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There aren't a whole lot of permanent museums in the United States that showcase comic book and cartoon arts, and one of those places is the Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts (NWMOCA) in Portland, Oregon. Unfortunately, less than a year after NWMOCA moved from a pop-up location to a permanent home, the museum has announced that it will be closing this summer. 

On Instagram (as well as on their website), NWMOCA announced that their closing day is June 28, 2026. "Sadly, NWMOCA is closing June 28th with the Will Eisner Retrospective as our final exhibit. Please stop by if you haven't seen it. As we close, everything in our gift shop is half price. Starting in July, we will be selling all our furniture and equipment at greatly reduced prices. Please contact us if you have any questions and thanks for all the support," the statement in the post read. 

More than just providing exhibits of work by cartoonists and comic book creators, NWMOCA sought to "create a vibrant and living space that is accessible to all and celebrates the history, influence, diversity, and joy of all aspects of cartoon art." According to the museum's website, it had goals to become "not only a museum and gallery but a creative hub, educational center, and communal gathering space. We plan to include a fully equipped makerspace for artists and students to create and collaborate, event spaces, and more." 

In the museum's short time, they were able to achieve much of what they hoped to grow into. They offered a 5-week scriptwriting intensive taught by Jason McNamara, signing events for creators like Mark Russell and Michael Allred, and Q&A and speaking events featuring superstars like Kelly Sue DeConnick, Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, Taki Soma, Michael Avon Oeming, Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, and more. 

It's a bummer to see Portland, a city where so many comic book creators are based, lose its museum dedicated to cartoon arts. But, as we know from superhero comics, no one ever truly stays dead in the world of comics. We'll be hoping that the Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts will be able to make a comeback sometime in the future. 

Interested? Here's where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet.