History of the PHB

Pop down memory lane

The Poptropica Help Blog has been through multiple makeovers, published contributions from hundreds of kid writers, and served millions of Poptropicans looking for game help, news, and events—creating space for a treasured community of fans through it all. Hear the story of how it all began, look back on some memories, and see where we are today…

It all started a long time ago, back in the summer of 2008. Inspired by other blogs on the internet made by kids, many about the popular kids’ game Club Penguin, an 11-year-old girl decided to try her hand at making a site, too. 👩🏻‍💻

With a free blogging setup from WordPress.com, she was about to create yet another one of these Club Penguin fan blogs. But while trying out different URLs, she came across an untaken one bearing the name of another game: poptropica.wordpress.com. She’d just gotten into Poptropica days before, thanks to her brother’s discovery on Funbrain. And so, with the untapped potential of the untaken URL, the PHB was created! ✨

The PHB began as “Scary Tomato’s Weblog,” named after the blogger’s Poptropican at the time, Scary Tomato, who was a boy with yellow spiked hair. 🍅 As this online persona evolved, Scary Tomato eventually became Slanted Fish, a character who more closely resembles the young girl who birthed the blog all those years ago—with bits of Poptropica style thrown in, of course. 🐠

Since that summer, Slanted Fish has been updating the blog with news, guides, and more, with plenty of help from passionate fans along the way—starting with Smockers, the first invited staff writer; Codien, who gave the Poptropica Help Blog its name; and many more since. ✏️ As it grew, the PHB has been fortunate and grateful to receive tons of support from fans of the game who regularly read, write, and share the joy of Poptropica with each other in the blog comments and in other places of community. 🥳

We’ve had a lot of fun along the way, whether through throwing parties, hosting contests, sharing your amazing creations, making meme faces out of your Poptropicans, delivering news of island releases, and so much more. With every passing year, we’re amazed by what Poptropicans can do collectively. And we’re not finished yet.

We wouldn’t be here without all the encouragement and delight shared by our fellow Poptropicans, so thank you. For real. 💙 Let’s keep this adventure going!

phb blimp logo2

Browse through our Greatest PHB Posts collection »

The PHB through the years

Check out some of the shenanigans surrounding the Poptropica Help Blog and its community throughout the years…

September- Isn’t it gr8?
October- Halloween’s here again; we held our Photo Booth and Costume Contest!
by CraftyPoptropican
by (Dr.) Ashley Lange, Poptropica Creator (2014)
Issue #29: January 2016
Interview with Captain Crawfish
Poppies 2018 & 10 Years of PHB
11th Halloween Costume Contest
Guest of honor: Dr. Beev
2020 Tribal Tournament
Flash funeral
The PHB team by LJ
Poppies 2023

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92 thoughts on “History of the PHB”

      6. This is the first time I’ve visited this blog in several years. I was a little confused at first because I vaguely remembered there being a Christian tomato admin who was not named Bob.
        Good to see that you’re still here! Your continued work brought me so much joy through late elementary and middle school (about 2008-2011).

  4. what is scary tomato usename, fishy?

    Slanted Fish: As mentioned, it’s “tentacle”. 😉 The character looks different now, though.

    Reply

  6. Nice flashback, Fishy! Wow! The PHB has gone so many challenges, breakthroughs and more but it’s still the best of them all. Thanks for sharing the story! I think it may serve as an inspiration to my blog. I do wish that when an opportunity to be an author here will be opened. I make sure I’d be one! That’s my wish before going to a blog!

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  11. It went by way too fast… I’m looking forward to what PHB has to offer in the years that come. 🙂

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  15. Wait, if then Fishy was 11 when it was 2008, then ,*Pulls out calculator and does math,* Fishy was born in 1997 and she’s 17 years old. :O. Omg Fishy, how do you have free time for playing Poptropica and writing on PHB while still in high school. Also, tell me if me math is wrong. She also might 18 but that’s a 10% chance.

    Reply

      1. Thanks, I’m too young to own a blog but I was just curious. FYI, I love your blog, I check on it everyday. Also, thanks for commenting back, I never had a famous person talk to me, 😉

    3. I never got to see the first two or three years of Poptropica, so this showed me what it was like. (I was born in 2005, and Poptropica was “born” in 2008.) I’ve always wished to see it, and this gave me a little bit of insight even if I wasn’t able to play then. I hope to see many more years of both Poptropica and the PHB! See you!

