AFRO SUPA® HERO BOOK (Teaser) by Jon Daniel

African Diaspora Action Figures

AFRO SUPA速 HERO

African diaspora action figures

The Afro Pop-Cultural Collection of Jon Daniel

AFRO SUPA® HERO

African Diaspora Action Figures

COVER IMAGE: Afro Supa® Star Twins © Jon Daniel. Afro Supa® is a registered trademark owned by Jon Daniel. All the images of printed comics, publications, action figures, board games and assorted Afro pop cultural artefacts depicted in this book are photographs of the actual objects that comprise the personal Afro Supa Hero collection of Jon Daniel. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United Kingdom. First Edition 2016 by Jon Daniel. All Rights Reserved. ISBN 978-1-5262-0327-4 Designed & Published by Jon Daniel. © Jon Daniel. 2

African Diaspora Action Figures

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CONTENTS: THE BACKGROUND

PART 1: CHILDHOOD

PART 2: TEENHOOD

PART 3: ADULTHOOD

PART 4: ABOUT JON

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 95 3

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“My main focus is collecting figures and comics from the 1970s and 80s, as they embody the period of time I most identify with.”

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THE BACKGROUND:

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elcome to my Afro Supa® Hero collection which seeks to shed light on my journey from childhood to adulthood, the nature of my collection and my passion for the cultural genres represented. Contrary to the nature of the subject matter, I did not start this collection until I was well beyond childhood and in my late twenties. Possibly the birth of my children was a major factor. But more likely, it was due to the rise of the Internet, as the availability to scour the globe and find these items more easily became a reality. My main focus is collecting figures and comics from the 1970s and 80s, as they are naturally among the rarest items and embody the period of time I most identify with. One such figure that I am most proud of (and only acquired after a search for several years and many unsuccessful eBay bids) is the 1975 Shindana Slade Super Agent action figure. A truly ‘super fly’ figure, modelled on Richard Roundtree’s African American private detective character, Shaft, it is highly sought after by collectors of this genre. I hope you find my collection fun, fascinating and informative and it gives you a greater appreciation and insight into the many pop cultural heroes and heroines of the African diaspora. 6

African Diaspora Action Figures

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Slade Super Agent Made by Shindana Toys Inc ÂŠ 1975 Even with a damaged box this rare figure is highly prized by collectors. Slade Super Agent was modelled on detective John Shaft from the 1971 film Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree. Shindana Toys chose to include everyday accessories with their figures, instead of weapons.

AFRO SUPA速 HERO

Beside family car South Worple Avenue, East Sheen, London. 8 1960s.

African Diaspora Action Figures

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AFRO SUPA® HERO

African Diaspora Action Figures

“If I could have grown up in Harlem at that time, I could not have been happier.”

African Diaspora Action Figures

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PART 1: CHILDHOOD

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African Diaspora Action Figures

Growing up through the late 1960s and early 1970s, I think I am fairly typical of the British-born, first generation offspring of West Indian parents, in my search for identity. It took me a long time to come to terms with Britain being a part of who I am. A feeling that was probably exacerbated by the fact we were one of the only black families in the area where I grew up, in East Sheen, southwest London. There was little in the British culture that either appealed to me or I felt I could be a part of. Any positive images or messages, were all coming from the West Indian culture of my family and the African American culture of the United States. It was a time of conscious Black pride with the formality of the Sixties civil rights movement paving the way for funkiness of the Seventies. I was fortunate as a child to visit America on a number of occasions to visit members of my family living there. Everything about America seemed brighter, bolder, blacker and better. The sheer volume of the sophisticated TV programming available such as The Jeffersons; cartoon series like The Jackson 5 and The Harlem Globetrotters; motion pictures like Shaft, Car Wash and The Wiz; and the music, funk, soul and R’n’B that we could 12

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also access in the UK through import records or pirate radio, all had a profound influence on me. If I could have grown up in Harlem at that time, I could not have been happier.

With my parents 1 South Worple Avenue, East Sheen, London. 1966 13

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Tony Ogilvie-Daniel London, 1970s.

