Daniel "Dan" Paladin (born in 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) (also known as Synj) is an American video game designer. He collaborated with Newgrounds creator Tom Fulp and designed Flash-based games: Sack Smash 2001, Chainsaw the Children, Dad n' Me, and, most notably, Alien Hominid[1]. In 2002 he, Fulp, John Baez and Brandon LaCava created video game company The Behemoth. Paladin designed the critically acclaimed remake of Alien Hominid and beat'em up Castle Crashers, with his 2D style becoming signature for these games. His current work is a new Behemoth project BattleBlock Theater.
Paladin lives in San Diego, California, where The Behemoth is also located and is an active member of Newgrounds. Paladin has won 35 awards, including 14 Daily Features, four Weekly Users' Choice Awards, and a Review Crew Pick. Aside from working for The Behemoth, Dan also worked for Gratuitous Games and Presto Studios[2].