Brutus (magazine)

Brutus launched in May 1980, conceived by Magazine House as a companion to its existing men's title Popeye.^[3][4][5][6] Where Popeye had been founded four years earlier around admiration for West Coast American culture, Brutus was conceived as its older brother, oriented toward a longing for life in New York.^[7] The magazine's logo was designed by art director Seiichi Horiuchi, who also designed the logos for sister publications Popeye, an an, and Olive.^[8] The logo directly references Brutus, the antagonist in E. C. Segar's Popeye comic strip; each letterform ends in jagged strokes that resemble the character's beard.^[8]

In 1998, a design- and architecture-focused special edition called Casa Brutus was launched and became a standalone monthly publication in 2000.^[9]

Brutus is published by Tokyo-based Magazine House.^[4] The magazine was initially published monthly,^[10] then biweekly,^[11] and is now semimonthly.^[4][7] Sister publications include an an, Popeye, Casa Brutus, and Olive.^[3][4]

Because themes vary issue to issue, most Japanese readers buy individual copies rather than subscribing, with each edition drawing a different audience.^[7] In November and December 2025, the magazine published its first English-language editions.^[7]

A 1991 Associated Press article described the magazine as popular.^[15] In 2013, the magazine and Popeye received the Best Magazine Award.^[16]

As of the fourth quarter of 2025, Brutus had a circulation of 60,667.^[17] The magazine targets trend-conscious males aged 20 to 50.^[10]