Why Malcolm X and Super Agent Slade were my childhood heroes – in pictures

"The figure that started it all. My passion for collecting action figures was ignited when I spotted this model in a magazine in the early 90s." Photograph: Jon Daniel

"He came later, but a larger-than-life character like Mr T was bound to make a great action figure. I loved watching him on The A-Team back in the day." Photograph: Jon Daniel

"Ali is one of my heroes. I remember watching the 'Rumble in the Jungle' fight on TV with my dad. This is one of many great action figures made by Mego Corporation in the 1970s." Photograph: Jon Daniel

"One of my favourite characters, Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, was one of DC Comics' first African American superheroes in 1977" Photograph: Jon Daniel

"As female black icons go, Lt Uhuru has got to be one of my favourites. Her role was groundbreaking, combining both beauty and brains. However, this particular doll didn’t do her true beauty justice." Photograph: Jon Daniel

"I absolutely love this Golden Legacy series from 1966. It highlighted black historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, bringing them to life for younger audiences"
Photograph: Jon Daniel

"Lobo was a fugitive, blamed for a crime he did not commit. He was the first African American comic character to front his own series."
Photograph: Jon Daniel

"I always liked Carl Weathers’s portrayal of the heavyweight champ in Rocky and it was a thrill when I got this and his rival, Clubber Lang, in my collection"
Photograph: Jon Daniel

"One of my most prized possessions, it took years to get my hands on this super-rare Shaft-inspired action figure" Photograph: Jon Daniel