Ogre’s Grove comic book store opens in Milton
It was 1988, and Justin Sinnott was around 6 years old when his grandmother presented him with a copy of Wolverine No. 2, marking the start of a long-standing love for comics.
“My best memories were going to the local comic book store,” he said. “For a few dollars, I could check out someone else’s thought process.”
The intense battle between Wolverine and Silver Samurai plastered on the bright red blanket bewitched Sinnott’s young imagination.
“I was so enthralled with the art on the cover that I wanted to know more about it,” he said. From there, he would spend time spinning through brooches at local stores and eagerly awaiting the next surprise comic book delivery his mother would order from a Sears catalog.
By the time Sinnott was a teenager – he was already around 6 feet and 4 inches tall – the gentle giant earned the nickname Ogre. He’s been around ever since, except for a short time in his twenties when he came through Justin.
“People would always call my house and ask for Ogre,” he said. “But my love for comics has never changed.”
Now the Milton resident is ready to feed the next generation of comic book lovers at Ogre’s Grove, a new comic book store that will open on Union Street during the Milton Zombie Festival on Saturday, October 21.
Ogre’s Grove isn’t all comics, he said.
“The concept is the wine and cheese art exhibition for comics,” he said. “Part art gallery, part comic book shop, with a bit of nostalgia and a bit of a future.”
Characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Dr. Strange provide an escape from reality, while revealing universal stories of life and heroism that can educate any age of reader, he said.
“Some of the more difficult issues in culture have been dealt with in the comics,” Sinnott said. “It is one of the most wonderful forms of expression. This is the definitive American art.
The storefront is also part of Sinnott’s house, which he shares with his wife, Kristin, artist and graphic designer at the Cape Gazette.
Also a child of the ’80s, Kristin Sinnott grew up with Jem and the Holograms, Rainbow Brite, and other colorful cartoons that remained a passion as she studied graphic design and developed her own crayons.
After living in Shipbuilder’s Village since 2004, the couple recently purchased an early 20th century home next to the Milton Public Library, with dreams of moving their online store to a brick and mortar space.
Sinnott said the historic house at 129 Union Street was Milton’s first hat shop, later becoming two-level apartments and home to the town’s first switchboard operator.
“This property presented itself as an opportunity,” he said. “#KeepMiltonWeird. I love that the theater is working with us. I love that all the companies I have approached or spoken to have been willing to deal with us. It is something refreshing. This is Americana at its best.
At Ogre’s Grove, comic book enthusiasts can find everything from Latest Edition subscriptions to older collectibles, such as 1964 Avengers # 1, which Sinnott calls his Resistance Piece.
While most comics will cost around $ 3, there are discounts available for loyal customers and subscribers, as well as a 10 percent discount for students, veterans, military, and first responders. Pieces like Sinnott’s famous Avengers comic book from the early 1960s would be for sale at a fair price, Sinnott said.
“I need my customers to tell me what they want,” he said, adding that subscriptions will be a big part of what Ogre’s Grove has to offer. “And you can still haggle with the Ogre.”
The boutique will also feature Kristin’s work, as well as handmade jewelry from Kristin’s mother, Annette Cornell. Bartering with Kristin won’t work as well, she laughs. Your best bet is to wait for days for the Ogre to run the store.
“I am the Ogre, but this is the grove,” Sinnott said. “This is what I cultivate. I want people to have memories, to be like me, and to be able to say, “I remember when I bought this comic here. I want it to come out in the world.
