Leslie
09-29-2003, 01:11 PM
And to think they thought the strip was too controversial....
Hollywood Meets The Boondocks
Your favorite characters from the socially conscious comic strip phenom are headed for television, film, and more
By Cliff Hocker
For fans who haven't gotten their fill of the politically conscious Boondocks comic strip, prepare your funny bone. Soon, the young, black cartoon characters created by Aaron McGruder will amuse old devotees and attract new fans via spin-offs in a variety of media. Over the next several years, Boondocks goes to market printed between the covers a book, emblazoned as art on T-shirts, animated in a weekly television series, and eventually projected onto the silver screen.
BOOKS
The Crown Publishing Group is publishing a 256-page paperback collection of most of the 800 strips syndicated during the past four years. A Right to Be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury hit bookstores Tuesday, Sept. 23, with a list price of $16.95.
MERCHANDISING
Enthusiasts have requested Boondocks apparel, but McGruder waited until he had confidence that a venture would succeed. "With merchandising, our goal is to figure out what we can put out that will broaden awareness and make us some money, but at the same time, not hurt the brand,” McGruder says. Consumer awareness has grown since Universal Press Syndicate's 1999 launch of the strip in 160 newspapers. Now, 350 markets have Boondocks exposure. Because of Crown's strong book publicity, McGruder reckons the time is ripe for merchandising, with clothing becoming available in the fourth quarter. Ken Abrams thinks Boondocks' art is perfect for merchandise. Abrams, owner of Los Angeles-based licensing company Character Vision, who has experience running licensing programs for Star Trek as well as Marvel Entertainment's Spider-Man movie and the first X-Men movie, says apparel will be the "anchor category."
The first products will be T-shirts bearing images of the street-smart, wise-talking Boondocks kids. Customers targeted for wearing this clothing are teenaged and young adult men, says Abrams, "The fashion statement is, 'I'm smart and I have attitude: Don't mess with me, I'm too smart for you.' " Retail pricing will be about $14.99 and will be on the shelves of mall-based stores and record chains this Christmas.
TELEVISION
January 2005 will bring The Boondocks phenomenon to television, courtesy of Sony production and Fox distribution. McGruder originally conceived The Boondocks for television, but did the strip because he believed that it would be easier to produce. "We'll get a better glimpse of the world that the characters live in and their lives," McGruder says. Animation's lead time is one year, whereas a comic strip's is only six days, points out McGruder. The strip can stay on top of current events, but the weekly series must be more character-driven and involve extended storytelling.
It was The Boondocks' intelligence and humor that inspired Sony Pictures Television to pick up the production rights. "What is wonderful about this strip is that it appeals to a diverse audience on so many different levels: to a youthful, more hip-hop-oriented culture and to an older more mainstream audience. It also works on its sort of political and social commentary. He's got a very smart voice," says Russ Krasnoff, president of Programming and Production at Sony Pictures Television. McGruder and partner Reggie Hudlin will be the series' executive producers.
FILM
The television series is essentially a warm-up for the feature film. Krasnoff was introduced to the idea of acquiring the television production rights for The Boondocks by Sony's motion picture animation staff, who were following a directive from Yair Landau, a vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Landau was specifically looking for animated property in hip-hop culture. Because other studios and networks had also been pursuing The Boondocks rights, the situation was very competitive. "We sat down with Aaron and Reggie and just sort of hit it off and wanted to pursue it together," says Krasnoff.
Moviegoers will have to wait awhile before the feature film becomes a reality. Development won't begin until the television series gets rolling, and the computer-generated production will take at least three years.
Despite partnerships with media giants Sony and Fox, McGruder and Hudlin will play an active role in all of their upcoming products. McGruder maintains that The Boondocks will not lose its edge. And with television, film, merchandising, and book deals, the partners have a lot on their plate. But The Boondocks' creator says “we're [just] taking it one thing at a time.”
09/29/03
Hollywood Meets The Boondocks
Your favorite characters from the socially conscious comic strip phenom are headed for television, film, and more
By Cliff Hocker
For fans who haven't gotten their fill of the politically conscious Boondocks comic strip, prepare your funny bone. Soon, the young, black cartoon characters created by Aaron McGruder will amuse old devotees and attract new fans via spin-offs in a variety of media. Over the next several years, Boondocks goes to market printed between the covers a book, emblazoned as art on T-shirts, animated in a weekly television series, and eventually projected onto the silver screen.
BOOKS
The Crown Publishing Group is publishing a 256-page paperback collection of most of the 800 strips syndicated during the past four years. A Right to Be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury hit bookstores Tuesday, Sept. 23, with a list price of $16.95.
MERCHANDISING
Enthusiasts have requested Boondocks apparel, but McGruder waited until he had confidence that a venture would succeed. "With merchandising, our goal is to figure out what we can put out that will broaden awareness and make us some money, but at the same time, not hurt the brand,” McGruder says. Consumer awareness has grown since Universal Press Syndicate's 1999 launch of the strip in 160 newspapers. Now, 350 markets have Boondocks exposure. Because of Crown's strong book publicity, McGruder reckons the time is ripe for merchandising, with clothing becoming available in the fourth quarter. Ken Abrams thinks Boondocks' art is perfect for merchandise. Abrams, owner of Los Angeles-based licensing company Character Vision, who has experience running licensing programs for Star Trek as well as Marvel Entertainment's Spider-Man movie and the first X-Men movie, says apparel will be the "anchor category."
The first products will be T-shirts bearing images of the street-smart, wise-talking Boondocks kids. Customers targeted for wearing this clothing are teenaged and young adult men, says Abrams, "The fashion statement is, 'I'm smart and I have attitude: Don't mess with me, I'm too smart for you.' " Retail pricing will be about $14.99 and will be on the shelves of mall-based stores and record chains this Christmas.
TELEVISION
January 2005 will bring The Boondocks phenomenon to television, courtesy of Sony production and Fox distribution. McGruder originally conceived The Boondocks for television, but did the strip because he believed that it would be easier to produce. "We'll get a better glimpse of the world that the characters live in and their lives," McGruder says. Animation's lead time is one year, whereas a comic strip's is only six days, points out McGruder. The strip can stay on top of current events, but the weekly series must be more character-driven and involve extended storytelling.
It was The Boondocks' intelligence and humor that inspired Sony Pictures Television to pick up the production rights. "What is wonderful about this strip is that it appeals to a diverse audience on so many different levels: to a youthful, more hip-hop-oriented culture and to an older more mainstream audience. It also works on its sort of political and social commentary. He's got a very smart voice," says Russ Krasnoff, president of Programming and Production at Sony Pictures Television. McGruder and partner Reggie Hudlin will be the series' executive producers.
FILM
The television series is essentially a warm-up for the feature film. Krasnoff was introduced to the idea of acquiring the television production rights for The Boondocks by Sony's motion picture animation staff, who were following a directive from Yair Landau, a vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Landau was specifically looking for animated property in hip-hop culture. Because other studios and networks had also been pursuing The Boondocks rights, the situation was very competitive. "We sat down with Aaron and Reggie and just sort of hit it off and wanted to pursue it together," says Krasnoff.
Moviegoers will have to wait awhile before the feature film becomes a reality. Development won't begin until the television series gets rolling, and the computer-generated production will take at least three years.
Despite partnerships with media giants Sony and Fox, McGruder and Hudlin will play an active role in all of their upcoming products. McGruder maintains that The Boondocks will not lose its edge. And with television, film, merchandising, and book deals, the partners have a lot on their plate. But The Boondocks' creator says “we're [just] taking it one thing at a time.”
09/29/03