Almost three years ago (has it really been that long?)
artist David Broughton and I unleashed 'Martillo' on the world - a hefty comic
about an angry priest with a sledgehammer, smiting evil in 1940s Spain. However,
when I was scripting 'Martillo', I found myself particularly enjoying the
dialogue and antics of one of the supporting cast, Detective Gallo of the
Higher Police Corp. In the grumbling Gallo, I had a character who seemed
permanently exasperated by everything around him - particularly the supernatural
- and whose caustic retorts proved enormous fun to write. As such, David and I
are currently working on a spin-off, which will see the loquacious lawman starring
in his own comic. Set in 1949, 'Gallo' sees the balding, smart-arsed sleuth
dealing once more with paranormal peril - peril intimately connected to his own
troubled past. But now that Martillo's no longer around, will Gallo have to
face it alone?
Well, no. Much as he might wish otherwise, Gallo has
a new partner, the energetic young Toro - a courageous cop, far more practical
than his predecessor, the notoriously incompetent Detective Moles. But why does
it often seem as if Gallo would prefer a more useless partner? The answer, as
ever, may lie in the psychic upheaval of the Spanish Civil War...
'Gallo' will consist of three linked stories, and at time of
writing, looks likely to be a 32-page volume. The scripts are done and David has
completed the art for the first story, which looks smashing - he's using a slightly
different approach to light and shade from 'Martillo', which guarantees that
'Gallo' will be a striking-looking comic. More updates as we progress - for
now, here's a sneak peak at Toro, a man who needs no red rag to spur him into
action.
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| "You think I ain't worth a peseta, but I feel like a millionaire!" Art by David Broughton. |
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