Octobriana, the iconic Russian devil-woman who embodies the true, untarnished spirit of the Communist Revolution and who fights against Soviet authoritarianism, made her debut 50 years ago. Octobriana was first introduced to the world in Octobriana and the Russian Underground by Petr Sadecký, published in the UK by Tom Stacey Ltd, 1971. Octobriana is a character with highly unusual origins.
In the mid 20th Century various dissident groups rose up within the USSR. Among these were “reform Communists” who hoped to steer the Soviet Union towards a genuinely progressive direction. One of these reform groups was the Progressive Political Pornographic Party, which formed in the 1960s. Apparently inspired by American underground comix, the PPPP created the character of Octobriana, a sexy super-human warrior woman who represented the pure, untarnished principles of the Communism… Or so the story goes!
Evidence would later crop up that the PPPP did not actually exist, and that Octobriana was a hoax devised by Sadecky. Nevertheless, despite the questionable nature of her origins, Octobriana gradually took root in the underground comix community throughout the 1970s.
By virtue of the fact that Octobriana was supposedly created by a group of dissident Communists, the character instantly became part of the public domain. That meant that anyone who wanted to use her in their own comic books could do just that. And a diverse selection of creators has done just that over the past half century.
For a more detailed look at Octobriana’s interesting and extensive publishing history, please take a look at the official website of the Octobriana With Love 50th Anniversary comic as well as my own blog post on the subject.
To celebrate fifty years of Octobriana, writer Stu Taylor (2000 AD, Warhammer Monthly) is assembling the Octobriana With Love: 50th Anniversary Special, which he describes as “an all-new anthology that celebrates her 50th anniversary and features exciting takes on the character by some of the biggest names in comics today.” Octobriana With Love: 50th Anniversary Special will be a full color, 64-page anthology featuring all-new material.
The main cover for Octobriana With Love: 50th Anniversary Special is illustrated by Marguerite Sauvage (DC Bombshells, Faith) with variant covers by Joyce Chin (Red Sonja, Wynona Earp) and Michael Cho (Batwoman, Inhumans vs X-Men). Inside will be artwork by a talented roster of creators, among them Simon Fraser (2000 AD, Grindhouse), Marc Laming (Planet Hulk, Star Wars), Stephen Byrne (Green Arrow, Wonder Twins) and N. Steven Harris (Aztek, Michael Cray).
The Kickstarter campaign to fund Octobriana With Love: 50th Anniversary Special is currently in progress, and will conclude on Wednesday May 26, 2021. Please show your support for this amazing project!
About Author
