Adult Swim’s critically-acclaimed animated comedy The Boondocks returns for a fourth and final season on April 21st, but its creator, Aaron McGruder, won’t be returning with it, The LA Times reports. The studio behind the show, Sony, said in a release that the new season “was produced without the involvement of Aaron McGruder, when a mutually agreeable production schedule could not be determined.” McGruder, who served as The Boondocks’ showrunner for its first three seasons and created the comic strip upon which the show is based, has been busy with his new live-action Adult Swim series, Black Jesus.
Aaron McGruder released the following statement on the Facebook page of his new show:
As the world now knows, The Boondocks will be returning for a fourth season, but I will not be returning with it. I’d like to extend my gratitude to Sony and Adult Swim for three great seasons.I created The Boondocks two decades ago in college, did the daily comic for six years, and was showrunner on the animated series for the first three seasons. The Boondocks pretty much represents my life’s work to this point. Huey, Riley, and Granddad are not just property to me. They are my fictional blood relatives. Nothing is more painful than to leave them behind.To quote a great white man, “Hollywood is a business”. And to quote another great white man, “Don’t hold grudges”.What has never been lost on me is the enormous responsibility that came with The Boondocks - particularly the television show and it’s relatively young audience. It was important to offend, but equally important to offend for the right reasons. For three seasons I personally navigated this show through the minefields of controversy. It was not perfect. And it definitely was not quick. But it was always done with a keen sense of duty, history, culture, and love. Anything less would have been simply unacceptable.As for me, I’m finally putting a life of controversy and troublemaking behind me with my upcoming Adult Swim show, Black Jesus.
