“That’s good, but you spelled one wrong. ‘Sodding’ 'as got two ’d’s, love.”
Murdoc helping Noodle learn English. Also the last he time he was allowed to after Russel found out he was teaching her by having her translate swears.
(As a side note, I had no idea that tumblr was so thirsty for Murdad and Uncle Muds)
Murdoc has two modes/reactions when it comes to Noodle: Murdad, and Uncle Muds.
No one knows which one is going pop up in any given situation, which makes things extra interesting.
Especially when he and 30 year old Noodle visit the pub and that one creeper starts sniffing around and can’t take a hint.
It will go one of two ways:
Uncle Muds will drawl from his seat with an amused grin “Jus’ walk away, mate,”
Creeper, *scoffing*: Or what? You’ll kick my arse, you old coffin dodger?
Uncle Muds, half drunk *gravelly chuckle*: Nah, mate,“ gestures lazily to Noodle, ”She’ll kick your s***ing arse. An she’ll kick it so hard you’ll be wearin’ your arse**** like a collar. I’ll just do the gentlemanly thing and call you an ambulance when she’s done.“
Noodle, with That Look in her eye*cracks her knuckles like Uncle Muds taught her*
Creeper doesn’t take the hint and puts his hands on Noodle.
Noodle: hands Creeper his arse in a takeaway bag.
Uncle Muds rumbles approvingly "Well done, love!” , ruffles her hair, then buys her another drink.
Or
Murdad *growls threateningly from his chair* :“Back off yew t**t! She’s not interested!”
Noodle tries to calm Murdoc, but Creeper puts his hands on her.
Creeper *grabbing Noodle’s arm*:“ Let’s ditch this old s*d and-!”
Before Noodle can react, Murdad is up and breaking a chair over the Creeper’s head, and is incoherently screaming in a blind rage while beating seven kinds of doo doo out of the guy. No one puts their hands on Noodle without her consent!
Creeper lands a few punches, but he’s not much of a match. Murdoc more than knows how to fight, and has had a lifetime of practice.
Noodle has to wrestle Murdoc off the guy and practically frog march him out of the pub before the authorities show up.
Mom Russel is not pleased when they get home and Angry Drunk Murdad has to explain his black eye and split lip.
It has come to my attention that this is not an official magazine cover. This is actually some hecking awesome fanart (coloring and mock up) by @glowrillaz that had me completely fooled! It is so well done! I claim zero ownership of the artwork, and I apologize if I have stepped on the artist’s metaphorical toes by unkowingly editing and reposting their work into an anaglyph. @glowrillaz , if you would like for me to remove this post, I gladly will! I had no intention of stealing your amazing art!
Turns out he was grumpy in my last doodle because he was thinking about the night he got drunk and tried to roast Cortez in the oven.
He thought he was dead all these years, but Cortez suddenly showed up, croaked angrily at him for five minutes, pecked him sharply on the head, and now they are BFF’s again!
(According to the Gorillaz Almanac, Murdoc did get drunk on absinthe, and tried to roast the raven after his takeaway was not delivered. Cortez escaped, leaving behind some frazzled feathers, and now works at the Tower of London.)
Sorry, guys. I put my sacroiliac joint out, and I can’t bend down to pull my scanner out from under my desk, so a cellphone photo is the best I can do.
I think Hell invented a 10th level to yeet me into just for that first video I posted. This one probably is no less cursed. I apologize in advance for your nightmares. You have been warned!
So I guess I lied earlier when I said my computer was on it’s last leg. It booted up fine and is running faster than it was earlier. I’m still planning on getting it looked at. Hopefully it can hold on until I can get that done! For now, please enjoy this Murdad doodle I was finally able to do after being MIA for almost three months!
I’m working on Murdad and Noodle doodle, but it’s going to take a long minute. My Aunt is in the hospital (nothing serious!), and things are a little fruit-shaped for me at the moment. While you are waiting for my next doodle, please enjoy this Gorillaz headcanon!
Gorillaz Headcanon - Murdoc and his nightmares (it’s a little long)
Murdoc suffers from regular nightmares, which is part of the reason he drinks so much. It’s easier for him to count the nights he doesn’t have a nightmare, or unsettling dream of some kind. He puts it down to the stress of trying to become famous, and of good old-fashioned childhood trauma.
Russel knows something is up a few months after they move into Kong Studios. Murdoc always looks haggard despite sleeping until almost noon every day. And he seem to live in a perpetual state of inebriation, regularly getting blackout drunk.
Murdoc brushes off Russel’s concerned questioning about his sleeping habits, and spouts some bs about all the birds he invites to his ‘Love Shack on wheels’.
Russel rolls his eyes, but drops the subject. He hears him screaming one night while getting himself a midnight snack, and runs out to the Winnebago, thinking the man is being attacked by zombies.
He finds Murdoc hunched at the edge of his bed, soaked in sweat, shaking and dangerously close to tears.
Murdoc is so rattled, he spills his guts to Russel.
Russel sits there, big warm hand on the bassist’s back while Murdoc tells him about the nightmares of his dad and brother beating him, or torturing him, and of demons and devils.
Russel sits with Murdoc, talking with him, doing his best to comfort him. He sits in the cramped space on edge of the bed, his hand on Murdoc’s shoulder until he falls asleep. And the man actually sleeps. No nightmares, no unsettling dreams.
