GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven
Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Superman, Bumblebee, Pompompurin and Frank-N-Furter all walk into the same bar. Why? Because they just got back from GalaxyCon, obviously — the annual convention filled with some of Richmond’s finest entertainers and performers. GalaxyCon LLC is a convention company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that organizes comic book and anime conventions […]
The women behind Ink Magazine: Decades of alternative art and culture
Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Ink magazine is a student-run alternative publication that prints issues every semester with out-of-the-ordinary themes such as “cyber,” “sex” or “freaks.” The magazine is unlike other student publications at VCU, but its first issue was unique for a different reason — it was a newspaper created by and for African American […]
Punks for Liberation holds benefit show for Palestinian man
Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor Gold Lion Cafe, a typically quiet coffee shop fit for studying and lulled conversations, transformed into a venue for social change and punk rock during Punks 4 Liberation’s benefit show on Thursday night. The show was thrown to raise money for Karam Hani Al-manasra, a Palestinian man who was shot by […]
The great Richmond ‘Chud-Off’ held in Monroe Park
Rachel Nicholas, Staff Writer A time was had this past Saturday, as a crowd assembled in Monroe Park to watch around the judges table to behold a positive competition for those who feel like outsiders — Richmond’s first ever “Chud-Off.” The definition of chud changes with the eye of the beholder, according to Dylan Grasso, […]
Thrifting and hardcore to collide for Salad Days Market
Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor Vintage clothing, old school records and collections from local Richmond hardcore bands will be for sale this upcoming Sunday, March 29, at Salad Days Market. A collaboration between Cut and Run Vintage — a pre-loved clothing store featuring items from the 90s and early 2000s, and Vinyl Conflict — a […]
The women rocking Richmond’s hardcore scene
Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor Behind the distorted tracks and stage dives that have long made Richmond a beacon for hardcore music, the women performing, shooting and attending these shows have been the backbone of the scene for years. Richmond has long been known as an influential city for hardcore music. From house shows packed […]
Zines, poems, photos and more to be found at Agony Books
Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor Tucked near the heart of downtown, Agony Books, a Black-owned specialty bookshop and gallery, has become a meeting ground for dialogue, art, culture and community. Books on art, critical theory, culture and history line the shelves — and squeezed between them are zines that create a sense of life in […]
Third space Passion Project upgrades, moves closer to campus
Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor Since her teenage years, Lydia James dreamed of opening a communal space to support people who just want to belong. The now 29-year-old did not think that dream would come true until her 30s. However, just this past Saturday marked the grand opening of the new location of Passion Project, a […]
‘Shocking and salacious’ poets, dancers come to Gallery 5 this weekend
Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor Gallery5 is hosting “Wild at Heart,” a poetry reading featuring some of Richmond’s most zany poets this Saturday, March 21. There will be a variety of variety shows and poetry readings, with doors at 5 p.m. and the show starting at 5:30 p.m. “Wild at Heart,” is not your average poetry […]
How advocates have protected the south’s last stronghold for reproductive care
Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor Virginia is on the cusp of codifying an amendment enshrining access to reproductive care in the state constitution. The commonwealth is the last state in the southeastern United States with access to abortion past the first trimester. Though there is access to abortion in Virginia, many women, transgender people and gender-non-confirming […]