Operating like the secret lair of the U.S. comic book world, Portland is a small but mighty hero factory far from the big-budget comic book publishers and glitzy movie makers. In fact, many consider Oregon an epicenter for the U.S. comics scene, attracting die-hard comic book fans to partake in the battle of superheroes, villains and the citizens that depend on them. With the guidance of renowned comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis, here’s more about why the city is such a draw for the community and how to join fans at bookstores, events and more.
Portland, Supercenter of Comic Book Makers and Fans
As home to Dark Horse Comics and Image Comics, Portland hosts the largest U.S. comic book publishers aside from Marvel and DC Comics. The metro area’s enthusiastic local audience supports more than a dozen comic book shops, as well as innumerable book stores with comic book and graphic-novel sections.
The city also hosts a steady calendar of comic book public readings and events, one of the country’s largest conventions — the annual Rose City Comic Con, with more than 30,000 attendees — and the new Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts. There’s even a degree program in comic book studies at Portland State University.
These efforts are aided by the many comic book creators who call the city home, including some of the top names in the industry.
One of these resident super-powered creators, Brian Michael Bendis, has a good sense of why so many of his peers have chosen to make Portland their hometown and what keeps fans flocking to buy these literary works of art.
Brian Michael Bendis Takes On Portland
Bendis’ comic book industry credits read like a who’s who of the industry. He’s written extensively for DC and Marvel titles featuring Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, X-Men and Daredevil. He also owns titles of his own creation with Dark Horse, including Phenomena and the Powers series. He is the co-creator of Jessica Jones and the Miles Morales Spiderman featured in the latest Marvel blockbuster Spider-Verse movies. He’s also been a consultant on myriad blockbuster Marvel movies and comic-based series on Netflix and Amazon.
Bendis was looking to escape Central Midwest winters while living in Cleveland in 2001. “I’d started writing Spider-Man and Jessica Jones,” says Bendis, “and I was being introduced to a lot of comic book people, and a lot of them lived here in Portland, and they were describing a lifestyle that seemed very appealing.”
Bendis and his wife moved to the city and were not disappointed. “Just the energy of Portland was, you know, ‘Hey, brother, what can I do for you?’ There was a lot of energy that I didn’t grow up with, that took me a while to acclimate to. Like, why is everyone being so nice?”
Portland’s DIY culture has kept Bendis happily in town for more than two decades. “There’s something really magical about knowing that on a rainy day in Portland, there’s thousands of people in their basements doing stuff like making comics, sculptures, websites,” he says. “There’s just an incredible amount of people kind of using the weather as an excuse to get to work.”
Portland’s embrace of “weirdness” is also an appeal for comics creators and fans alike. “There’s something about Portland that has almost like a Narnia feel to people,” Bendis says. “I like to go exploring. It’s a fun thing to do. I’m just riding around, and all of a sudden there’s a parade of inflatable dinosaurs hiking down the street with no fanfare…. Sometimes you see people walking down the street in full anime cosplay, literally, not sure if they’re going to an event or just going to the mall. And I love that as well. It’s not the world I grew up in. It just makes my heart happy. People fully express themselves.”
Slam! Bam! Read! Experiencing Portland’s Comic Culture
Visiting one — or many — local comic book stores is a great way for visitors to immerse themselves in the Portland comics scene. “It’s insane how many great comic stores there are,” says Bendis. “You know, people who like certain things like to do a crawl — like people come here to do a food-cart crawl. You can do a comic book store crawl and not be bored.”
You can start your Portland area comic store crawl with these humble heroes of the industry: Cosmic Monkey Comics in Northeast Portland has a fantastic selection of new and old titles suitable for all ages, and a helpful staff to guide you to new discoveries or old favorites. Family-owned Excalibur Comics, just east of downtown, is notable for author events as well as its extensive comics catalog. Things From Another World, with locations in Milwaukie (southeast of downtown) and in Beaverton, is the place to go for superhero toys, action figures and collectibles in addition to the latest books from Dark Horse and Image. And be sure to visit Southeast Portland’s Books with Pictures, a haven for diversity and inclusiveness in the comics world. The bookstore won the 2022 Spirit of Comics Retailer Award as the world’s top comic shop.
“Surprise and delight yourself,” recommends Bendis. “Go get yourself a food-cart meal, and then walk over to Cosmic Monkey and just walk the aisles like Sam Jackson in ‘Unbreakable.’ Just, like, stay there until [a comic book] falls in your lap and says, ‘Take me home.’”
While tours are not yet available at local comic book publishers or in Bendis’ living room, visitors to Portland can go beyond the bookstores and immerse themselves in the comic book scene at conventions, museums and more.
If you’re visiting Portland in September, run with the speed of Flash to the Rose City Comic Con. This annual three-day event brings visitors from around the country, including celebrity guests each year. In 2025 RCCC hosted a cast reunion of the Astoria-based film “The Goonies.” Portland’s artists and fans are convention features as well. “Our enormous Artist Alley is filled with talented creators and artists, and the cosplay at RCCC is second-to-none, with many folks working on their fits all year long,” says event organizer Sue Rock.
Given Portland’s large Asian community, Japanese-style anime and manga comics are quite popular, driving attendance in local manga conventions of Kumoricon (October) and WasabiCon (November). Reggie’s Manga Shop in North Portland is a one-stop cafe, store and events space for manga fans.
Into the Cosmic Comic Rabbit Hole: More Portland-Area Pop Culture
The Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts opened in 2025 in Portland’s Pearl District. It’s a “living museum” according to founder Mike Rosen, with seminars and classes held by local artists in addition to colorful comic art displays featuring some of Portland’s all-star creators and rotating quarterly exhibitions. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has held comic book-related exhibitions, and often screens both new and classic comic book films in its massive IMAX theater.
For some excellent free ways to soak in comic culture, Portland murals around the city are a good way to experience local pop art, including walls decorated by longtime Dark Horse comic artists the Pander Bros.
A notable mural of Dark Horse comic heroes livens up the Ledding Library near the company’s headquarters in Milwaukie, southeast of downtown. The library also hosts comic book-related speakers and events.
Powell’s Books, the world’s largest independent bookstore, covers multiple levels of a full city block, with many of its shelves filled with graphic novels. Powell’s author program regularly brings comic book artists and speakers for discussions and book signings.