Neither speaks of the event, but when Russel notices Murdoc starting to drink more, he makes a trip out to the Winnie.
When Noodle arrives at Kong, Russel noticed Murdoc seems unsettled by her is but trying not to show it.
Russel becomes more concerned when Murdoc starts drinking heavily, is barely able to function, and seems to be in a permanently foul mood. Russel tries to sit with him to keep the nightmares away, but Murdoc snaps at him and refuses his help.
The only one he doesn’t snarl at is Noodle. He just can’t seem to bring himself to shout at her. Murdoc is annoyed that the little sprog won’t stay out of his Winnie. She just let’s herself in whenever she pleases, sometimes creeping in and curling up with him in the wee hours.
Murdoc just can’t bring himself to kick her out. She kind of weirds him out, but at the same time, she seems familiar to him.
He has a particularly bad week. The nightmares are especially terrifying, filled with swirling shadows and the sound of an infant’s desperate crying. He blames it on the ever-present flocks of crows squabbling over zombie bits in the graveyards.
Murdoc wakes screaming for the second time one night, a baby’s cries echoing in his ears, and a crushing sense of panic and loss pressing down on his throat.
He almost screamed again when a small hand touched his arm. Murdoc managed not to say any swear words, and tried to give Noodle his most disapproving scowl.
The little girl had looked at him with concern, unfazed, and climbed up next to the shaking bassist, seeing the nightmare-shadows in his eyes.
Murdoc had gruffly asked her what she was doing in his Winnebago. Noodle had silently studied him for a moment, then pushed his shoulder and pointed to the bed, saying something in Japanese in the most commanding tone he’d ever heard from a child.
Noodle had repeated the command, and pointed. Murdoc had snarled, annoyed, but Noodle had given him a sharp look that promised all kinds of trouble if compliance was not forthcoming.
Murdoc had raised an eyebrow, grudgingly impressed at the amount of balls this tin lid had, and had laid down. He got comfortable on his belly, figuring Noodle was going to cuddle up. He had grunted in surprise when she had started rythmically patting his back.
Murdoc had started to protest, embarrassed at being treated like a child, by a child, and moved to sit up. He was immediately stopped by something Noodle said in a scolding tone. He grunted in mild surprise and stayed put, not sure how to process what had just happened.
Murdoc had tensed at first, unused to the sensation, but the tension had slowly drained away under the soothing patting. Murdoc was asleep minutes later. The nightmares didn’t come back the rest of the night.
It became a routine for the two, Noodle coming by every few nights to chase the bad dreams away, or for some comfort when she had a nightmare of her own, something upset her, she felt lonely, or when there was a thunderstorm. Murdoc was a little gruff, but he did his best to soothe her.
Murdoc noticed that his nightmares came less frequently with Noodle around, even when she didn’t sneak into the Winnie to pat him to sleep.
Russel noticed the difference, but said nothing, not wanting to embarrass his bandmate. He was glad the man was sleeping better, and drinking less.
Over the years, the nightmares almost stopped completely Murdoc was able to sleep at night for weeks and months at a time.
But even 20 years later, Murdoc would have the occasional nightmare, or just have trouble getting to sleep.
Noodle would usually catch him sitting on the couch or in the studio late at night and shoo him to his bed. She would say that same phrase in Japanese to him, and he would snort, amused, and lay on his belly so she could pat his back.
And of course he would never admit that some nights he couldn’t sleep, not because he had nightmares, but because he had gotten used to being patted to sleep.
Every kid heard about a kid that knew a kid, who knew a kid, who knew a kid, who went so high they went all the way over the top of the swing, and every kid wanted to see if the rumor was true, including Noodle! Murdoc would have an internal conflict between which version of himself was going to manifest when Noodle would ask him to push her on the swing. Murdad wanted to nurture her imagination, but keep her safe, while Uncle Muds wanted her to have fun and be a kid, and deal with the consequences later. Neither wanted to deal with Angry Mom Russel, so Murdad would win.
Super Quick Gorillaz Headcanon- Putting Noodle to Bed
Everyone would take a turn tucking Noodle in at bed time
Mom Russel would always get her warm milk, make sure she didn’t have too many stuffed animals on her bed, and made sure she had enough blankets. He would talk to her about her day, and listen to her worries, then kiss her goodnight and tuck her in.
2D would put as many stuffed animals on Noodle’s bed as she wanted, tell her funny stories about the days before she got delivered. They would jump on the bed and laugh until Russel would come in and get mad at them. 2D would then quietly sing to her and make shadow puppets on the wall until she fell asleep
Murdad would scoop Noodle up and yeet her onto the bed, grinning as she squealed delightedly. He would throw a blanket over her, get comfy next to her, and read a Murdoc version of the classic fairy tales (just a smidge too inappropriate to fall under “child friendly”). He used to sing to her, but Russel forbade him from ever singing to her at bedtime after he sang “Enter Sandman” and she woke up screaming. Russel also found out about the fractured fairy tales which resulted in a long lecture.
When you win the big bar fight and try to sneak into your Winnebago but get caught by your FedEx crotch goblin and you have to sit there for an hour while she lectures you in Japanese.