      Reply

  19. This was…beautiful. I don’t know why, but it just made me feel happy and excited and hopeful all at once. I’ve been trying to create a Poptropica blog but I just can’t seem to figure out the controls…anyways, I’m 11 and when I saw that you created your blog when you were my age I seriously needed a minute to breathe!!! Fishy, you have the best ever Poptropica blog and I love that it’s not just one person trying to do it all themselves, like a lot of people do, but it’s a team working together to make a blog about a game they all love. I’m probably gonna come back to this post a billion times just to remind myself, “See, Ashlee? You CAN make a blog. You CAN do whatever you want with it. You CAN make it the best it can be!” ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply

    1. Right back at you with your beautiful comment! I really do appreciate every author who has contributed to what this blog has to offer, as well as every viewer who comes and enjoys what we make. Enjoy your blogging journey – everyone’s experience will be different, but you will make it your own! 😀

      Reply

  22. i’m trying to friend everyone on the PHB (i have membership so i’m not a noob)i need to figure out giant hawk’s,blake’s,paul’s,brave tomatoes’,slippery raptor’s,and spotted dragon’s. thanks 🙂

    Reply

  26. Hey all! This is the first I’m commenting! Well, the first thing I gotta say is, I just Looooove PHB! And oh my Fishy, I’m a big fan of yours! I decided I first comment on this because the history was soo cool… Oh man, I missed a lot of stuff! Head’s up to you ppl, you’ve done a good job! And plz plz plz reply Fishy! 😛
    Stylish sensations,
    Lucky bird.

    Reply

    1. Hey Lucky Bird,
      Thanks for the kind words, and I’m glad you found the PHB!
      It’s awesome to see you comment here, and it would be great to have that continue! 😀
      –slantedfish

      Reply

  27. :O Omg!! I can’t believe it’s you, fishy!!! 😀 😀 😀 Well, I have a doubt, how do I create my own MPIP?

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  28. I am just shocked because I was 5 years old when you made this blog. And I’m 11 now.

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    2. Wow…. I was 5 too when this blog was made and now… I’m 11… but I only found out about this blog last year and I’ve been playing poptropica since I was 6😉

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  29. Man this blog post was amazing even though I learned about the PHB in 2014 and then I learned about the Poptropica community in 2015 this blog post is going to be one of my favorite blog posts on the PHB becuase it was cool to see the old times of the PHB!

    Reply

  31. Could you do a post of the journey of adding authors and the authors that left? I haven’t been following PHB very long and I think that would be interesting. By the way, hi, fellow Hongkonger! How do you even have time for PHB and poptropica? :O

    Reply

    1. Hello, fellow Hong Konger! That’s an interesting idea for a post – the answer is a maybe! I guess it’s been a while now since you’ve been following the PHB, since I’m late to replying to this (heh), but you can probably gain some insight about authors joining and leaving from our 2016 Rewind post.

      As for how I have time – I choose to make time for it, as anyone would for something they care about. Poptropica, the PHB, and its community continue to be things that interest me, and so, I continue to be inclined to keep up with them. 🙂

      Reply

  32. I just read this page, and I was like, WOW, poptropica and the phb has come a long way, I was five when you made this blog, Fishy! I’m twelve now.
    I was also thinking about how all the countries in the world can have poor relations or good relations and whatnot, but people from all over the world can be brought together from a simple game like Poptropica! Nobody judges each other about where they’re from, and that is truly amazing. It’s amazing that Fishy is from Hong Kong, I’m from California, USA, and I’ve seen people from Iran and Turkey and Korea and…
    Yeah, that was a long comment. I think I’ve made my point. 😛

    Reply

  35. Fishy, this is super amazing. You know, I’m trying to make a blog myself, only not on WordPress. You have to pay for that, apparently. Anyway, as you were when you created the PHB, I’m 11 years old, too, which I think is pretty awesome if I do say so myself! I was born in Arizona to a Nigerian father and a Mexican mother (I know right?), but after three years, I moved to Nigeria where I’m happy (wait did I just say happy?? 😂😂). I may have put Arizona on my Poptropica profile thingy, but that’s just my choice, right? I think it’s really cool that I’m from Nigeria and Mexico and Arizona and that you’re from Hong Kong. And yes, my Poptropican’s name really is Blue Diamond. Wow. That was a really long comment there. Love you guys!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your kind words, Blue Diamond! You sound pretty cool yourself. 😀 WordPress is a great platform for blogging, even for beginners, but you can use whatever you’d like. It’s great to hear from an eloquent and inspired 11-year-old like you! And multiculturalism is a beautiful thing; you’ll have it with you all life long. Thanks for dropping by! I’d love to hear more from you! 🙂

      Reply

  36. Also I’m really glad I found the PHB!! I think I’ll make my own MPIP soon! You guys have come sooooooo far and look at you now! You guys have done such an AMAZING job and have been super cool while doing it. I am one of your biggest fans and one of my biggest dreams is one day joining you guys in the blogging world! XOXO – BD

    Reply

  37. Yo, Fishy. Nice new update. Snazzy header too.

    Amazing thing is that I made a WordPress account here for this blog in 2013. So with next year, I’ll have been on this blog for half its lifespan. Crazy, huh?

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  38. I’m super impressed with Codien’s designs. I’m jealous 😀 I want to go to school for graphic design 😀

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    1. Cool! Art schools tend to look more at your portfolio, so you’ll want to build up a decent selection of your finest work by the time you apply. If that’s what you want to do, go for it! 😀

      Also, although Codien’s designs are indeed impressive, I figure I should point out that many graphics on this site beyond his time here were contributed by various others including myself. Codien was with the PHB from 2008 to 2010, though, so most graphics from that time are his.

      Reply

      2. Sadly, as you may know, the Multiverse isn’t accessible anymore (doesn’t appear in store items and is removed from the new friends page). Meetups might still be possible in common rooms, but they hold fewer people.

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