The cover story: Powerbook

For this year's Powerbook issue, I was inspired (or overwhelmed) by the plethora of superheroes being thrust in our faces: The Flash, Arrow, Jessica Jones (which is really rather good) and the microcosm of the seemingly endless DC and Marvel universes on screens large and small.

Producing an Oregon power-hero insignia for Oregon clicked as a concept, with elements to signify significant sectors of our industry: hemp cloth for the agricultural and eco-centric, carbon fiber for tech and metal for manufacturing. The color palette came from those Beavers and Ducks that have brought much attention to our state and its universities.

Carrying the theme into our feature on the age-old debate of whether Oregon is good for business was a no-brainer. With so much at stake and verbal shots being fired on both sides, the theme smacks of comic-book conflict—albeit with a little less lightning and fewer inter-dimensional aliens.

But don’t worry. You know us good guys always win.