The Oregonian reports Dark Horse Comics founder and former CEO Mike Richardson is embarking on a new venture: a pop culture museum in his hometown of Milwaukie, Oregon, tentatively named the Milwaukie Pop Culture Museum. Richardson, 75, tells the paper the museum will display items from his own collection, including a full-scale of the Alien Queen from the Aliens franchise, and host art, writing and film classes, talks, and workshops.
The news comes shortly after Richardson was laid off from Dark Horse by parent company Embracer (soon to be split off into Fellowship Entertainment), and the decision to close the Things From Another World (TFAW) stores he established prior to Dark Horse. Richardson comments that while the museum isn’t dedicated to Dark Horse Comics, it will include a permanent exhibit about the company.
Although a launch date wasn’t provided, Richardson hopes to open the site by the end of 2026. The museum will be located at 10818 SE Main St, a building that formerly housed TFAW’s online inventory, and whose top floor Richardson still leases to Dark Horse. Other items on display will include Pamela Anderson‘s Barb Wire costume, one of the title props from The Mask, and (presumably) life-size models of the Aliens and the Predator.
Richardson comments, “My heart’s here in Milwaukie. I want to see it thrive,” and that he has no plans to slow down, saying, “I forget I’m old until some middle-aged guy says, ‘Oh, I used to come into your stores when I was a kid.'” Among other things, he looks forward to “having classes for the younger ages, [to] get them in there and get them excited” about working in the arts. For more, head to The Oregonian; you can also check out a photo gallery here.
