[Exhibition] Designer Jon Daniel’s ‘Afro Supa Hero’ collection goes on display at the V&A

We first featured graphic designer Jon Daniel on Thenublk when the Jamaica 50 stamps collection came to London so I was excited to hear about his next endeavour which features a collection of his most prized possessions.

Taking place at the V&A’s museum of childhood the Afro Supa Hero exhition is a snapshot of a childhood and journey to adulthood shown through a personal collection of pop cultural heroes and heroines of the African diaspora. Jon Daniel’s action figures, comic books and games offer an insight into the experience of a boy of African Caribbean heritage growing up in the 1960s and 1970s Britain, in search of his identity.

The exhibition opens on the 14th of September and is on show up until the 9th of February. I’ve been told there are some very rare comics on display so if you’re a comic book fan you’ll be in for a treat!

Contrary to the nature of the subject matter, I did not start this collection until I was well beyond my 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 amongst the rarest items and embody the period I most identify with.

I hope you find the exhibition fun, fascinating and informative and it gives you a great appreciation and insight into the many pop cultural heroes and heroines of the African diaspora.

– Jon Daniel