Thursday, October 16, 1997

Business boldly goes where no one has gone

By BRIAN BETHEL / Abilene Reporter-News

So, ya wanna be a Klingon?

If you are a fan of "Star Trek" in any capacity, you are well familiar with Klingons, a race of bumpy-headed alien warriors both heroic and savage.

But if you really want to be a Klingon -- or just look like one -- you need to see Jim Bucherie, owner of The Next Frontier hobby shop.

One of the most notable portions of the Abilene store's business -- orders have come in nationally and even from other parts of the globe -- is the custom Klingon costumes Bucherie and fellow fan Don Gilbert create and sell.

Walking around pretending to be Kahless, the Klingon race's most famous warrior, may sound great for Halloween, but be aware that these aren't your usual spend-a-few-dollars-to- wear-once pieces.

A typical head-to-toe costume runs about $1,000, a price tag that would make your average party-goer cringe and your average Ferengi (a "Star Trek" race of ruthless traders) smile.

But that doesn't stop wannabe Klingons from shelling out the cash at the store, located at 746 S. Leggett, said Bucherie, a former paramedic.

"This is something you'll wear a few times each year, usually to conventions," he said, refering to the fan parties that help drive the "Star Trek" engine.

"There are probably five or six Klingon-oriented fan clubs nationally, and we do a lot of business with those types of groups."

Add a few custom-designed accessories, like a phaser pistol you can paint, and you'll be ready to fight for the honor of the Empire wherever you go.

"We're kind of Klingons at heart here," Bucherie said. "And they have great-looking costumes."

But even if you are not into portraying a member of a race of starfaring warriors, fans of science fiction, Tolkienesque fantasy or Lovecraftian horror find a lot to like in the store, too, he said.

The store stocks a full selection of miniatures, used in elaborate battlefield simulations ranging from World War II to the depths of space to worlds that would make Conan cringe.

The little figures often become hobbies in and of themselves, with participants painting them elaborately to give their "personal armies" an individual look and feel.

Play takes place in elaborate gaming areas, with miniature in- dustrial areas, castles and military complexes usual locations.

The pain-staking detail put into the figures and the landscapes in which they battle is half the fun, Bucherie said.

And when it comes to the games themselves? Think of it as playing with toy soldiers, but with rules, Bucherie said.

"When I was a kid I had toy soldiers -- hundreds of them. This is pretty much the same thing, but with a bit more structure. You know who really shot who thanks the the game rules."

In addition, role-playing games are popular products at the store, ranging from traditional fantasy settings to strange variants on traditional themes, such as in Deadlands, a game that combines Wild West storylines with traditional horror trappings.

Collectibles and models round out the list of the store's stock.

His own interest in science fiction, encouraged by his father, eventually led Bucherie to found The Next Frontier.

"I was always a "Star Trek" fan, and I loved the other hobby shops that used to be in town and that I would visit elsewhere," he said. "I knew that if I opened my own business, this would be what I wanted to do."

Abilene seemed "a fairly good place to open a hobby store," he said, and thus he opened his store 2-1/2 years ago on Mockingbird. He moved the business to its Leggett location recently.

A conservative estimate is about 1 percent of Abilene's population has an interest in what he sells, Bucherie said. But the shop is always looking to promote the various games and goodies it offers.

"Since I moved here, I've actually started to have some walk-through traffic," he said. "And we're always looking for ways to attract more gamers. We have a lot of fun."