Hello! I'm Slanted Fish, the editor-in-chief and creator of the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB). I'm a writer, Hong Kong native, and Christ follower. My Poptropica username is slantedfish 🐠 Don't forget to be awesome!
Hey Poptropicans, have you seen that Home Island is covered in snow? ❄️ It’s different from last year’s winter makeover — you won’t find any falling snow, random birds, or snowballs to grab.
Instead, you’ll find colored lights, lamps, and garlands on buildings, plus a wicked bearded snowman beside the New You building. Jolly good! ☃
And if you haven’t already played it yet, don’t miss out on the new Grapple-Pap Gift side-quest by talking to the old man! 🎁 It’s only here for a limited time, so enjoy it while it lasts and spread some holiday cheer before Grapple-Pap comes for you!
After you’ve played the side-quest, you might enjoy this fan video from jaekelopterus3(Perfect Fish) containing an analysis of the visual storytelling with the design of Clareta and her rundown home. (Beware: Spoilers ahead.)
“Poptropica’s visual storytelling: An analysis of Clareta from the Grapple-Pap side-quest” by jaekelopterus3 (Perfect Fish)
In other news, the Poptropica Creators recently shared a couple more fan art features on their Instagram story. Check out these cool OCs (Original Characters) and their snazzy outfits!
Plenty more is going on around Poptropica, so be sure to catch up on the post below to see what else is new! And check back on the PHB tomorrow for a special post — we’ve prepared the perfect Poptropica entertainment to snuggle up to this Christmas. 📰🥰
Have a merry Christmas Eve — or just a quiet, socially distant day, considering the times — and happy Grapple-Pap! 🎄
Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Mud Bub, who’ll be diving into some do’s and don’ts of personal branding from a Poptropica perspective. Enjoy!
Whether through local shops or worldwide figureheads, Poptropica is riddled with examples of personal and brand designs.
Brand design can be used in many ways. Businesses use them in order to stand out against competitors and to attract consumers—that’s corporate branding. Even other entities can use corporate branding to stand out, like schools and sports teams. And people can use personal branding if they want to stand out as an influencer or on a resumé.
But how do Poptropica icons use branding, and what can we learn from them? Let’s take a look…
Don’t: Set a bad example
Who could forget Sir Rebral’s clever moniker or Gretchen Grimlock’s pink spunk? Memorable names and imagery are key to gathering an audience. However, while lovable villains may get publicity, they can’t reap the benefits behind bars. Be humble, instead. Like Ned Noodlehead.
Do: Appeal to the masses
Talk about knowing your audience! These logos for the Tribes of Poptropica are all alluring in their own ways that is bound to attract players. Not only can players excitedly pick their own teams, but the designs certainly bring about a sense of identity with community.
Don’t: Be a cliché
We love Black Widow, especially that hair! But, really? She couldn’t have thought of a more unique gimmick? Been there, done that.
Do: Be consistent, memorable and applicable
These icons representing Poseidon (trident), Zeus (lightning bolt), and Hades (skull) from Mythology Island are so well applied! They’re found on the mirror, island logo, and even on the medallion and merchandise. On the other hand, while they aren’t the most original, they are still easily recognizable to all Poptropicans and make the trio of gods truly memorable.
Don’t: Be afraid to expand your horizons
Because of Elf Archer’s persona and multi-media presence, she is beloved by many Poptropican geeks and is recognized as one of the biggest faces of PoptropiCon Island. She prevails not just on paper, but on cardboard, plaques, and theaters.
Do: Pop EVERYWHERE
Not to preach to the choir here, but Poptropica does this best. The very vessel of transportation for the player — the yellow Poptropica blimp — is a giant free ad of Poptropica in and of itself. We don’t just recognize Poptropica from its logo, but from its other iconography as well, from unique character designs to the tropical blue patterns and yes, the yellow blimp. These designs have truly stood the test of time.
Don’t: Communicate a bad message
Sheesh, who would write something like that? Anyway, healthy competition is fine and all, but it is never appropriate to put others down or get a big ego in the process.
