Hey Poptropicans, look sharp! The results of Poptropica’s costume design contest (2020 edition) are here. But first, a word from the Pop Creators:
Remember, even if your drawing doesn’t appear on this list, it has without a doubt made a valuable impression on our art team as we move forward into the new year! There will also be more contests and opportunities to be featured on Poptropica very soon. Remember, all art is subjective, so if you didn’t place as high as you would have liked, don’t let it get you down! The best part of this contest was seeing artists of all experience levels share their ideas with us!
(Editor’s note: bold text = PHB’s emphasis added.) And now, onto the winners!
For the grand prize winner, whose design will appear in the game as a costume in the store (and who will also win 6 months of membership): we have Instagram user @bianca_donka for her “Lightning Wielder” creation!
This fantastic character comes with a loaded description written onto the image (which you can click to enlarge). Its standout feature is the lightning arm (with possible space bar action for “cool lightning stuff”), paired with spiky hair, a funky eye, and tattered clothing, including a jacket that doubles as a cape. The space bar action is explored further with an unnamed friend’s idea that it could be “like the prank things that make everyone else see-through or something… makes everyone else have lightning eyes / a floating blue lock.”
Bianca, the character’s creator, goes on to explain that the concept comes from a Poptropica fan comic she’s been writing for the past year (it’s currently on hiatus for mental health reasons, she added). That comic is in the #PoptropicaBreakdown tag on Instagram and is done in a scribbly style with ink pen and color highlighters. Sample below (click arrows to flip pages):
There are currently 20-some parts to the series, labeled in the post description (like P19 for part 19, above). Plus, check out the artist’s Instagram page for more doodles, including some more fun #poptropica stories like this one:
Anyway, back to the costume. “The concept is that the character experiencing this is starting to see glitches in the game and the locks are whether or not the character is ‘editable,’ aka a player or program in the game,” Bianca wrote in the costume’s description. Locks are shown as open on NPCs, and closed on player characters. She also added that this feature might be “too weird or obscure” to be done, so they may not appear in the actual in-game version when it’s created. Either way, we’ve got a dazzling costume to look forward to!
The Poptropica Creators explained their choice like this: “We chose Bianca’s Lightning Wielder for its snappy gesture, sharp silhouette, and strong stylistic integrity to the Poptropica aesthetic! This Poptropican is gonna give Zeus a run for his money, with lightning powers and, might I add, MUCH cooler hair.”
And there’s more from Bianca: just for fun, she also sent in this drawing of Poptropicans with eyebrows and mustaches along with her entry. Gotta love all those facial expressions… even that frown could get a smile out of you.
All right, now for the runners up! These costumes won’t get made into the game, but the designers do each get a month of membership. In no particular order, here’s “Sunflower Cordial” by @otheraccidk, loved for its 70’s style; “Porcelain Chicken” by Noisy Ghost aka @bylophim, with its adorable chick followers; and “Sharp Beatz” by RadioactivePup, designed to react to the background music with its sweet soundbar visor. (Click to enlarge images!)
“Sunflower Cordial” by @otheraccidk 
“Porcelain Chicken” by Noisy Ghost @bylophim 
“Sharp Beatz” by RadioactivePup
Last but not least, here come the honorable mentions! The ten artists’ social media handles (generally, Instagram) are on their respective artwork, so consider checking out their pages for more great work. Tons of amazing fan artists are also on DeviantArt! As always, you can click to enlarge the images:
Special shout-out to our very own PHB staffer Lucky Joker for being named an honorable mention! He created each of his three designs with gendered versions and placed them on cool backdrops that aren’t seen on the Creators’ Blog, so we’re sharing them here. They’re also on LJ’s Twitter and Instagram!
“Masquerade Gala” by Lucky Joker 
“POP! Comic Craze” by Lucky Joker 
“Pixie Sprite” by Lucky Joker
That’s it for the 2020 Poptropica costume design winners! Whether or not your entry made it to the list, may you be encouraged by the fact that the Creators loved seeing your work, and go enjoy all the creativity sparked by this talented community. And if you like, share your entries with us in the comments!
Keep a funky eye out for the Lightning Wielder coming to the Store in the near future, and as always, stay popping, Poptropicans. ✌️
Thunderbolts and lightning! Where can a Poptropican find some more frighteningly good fan art? Check out:
We-Love-Poptropica on DeviantArt · Community Creations on the PHB · Pop Fan Artist Spotlights on the PHB · #art channel on the PHC
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