PhantomArcade

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“PhantomArcade is an animator. He leads the story, makes the characters, and animates them all for his arch rival Ninjamuffin to implement into the game. He uses Adobe Flash CS4.”
― Friday Night Funkin' Kickstarter campaign description

“Directing and Animating a Rhythm Game for Psychopaths and Lunatics”
― Twitter bio

David Brown, better known online as PhantomArcade (also formatted as Phantom Arcade), is an American artist, animator, voice actor, animation director, storyboard artist, and game designer. He is the director, lead animator, and lead artist for Friday Night Funkin'. He is the one who originally came up with the game's premise and title. PhantomArcade is mainly responsible for the game's animation, art assets, and character designs with co-artist evilsk8r, along with writing the story for the game, realizing storyboards for the cutscenes, providing additional sound effects for the game with composer Kawai Sprite, and drafting new mechanics and gameplay elements. He also worked with Bassetfilms to create the character Monster.

Involvement

PhantomArcade was one of the artists contacted by ninjamuffin99 for the game he wanted to make for Ludum Dare 47. ninjamuffin99 had been asking for help from other artists who were all currently too busy to help, but eventually got PhantomArcade on board for the project alongside another artist, evilsk8r. PhantomArcade was the last person to join the team for the project. As both the game's animator and one of its artists, he was tasked with creating initial character designs for the game with evilsk8r. They created the game's characters based on the story of a father (described as a famous singer) challenging his daughter's boyfriend to gain his approval, which led to the creation of Boyfriend, Girlfriend, and Daddy Dearest.^[1] PhantomArcade first passes along his initial designs to evilsk8r, who then adds his inputs to them, then finally passes them back to PhantomArcade for him to settle on the final design before animating them.^[2]^[3]

PhantomArcade has also taken on the role of the game's director and writer. Even back during the game's creation for Ludum Dare 47, he initially wrote up the game's story.^[1] Since the game's release on Newgrounds, he has shared plenty of outside lore and details for characters and events within the game through live streams, social media posts, and comics. An expansive story is currently being written that will tie everything together once the full game is complete.

Trivia

PhantomArcade accidentally leaked that Tankman was the opponent for Week 7 during one of ninjamuffin99's Twitch streams.^[4]
PhantomArcade's current profile picture on Twitter came about due to a fan asking when he was going to change it, to which PhantomArcade replied "maybe just before the update comes out" as a hint of its release.^[5] PhantomArcade would then change his profile picture on April 21, 2024, 9 days before the release of WeekEnd 1.
PhantomArcade infrequently streams on his Twitch channel; he draws and animates assets for the game, draws comics, and answers questions asked by fans in the chat.
During past live streams that PhantomArcade did on Twitch, he suggested that he is not heterosexual. His sexual orientation remains unknown.
PhantomArcade and Kawai Sprite are the oldest out of the main four due to both of them being born in January 1995; they were both 25 when Friday Night Funkin' was first created.
PhantomArcade has stated that if he were to make one Friday Night Funkin' mod canon, it would be the Vs. Ex-Girlfriend mod created by RatNonFat, a mod where Boyfriend has an ex-girlfriend named Ayana Santana.^[6]
- On June 27, 2024, RatNonFat on Twitter expressed consent to the potential use of the character.^[7]

Gallery

PhantomArcade's old icon.
One of the profile pictures previously used by PhantomArcade on his Twitter account. Originates from why i fraking DESPISE ninjamuffin99 by xXsquidwardXx.
PhantomArcade's current banner on Twitter.
PhantomArcade's previous banner on Twitter.

An overexposed selfie of PhantomArcade smiling brightly.
An underexposed selfie of PhantomArcade making a scary face.
PhantomArcade at Anime Expo 2022.
PhantomArcade at the hospital after twisting his ankle.
From left to right: PhantomArcade posing with EliteMasterEric, ninjamuffin99, and Tyler Bourke at the Too Many Games convention.
PhantomArcade carrying YahBoiSpeedz at Too Many Games 2024.
Ditto, but this time twirling him around.
PhantomArcade smiling at the camera, albeit with his face digitally altered to make him look elderly.
PhantomArcade standing with a Yoshi plushie on top of his head, albeit with his body digitally altered to make him look short.

Self-Portraits

PhantomArcade himself as he appears in remixed visuals of Week 5.
Sketch by PhantomArcade of the founders of The Funkin' Crew Inc. PhantomArcade himself is using a drawing tablet and pen.
The same sketch of the founders from the Friday Night Funkin' art booklet.
Sketch of PhantomArcade dressed up as Demon Slayer's protagonist Tanjiro Kamado from a funkin.me blog post.
Doodle of PhantomArcade as Santa Claus.
Doodle of PhantomArcade drooling while sleeping.
Two sketches of PhantomArcade, cartoony and realistic, drawn by PhantomArcade himself.
Doodle of PhantomArcade working on a cartoon.
Doodle of PhantomArcade with cat ears saying he hates all cat men.
PhantomArcade along with many Newgrounds characters and creators in an artwork by PKettles for Pico Day 2021.
Artwork of Hundrec contacting AbnormalPoof about PhantomArcade reaching out to both of them, made by AbnormalPoof.

FNF-Related Artwork

Enid Mettle and K.O. from OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes in the Friday Night Funkin' art style, drawn by PhantomArcade.
Sans from UNDERTALE in the Friday Night Funkin' art style, resembling an idle sprite, drawn by PhantomArcade.
Another doodle by PhantomArcade of Sans holding a microphone and saying to Toby Fox: "toby? you like? ya. i know."
Leo and Satan in the Friday Night Funkin' art style, resembling an idle sprite, drawn by PhantomArcade.
PhantomArcade's drawing of Whitty, a character created by sock.clip well-known in the Friday Night Funkin' mod community, depicting his design from his own FNF mod.
PhantomArcade's drawing of Demona, the persona of Katastrophii (bbpanzu's girlfriend), based on her appearance from Vs Arch.
PhantomArcade's drawing of Sky, a well-known character in the FNF community created by TikTok user bfswifeforever, depicting her design from the Vs Sky mod.
PhantomArcade's drawing of the Annoying Orange (based on the "Amazing Grace" meme and mod) killing Void, a character created by Starbreak for the Vs. Void mod.
Ditto, but the original drawing of Void.
Ditto, but just a close up of Void.
PhantomArcade's drawing of Peacock, a character created by FNF mod artist 2Ape0 for 17 Bucks.
Another drawing of Peacock, now depicting him drooling in front of a burger.
PhantomArcade's drawing of "Yourself," an alternative-universe version of Boyfriend created by the late Divide, depicting his design from the Hit Single mod.
Another drawing by PhantomArcade of "Yourself," depicting him with a look closer to that of Boyfriend.
PhantomArcade's drawing of Nikku Morioka, a character created by Saruky for the Hotline 024 mod.
PhantomArcade's drawing of Speedz, YaBoiSpeedz's self-insert character, based on his appearance from 17 Bucks.
PhantomArcade's drawing of Su Yeon, a character created by YEONMUNG, depicting her design as a reskin of Boyfriend.