Comic book store opens in Zanesville

ZANESVILLE - With comics ranging in price from 99 cents to nearly $4,000, Mass Media Comics is selling stories for all ages and a variety of tastes.

There are superheroes, mostly, such as Batman, Superman, the Flash, Spider-Man, the Avengers and Captain America, as well as graphic novels, including "The Walking Dead" and "V for Vendetta." Shop owner Chad Sinnott has been reading and collecting comics since he was 5 years old, and many issues in the shop are from his personal collection.

While he was growing up in Logan, there wasn't a comic book shop like Mass Media Comics, but there was a local bookstore that sold five comics for $1.

"My father bought five, and I never looked back," Sinnott said.

He opened Mass Media Comics in Zanesville because in this area, he said, he saw a need for this kind of shop. It opened on Black Friday, and he already has regular customers from Perry, Coshocton and Morgan counties, as well as Muskingum County itself.

"My rationale was kind of validated," he said. "I thought Zanesville would be a good fit."

He likens comic book shops to bars for geeks — some people stop in for a quick look after work, and some come by for an hour or more of browsing or even long conversations with Sinnott about their favorite issues. Or sometimes they will be first-time readers who ask for recommendations. Either way, he's happy to engage his customers.

"In this business, you've got to be super friendly," he said. "I get to talking with them and walking around the shop."

Sometimes, the best part is actually helping new readers find an issue or book they might be interested in, Sinnott said. He regularly has customers who have seen the movies or TV shows about various superheroes and want to read about them, too. It can be intimidating for people because many characters, including Superman and Batman, have more than 70 years of history.

But it's fun to talk about customers' interests and turn a new reader into a regular reader, he said.

"What's really been cool is seeing the number of young women come in," he said.

While his customers are mostly men in their 30s and 40s, an encouraging number are men and women in their 20s and younger. With the movies and TV shows on currently, Sinnott said young people who didn't necessarily grow up with comics are becoming interested in them.

This, he said, could be a new golden age in comics simply because of how much is being put out there. And anyone can enjoy them.

"I have regular customers who are white-collar professionals," he said.

Sinnott said he's getting enough business already that he will stick around for a while, but the ultimate goal is to bring something to people that they can have fun with.

"The goal here is to honestly make people happy," he said.

ksnyder2@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

740-450-6752

Twitter: @KL_Snyder

If you go

What: Mass Media Comics

When: Hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday

Where: 1140 Wayne Ave., Zanesville