Gallo: Done and Done 'er.

Watch your step, young Toro - those stairs look treacherous.

As 2016 careers towards the finish line, like a police car with a lightning god in the engine, so too does 'Gallo'. Yep, David Broughton and I have finally completed work on our 28-page tale, 'Detective Gallo and the Unholy Company' (to give it its Sunday name) and are pleased to report that it'll soon be winging its way to the printers. Spinning off from 'Martillo', 'Gallo' shows us how the tetchy titular 'tec deals with the supernatural in the absence of his hammer-wielding ally. But it also focuses on Gallo's relationships with three different colleagues - relationships which turn out to be closely intertwined. The story therefore consists of three separate sections, but all are linked by the mysterious bullet-ridden Cross of St. John - and the legacy of Spain's fascist ruler General Franco.

Having now seen 'Gallo' in its final state, I'm pretty happy with it. The creative process being what it is, inevitably that'll change at some point, and I'll find myself bemoaning various flaws that only I can see (whilst remaining oblivious to those that are screamingly obvious to others) but for now, I like it. It's a much tighter story than 'Martillo' - it has to be, it's about half as long - and there's a confidence and boldness in David's art that really pleases me. David currently hopes to debut the comic at the True Believers Comic Convention at Cheltenham Race Course, on February 4th 2017. After that, it'll also be sold online - more details as we have them. For now, though, the 'Gallo' team wishes you season's greetings - or as Gallo himself would say: 

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

(Actually, he probably wouldn't say that. I mean, all things considered, he's a bit of a dick. How much of one? Find out soon...)

Gimme Toro, Gimme Some More!

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.

"You think I ain't worth a peseta, but I feel like a millionaire!" Art by David Broughton.