Middenface McNulty facts for kids

Archibald "Middenface" McNulty is a cool character from the comic series Strontium Dog. He appears in the British comic book 2000 AD and even has his own spin-off stories! Middenface is often seen fighting alongside the main hero of the series, Johnny Alpha.

Who is Middenface McNulty?

The stories about Middenface McNulty take place in Scotland in the 22nd century. This future Scotland has been changed by radioactive fallout. Because of this, people with mutations, called mutants, are treated as a lower class in Britain. McNulty grew up in a Scottish mutant neighborhood called Shytehill.

Middenface got his nickname because of his unique mutation. His skull is covered in hard, bumpy growths. These bumps can be different sizes and numbers depending on the artist who draws him. Usually, this mutation just changes how he looks. But sometimes, Middenface's skull is shown to be super hard. He can even hit things with his head or survive blows that would kill a normal person!

Like other members of the Search/Destroy agency, Middenface is a skilled guerrilla fighter. This means he's good at fighting in small groups and using surprise attacks. He has been fighting for his life since he was ten years old. He has led attacks and defended himself and others against people who hated mutants.

Middenface first showed up in a story called Portrait of a Mutant. In this story, he was the Scottish leader of the mutant rebels. He was also an ally of a young Johnny Alpha during the mutant war. After the war, he became a Search/Destroy Agent. He later appeared in the story Outlaw!. For a while, he appeared now and then. But after Johnny's partner Wulf Sternhammer passed away, Middenface became Johnny's new partner in many adventures.

At first, Middenface had a very strong Scottish accent that English characters couldn't understand. This was a running joke in the comics. Later, his accent was made easier to understand. However, his slightly wild and rebellious ways continued to be a source of humor.

Young Middenface's Story

Young Middenface was a long-running comic strip. It was printed in black and white in the Judge Dredd Megazine. Alan Grant wrote and created these stories. Many different artists drew the series, with Shaun Thomas being the last one. Ellie De Ville did the lettering.

The strip starts when McNulty is a young teenager. He is a bit of a troublemaker on the streets of Shytehill. The story shows how he becomes a mutant guerrilla and eventually a leader. It fills in the gaps before his first appearance in "Portrait of a Mutant." He becomes a fighter after being forced to run from the law. He is a very tough and sometimes reckless soldier. The deaths of his friends make him hate the mutant-hunting Kreeler police even more.

Eventually, the Scottish Mutant Army starts an uprising. This happens because Sir William "Stinking Billy" Cumberland is about to become the head of the Kreeler police in Scotland. Cumberland was named after a real historical figure who fought against Scottish rebels. The mutants take over the Kreelers and capture several cities. They even take the Scottish Parliament building. But they are not ready when Cumberland simply blows up Parliament!

More Kreeler police arrive, forcing the mutants to retreat. They make a final stand at Killoden theme park. Sadly, tens of thousands of mutants are killed there. After this, Cumberland becomes the First Minister of Scotland. Middenface and the mutants who survived keep fighting. They finally succeed in getting rid of Cumberland.

These stories use a lot of Scots slang and dialect. The storylines often refer to Scottish politics, society, and culture. For example, "Brigadoom!" and "'Midnapped!" are funny versions of famous Scottish stories. "Brigadoom!" makes fun of the musical Brigadoon. "'Midnapped!" parodies the classic Robert Louis Stevenson Scottish novel Kidnapped. In "Brigadoom!", the magical village is full of cannibals who sing for no reason!

Where Middenface Appears

Besides Strontium Dog comics and audio plays, Middenface has also been in:

• Strontium Dogs
• Young Middenface
• Dogbreath
• His own series in the Judge Dredd Megazine

Strontium Dog Comics

These stories were written by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Carlos Ezquerra:

• "Portrait Of A Mutant" #200–206, 210–221 (1981)
• "Outlaw!" #363–385 (1984)
• "The Big Bust Of ’49" #415–424 (1985)
• "Rage" #469–489 (1986)
• "Warzone!" #497–499 (1986)
• "The Rammy" #544–553 (1987)

These stories were written by Grant alone:

• "The Stone Killers" (art by Carlos Ezquerra) #560–572 (1988)
• "The No-Go Job" (art by Simon Harrison) #580–587 (1988)
• "The Final Solution" (part 1) (art by Simon Harrison) #600–606, 615–621, 636–641, 645–647 (1988–89)
• "The Final Solution" (part 2) (art by Colin MacNeil) #682–687 (1990)

These stories were written by Wagner alone, with art by Carlos and Hector Ezquerra:

• "Blood Moon" #2009, 1617–1628 (2008–09)
• "The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha" #1689–1699 (2010)
• "The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha: The Project" #2012, 1764–1771 (2011–12)

Middenface McNulty Comics

These stories were written by Alan Grant:

• "Wan Man an' His Dug" (with co-writer Tony Luke and artist John McCrea, in Judge Dredd Megazine #1.15-1.20, 1991–1992)
• "Grannibal!" (with pencils by Patrick Goddard and inks Dylan Teague, in Judge Dredd Megazine #3.76, 2001)

Young Middenface Comics

• "Tambo Shanter" (with pencils by Patrick Goddard, inks Dylan Teague and colours by Richard Elson, in Judge Dredd Megazine #4.11, 2002)
• "A Parcel of Rogues" (with pencils by Patrick Goddard and inks Dylan Teague, in Judge Dredd Megazine #4.16-4.18, 2002)
• "Mutopia" (with John Ridgway, in Judge Dredd Megazine #205-207, 2003)
• "Brigadoom!" (with pencils by Patrick Goddard and inks Dylan Teague, in Judge Dredd Megazine #218-220, 2004)
• "Killoden" (with John Ridgway, in Judge Dredd Megazine #224-229, 2004–2005)
• "Midnapped!" (with Shaun Thomas, in Judge Dredd Megazine #234-236, 2005)
• "A Scottish Sojer" (with Shaun Thomas, in Judge Dredd Megazine #240-243, 2006)

What Does "Middenface" Mean?

A midden is a old word for a waste pit or a pile of rubbish. This term is still used in Scotland. Over time, it also came to mean anything that is a mess, including people. This name fits McNulty because of his rather bumpy and not-so-pretty face!