)

This is a great book, if you haven't read it yet -- get it! It will open your eyes to many issues that were facing the Black community then - and also some issues we are facing now! Raising awareness is the first step to creating change, so open your mind to this book.

Thanks!