Liverpool International Slavery Museum
Till 11th December 2016

Reviewed by JJ Schaer

‘Afro Supa Hero’ is an exhibition currently running at the International Slavery Museum. It comprises a collection, largely comics and toys, of pop culture icons of African origin, curated by Jon Daniel with items from his personal collection.

The exhibition starts with a wall piece explaining Daniel’s background. Born in London in the 1960s to West Indian parents he began collecting pieces of memorabilia in the 1990s following the release of a Malcolm X toy to celebrate the twenty fifth anniversary of his death. He states that the pieces on show are reminders of his childhood and his search for identity in his formative years.

There were a few comics on show, including a range called Golden Legacy featuring black political heroes such as Harriet Tubman and Alexandre Dumas. There were also a number of toys on display, including mainstream heroes like Mr T and Apollo Creed. Some were more political, like Nelson Mandela, and a couple of the more obscure, like Slade and Isaac from the TV show Loveboat.

I have to say that the entire exhibition is a brief affair, taking up just a few walls of the museum’s space, and there is not a whole lot on show.

The collection, whilst interesting in concept, is limited and only from the 1980s to 1990s period. A projection plays images of the rest of Daniel’s collection but there is not much more to add.

I was looking forward to this collection and found myself underwhelmed by the whole experience.

Admission is free to the exhibition .