From pen and paper to figurines, Heim pulls his worlds in a variety of directions
Walking past Warren Heim’s booth at Motor City Comic Con can be a difficult task. If the artwork and books doesn’t stup us, the figurines might. Or the coins. Or the drawings. Or the minifigs. That’s because they’re not just merch, they’re an integral part of the intricate narrative that Heim wishes to tell as he builds a vast world of adventure and storytelling. His project, Lost in the Land of the Realms, spans (what we would call today) the beginnings of a Mediaverse where parts and pieces and all wrap together in cohesion.
Surprisingly it didn’t happen over decades, but it also didn’t happen to a specific plan.
SideQuesting: How long have you been working on Lost in the Land of the Realms?
Warren Heim: About four years.
SQ: Four years? That doesn’t seem like a long time. How did you manage to create this whole universe in just that short time?
Heim: Well, it’s definitely a lot of work, a lot of long hours. But they’re a very satisfying long hours. One of my favorite things to do is when I wrap up a book, I submit it to the printer and then I just wait for them to send me approval. When I get that finished copy in my hand, the hundreds of hours is all worth it for the book.
SQ: And so you have comics, you’ve created figurines, you have all kinds of items related to it. What’s it been like developing this whole world and universe and all the media around it?
Heim: I just love having that finished piece in hand, that’s that product in my head realized. It’s a lot of work, yeah, a lot of grinding, but it’s grinding for fun. I think that’s been the most important part, having fun, because when I start with a character or an idea it quickly goes to something bigger. Each character becoimes someone I want to explore and detail, for instance, so I don’t just stop with words or drawings. It has to go as far as I can take it, and feels really natural to just keep making and growing it.
SQ: What’s the reception been like so far?
Heim: Oh, really good, bro. It’s a positive feedback. People have loved reading the books and then immediately buying a figurine or another item. It’s cool to see them make that connection right away. I really wanted to make a comic book series that was very unique, so any time someone enjoys it, it justifies the work.
SQ: Tell me a little about the world and core of the project.
Heim: Well, an orphan boy escapes the orphanage and gets dropped off in a strange land. And kind of by a series of missteps, mishaps, is basically fighting monsters and meeting lots of bizarre characters throughout the books. And those characters become increasingly more unique and fun, and the boy’s connection to this strange world starts to get revealed along the way. It’s designed to keep growing, and I hope it does.
While Lost in the Land of the Realms is still relatively new by typical media standards, the world is already expansive and the characters within it may drive it even further than it’s already gone — that is, if Heim can somehow magically get a few more hours in the day to keep grinding for fun.
Photographs by Dali Dimovski/SideQuesting
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