Often when you talk about Nickelodeon, the conversation tends to be about its many live action comedies like iCarly or Big Time Rush, or its animated ventures like Avatar or Spongebob. One show that gets talked about a lot but not all the time is Danny Phantom. was on at the same time that creator Butch Hartman’s other show, Fairly Oddparents, was at its peak, and while it’s fondly remembered (and continues to have just a killer theme song), it’s arguably in the B-tier of Nick shows next to My Life as a Teenage Robot and Invader Zim.
Surprisingly, the show is getting a chance at a second life via an upcoming graphic novel, A Glitch in Time. Drawn and written by Gabriela Epstein (Baby-sitters Club, Invisible), the graphic novel sees Danny and his friends Tucker and Sam go on a road trip through time and space to imprison Dark Danny, an evil version of Danny from season two’s “Ultimate Enemy” episode. It’s a plot point that the show itself never got around to, but as Glitch in Time takes place after the show’s series finale, it’s got plenty of room to play in.
SO excited to reveal my cover for the #DannyPhantom graphic novel continuation: A Glitch in Time for @abramskids + @Nickelodeon
I’m honored to be writing and illustrating it, and hope the phans will enjoy this new adventure!
👻 Pre-orders are now up! Link in thread! 👻 pic.twitter.com/rF622q3sVQ
— Gabriela Epstein (@pichikui) September 9, 2022
If you haven’t watched Danny Phantom, here’s the gist: when he was just 14, Danny Fenton got ghost superpowers from being blasted by the ghost portal in his parents’ lab. It was basically Spider-Man meets Ghostbusters, with Danny and friends fighting a new ghost each week, and occasionally Danny would get a new power. The show ran for three seasons and during its heyday, Danny either starred in his own video game or guest starred in games featuring Nickelodeon characters.
It’s unclear as to what degree Hartman is involved with the graphic novel: in recent years, he’s been accused of plagiarizing art for commissions, along with misleading those who donated to his Kickstarter campaign for his then streaming service, Oaxis. Billed as a Christian, “family friendly” alternative to other streaming services, backers were slighted with Hartman not mentioning that aspect of Oaxis in the description. He currently serves as a producer for Paramount’s live-action Fairly Oddparents.
Is a Danny Phantom return on the horizon? It’s currently unclear, but given that Nickelodeon is on track to start up Avatar shows and films again, and the aforementioned iCarly recently had its revival series renewed for a third season, it wouldn’t be out of the question.
Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time will release on July 18, 2023.
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