How Februs Began

Many people, when they hear the name Februs, tend to raise their eyebrows and say, ‘What a funny name for a magazine!’ Well, yes, it was unusual, I agree, but there was a good reason for its name.

I was introduced to Janus back in the early 80s and was immediately impressed by how unique it was. The creative team were enthusiastic about their subject and the editor was determined to make it the best it could possibly be. First I did a modelling session for one of their photo-stories and then found out that the editor was looking for an illustrator – that was when life really took off! I leapt head first into the work and tried to bring life to my drawings using the raw material of my real life adventures as inspiration.

Years later the owner of Janus came up with a surprise proposal – he had the idea to start a new magazine as a sister to Janus. Since women were now coming out of the closet as regards spanking and erotic CP, he thought the new publication could bring a more feminine approach to the subject. We envisaged a time when enthusiasts could buy it openly and show it to their partners, rather than secreting it away on top of the wardrobe for fear that all hell would break loose if it were found!

So the new publication was born, and Februs seemed the natural choice for a title, since it followed on from Janus. And as it transpired, this title did have CP connections. A few weeks after the launch, I was delighted to unearth the fact that a februa was in fact the name of a sort of whip that was used at a Roman festival in ancient times.

I really enjoyed being editor of Februs. It was a privilege to be able to express my own observations in writing and to hear about the readers’ thoughts and experiences in their letters. In the Februs team we had some very imaginative writers many of them women, and I must say I learned a thing or two during the magazine’s ten years of life!