Colors is a short lived magazine, and predated Easyriders debut. It was founded and edited by Phil Castle, a biker who ran a fuel oil delivery company in New Jersey while trying to make the mag a success.
But, the money soon ran out before the mag caught on, and by the end of 1971 it had folded, after only five or more issues. It also suffered from poor distribution, as some newsstands, hypocritically, wouldn’t carry it, and the first issue was banned in a few states. Colors was a hands-on production, by those concerned, for the love of their motorcycles and non-conformist lifestyles. It went against the odds, and flew in the face of a hostile reception by some newsstands and motorcycle shops. It's a very hard-to-find mag now. I don't know any of todays mags that deal with the biker scene like Colors did. The contributors were real bikers and that makes all the difference. I know only one exception, a french mag, Culbuteur, in the early '70's.
But, the money soon ran out before the mag caught on, and by the end of 1971 it had folded, after only five or more issues. It also suffered from poor distribution, as some newsstands, hypocritically, wouldn’t carry it, and the first issue was banned in a few states. Colors was a hands-on production, by those concerned, for the love of their motorcycles and non-conformist lifestyles. It went against the odds, and flew in the face of a hostile reception by some newsstands and motorcycle shops. It's a very hard-to-find mag now. I don't know any of todays mags that deal with the biker scene like Colors did. The contributors were real bikers and that makes all the difference. I know only one exception, a french mag, Culbuteur, in the early '70's.
3 comments:
um who ever posted this section about colors magazine, My uncle built a custom chopper and it was supposed to have a spread in the first ever colors magazine the one with the red cover, i am begging u whoever has this magazine open it up look for an rigid chopper 1966 probably pan head engine, orange flames molded into the tank with blue pinstriping and a blue windshield the bike was featured in the NYC car show in 1970 or 69 and the pictures were from that show i believe i am trying to get some history about my uncle any help would be nice-- dilligas86@aol.com
WOW that magazine looks SO awesome!!!
I have one of these magazines and they are so rad.
I'm looking for photos from the yellow covered issue of the Renegades MC of New York and Ohio, as well as the other pics from that article.
Can you scan those pages in please and post them or send them to me?
Thank you.
Post a Comment