Nizar Abrahams co-founded Readers Den more than 30 years ago in Cape Town, South Africa, and has ever since been the home away from home for comic book nerds, otaku and pop-culture fans.

Being one of the oldest comic book shops in South Africa, Nizar was witness to the rise of anime and manga in South Africa during the early 2000s and played a key part in developing the market and spreading its popularity.

Today, Readers Den remains strong and has carved out a unique space in the South African pop-culture scene, from comics being perceived as low art in the early days to now being available in school libraries, from Fan Con to Comic Con, Nizar and Readers Den have played a part in it all.Enjoy a bit of South African pop-culture history by looking back at the early comic book days of Readers Den.