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Going down the metal staircase into Future Dreams feels like stumbling upon a hoard of treasure in a subterranean cavern. The quirky comic book shop is located in the basement of an unassuming East Burnside warehouse in the Buckman neighborhood. It currently shares the building with a few other specialty craftspeople, including a Jazzercise fitness center and the Hipbone Art Studio. To find Future Dreams, just follow the superhero posters. They get more abundant the closer you get. The walls leading down the corridor are filled with life-size posters of the Hulk, Spawn and other friendly faces. Looking out, you’ll see a vast ocean of comic books ready to be dug through.
The bountiful shelving is only enough to house a portion of Future Dreams’ stock, as many of its most exciting treasures are found in overflowing piles of books and comic-lover paraphernalia next to them. It’s a picker’s paradise. Hours could easily be spent combing through longboxes and carousels. From among the various stacks of vintage single issues and rare graphic novels, a warm hello will come from owner Donald Riordan, who’s usually behind the counter sorting and tracking inventory. He can be seen giving tailored recommendations to customers and helping folks navigate the beautiful chaos that is the store’s layout.
Riordan’s been selling comics on Burnside for 17 years, hopping between a few locations over the store’s 46-year history. According to him, Future Dreams was among the first stores in town to offer a direct market for comic books, as previously most consumers could only get their comics at newsstands and grocery stores.
“We could get product in better condition, on a more timely basis, and we could get it for collectible sales, you know?” Riordan says. “When things went out to the newsstand, they got all mangled up and things like that. But with the direct market, we learned what to order appropriately for our customer base, then we could request that it come in a collectible condition.”
The advent of dedicated comic book stores provided hardcore fans an opportunity to have a more direct relationship with the product. Not only did shops take more careful care for collectors, but a more nuanced selection of titles based on local customer interest, as well as more diversity in publishers and content types. In his store’s early days, Riordan says most of his stock came from the industry’s infamous Big Two, Marvel and DC Comics, but Future Dreams now features a wide variety of comics from many publishers, including independent outfits like Milwaukie’s own Dark Horse.
“Portland has always been a book market, and the comics and the graphic novel, they’re just another aspect of that.” he says.
Portland’s comic book stores have their own personality, and Future Dreams distinctly reflects its owner. The store has a devoted customer base of regulars who come in to pick up monthly subscriptions, as well as dig for their next favorite series. Riordan says an equal number of new faces come by the store, and he often hears comments regaling its unique location and true Portlandness.
Riordan always has time to introduce newcomers to the joy of comics. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
“We’re here as a resource,” he says. “We’re here to connect you with things that you would enjoy yourself, and enjoy sharing.”
SEE IT: Future Dreams, 1847 E Burnside St., #116, 503-231-8311, futuredreamsstore.com. 10 am–7 pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 10 am–6 pm Wednesday; 10 am–4 pm Friday; and 11 am–7 pm Saturday.
