S.S. Julian
@octopolis.bsky.social
Cartoonist and creator of Octopolis, a sci-fi fantasy about the future where humans are extinct and octopuses have inherited the Earth. Get Issue #1 now at octopoliscomic.com
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S.S. Julian
@octopolis.bsky.social
· Jun 25
Hi there! I’m SS Julian, a cartoonist, designer and marine science enthusiast. I write and illustrate Octopolis, a scifi fantasy about a future where humans are extinct and octopuses have inherited the Earth! About time, right? Octopolis is self-published, get it at octopoliscomic.com
That dramatic tension is what makes the book interesting
January 16, 2026 at 10:48 PM
That dramatic tension is what makes the book interesting
Mollusks! Healthier than sugar cereal!
January 16, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Mollusks! Healthier than sugar cereal!
The book is made of durable cardboard, and it's pretty sizable: 8 inches square. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out.
January 16, 2026 at 7:15 PM
The book is made of durable cardboard, and it's pretty sizable: 8 inches square. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out.
The Octopus Dinner Party was conceived as a gift for my niece, but in order to get it printed, I had to order 100 copies. If I don't find a home for them, this will be the most expensive gift I've ever given!
January 16, 2026 at 7:15 PM
The Octopus Dinner Party was conceived as a gift for my niece, but in order to get it printed, I had to order 100 copies. If I don't find a home for them, this will be the most expensive gift I've ever given!
Announcement: I made a board book! If you've got a friend who's into marine animals but still learning numbers and colors, they'll love The Octopus Dinner Party!
🐙🐋🦑🐡
octopolis-shop.square.site/product/new-...
🐙🐋🦑🐡
octopolis-shop.square.site/product/new-...
January 16, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Announcement: I made a board book! If you've got a friend who's into marine animals but still learning numbers and colors, they'll love The Octopus Dinner Party!
🐙🐋🦑🐡
octopolis-shop.square.site/product/new-...
🐙🐋🦑🐡
octopolis-shop.square.site/product/new-...
Yes that’s a perfect comparison!
In Octopolis males are still important for alliances between families. So he’s effectively the foremost consort of the Empress. No explicit political power, but a lot of symbolic and social power.
In Octopolis males are still important for alliances between families. So he’s effectively the foremost consort of the Empress. No explicit political power, but a lot of symbolic and social power.
January 15, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Yes that’s a perfect comparison!
In Octopolis males are still important for alliances between families. So he’s effectively the foremost consort of the Empress. No explicit political power, but a lot of symbolic and social power.
In Octopolis males are still important for alliances between families. So he’s effectively the foremost consort of the Empress. No explicit political power, but a lot of symbolic and social power.
Reposted by S.S. Julian
I dug up an old art i did of my favorite cephalopod the vampire squid, maybe j will thrn it into the lino art it was meant to be
January 15, 2026 at 5:27 PM
I dug up an old art i did of my favorite cephalopod the vampire squid, maybe j will thrn it into the lino art it was meant to be
Thank you so much! Glad you like it.
January 15, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Thank you so much! Glad you like it.
Wow, I’m honored! it’s not everyday you see an octopus cry
January 14, 2026 at 8:29 PM
Wow, I’m honored! it’s not everyday you see an octopus cry
Thank you so much for the compliment! I am so happy to hear you like them. I have really been enjoying making them, it’s a way of sharing my philosophy and the worldbuilding I’ve been doing for octopolis all at once.
January 14, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Thank you so much for the compliment! I am so happy to hear you like them. I have really been enjoying making them, it’s a way of sharing my philosophy and the worldbuilding I’ve been doing for octopolis all at once.
It‘s a work in progress! I’m building it up around the fictional society of sapient octopuses from my comic series Octopolis
January 14, 2026 at 7:15 PM
It‘s a work in progress! I’m building it up around the fictional society of sapient octopuses from my comic series Octopolis
This is actually a documented behavior in the wild; old dominant male ungulates will put a higher proportion of calories into their antlers as they get older, even at the expense of their deteriorating health.
January 14, 2026 at 6:37 PM
This is actually a documented behavior in the wild; old dominant male ungulates will put a higher proportion of calories into their antlers as they get older, even at the expense of their deteriorating health.
The Emperor of Octopolis may seem powerful, but he's old and weak. So he surrounds himself with conspicuous symbols of virility, and displays inordinate aggression to avoid a direct challenge to his authority.
January 14, 2026 at 6:36 PM
The Emperor of Octopolis may seem powerful, but he's old and weak. So he surrounds himself with conspicuous symbols of virility, and displays inordinate aggression to avoid a direct challenge to his authority.
The sheepshead wrasse seems an encapsulation of male power: aggressive demeanor, giant hump and bright coloring. But in fact all sheepshead are born female. It's only when territory opens that a dominant female will undergo a chemical sex change. So, ultimately all power is derived from the female.
January 14, 2026 at 6:29 PM
The sheepshead wrasse seems an encapsulation of male power: aggressive demeanor, giant hump and bright coloring. But in fact all sheepshead are born female. It's only when territory opens that a dominant female will undergo a chemical sex change. So, ultimately all power is derived from the female.
The dominant cultures in Octopolis are matriarchies, and even high ranking males wear symbolic taboos reflecting their societal role. The crown is actually a ring constricting mantle inflation. The nautilus shell worn on the third right arm hides the hectocotylus sex organ.
January 14, 2026 at 6:29 PM
The dominant cultures in Octopolis are matriarchies, and even high ranking males wear symbolic taboos reflecting their societal role. The crown is actually a ring constricting mantle inflation. The nautilus shell worn on the third right arm hides the hectocotylus sex organ.
It may seem like the least appropriate time to share a symbolic image of masculine energy, but I tried to emphasize in this piece how much of that aggression and costly signaling is peacocking and bluster.
January 14, 2026 at 6:29 PM
It may seem like the least appropriate time to share a symbolic image of masculine energy, but I tried to emphasize in this piece how much of that aggression and costly signaling is peacocking and bluster.
January 14, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by S.S. Julian
Happy #Portfolioday!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
January 14, 2026 at 2:07 AM
Happy #Portfolioday!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
Reposted by S.S. Julian
Hi #PortfolioDay, I'm Jennifer and I love to draw all kinds of fish 🐡
January 13, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Hi #PortfolioDay, I'm Jennifer and I love to draw all kinds of fish 🐡
Happy #Portfolioday!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
January 14, 2026 at 2:07 AM
Happy #Portfolioday!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
I'm SS Julian, a Californian author-illustrator with a creative writing degree and a professional background in design. I self-published my comic Octopolis in 2024, hence the preponderance of cephalopods in my work. I enjoy drawing lots of different animals, including humans!
Thank you I’ll see myself out
January 12, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Thank you I’ll see myself out
Only two instances have been reported, so there’s no indication this is a full-blown fad... it could just be a fluke.
Marine biologists are puzzled by the reemergence of a quirky orca behavior: wearing dead salmon as hats. The ocean's most intelligent and socially complex predators—the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales of the Salish Sea—have revived a peculiar "fashion" trend first recorded i...
January 12, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Only two instances have been reported, so there’s no indication this is a full-blown fad... it could just be a fluke.