The neighborhood fixture connects local residents through a shared love of comics
The store offers Charlottesville residents a space to discover new stories, explore different perspectives and connect with others through a shared love for all things comics and reading.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Lined with graphic novels, manga and posters, Hello Comics offers Charlottesville residents more than a place to browse their favorite titles. With two colorful, densely stocked locations nestled on the Downtown Mall and near Seminole Square respectively, the store hosts a variety of community events, maintains educational partnerships and offers programming for readers of all ages and interests. Extending beyond its role as a traditional comic store, Hello Comics has established a space where community remains central to its work.
Originally founded in 2013 as Telegraph Art & Comics, the store initially operated as a retail art gallery featuring work by local comic artists. However, as customer demand called for a more comic-centered focus, the store’s owners, Class of 2004 Alumnus Dave Murray and Class of 2007 Alumna Kate DeNeveu, rebranded the store as Hello Comics in 2023. Transitioning the store’s core focus from locally-crafted art to comics, Hello Comics’ primary target became <a href="https://comicvibe.com/how-black-panther-changed-comic-books-and-wakanda-forever/" title="How Black Panther Changed Comic Books (and Wakanda) Forever”>comic books, manga and other collectibles. This was a change, Murray said, that reflected customer wants but also the broader evolution of the store.
“Over the years, people were so excited to have a comic shop downtown that we started leaning more and more into comics,” Murray said. “So we used to be [an] art gallery that sold comic books, and now we’re a comic shop that does occasional art shows.”
Their comics-centric transformation also reflects Murray and DeNeveu’s own appreciation for comic books and graphic novels. For them, comics are special, in part, because of their diversity, with infinitely imaginative narratives that could appeal to anyone. Furthermore, the two praised the genre’s relatively low barrier to entry, as anyone can publicize their work given the ease of self-publishing online and in print.
Additionally, DeNeveu said that comic book shops are one of the sole places to judge a book by its cover, as their visual elements serve as integral parts of the story.
“It is one of those things that makes comics really approachable to kids and families,” DeNeveu said. “You can look at a cover of a [comic] book and you have an instant connection [and] an instinct for what the story is going to do for you.”
This overarching belief in comics’ accessibility extends past the store’s shelves. Through events and programming for readers of various ages and backgrounds, Murray and DeNeveu have made Hello Comics a space for connection and inclusivity in Charlottesville. When the store operated as Telegraph Art & Comics, it regularly hosted live T-shirt printing and art show events, helping Murray and DeNeveu build relationships with the Charlottesville arts community. DeNeveu said the community’s support made them feel welcomed and embraced when they first opened, and continues to do so.
Today, the store leans heavily into family-oriented programming. Every Sunday, they hold “Comic Collage Crafternoons,” where children and parents can create their own comic book collages using store-provided supplies. Beyond these store-planned activities, Hello Comics also facilitates a book club started by one of the shop’s regulars by providing a meeting space, assisting with registration and sourcing books selected by club members. Transforming the store from a retail space to a communal one, according to Murray, brings interpersonal connection back to purchasing books.
“With the ubiquitousness of Amazon and people getting stuff online … if you’re not doing events in your community, what’s separating you from just the convenience of online shopping?” Murray said. “You [have] to bring that human touch and that community element.”
Over time, Hello Comics also fostered partnerships with local schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations and the University Library System, working to bring graphic novels to readers of all ages and backgrounds across Charlottesville. One such partnership is with the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s Central Branch, where Hello Comics hosts storytimes and brings books to the library’s annual summer reading kickoff celebrations.
The store also works closely with the Free Book Bus, a local nonprofit organization that operates out of a repurposed yellow school bus stocked with books. Founded by Charlottesville resident Sharon Stone and funded in part with grants from the Bama Works Fund of the Dave Matthews Band, the organization visits locations throughout the area to distribute free books and school supplies to children. Hello Comics supplies the organization with a plethora of books at a discounted rate, inspired by Murray and DeNeveu’s joint emphasis on the importance of childhood literacy.
“We would be very foolish to ignore that opportunity to both provide books that kids want and also make a bit of money doing it,” DeNeveu said. “It’s really great … and it’s really fun knowing these books are not going to be read by just one person but a whole bunch of kids.”
Hello Comics additionally serves as a vendor to the University Library System, where they curate special orders designed to help expand the library’s collection of graphic novels. Murray and DeNeveu have presented at numerous University classes at professors’ requests, helped prepare materials for courses and hosted field visits for students to come explore the store.
“[There was] a class about vampires that they asked us, ‘Hey, can you give us a vampire tour of the comic book store?’” DeNeveu said. “We found all the vampire books, everything in a comic book shop that could possibly be about vampires.”
Hello Comics also hosted a table at the University’s first Daigakon, a student-run anime and gaming convention that took place last spring. Alongside these existing connections, Murray and DeNeveu said they are continuously looking for ways to increase their involvement with University students, especially given their connection as alumni.
“We loved our time at U.Va. and whatever we can do to be more welcoming to U.Va. students, we would love to do,” DeNeveu said.
As Hello Comics looks to expand their reach, the comics and graphic novels it brings to its readers remain central to its mission. Murray and DeNeveu are members of ComicsPRO — a national trade organization for comic-book retailers — and said they continuously use the group’s industry insight to view popularity trends, read advance copies and stay informed on what genres are currently in demand.
Emphasizing community, accessibility and connection in every facet of their store, Murray and DeNeveu have transformed Hello Comics into more than just a place to buy comics. The store offers Charlottesville residents a space to discover new stories, explore different perspectives and connect with others through a shared love for all things comics and reading.
