A Brief History of Jersey Comic and Gaming Shops
The Little Shop (Early 1980s – Present)
The roots of Jersey’s gaming culture can arguably be traced back to The Little Shop, originally located within de Gruchy department store in St Helier during the early 1980s.
The shop introduced many islanders to:
- Dungeons & Dragons,
- Games Workshop,
- Citadel Miniatures,
- tabletop wargaming,
- fantasy roleplaying,
- and hobby painting.
For decades, the business was owned and operated by Janice Barnicoat. During one brief period ownership passed to Jonathan Marshall before eventually returning to Janice once again.
Unlike many early hobby retailers, The Little Shop survived the decline of traditional specialist high-street retail and continues trading today.
The store later gained international attention when Jersey-born actor Henry Cavill publicly credited it as the first place he ever bought Warhammer miniatures.
“the very first place I bought Warhammer models”
while posting photographs outside The Little Shop in St Helier.
The story was subsequently covered by Jersey media and international gaming press.
Historically, The Little Shop was important because it acted as:
- Jersey’s earliest fantasy gaming gateway,
- a source for imported hobby products,
- a meeting point for early tabletop gamers,
- and one of the foundations of the island’s geek culture.
Alternative 3 (1980s)
During the 1980s, Alternative 3 emerged as one of Jersey’s earliest dedicated comic and fantasy retailers outside the department-store environment.
The comic side of the business was particularly associated with Kevin Le Maistre, affectionately known within the local scene as “Klem”.
Alternative 3 became a discovery point for:
- comics,
- science fiction,
- fantasy literature,
- roleplaying games,
- imported hobby material,
- and alternative culture.
At a time before online shopping and internet fandom, stores like Alternative 3 were socially important spaces where local enthusiasts could meet and share interests.
Trick or Treat (Late 1980s / Early 1990s)
Kevin “Klem” Le Maistre eventually left Alternative 3 to establish Trick or Treat alongside Alberto Migliavacca and Mel.
The shop combined:
- comics,
- fantasy merchandise,
- collectibles,
- crystals,
- and alternative culture products.
This reflected the broader crossover between fantasy fandom, comic culture and alternative spirituality that characterised parts of the late 1980s and early 1990s subculture scene.
Trick or Treat represented an important transitional phase in Jersey hobby retail: moving beyond traditional comics into a broader alternative and fantasy lifestyle environment.
Saruman’s (1990s)
Following the end of Trick or Treat, Alberto Migliavacca entered into business with Mark Le Fondre to establish Saruman’s.
The Tolkien-inspired branding reflected the shop’s strong fantasy identity.
While Alberto brought experience from Jersey’s earlier comic and hobby scene, Mark Le Fondre’s interests leaned heavily toward books and fantasy literature.
Under Saruman’s, Jersey gaming culture evolved significantly. The shop became not merely a retail outlet, but a social gaming hub where players gathered to:
- play tabletop games,
- organise campaigns,
- paint miniatures,
- and build gaming communities.
The store became especially associated with the local wargaming scene, including the activities of Robert Le Vesconte and other tabletop players.
This period coincided with:
- the rapid growth of Games Workshop,
- Warhammer Fantasy Battle,
- Warhammer 40,000,
- Magic: The Gathering,
- White Dwarf magazine culture,
- and organised hobby gaming.
Saruman’s therefore represented the transition from simple retail into organised gaming culture.
Space-Craft (Late 1990s / 2000s)
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At around the same time, Martin Hills established Space-Craft.
The business focused strongly on:
- US import action figures,
- science-fiction merchandise,
- imported toys,
- collectibles,
- and pop-culture products.
Space-Craft reflected the growing influence of:
- American pop culture,
- anime,
- collector culture,
- action figures,
- and multimedia fandom during the late 1990s.
Eventually, Darius Pearce entered into business with Mark Le Fondre and took over Space-Craft in 2002.
Under their ownership, the focus increasingly shifted toward:
- Magic: The Gathering,
- Pokémon,
- Games Workshop,
- trading card games,
- organised play,
- and modern hobby gaming.
This marked a major shift in Jersey geek culture away from traditional comic retail and toward competitive gaming and collectible gaming communities.
Next Level Gaming (2017)
In 2017, Darius Pearce and Chris Magee established Next Level Gaming.
The business represented the modern evolution of Jersey gaming culture into:
- organised play,
- esports culture,
- trading card tournaments,
- tabletop gaming,
- video games,
- streaming-era gaming communities,
- and hybrid gaming retail.
Like the hobby stores before it, Next Level Gaming functioned not merely as a retailer, but as a social gathering space for Jersey’s gaming community.
Oblivion (2021)
In 2021, Darius Pearce’s cousin Simon Green established Oblivion.
The business continued Jersey’s long-running specialist gaming retail tradition into the modern era, focusing on:
- tabletop gaming,
- trading card games,
- collectibles,
- gaming merchandise,
- and community gaming culture.
“Jersey’s premier gamer’s heaven and haven.”
Oblivion represented the continuation of a retail lineage stretching back to Jersey’s earliest fantasy and gaming stores of the 1980s.
A Continuing Legacy
Across more than four decades, Jersey’s comic and gaming shops evolved from:
- a small fantasy section within a department store,
- into comic shops,
- fantasy bookstores,
- tabletop gaming hubs,
- trading card venues,
- esports-era gaming spaces,
- and modern hybrid hobby communities.
Yet despite the changes in technology and culture, their essential role remained remarkably consistent.
Before:
- Amazon,
- Discord,
- Steam,
- YouTube,
- online fandom,
- and digital gaming communities,
these shops were the infrastructure of geek culture in Jersey.
They were places where people discovered:
- fantasy worlds,
- science fiction,
- roleplaying games,
- tabletop battles,
- collectible gaming,
- lifelong friendships,
- and entire imaginative subcultures.