Meet The Team
With an active community of artists and creators, an annual comics convention, a dedicated Comics Studies program at the University of Oregon, and a uniquely independent spirit, Eugene has the potential to rival Portland’s nationally renowned comics scene. At Books With Pictures Eugene, we aim to become the center of that community.
Books with Pictures Eugene was first conceived in 2019 as a friendly neighborhood comic book store and a center for the local comics (and all-around geek) community in all its diversity. We found a location in the heart of downtown Eugene—easily accessible year-round, near the library, and steps away from tons of amazing local businesses. It would be a place where long-time comics fans could enjoy the familiar amenities of a local comic shop: knowledgeable staff, a well-curated inventory, and weekly subscription services. New readers would feel welcomed by shelf-talker recommendation tags and clearly-marked, intuitive store organization. The shop would maintain an active calendar of signings, artist talks, reading groups, fan events, and workshops.
We opened our doors for our first day of business on March 3, 2020...only to have to close again less than two weeks later due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. A hard first year to be sure; some of our lofty aims had to be shifted or put on hold for a bit. However, thanks in no small part to an amazing response from the community of comics fans we survived...and even grew!
Our shop focuses on a curated stock of new comics and graphic novels, with a particular attention to books that cater to the interests of folks who often feel left out of traditional geek spaces: women, kids, BIPOC and the LGBTQ folks. In doing so, we’re following in the footsteps of our sister store Books with Pictures. Founded by Katie Pryde in Portland, Oregon in June of 2016, Books With Pictures is our “sister store.” We are connected by our foundational philosophies about what makes comics great, and what makes a great comic shop. As partners, we are also able to work together to plan events and bring guests up and down the I-5 corridor, as well share stock and sales information in order to better understand the changing market. At the same time, each store is independently owned and responds directly to the needs of its local community.
As the “cool mom” at after school pickups, Rhae Olson (they/them) can and will listen to your kid talk endlessly about Dog Man and Minecraft. In addition to this special power, Rhae is an artist and lifelong fan of illustrated books of all kinds, especially zines and books about food culture. As an artist, they have illustrated several small-press comics, and work in a wide variety of media, from fiber arts to pyrography to watercolor. Rhae’s most impressive talent is having a D&D group that has met weekly for over 6 years and counting.
Books with Pictures Eugene was first conceived in 2019 as a friendly neighborhood comic book store and a center for the local comics (and all-around geek) community in all its diversity. We found a location in the heart of downtown Eugene—easily accessible year-round, near the library, and steps away from tons of amazing local businesses. It would be a place where long-time comics fans could enjoy the familiar amenities of a local comic shop: knowledgeable staff, a well-curated inventory, and weekly subscription services. New readers would feel welcomed by shelf-talker recommendation tags and clearly-marked, intuitive store organization. The shop would maintain an active calendar of signings, artist talks, reading groups, fan events, and workshops.
We opened our doors for our first day of business on March 3, 2020...only to have to close again less than two weeks later due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. A hard first year to be sure; some of our lofty aims had to be shifted or put on hold for a bit. However, thanks in no small part to an amazing response from the community of comics fans we survived...and even grew!
Our shop focuses on a curated stock of new comics and graphic novels, with a particular attention to books that cater to the interests of folks who often feel left out of traditional geek spaces: women, kids, BIPOC and the LGBTQ folks. In doing so, we’re following in the footsteps of our sister store Books with Pictures. Founded by Katie Pryde in Portland, Oregon in June of 2016, Books With Pictures is our “sister store.” We are connected by our foundational philosophies about what makes comics great, and what makes a great comic shop. As partners, we are also able to work together to plan events and bring guests up and down the I-5 corridor, as well share stock and sales information in order to better understand the changing market. At the same time, each store is independently owned and responds directly to the needs of its local community.
Meet the Team
Books with Pictures in Eugene is independent and locally operated by Andréa Gilroy, who earned her PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Oregon (UO) in 2015. Her dissertation focused on comics history and the way comics represent identity. After graduation, she has worked as a comics educator teaching courses at UO (including acting as 2016-17 Interim Director of the UO Comics & Cartoon Studies Program) and PSU, serving on the board of ICAF, co-curating cool exhibits, and speaking at conferences and conventions. She also made Comics Crash Course. She is thrilled to build a space that uses the power of comics and the passion of fans to build community.
Maestro of mags, Faust of floppies, Master of manga, manager Jack Sager (he/him) is a jack-of-all-trades with a love of art. He wants to be Conan the Barbarian when he grows up.
As the “cool mom” at after school pickups, Rhae Olson (they/them) can and will listen to your kid talk endlessly about Dog Man and Minecraft. In addition to this special power, Rhae is an artist and lifelong fan of illustrated books of all kinds, especially zines and books about food culture. As an artist, they have illustrated several small-press comics, and work in a wide variety of media, from fiber arts to pyrography to watercolor. Rhae’s most impressive talent is having a D&D group that has met weekly for over 6 years and counting. THE FIFTH BEATLES
We're lucky to have a huge team of friends and volunteers who tend to show up to all of the events, and even help run the shop in a pinch. We'd like to give a special shout-out to:
- Shaun Gilroy: Andréa's partner; game master, comic collector, and web developer extraordinaire
- Katie Pryde: Owner of Books With Pictures PDX, and part owner of BWP Eugene