If you were in Champaign-Urbana in the mid-1990s, chances are you came across The Octopus — a scrappy, independent alt-weekly with a grassroots vibe. Think of it as the local counterpart to New York’s Village Voice or Chicago’s Reader, publications that offered an alternative to the mainstream narratives of The Times or The Tribune.

Alt-weeklies like these thrived in cities big and small, spotlighting local news, arts, and culture often overlooked by larger outlets. That’s exactly what Paul Young (FAA ’83, EDU ’06) set out to do in 1995 when he launched The Optimist, which soon evolved into The Octopus.

Importantly, the paper launched just as the internet began reshaping how people consumed information. But in those early days of dial-up and primitive web design, print still held power, and The Octopus filled a local void with immediacy and character.

“Our primary objective,” Young wrote in his inaugural letter from the publisher, “is to publish from the strongest, although sometimes unheard, voices in the community. We will tackle the subjects the mainstream chooses to ignore. We’re not afraid of controversy.”

And they weren’t. The paper dove into stories on everything from local artists and musicians to domestic violence and AIDS. Some pieces were staff-produced; others came straight from the community. The only rules? Stories had to be ethical, conscientious, and well researched.

The first 15,000 tabloid-style copies were funded entirely by advertising and distributed at over a hundred local spots. “Our primary objective,” Young wrote in his inaugural letter from the publisher, “is to publish from the strongest, although sometimes unheard, voices in the community. We will tackle the subjects the mainstream chooses to ignore. We’re not afraid of controversy.”

Holly Rushakoff (MEDIA ’98, ’19) joined The Octopus a year after graduating from Illinois. During her time there, she wore many hats — music editor, copy editor, writer, and designer. “It was a huge deal to me to work there,” she said in a recent conversation. “Every week, it came out, and it was exciting and beautiful. It was created with the intention to be beautiful. It wasn’t just a Word doc with letters.” At its peak, The Octopus boasted a circulation of nearly 30,000.

But after it was sold and rebranded as CU Cityview, the magic didn’t last. The paper folded in 2003. “ It was truly meant to be a touch point for local culture, creativity, the arts, and music,” Rushakoff said. “And nothing ever really replaced it.”