Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026

Spectrum

GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven

March 25, 2026

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 in the United States. The company has hosted the convention in Richmond since 2019.  Actors, directors and entertainers from all areas of pop culture media come to the convention to speak on panels and meet fans. This year included actor Hayden Christensen from “Star Wars” and the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Edgar Wright.  Inside the exhibition hall is Artist Alley, a designated area in a convention where artists display and sell their work to convention attendees, according to GalaxyCon’s website.  Austin Vestel, a Salisbury, Maryland-based corset maker and leather worker, has been vending at conventions for 15 years. He said conventions like GalaxyCon have been a huge help to his boutique, Corset & Cogs. “I quickly learned that in a weekend, I could make what I made in an entire month in my physical location,” Vestal said. “So just getting my work

The women behind Ink Magazine: Decades of alternative art and culture

March 25, 2026

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 students. Reflections in Ink was created in 1978 by the VCU student branch of the League of Black Journalists and the Black Student Alliance, according to VCU Libraries. African American students had just integrated into the college and wanted to create a newspaper based on their collective experiences, according to Marilyn Campbell, one of Reflections in Ink’s founders.  “As a media team, we sought freedom through expression — voicing our truths, reflecting our experiences and embracing the realities of our time,” Campbell stated. “As students, our purpose was to pursue academic dreams while working side jobs, volunteering to gain experience and grounding our ambitions in the lives we were living.” With technical assistance from The CT and information from the Third World Coalition, Reflections in Ink’s first issue was released in March 1978. They noted that it would be the only issue funded by student

Punks for Liberation holds benefit show for Palestinian man

March 25, 2026

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 Israeli forces, according to the GoFundMe. P4L was able to raise $500 for Al- manasra and his family, as they struggle to secure essential needs, with his injury only making it more difficult.  Laywaste, Silico and Bleedout were the bands performing. The night ended with a rousing speech from real fro, The Magic Man, a local activist. He encouraged the audience to come together and get stuff done. The energy in the room was alive with the feeling of change.  Mutual aid is a foundation point for P4L, according to Maeve Jenik, one of their main organizers. The idea for the show came from a newer member of the organization. They brought Al-manasra’s cause to Judas, P4L’s founder. He organized it, like he does for all events, and used connections throughout the community to make it happen.  “[Benefit shows] is one of the main things

The great Richmond ‘Chud-Off’ held in Monroe Park

March 25, 2026

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, the lead organizer. The beauty of the contest is that anyone could be a chud and win. Grasso created the event after a throw away joke he made about a contest where the winner would be crowned the biggest chud. “The joke was made and about a month later, and here we are,” Grasso said. “It’s a lot more planned out now, more fleshed out then it was before. A lot of it is based on the performative male contest that was here in the fall.” Some notable chuds of history include Ronald Reagan and Will Smith, according to Grasso. “Chudnana,” a banana-costume-wearing-chud, gave his own definition of what truly makes a chud. “So my definition of a chud is someone who stays inside, never does anything with their life, unemployed and dumb, essentially a big, fat chud,” Chudnana said.  As the Chud-Off commenced, the

GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven

Spectrum Editor March 25, 2026

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 in the United States. The company has hosted the convention in Richmond since 2019.  Actors, directors and entertainers from all areas of pop culture media come to the convention to speak on panels and meet fans. This year included actor Hayden Christensen from “Star Wars” and the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Edgar Wright.  Inside the exhibition hall is Artist Alley, a designated area in a convention where artists display and sell their work to convention attendees, according to GalaxyCon’s website.  Austin Vestel, a Salisbury, Maryland-based corset maker and leather worker, has been vending at conventions for 15 years. He said conventions like GalaxyCon have been a huge help to his boutique, Corset & Cogs. “I quickly learned that in a weekend, I could make what I made in an entire month in my physical location,” Vestal said. “So just getting my work into the eyes of people who understand me, understand my work and understand the culture is a humongous game changer.” Cosplaying is a big facet of GalaxyCon — attendees were dressed up head-to-toe and several cosplay took place. Cosplayer Morgan Le Foy said that she has been cosplaying since 2014. “I always was like the kid who took Halloween and Spirit Week extremely seriously. The first time I went to a convention and I saw everyone dressed up, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to get involved with this,’” Le Foy said. Le Foy is also a cosplay contest host and admires GalaxyCon’s inclusivity.  “I like that Galaxy Con works really hard to have something for everybody. A lot of conventions won’t acknowledge niche communities, and I feel like they’re really good at pinpointing that and creating spaces at their convention for everybody, not just comic fans,” Le Foy said. What happens after dark One of GalaxyCon’s known features is its 18+ After Dark events, where the “Rugrats” go to sleep and “Josie and the Pussycats” come out to play. Friday night included Drag Bingo from 6-7:30 pm, in which queens Michelle Livigne and Javon Love hosted several rounds of

GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven

March 25, 2026

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 in the United States. The company has hosted the convention in Richmond since 2019.  Actors, directors and entertainers from all areas of pop culture media come to the convention to speak on panels and meet fans. This year included actor Hayden Christensen from “Star Wars” and the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Edgar Wright.  Inside the exhibition hall is Artist Alley, a designated area in a convention where artists display and sell their work to convention attendees, according to GalaxyCon’s website.  Austin Vestel, a Salisbury, Maryland-based corset maker and leather worker, has been vending at conventions for 15 years. He said conventions like GalaxyCon have been a huge help to his boutique, Corset & Cogs. “I quickly learned that in a weekend, I could make what I made in an entire month in my physical location,” Vestal said. “So just getting my work into the eyes of people who understand me, understand my work and understand the culture is a humongous game changer.” Cosplaying is a big facet of GalaxyCon — attendees were dressed up head-to-toe and several cosplay took place. Cosplayer Morgan Le Foy said that she has been cosplaying since 2014. “I always was like the kid who took Halloween and Spirit Week extremely seriously. The first time I went to a convention and I saw everyone dressed up, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to get involved with this,’” Le Foy said. Le Foy is also a cosplay contest host and admires GalaxyCon’s inclusivity.  “I like that Galaxy Con works really hard to have something for everybody. A lot of conventions won’t acknowledge niche communities, and I feel like they’re really good at pinpointing that and creating spaces at their convention for everybody, not just comic fans,” Le Foy said. What happens after dark One of GalaxyCon’s known features is its 18+ After Dark events, where the “Rugrats” go to sleep and “Josie and the Pussycats” come out to play. Friday night included Drag Bingo from 6-7:30 pm, in which queens Michelle Livigne and Javon Love hosted several rounds of

The women behind Ink Magazine: Decades of alternative art and culture

March 25, 2026

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 students. Reflections in Ink was created in 1978 by the VCU student branch of the League of Black Journalists and the Black Student Alliance, according to VCU Libraries. African American students had just integrated into the college and wanted to create a newspaper based on their collective experiences, according to Marilyn Campbell, one of Reflections in Ink’s founders.  “As a media team, we sought freedom through expression — voicing our truths, reflecting our experiences and embracing the realities of our time,” Campbell stated. “As students, our purpose was to pursue academic dreams while working side jobs, volunteering to gain experience and grounding our ambitions in the lives we were living.” With technical assistance from The CT and information from the Third World Coalition, Reflections in Ink’s first issue was released in March 1978. They noted that it would be the only issue funded by student

Punks for Liberation holds benefit show for Palestinian man

March 25, 2026

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 Israeli forces, according to the GoFundMe. P4L was able to raise $500 for Al- manasra and his family, as they struggle to secure essential needs, with his injury only making it more difficult.  Laywaste, Silico and Bleedout were the bands performing. The night ended with a rousing speech from real fro, The Magic Man, a local activist. He encouraged the audience to come together and get stuff done. The energy in the room was alive with the feeling of change.  Mutual aid is a foundation point for P4L, according to Maeve Jenik, one of their main organizers. The idea for the show came from a newer member of the organization. They brought Al-manasra’s cause to Judas, P4L’s founder. He organized it, like he does for all events, and used connections throughout the community to make it happen.  “[Benefit shows] is one of the main things

