In this episode, we take a look at Mantan Moreland, who became the first Black person to die in a modern mainstream horror movie. Moreland has a complicated legacy rooted in vaudeville and as the poster child for Black stereotypes in cinema, but his death in 1968's "Spider Baby," was symbolic of Hollywood's, and by extension, the world's troubling relationship with Black Lives in real life, and on film. We also explore how the erosion of censorship under the Hays Code and the end of the Civil Rights Era played roles in his career as well. 
Black Horror Journal On Instagram
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SEO KeywordsMantan Moreland, Bamboozled, Spider Baby, Duane Jones, Night of the Living Dead, Vaudville, Spook, Coon, Minstrel, Horror Movies, Black Horror, Black Guy Dies First, Horror Movie Tropes, Black History, Cinema History, Hays Code, Censorship

Research  
On The Film That Introduced the Trope Of The Black Guy Dying First
The Hays Code
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Fought to Keep 'I Love Lucy' on Air Throughout Her Pregnancy
Spider Baby
Horror Noir: Blacks In American Horror From The 1890s To Present
10 Horror Movies That Shaped Black Horror History
Mantan the Funny Man: The Life and Times of Mantan Moreland
The Black Guy Dies First

The five movies and/or TV/serieses that we're looking forward to watching this year include, "They Will Kill You," "Ratchet," "Night Patrol," and more. 

Emmett Till takes a quick dive into how the lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 inspired then rising talent Rod Serling to create his iconic tv show, "The Twilight Zone." 

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SEO Keywords

Emmett Till, The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling, Civil Rights Era 

Research 

https://www.history.com/articles/emmett-till

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/early-run-censors-led-rod-serling-twilight-zone-180971837/

https://www.ithaca.edu/node/45197#:~:text=Born%20in%20Syracuse%2C%20New%20York,the%20golden%20age%20of%20television.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/26/arts/television/jordan-peele-twilight-zone.html

https://leaguewriters.blogspot.com/2010/09/censorship-and-twilight-zone.html

How "A Christmas Carol," the classic Charles Dickens Christmas ghost story spawned remakes and reimaginings in unexpected ways, including a version that starred Cicely Tyson as the first Black woman to play Scrooge.  

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A Christmas Carol, Cicely Tyson, Ebenita Scrooge, Ebony Scrooge, Vanessa L. Williams, A Diva's Christmas Carol

Research 

https://www.history.com/articles/christmas-tradition-ghost-stories

https://www.jezebel.com/bah-herbug-a-history-of-female-scrooges-1793853705

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0694082/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270317/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130883/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0642719/

https://www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk/about/news/why-do-we-tell-ghost-stories-at-christmas/

https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/12/27/for-enslaved-people-the-holiday-season-was-a-time-for-revelry-and-a-brief-window-to-fight-back/

https://variety.com/1997/tv/reviews/ms-scrooge-1117329571/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9C4aaPDoYY 

In this episode, we delve into the story of real-life Mississippi Delta blues legend Robert Johnson. He was a man whose life was shrouded in mystery and folklore that alleges he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for extraordinary music skills. He also inspired the character, "Sammie," from Ryan Couglar's "Sinners." 

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Robert Johnson, Devil at the Crossroads, Blues, Blues History, Sinners, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Delta Blues

Black Horror Journal Episode 2 

10 Moments That Shaped Black Horror History

Research 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Johnson-American-musician

https://magnoliatribune.com/2023/07/13/robert-johnson-the-man-myth-legend-and-legacy/

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/06/music-monday-blues-robert-johnson-honeyboy-edwards/

https://www.americanbluesscene.com/robert-johnson-death-certificate/

In this episode, I interview author and editor Margeaux Weston. Margeaux has written several history books, and she recently launched Haintland on Substack, where she writes spooky tales rooted in the Southern Gothic. Here, we chat about her plans for making Haintland a place where other speculative authors and speculative enthusiasts can contribute to the community, how to write a good scary story, what the heck a haint is, anyway, and more. 
Connect 
@BlackHorrorJournal on Instagram
@Starr_Rocque on Threads
@AuthorMargeaux on Threads
Haintland.Substack.com

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Haint, Voodoo, Hoodoo, Black Horror, Jordan Peele, American Horror Story, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Horror Writing

In this episode, we explore the cult classic Blaxploitation horror, "Sugar Hill" (1974), its depictions of voodoo, and a quick history of hoodoo vs voodoo. 
Connect @BlackHorrorJournal on Instagram@Starr_Rocque on Threads
Listen & Subscribe Available on all major podcast platforms. Apple Podcasts Spotify Google PodcastsiHeartRadio
SEO KeywordsSugar Hill 1974, Marki Bey, Richard Lawson, Voodoo, Vodun, Hoodoo, Zora Neale Hurston, Blaxploitation, Black Horror, Jordan Peele, Blaxploitation Horror, Blaxploitation music. 
Research

https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/multicultural/traditions/voodoo/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/claiming-space-when-happened-when-zora-neale-hurston-studied-voodoo-haiti/

https://womenscenter.umbc.edu/post/92522/

https://people.duke.edu/~ldbaker/classes/gradtheory/Hurston-HoodooAmerica-1931.pdf

 

MultiMind is a self-published author whose latest book "The Harlequin" is a YA horror-themed book that explores themes of manipulation in romantic relationships, reimagines Tulsa, Oklahoma, and more. In addition to the book, she also chats queer representation in horror, grants for creatives, and more. 

Did the demons in "HIM" give anyone else carnival and/or BAM DanceAfrica vibes? Anyway, this is my review of the movie. The Jordan Peele-produced, Justin Tipping-directed, and written movie is an allegory for what people are willing to sacrifice to become greats. 

In this episode, we explore Black Horror History 101 by breaking down 10 moments in TV/Film history that shaped the genre. We look at stereotypes, tropes, triumphs in storytelling, and more.