Independent publications are vital cultural artifacts, as they embody our society’s self-representation and shape the zeitgeist. By elevating obscure narratives into the mainstream, they develop a shared language that bridges the gap between the underground and popular culture.
We believe culture thrives on the tension between the mainstream and the underground. The Colophon Collection focuses on publications that drive this dynamic through art, design, craft, and discourse.
Our mission is to preserve and showcase South Africa’s history of resistance, counterculture, and independent editorial design. The site features original physical copies from our archive, including complete or near-complete runs of Bitterkomix, iJusi, Sheet, Stet, ADA, The Bloody Horse, Heresy, and Jungle Jim
This online selection represents only a fraction of the publications in the Colophon physical archive. We are constantly documenting and adding new acquisitions to build a comprehensive online repository.
Bitterkomix
Bitterkomix
Heresy
Heresy
The Bloody Horse
The Bloody Horse
Kol
Kol
Bolt
Bolt
Mahala
Mahala
The Lake
The Lake
Izwi
Izwi
Stet
Stet
Ophir
Ophir
Prufrock
Prufrock
Jungle Jim
Jungle Jim
ADA
ADA
Sheet
Sheet
iJusi
iJusi
Help us complete the collection. We are actively seeking missing volumes from Izwi, Ophir, Wurm, Pax, Lantern, Speak, Staffrider, Purple Renoster, and others. If you have leads, contributions, or offers, please don’t hesitate to make contact.
Colophon Store.
To keep growing and help fund the collection, Colophon has a shop that makes any excess items from the archive available to purchase. All profits made from this shop are used to support the collection.
