The story of Da Red Gobbo is a truly inspirational tale of how a bullied gretchin became the greatest revolutionary leader of all. Da Gobbo’s Revenge is available now, and we caught up with the man who wrote it, Mike Brooks, to find out more about this incredible story of hope, bravery, and grots.
Explain Da Gobbo's Revenge for us in a couple of sentences
Mike: When the mekboy in charge of Fingwit and his fellow grots dies during a boarding action of a humie ship, Fingwit has to take charge and make decisions. When he does, he realises that there's no reason why they should stick to the plans the Orks had for them, and so a legend is (re)born... Da Red Gobbo.
Who is Fingwit? Was he always bound for greatness, or does he undergo a transformation?
Mike: Fingwit is a grot! In game terms he'd be an ‘oiler’, a Mek's assistant. He's one of a group known as ‘Da Fingaz’ who do things for the Mekboy Klaws, who blew his own hands off once and now only has power klaws for hands. Fingwit is nominally the head grot, mainly through the others not wanting to take any responsibility for anything. In most ways he's a normal grot – cowardly and vicious – but there's a faint spark of rebellion and even, dare I say it, camaraderie in him somewhere, which is what the novella focuses on.
What was it like to write about such a fondly regarded character?
Mike: Great fun, really. Da Red Gobbo has this weird status where he started as a Communist-flavoured revolutionary in the Gorkamorka game*, and since then has shown up several times at Christmas**. I went with the ‘revolutionary’ aspect in the novella (although there was originally an idea for it to be a much more overtly Christmas-themed story, which would have been hilarious but possibly just a bit too silly even for me), and treated it a bit like where a character takes on the mantle of an existing superhero. So you know the broad strokes of who the character becomes, but they have their own take on it.
What was your research process? How did you get in Da Red Gobbo's head?
Mike: Research for anything Ork-based is fairly easy, because I've been playing them for nearly 30 years across a few different game systems. I've realised that I take on quite a ‘Discworldian’*** mentality when writing Orks – there's that same feel of there being an internal logic that sounds like it should make sense, is complete nonsense when you think about it, but then actually works in the story. The difference is what they're focused on: Orks think mainly about fighting, whereas grots are far more into staying alive. Having written Ufthak Blackhawk in Brutal Kunnin, it made a nice change to write about a grot at the other end of the command chain.
Lastly, how do you think Da Red Gobbo would like the book?
Mike: “Book”? Sounds like humie nonsense ta me, boss!
Da Gobbo’s Revenge is available now in hardback and digital eBook, so pick up your copy before the other Gretchin snaffle the lot of them. You can also get Da Red Gobbo and Bounca, this year’s Christmas miniature, who’ll only be around until the holiday season is over.
* Gorkamorka also established Da Red Gobbo’s immortality – or, to be precise, the tradition of other grots putting on Da Red Gobbo’s coat, claiming to be him, and taking up leadership of Da Revolushun whenever he died.
** The leader of Da Revolushun and the Christmas Red Gobbo are the same grot. We’re not sure how he manages to do it all. Possibly some kind of festive Waaagh! energy.
*** As seen in the famous Discworld series of books by Terry Pratchett.