The Badlands

What is Gorkamorka?

Gorkamorka is a skirmish/campaign game produced by Games-Workshop.  It is based around orks and vehicles; it has a very "Road Warrior" feel to it.  It is set on the desert world of Angelis, in the Warhammer 40K universe.  Players control a mob of Orks, Diggas, Rebel Grots, or Muties.  The Ork mobs are typically broken up into two factions, either Gorkers (worshippers of Gork, who have more Combat skills) or Morkers (worshippers of Mork, who have more Driving skills). The object of the game is to battle rivals and collect scrap.  The rules were roughly based on the second edition of Warhammer 40,000, with some extra vehicle rules. Campaign rules are included and a supplement called Digganob was later added (Digganob is required to play Diggas, Rebel Grots, and Muties mobs). 

The Setting

Eons ago, a Space Hulk filled with Orks on a Waaagh! (a huge Ork invasion), crashed into Angelis, plowing a massive canyon, "Da Skid", and devastating the world's ecosystem. The Orks, who can survive just about any catastrophe, promptly decided that this wasn't the Waaagh! and decided to find a way off-world as quickly as possible. They turned to their Mekboyz (Orks genetically pre-destined to be scientists) for aid. The Meks quickly set the other Orks to work gathering up all of the wreckage from the crash. The Meks began assembling this scrap into a huge machine- just what it was going to do differed depending on the ideas of the individual Mekboy.

Some thought they were constructing a new Space Hulk, others thought it would be a Boarder (a combination of tractor beam and teleporter, which would pull a Space Hulk into orbit then allow the Orks to teleport on board) while yet others thought that the machine, once completed, would spring to life, pick them all up in its hands and carry them to the Waaagh!!

Eventually one of the other Orks noticed that this machine resembled a giant Ork - it was the spitting image of Gork/Mork, the Ork gods of violence and cunning. But which god the machine resembled became a bone of contention between the Orks- some thought it was Gork, others Mork. This eventually led to civil war, which destroyed the machine. Afterwards, the Meks decreed that from that day forward, the machine would be referred to as "Gorkamorka", which meant it could be Gork, Mork or both gods at once.

Races of Gorkamorka

Orks-a fungus/algal-based race whose culture revolves around war, Orks are the most common species in the universe of Warhammer 40,000. The Orks on Angelis are slightly mutated, as their culture is led by the Mekboyz instead of Warbosses. Orks live in Mektown, centered around Gorkamorka.

Diggas-Before the Orks crashed, Angelis was being surveyed by the Imperium. Those humans examining the pyramids of Angelis were forced underground during the Crash, and gradually devolved into primitives. When the two races first met, Orks tried to enslave Diggas, but were slaughtered by the Night Horrors, the fearful allies of the Diggas. Since then, Orks have referred to the Pyramids and the land around them, the unchallenged territory of the Diggas, as "Morgarg-durlurk-gulskar-dregsnikslag", which translates as "Fortress of Ancient, Terrifying Power, Land of Waiting Death, Pain and Destruction", a name of utter dread amongst a species which fears virtually nothing. Despite these initial setbacks, Diggas and Orks have become trading partners, and Diggas revere Orks as the pinnacle of culture.

Rebel Grots-Despite the fact that the Gretchin (Grots) of Angelis fight and die for their Orkish masters, Grots do not and will never receive tags- which means they won't be allowed on Gorkamorka when the time finally comes. This was and is very upsetting for them, and many years ago there was a city wide revolution, which was brutally put down by the Orks. Some of the rebellious Gretchin survived, and fled Mektown. These were the ancestors and founders of the Gretchin Revolutionary Committee, led by the infamous Red Gobbo, who dwell in Skid Row (a massive, relatively intact chunk of Space Hulk which lies at the opposite end of Da Skid to Mektown). The Rebel Grots' mission is to earn equal rights, the opportunity for Grots to get on Gorkamorka too.

Muties -When the Space Hulk crashed, not all of the humans were forced underground. Some survived the crash of their own space ship, and continued to dwell within it. But the radiation and poisons pouring from the Hulk twisted and corrupted them, changing them into twisted mutant monstrosities. The most advanced race on Angelis, the Muties lead a holy war against all other races from their fortress "Etervigila".

Necrons- (not a playable mob) Originally, the true identity of the Diggas' monstrous allies was a mystery, but Games Workshop published a scenario in White Dwarf which revealed the other beings to be an isolated crypt of Necrons, located in the pyramids above the Diggas' catacombs. They are commonly referred to by the Orks as "dem fings wot built da pyramids". 

Back in the good old days of White Dwarf, Gorkamorka used to be referenced and expanded.  Here's a short list of Gorkamorka related articles featured in White Dwarf Magazine.

GorkaMorka
#212) GorkaMorka: a look at the background for GM
#213) GorkaMorka: a look at the game itself
#213) Collecting A Mob: tips on making a Ded `Ard Mob of Greenskins for GM
#214) All Along the Watchtower: instructions for assembling your watchtower
#214) We Wuz `Ere Furst!: scenario for GM based around the Watchtower in this issue
#213) Da Badskins Get Bad: a look at GM in campaign play
#216) Get Scrappin': 3 new GM scenarios
#216) The Life of Brian: a look at the person responsible for the GM minis
#217) Mad Meks: new gubbins for your GM vehicles
#217) Digganob is Coming!: a look at the GM boxed supplement
#218) Digganob!: anohter look at the new boxed supplement for GM
#218) Digganob: battle report - Orkz vs. Diggas
#218) How to Paint Your Diggamob: tips on painting diggas
#219) Startin' Da Revolution: a look at the Gretchin Revolutionary Committee
#219) How to Paint Your Grots: tips on painting the members of the GRC
#219) Sand, Nothing but Sand...: tips on making scrap & rock piles for terrain
#220) Phew, What a Scorcher!: rules for using the new Scorcher in GM
#220) Mad Meks 2: more new gubbins for your GM vehicles
#221) Doc's Serjery: a look at the bionik bits for yer boyz
#222) Mutie Attack: battle report - Muties vs. Diggas
#223) Brewhouse Bash: GM game of barroom brawls
#227) Perils Of Da Desert: rules for Treacherous Conditions for GM

Citadel Journal has the following info. on Gorkamorka:

CJ 27   Gorka Forta!: Building Gorkamorka Forts and Mektown Buildings

CJ 28   BladerZ: In-line and Roller Skates

Gorkamorka Mob for Hire

How to Make your BlazerZ Models

CJ 29   Into da Big Nuffin': A collection of wacky scenarios

1.      Get da Big Boots

2.      Attack on Grot Town

3.      Da Trukk Bash

4.      We'z Outa Juice

5.      Da Squig Farm

CJ 30   Da Jolly Ork!: Ork Freebooter Mobs

CJ 31   Da Desert Squigs

Hopper Squigs

Nasher Squigs