Category Archives: Africana Religions
Your Tax Dollars Hard at Work: Government-Funded Broadway Voodoo Drama
As you probably know, the purpose of this blog is to disseminate stories of fascinating Voodoo memes, whether they are about colorful Voodoo paper dolls, horrible Voodoo movies, or cool Voodoo comics. We are intrigued by the sheer variety of topics that index … Continue reading
Hat Tricks: The Fez and the Turban in Africana Religions
We aren’t sure whether it was Shakespeare or Mark Twain who coined the phrase “the clothes make the man” but it is true that clothing makes an obvious declaration of one’s status in Africana religions. I see the relationship between … Continue reading
Black Gods of the Cosmopolis!
This is the third in a series of posts on Africana religions and the comics. Some remarkable images made their way around the astral digital space this week. Aficionados of black religion will immediately recognize these extraordinary renderings of the popular divinities … Continue reading
More than Skin Deep? Haitian Vodou, Corporate Social Activism and the Commodification of Healing
“In partnership with Direct Relief, The Vaseline® Healing Project is an aid effort to provide dermatological care, Vaseline® Jelly & medical supplies needed to help heal the skin of people affected by poverty or emergencies around the world.” As I … Continue reading
Voodoo Brothers: Africana Religions and the Comics, pt. 2
As some of you know, my current project is a book-length study of Africana religions and comics, where I consider how graphic formats are utilized for representing the spiritual traditions of black people. I keep getting sidetracked, though, because the sources are … Continue reading
Halloween Special! Black Horror Movie …Religion Not Voodoo
I want to note the continuing relevance of Voodoo as a trope in entertainment cultures by highlighting the historical significance of Voodoo horror films. But I already covered this topic somewhat in an earlier period with reference to jungle Voodoo, and … Continue reading
She-roes and She-gods? Africana Religions and the Comics, pt. 1
Are you a comics fan? My latest project deals with religion in comic books and graphic novels from the Golden Age to the present, where I look for characters who possess what might be seen as god-like powers, supernatural abilities, and fantastic technologies. Perhaps … Continue reading
Circus Freaks, White Voodoo Women, and the Amazing Afro
In between working on serious stuff that takes up my time, I look at images. Some of these images may seem as though they are not related – but they actually are – like these African circus “freak” posters from the early … Continue reading
Apotheosis of Marie Laveau, Hoodoo-Voodoo-Vodou Icon
I knew that it was time to write this post after everyone in the class I was teaching had seen the third season of the FX series American Horror Story, starring Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, except me. Most of the … Continue reading
Beautiful women with Cigars
As you might guess, this post is about pictures. But it might not be what you expect. I wasn’t exactly sure what I could say about this remarkable collection by the photographers at Flickr that would speak any more eloquently … Continue reading