The great Richmond ‘Chud-Off’ held in Monroe Park

March 25, 2026

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, the lead organizer. The beauty of the contest is that anyone could be a chud and win. Grasso created the event after a throw away joke he made about a contest where the winner would be crowned the biggest chud. “The joke was made and about a month later, and here we are,” Grasso said. “It’s a lot more planned out now, more fleshed out then it was before. A lot of it is based on the performative male contest that was here in the fall.” Some notable chuds of history include Ronald Reagan and Will Smith, according to Grasso. “Chudnana,” a banana-costume-wearing-chud, gave his own definition of what truly makes a chud. “So my definition of a chud is someone who stays inside, never does anything with their life, unemployed and dumb, essentially a big, fat chud,” Chudnana said.  As the Chud-Off commenced, the

Thrifting and hardcore to collide for Salad Days Market

March 25, 2026

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 record store on Grace Street.  The market will be held at Studio Two Three, a nonprofit community arts space in Manchester. The hosting vendors will be joined by Alchemy Coffee and 1115 Mobile Kitchen.  “With United Blood coming back, it felt like the right time to finally make it happen,” said Cody Denzler, one of the owners of Cut and Run Vintage. “One day I was at Vinyl Conflict talking with [Bobby Egger, owner of Vinyl Conflict] about other markets I’d been hosting, and it just clicked that we could team up and do this together.”  The name pays an homage to Minor Threat and their 1985 EP titled “Salad Days,” and to the idea of early days in the scene, according to Denzler.  The vendor lineup for the market was intentional, with many selling pieces from their personal collections. There will be a range

The women rocking Richmond’s hardcore scene

March 18, 2026

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 to the brim with fans of slam drums and moshing, to record stores dedicated to stocking their shelves with heavy riffs and powerful vocals — Richmond has put its love on display. Kimmy Rivera, the vocalist for local post-hardcore band Athera, has loved music since she was a child.  “Growing up, me and my siblings would play Guitar Hero almost every day,” Rivera said. “My older brother was really into nu metal at the time and as I always looked up to him, I naturally liked it too.” Once Rivera started at VCU, she made it her mission to go to more local shows, attending her first Richmond show at Cobra Cabana, an essential bar and venue in the neighborhood of Carver.  “There, I saw Sick Of It All and Wasted Space. I was with Sonny and Jackson [of Athera] and I had the most

Zines, poems, photos and more to be found at Agony Books

March 18, 2026

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 the store. Art from a multitude of creators lines the space. Founded in 2021 by David Jaycox and Jesse Feinman, the store focuses on photography, design, critical theory and political commentary, according to its website. Jaycox initially reached out to Feinman with the idea for Agony because of what he built with his publishing practice, Pomegranate, according to Feinman.  “I was 25 at the time and the world felt really endless and big,” Feinman said. “I think it’s not so much that there wasn’t something being met, but maybe that a conversation could continue further, new things could be introduced, and I guess I saw myself as a good person to facilitate something like that.” The people behind Agony try their best to keep the selection in store from feeling stale or predictable, according to Feinman.  “When the project first started, we were much more

Third space Passion Project upgrades, moves closer to campus

March 18, 2026

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 third space for anyone who needs it.  Located at 1039 W. Grace St., it holds a lot of the same features as the old one downtown —  including, the free community fridge at it’s front door stocked with water and other food essentials for whoever needs them.  What will be a first at the new location is its art studio space. James finds that it is important to create room for all people to have a creative outlet to take what they feel inside and bring it out.  “I believe that art is anything you do to express yourself. There is no such thing as bad art, I tell everybody that,” James said. “Art does not have to be something you do on pen and paper, doesn’t have to be crochet. It could be poetry, music. It could be anything.” James is still processing the

How advocates have protected the south’s last stronghold for reproductive care

March 18, 2026

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 people still struggle to secure reproductive health care due to income inequalities, lack of education and general stigmas. Advocate groups have been working to support each other and maintain equity in access for those seeking reproductive care in the state.  Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia have been collaborating with democratic legislators for four years to amend the state’s constitution. Their proposed change would enshrine protection for multiple reproductive needs — fertility treatments, contraceptives and abortions in the state legislature. Voting for the amendment will open in late September and close on Nov. 3.  “This has been a long road to get to this and we know that Virginians overwhelmingly support the right to make their own health care decisions free from government interference or criminal punishment,” said  Jamie Lockhart, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia works to