Think of The Avengers, the comic series from US publisher Marvel about a motley crew of superheroes who protect the world from the forces of evil. Now, imagine if, back in the 1960s, creators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee had found inspiration for their heroes in Yoruba mythology. That’s just what Brazilian artist Hugo Canuto had in mind when he reimagined classic Avengers covers, replacing the famous characters with the orishas – deities from modern-day Afro-Brazilian religions which trace their origins back to Nigeria and Benin.
The mash-up of the pop aesthetic of US comics and the religious myths of Africa has proved tremendously popular, and the sale of posters of the covers will now fund a print run of two 90-page comic books, each featuring a different story inspired by orisha myths, stories and songs.
