To understand Antologia Macabra , one must understand its context. The 1970s in Brazil were the years of the military dictatorship (1964–1985), marked by censorship, censorship, and economic miracle-turned-crisis. Comic books became a covert vehicle for social commentary. While superheroes were an imported American fantasy, horror and crime magazines were the underground voice of a disillusioned populace.

The magazine drew heavily from Brazilian folklore and rural superstition, but without romanticizing it. Tales of the Saci , Curupira , or Mula sem Cabeça (Headless Mule) are presented not as magical adventures, but as terrifying manifestations of a harsh, unforgiving environment. The horror comes from the clash between modernity and atavistic fear.