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My brother Tony was my first ever Afro Supa® Hero. Although born in England, he grew up in Grenada for most of his childhood, coming to London to live with us when he was 15 and I was only 5. Being ten years older than me, he was perfectly aged to take full advantage of all the funkiness the Seventies had to offer. Tall, athletic, handsome and with a customary huge Afro he was the epitome of cool. The way he carried himself and the things he did set him apart from many others at the time. There were things he did that I had never seen anyone else do before. Like getting hold of old car tyres and cutting soles out of the tread to make sandals. He had all the accessories of the age; the Afro pick comb; the wooden Black Power Fist sculpture. He customized his old second-hand racing bike and rode around on it with the handles turned round like a bull’s horns. And he listened to the coolest funky music such as early Kool & The Gang, Brass Construction, Ohio Players, Idris Muhammad and the Jimmy Castor Bunch. Was it any wonder he made such a huge impression on my life? As I looked up to him, so I would also look to many of the things he liked and love them all too. 15

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Jackson Five board game Made by Shindana Toys Inc, 1972 ÂŠ Motown Record Corp, Shindana Toys and Videocraft International Ltd The Jackson Five was one of the biggest pop acts of the 1970s, and one of the best selling groups of all time. The group performed together for over 25 years, with some of the brothers finding solo success as adults. 16

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Harlem Globetrotters board game made by Milton Bradley Corporation, 1971 Juggling, spinning, balancing. The Harlem Globetrotters wow audiences with their display of incredible basketball skills. In the 1970s their exploits were transferred to the small screen in the cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera. Viewers could follow the adventures of the team, their manager Granny and dog Dribbles. Each episode involved the team defeating the villains and saving the day by winning a game of basketball. 17

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The Harlem Globetrotters Annual Issue No.1 featuring Dastardly and Muttley and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop © Hanna-Barbera 1973 Published by Brown Watson Ltd.

African Diaspora Action Figures

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Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Issue No.1 published by Gold Key Comics, 1974 © William H Cosby Jnr Harlem Globetrotters Comic book published by Gold Key Comics and Hanna-Barbera, 1972 © Columbia Broadcasting System Inc 19

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African Diaspora Action Figures

Lobo Issue No.1 Published by Dell Comics in 1965 © Tony Tallarico Lobo was the first African-American character to have his own comic book series but it was cancelled after only two issues as many shop keepers were reluctant to stock it. However, in 2006 the creator Tony Tallarico received an award in recognition of his pioneering achievement in creating the first comic book to star an African-American. The series followed the adventures of rich gunfighter Lobo. After defeating his criminal enemies he would leave a gold coin stamped with a wolf and letter ‘L’ as a warning to others. 20

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Reno Jones and Kid Cassidy, Gunhawks Published by Marvel Comics Group © 1972-73 The Gunhawks were unlikely friends – Kid Cassidy, the son of a wealthy landowner and Reno Jones, an enslaved African-American at the Cassidy plantation. However, the pair were united by the American Civil War and their quest to find Reno’s kidnapped girlfriend. Reno Jones was the second black character to have his own self-titled Marvel comic series. At the close of this seven-issue series we see Reno Jones on the run after being falsely accused of killing Kid Cassidy. 21

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Lt Uhura, Star Trek 8” fully poseable action figure Made by Mego Toy Corporation and Paramount Pictures © 1974 What will life be like in 200 years time? Star Trek follows the adventures of the crew of a fictional 23rd century space craft, the Starship Enterprise. From the outset Chief Communications Officer Lieutenant Uhura held an important role at the centre of this multicultural, intergalactic crew. This marked a major step forward for black female actors at a time when women and African- Americans sought equality and full civil rights. 22

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AFRO SUPA® HERO

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Who is your hero? Is she strong? Is he kind? Are they brave? A hero can do and be many amazing things, even without super powers. Afro Supa® Hero follows one boy, from childhood to adulthood, as he searched for his own heroes and created his own identity. Jon Daniel grew up in south west London in the 1960s and ‘70s. Looking back at his childhood he sees himself as a typical British-born, first generation child of Caribbean parents – a young boy trying to find his place within a culture he couldn’t always relate to. Looking beyond the country he knew, and the positive role models and messages he found within his own family, he found a new and exciting world in the United States of America. Afro Supa® Hero follows Jon’s journey of self discovery through his collection of toys, comic books and memorabilia. These objects collected as an adult reflect Jon’s childhood and youth and embody the people he looked up to and the things he most identified with. Each object reflects a person, place or time that influenced him and helped him to begin to accept the many parts of his identity.