Review Fix Exclusive: Robert Geronimo Talks Blood Realm And More

May 14, 2019 Patrick Hickey Jr. Books & Comics 0

Review Fix chats with Blood Realm creator, writer and artist Robert Geronimo to find out about his creative influences, goals and what makes the series so special to him. 

Review Fix: How did you get involved in the comic book industry?

Geronimo: I’ve always wanted to work in comics as a kid, but I decided to seriously pursue a career after I graduated college. I started out doing freelance work until I eventually realized that I would much rather develop stories of my own instead of bringing other people’s ideas to life. It was then I put all of my energy into personal projects and turned to Kickstarter and local grants to get them funded.

Review Fix: What inspired this comic?

Geronimo: My comic series, BLOOD REALM, is inspired by many things from Lord of the Rings to Hellraiser. I’ve been a gamer my whole life and immersive fantasy rpgs and action titles inspired me to create fantasy worlds of my own, particularly Dark Souls, Dragon Age, and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. 

Review Fix: What makes this comic special?

Geronimo: This series is a labor of love and a true amalgam of my experiences and inspirations. The color palette is limited to black, white, and red. I wanted to make it different from every other book on the shelf and to give the reader the feeling that they are reading an ancient text from another world. The goal is to make the saga as immersive as possible. I try to achieve this by including a map of the world (called the lands of Mhordrin) and snippets of lore at the back of every issue for readers to sink their teeth into if they wish to dig a little deeper into Mhordrin’s history and various races.

Review Fix: What creators do you think have influenced you the most?

Geronimo: The special effects master, Ray Harryhausen, introduced me to fantasy epics on screen at a young age. That scene with Medusa in the CLASH OF THE TITANS film from 1981 ignited my passion for epic storytelling. That scene oozes atmosphere and definitely has a touch of horror. Clive Barker’s novels inspired me to tell tales of my own. European comic artists such as Sergio Toppi and Moebius helped me find my illustrative voice, and game designers such as Mortal Kombat’s Ed Boon & John Tobias and Dark Souls’ Hidetaka Myazaki allowed me to explore their terrifying & ruthless dark fantasy worlds. 

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it the most?

Geronimo: Blood Realm is for fans of both horror and fantasy, particularly readers who enjoy a sense of discovery. RPG and Dungeons and Dragons fans will feel right at home! As much as I love Tolkien and Game of Thrones, I’m tired of seeing fantasy stories humans are the focus. In Blood Realm, we begin with the siege of the last kingdom of men by the Saytrians (a warrior race of goat-kind). We begin with the end of mankind’s rule over Mhordrin as a new force begins its reign.

Review Fix: What do you prefer, writing or drawing?

Geronimo: I enjoy both writing and illustrating, but my favorite part is the early development phase when I’m creating the ideas for the story. That’s the most fun. 

Review Fix: What are your goals for the series in 2019?

Geronimo: In 2019, Blood Realm will be concluding its second mini-series titled SHADOWED KINGDOM. I have some great merchandise planned and convention appearances so I’m looking forward to announcing those soon. 

Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?

Geronimo: I want folks to remember Blood Realm as a truly immersive dark-fantasy comic series that wasn’t afraid to take chances, while at the same time, took its readers on an epic ride!

Review Fix: What’s next?

Geronimo: 2020 will see the release of the third and fourth mini-series in the Blood Realm saga. That will wrap up the entire series. I definitely plan on launching an Indigogo campaign for the complete volume, featuring each chapter and bonus material. I envision it like a big, medieval tome.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Geronimo: Blood Realm is currently published by Alterna Comics and is available now at your local comic shop. You can order previous issues from Alternaaccess.com and from my website robertgeronimo.com. You can also find prints, original art, and merchandise on my website as well. I keep all of my readers updated on Instagram (@rgeronimoart) and Twitter (@rgeronimoart & @BLOOD_REALM). Hope to see you guys in the lands of Mhordrin!

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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