As part of the questions in the survey, we asked phans in what year they joined the phandom and the approximate period when they first watched the show. With additional information about historical moments in the phandom (considering official dates, phandom events, headcanons that made an impact, etc), here's an incomplete timeline to compare moments in the phandom with how we've grown through the years.
"But you missed [X] event!" Yesssss, probably, but this is meant to give a quick overview and to allow you to share moments that were relevant to you throughout the years.
Please note that I've only included one phandom issue in here because bigotry does need to be called out and remembered as part of our 21-year-long history. Other than that? There are way more positive things to celebrate than negative things to add here.
Please find more resources for the Phandom history in these links:
Phandom Events [Link] by @lexosaurus
Phandom History [Link] by @ifellbecausegravity
DPxDC Timelines [Part 1] [Part 2] by @dpxdcbigbang
Phandom War [Link]
Additional References (thanks to @phanboyo) [Link]
Thanks again! 💚
Descriptions under the read more
Phandom Timeline Stats:
57% ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE JOINED AS TEENS (13-17)
61% JOINED THE PHANDOM BEFORE 2020
8% JOINED THE PHANDOM BEFORE WATCHING THE SHOW
81% PICTURE THEMSELVES IN THE PHANDOM FOR YEARS TO COME (Agree & Strongly Agree)
Timeline Events listed:
2004: FIRST EPISODE AIRS - APRIL 3, 2004 ON NICKELODEON
2006: PHANDOM WARS (2006-2009 approx.) After Butch Hartman’s disapproval of slash creations, enforced by mods in official forums, there was a divide between self-called “True Phans” (those who adhered to Butch’s word) and “Anti Phans” (those who differed from his views)
2006-2007: SAVE DANNY EFFORTS ON & OFFLINE PROTESTS AGAINST THE SHOW’S CANCELLATION
2007: SEASON 3 (FINALE) AIRS; SHOW IS CANCELLED
2008: DISSECTION FICS- “LAB RAT” BY ANNERIAWINGS IS POSTED, STARTING A DISSEC TREND
2013: MAJOR PHANDOM EVENTS - FIRST TUMBLR EVENTS: PHANNIEMAY (LATER DANNYMAY) & ECTOBER WEEK
2014: WES WESTON - PHANS CREATE WES WESTON FROM A BACKGROUND CHARACTER
2015: TRANS DANNY FENTON - HEADCANON GAINS TRACTION ON TUMBLR AND OTHER SPACES
2016: BUTCH’S 10 YEARS LATER - YOUTUBE VIDEO SHOWING HIS IDEAS 10 YEARS IN THE FUTURE
2017: FIRST DANNYPOCALYPSE - APRIL 3, 2017 STARTS THE ANNUAL FLOODING OF DANNY’S FACE ON TUMBLR
2019: FIRST PHIC PHIGHT EVENT
2020: COVID LOCKDOWN
2021: FIRST INVISOBANG EVENT
2022: DPXDC BOOM - DC COMICS CROSSOVERS LED TO FIRST DISCORD SERVERS & EVENTS
2023: NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL “A GLITCH IN TIME” IS PUBLISHED
2025: SECOND GRAPHIC NOVEL “FAIR GAME” IS PUBLISHED
I do find it interesting that people both in and out of the Phandom seem to think that saying things like "they're probably just really good friends, who are both gay" and "seems like a QPR to me!" Ect... are just as much speculating about their relationship as saying "they are totally together!" "They are def dating!"
Idk but people dare to act high and mighty sometimes when they are presuming as much as the phan enjoyers. Who at least have more of a sense of humor about it, in my experience.
the danny phantom fandom went from 'people who watched it when it was airing' to 'people who watched it as kids' to 'people who haven't watched it or flat-out don't even like the show but like all the fanstuff the former two groups created' because as someone who was part of the first group watching the fandom go from point a to b was both fascinating and frustrating
A primary source reader of forum posts from the defunct message board, Guru Gossip (aka, GG or Guru-Gossiper).
Introducing..... Invariably Tied Together: Primary Sources from Guru Gossip, 2012-2015.
During my research for FanLore into the Phandom, I found a number of useful and insightful posts that shed a light on the early phandom on the gossip/snark board Guru Gossip, which I saved on an external Google Doc. As this website is now defunct (though the Dan and Phil threads are well-preserved on the WayBack Machine), I considered what the best way to present this information would be. The original boards contained extremely invasive speculation as well as the spread of sensitive materials regarding Dan and Phil.
So, inspired by the primary source readers that I had as textbooks while studying history in university, I put together one of my own. Please read the preface of the document for other important information/methodology/etc.
This is meant to be a guide/reference point for anyone who wishes to learn more about the community in the early days. Links are provided to be put in the Wayback Machine, but please do so at your own discretion.
I'm so glad you came to me. Let me take you on a little story of our Phandom History.
So the tl;dr is that it's a Danny Phantom shitposting tournament. There are 64 entrants who go head to head over 6 rounds. It's a stereotypical tournament style, so head to head rounds until there is just one final Phight Club Champion.
The history of this epic tournament is that in 2018, @ectopusses and @raycr0ak (formally rayhoosier) challenged me to an epic phight behind the Denny's. We trash talked for a while before @dannyphandump (aka Tali) started a Betting Booth on me vs ectopusses, which was then coined as an official phight.
After the idea gained popularity, Tali made a post to see if people wanted to set up a genuine, Hunger Games style shitpost tournament. @catalystofthesoul then set up how the tournament would work, and Tali and Vic (@babypop-phantom) then worked to bring it all together for January 2019.
2019 came with the FIRST Phight Club. @reallydumbdannyphantomaus won, @heyheyitsstillgay came in second, and I came in third.
Here are some amazing examples of the hilarity to come out of this event.
An incredible Danny outfit change by @heyheyitsstillgay
A Conlang Ghost Speak I made in one day
Danny reveals himself via snapchat by @punkhalfghosts
Danny cooks an egg by @reallydumbdannyphantomaus
2020 came next, and it was another slam dunk year. @ecto-american won, @auroraphantasma came in second, and @grimgrinningghoul came in third.
2020 also had some fantastic content:
A Clockwork Animation by @auroraphantasma
This Fenton Washer/Dryer Infomercial by @half-dead-half-wit
The time Danny convinced everyone he was being kinned by @grimgrinningghoul
When Vlad revealed himself by becoming Butch Hartman by @lumanae
So then 2021 came, and unfortunately both Tali and Vic needed a break. The events were always massive and involved essentially two full months of festivities, including art making, ghostsonas, oneshots showcasing epic battles, fake jobs and fake workdays, and more. Then 2022 came and went with no phight club even mentioned.
At this point, many of us just assumed that Phight Club was a thing of the past. A fun little thing we participated in for a few years that had stayed in that era of the phandom along with the famous Apocalypses and other meme-y events.
Well that was, until Last Night where Vic mysteriously posted this ominous flickering Denny's sign, the first peep this blog has had in the past few years.
Then shortly after, they changed their header to say this.
honestly the most cursed part of that is really that they made an ENTIRE EPISODE just because they went 'oh shit we need to retroactively put in a merchable logo'
Okay okay okay
But the most MOST cursed part about that is that they gave Butch literal Millions for advertising and merch and he blew it so bad that Nickelodeon still won't touch the show with a ten foot pole
