Expert: Sharon - 6/19/2007

Question
There is a character in Hellbazer John Constantine called Papa Midnite, one of the few afro-carribean characters in the comic world. His own comic Papa Midnite deals directly with slavery. However, as this is horror fiction, he is of course a master of Voodoo black magic. I am wondering whether you have a view on Papa Midnite as a representation of Afro-carribean culture in the DC comic universe.

Answer
Hello,

I have never heard of this comic. Im guessing that this Papa Midnite is a sterotype of a Afro-Carribean person. As you probably know that Voodoo was brought to the Carribean, Brazil, and the US by slaves that mainly originated from Benin.(Africa).All over the carribean and New Orleans it is practiced. but recently in Haiti and the Dominican Republic it was recognized as a "religion". So like I said I believe that this comic character you speak of is just a steroptypical carribean because he pratices voodoo. It is really hard for me to give you any other explanation, because I never heard of this character.

Thanks for your question!!!