In May, fans of Bubbles, Brian Baynes’ comics fanzine, were treated to a special event: Bubbles Con, a celebration of comics at Richmond Public Library’s Main Library.
Bubbles, if you aren’t familiar, is Baynes’ popular independent fanzine about comics and manga that’s sold online and at roughly 40 stores around the world; the two-day Bubbles Con event brought internationally renowned names from the world of comics to Richmond for readings, talks and live interviews.
“It went really well,” says Baynes, who works by day as an art handler at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. “I think Richmond was really excited for all these talks and different cartoonists to come down here.”
Now, Baynes is working to create Brian’s Books, a new used bookstore in Church Hill.
“I’ve always thought a used bookstore on this side of town would be great,” he says. “It will be mostly vintage stuff. Not very many new books at all.”
Baynes says he will carry some newer zines that other local stores don’t carry, but he’s adamant that Velocity Comics on Broad Street will continue selling Bubbles; he may keep a few issues on-hand at his store in case anyone asks for them.
Baynes also recently finished helping organize this year’s Richmond Zine Fest, which he’s been involved with for more than a decade.
“It was our second year back since COVID and it went extremely well,” he says.
For fans of Bubbles Con, Baynes has some great news to share: CultureWorks, a local nonprofit that supports the arts in Richmond, has approved a grant to fund next year’s event. It’s scheduled to take place June 6-7, 2025.
