Strange Times, a graphic novel created by Tom DeLonge, is being developed by TBS as an animated adult series. Blink-182 fans have been missing their former guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, but his estrangement might be worth it if this potential series pans out. He’d left the band in 2015 to pursue his interest in the paranormal.
In an interview with Variety, Tom describes how he had hoped his graphic novel would eventually transfer to other mediums. “This is a dream I’ve had for over 10 years and it’s finally a reality. All the stories and themes I work on are meant to be shared through multiple mediums and on different platforms,” Tom stated. “We hope to create something that could be described as sort of a ‘science fiction Disney,’ where our entertainment franchises are worlds that are inspired and informed by our own next-generation science division.”
The series will be written by Aaron Karo (Aaron Karo: The Rest Is History), featuring five skateboarding teenagers who set off to explore the paranormal and solve mysteries while attempting to avoid government agents. DeLonge did not ignore his punk rock past, and has in fact intertwined his passions within the series. “My love for all things paranormal and skateboarding are sometimes only superseded by my love for offensive humor,” he claimed. “This series combines them all into one.”
Concerning the soundtrack, DeLonge again paid homage to his musical background: “I would love to see some of my favorite punk rock bands like the Descendents, the Queers, and Bad Religion, all of which were part of the soundtrack to my life at that time.”
The original form of Strange Times was as a news website that would report on strange and unusual occurrences. Eventually, it was turned into a novel and now has grown to include merchandise and a subsequent three-part trilogy called Strange Times: The Ghost in the Girl.
Russell Binder, one of the executive producers, said of Tom: “His experiences and his interests are vast, and his desire to share those with a broad and diverse audience is an itch we are beginning to scratch. Strange Times is a comedic take on the tropes of coming of age, friendship, and how to escalate ways to humiliate your best friends while staying out of detention, and ideally, the hospital.”
Since Tom DeLonge’s hiatus, Matt Skiba, Alkaline Trio guitarist/vocalist, has been filling his role. Nevertheless, Tom fans can still enjoy DeLonge’s voice through other mediums, and Strange Times might come as a welcome relief from a prolonged silence.