Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD – Even churchgoers like ink.
That’s the conclusion Glenn Mersereau of Crippled Indian Tattoo & Body Piercing has reached since opening in Fort Fairfield Nov. 17.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
INDIAN GLENN MERSEREAU, tattooist at Crippled Indian Tattoo & Body Piercing in Fort Fairfield, works on Adam Barker’s tribal dragon tattoo. Barker, of Mapleton, said his friend, Rob Lopez, designed the tattoo, which Indian Glenn estimates will take seven and-a-half hours to complete. Crippled Indian Tattoo & Body Piercing is located at 314 Main St.
“I’m an Indian and I’m crippled [rheumatoid arthritis],” laughed Mersereau, who prefers to be called Indian Glenn, as he is known in the tattoo industry, “so it seemed like a good name.
“We’ve been real busy,” he said. “Our customers have been 18 years of age to maybe 35 … young to middle age. It’s been a pretty even split between men and women.”
Indian Glenn has been a tattooist “a real long time,” while his daughter, Sarah Cote, does the body piercing. His wife, Cindy, owns the business.
“I apprenticed at a shop years ago,” he said. “I’ve pretty much been an artist my whole life and got into tattooing.”
So far, business is pretty even between tattooing and body piercing.
“The piercings are actually doing very well. It’s pretty even between guys and girls who come into get piercings,” said Cote, “but we’re seeing more 18- to 30-year-olds. We normally don’t get people much older than that looking for piercings.”
The more popular location for piercings, Cote said, are the belly button, lip, nose and eyebrow.
“Tongues are pretty popular up here, too,” she said.
Customers of Crippled Indian Tattoo & Body Piercing aren’t just locals.
“We’ve had people in from all over Aroostook County and Canada,” Indian Glenn said. “Last week I had someone up from Connecticut. Pretty much they’re all looking for custom stuff … one-of-a-kind tattoos.”
Along with apprentice Ron “Mumford” McEachern, Indian Glenn does all the designing.
“I’ve been wanting to do this my whole life,” said McEachern. “I’ve been drawing my whole life, but never went to school for it. I just kind of picked it up and am well known for being an artist in town. I enjoy doing what I’m doing.”
From Derry, N.H., Indian Glenn has been living in Castle Hill for the last two years.
“I retired and this is such a nice area, I decided to move up here,” he said. “We’ve been well received by the community.
“We’re from southern New Hampshire,” said Indian Glenn. “The shop we had down there, there were 20 shops in a 30-mile stretch. We came up here and there were two people doing it, so I came out of retirement, and we’re showing them something a little different.”
While typically thought of as a conservative community, Indian Glenn said Fort Fairfield residents have MTV and have seen shows such as “Miami Ink.”
“We’ve been real well received by the town in general … the other businesses, too,” he said. “They all ask for business cards and they’re helping us promote it. I haven’t heard a complaint yet.
“We’re in the Bible belt, but we’ve been well received by them, too,” said Indian Glenn. “We’ve pierced and tattooed a bunch of churchgoers. That’s probably the biggest surprise to me.”
Indian Glenn said the last tattoo he did in New Hampshire he charged $150 an hour, while now he charges about $20 an hour.
“We’re keeping the prices down … we’re not looking to take any food off anybody’s plate, especially with Christmas coming,” he said. “We’re giving half-price to all our college students and high school seniors who are going to graduate. We’re big believers in education.”
Because of state laws, minors age 16 and 17 cannot be tattooed or pierced without parental consent.
Indian Glenn said his long-term plans include expanding into Caribou and Presque Isle within the next 18 months.
Located at 314 Main St. in Fort Fairfield, Indian Glenn said Crippled Indian Tattoo & Body Piercing is open from “10 a.m. until we get done” Monday through Saturday.
“It might be 8 p.m., midnight or 2 a.m.,” he said. “We work around customers’ schedules.”
For more information, call Crippled Indian Tattoo & Body Piercing at 540-8090.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
A RIBBON CUTTING was held Dec. 7 at Crippled Indian Tattoo & Body Piercing in Fort Fairfield, which officially opened Nov. 17. Tattooist Indian Glenn works with his daughter, Sarah Cote, who does the body piercing. Attending the ribbon cutting were, front row, from left: Ron “Mumford” McEachern, apprentice; Cindy Mersereau, owner; and Sarah Cote. Back row: Janet Kelle, executive director of the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce; Tony Levesque, community development director; Janet McGillan, chamber board member; and Charlie Cormier, chamber board member.
