OPB’s First Look: Oregon’s Dark Horse

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Good morning, Northwest.

Dark Horse Comics has been a stalwart company in Milwaukie for nearly 40 years, helping shape the Portland suburb along the way.

Now under ownership of a Swedish media conglomerate, Dark Horse’s future in Milwaukie is in doubt. OPB and Report for America’s Holly Bartholomew writes this morning on what’s next for the comics powerhouse and its Oregon-born founder.

In other news, how a “super El Niño” could affect the Northwest this winter.

Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

How the Dark Horse comics company shaped Milwaukie

Over 40 years, Mike Richardson built a small comic book company in his hometown of Milwaukie, Oregon, into a multinational phenomenon. He expected to run Dark Horse Comics forever.

“I thought I’d die in that job,” Richardson told OPB.

As Dark Horse grew from an upstart comics company in a small town to a nine-figure global brand with a Netflix show and blockbuster movies, it also helped shape that small town.

But in 2021, Richardson sold his final stake in the company to Embracer, a gaming company based in Karlstad, Sweden.

Embracer initially kept Richardson on as CEO and continued producing comics from its longtime headquarters on Main Street in Milwaukie. Then, earlier this year, the multimedia conglomerate shocked the comics world by ousting Richardson.

Dark Horse’s future in Milwaukie is now in doubt. But Richardson hopes he and the company can leave a lasting mark on his hometown. (Holly Bartholomew)

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3 things to know

• Oregon lawmakers are considering approving more than $120 million to help cover the costs of this year’s wildfires — and more requests are likely to come. (Dirk VanderHart)
• The Pacific Northwest could be in for a warmer, wetter winter this year, partly driven by a phenomenon called “super El Niño.” (April Ehrlich)
• In a survey released this week, only 22% of Portland voters polled believe the city’s government is effective. (Alex Zielinski)

Northwest headlines

• After 13 years, Montavilla Jazz Festival has become a destination for dozens of Pacific Northwest musicians (Chrissy Booker)
• Oregon Democrats court union support at Labor Day picnic ahead of November election (Kyra Buckley)
• Depoe Bay Whale Watching Center expected to reopen late October (Kristian Foden-Vencil)
• Oregon’s Honeyman State Park campground set to close next year to remove hundreds of trees (Porter Levenson)
• Oregon Community Foundation puts $1 million toward new arts and culture projects (Bryce Dole)
• Late summer heat, drought challenge Oregon’s trees and their caretakers (Riley Martinez)
• Oregon Coast lacks tsunami-proof evacuation structures to survive the Big One, state report warns (Monica Carrillo-Casas)
• ‘We’re going backwards’: Oregon cherry growers still waiting on a good season (Alejandro Figueroa)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app.

One more look

Rare Bali myna bird moves into Oregon Zoo aviary

There’s a new bird in the Rose City.

After spending the last few years behind the scenes preparing for her public debut, a snow-white Bali myna is spreading her wings inside the Oregon Zoo’s Vollum Aviary.

The still unnamed 4-year-old songbird from Indonesia is one of the rarest species at the zoo, known for its alluring song — and the poaching threats that come with it.

While the exact number of wild Bali mynas today is unknown, conservation groups estimate the population hit a low point of just six individuals worldwide in 2001.

At the Oregon Zoo, Bird and Reptile Curator Nicole LaGreco and her colleagues are using captive breeding to try to maintain the species’ genetic diversity. (Elena Neale-Sacks)

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