Do: Advocate for yourself
CJ on Shrink Ray Island is known for more than just being a science genius. She thought quickly on her feet and helped you return to normal size, fighting against evil! CJ’s noble character makes her the literal face of the island, on par with Big Nate and Greg Heffley on their respective islands. While CJ is not an overt example of branding like the other two, being the face of an attraction is certainly comparable and commendable.
Additional tip: Be inspired
There’s so much to see on Poptropica — have a look around, and you’re bound to find some inspiration for how you want to portray yourself. Be inspired, but be uniquely you!
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. You can find some tips and guidelines on our page on how to Write for the PHB, and share blog posts on the PHC, our Discord server.
📰 If you have an idea for a PHB post, send it in! ✨
Hey Poptropicans! This weekend, just two weeks before the end of 2020, the Poptropica Help Blog commemorated two things at our “Gone in a Flash” Holiday Party: the death of Adobe Flash, Poptropica’s longtime game engine; and celebrations for the holidays in Poptropica’s Flash-based common rooms — for the last time. Here are the highlights! ✨
We began the memorial on the PHC with a eulogy for Flash…
PHB staffers Sporty Boa and Fierce Flyer dressed for the Flash funeral.
A gravestone for Adobe Flash. Rest in peace.
In Loving Memory of Poptropica on Adobe Flash 😔
In 2007, Poptropica was born Bringing islands, costumes, friends, and more A universe built on Adobe Flash But now this system’s about to crash 💥
So much has changed, so much now lost What to do as Flash turns to frost? Gather round, and bring your flowers Press f in chat for its final hours 🥀
(A moment was given for everyone to pay their respects with an F in the chat, and later, Purple Paw lowered the coffin. RIP Adobe Flash, 1996–2020.)
From the ashes, a new star rises Haxe is bringing new surprises In the meantime, let us cheer After all, the holidays are here! 🎄
Now comes the time to celebrate On Poptropica — Flash, for old time’s sake Get ready to party! Boom boom boom Meet you in 24 Carrot’s common room! 🥕
And thus we gave our last hurrah to Flash, with festive costumes and holiday cheer in the 24 Carrot and Mythology Island common rooms. The party enjoyed its share of fun Flash items that haven’t made their way to Haxe yet, from the lightning-fast Feats of Speed sneakers to the infamously lag-inducing Fart Gun. Plus, both the text and voice chats on our PHC Discord server were filled with laughter, thunder, and even a dose of language learning. A merry time! 🥳
Though we’ll miss the many adventures we shared with Flash over the years, we’re looking forward to what Poptropica on Haxe will bring in 2021 and beyond. Thank you for joining us, and keep on poppin’! 💙
Hey Poptropicans, you don’t have to wait much longer for a new Poptropica story, a wintry side-quest teased just last week. The Creators announced that it drops tomorrow! (This post has been updated with a new sneak peek since it was published.)
Sneak peek from the Creators’ Blog. Looks like they could be villagers who live in the village scene depicted last week!
As Poptropica shared before, this is going to be a limited time event with a new story and new characters. You’ll also get to win special prizes!
And this week, they threw in a couple more details too: “Look for your starting point on Home Island and help solve the mystery.” So now we know there’s going to be a riddle on our hands!
UPDATE: The Creators shared another sneak peek for the upcoming side-quest on Instagram! Looks like we’ll be delivering a Grapple-Pap to Clareta tomorrow…
“An old man has asked you to deliver a Grapple-Pap gift to his sister in a far off land.”
Stay tuned to the PHB too — we’ll be here tomorrow to share all you need to know with a guide to this new adventure. Be sure to check out the post below, too, to catch up on what else is going on in the Poptropica community this week! Pop on, Poptropicans. ✌️
Hey Poptropicans! It’s mid-December, which means several things: rounding off the flurry of member gifts, some dates to remember, and even a handful of coloring pages when you need a break. Let’s pop into it!
The last of the 12 Days of Member Gifts is here, and it’s a doozy: this Ice Wielder Power is the perfect overlay for a wintry look, reminiscent of the Electrify power but with an animated storm of snowflakes.
Take a look back on the previous 12 Days of Member Gifts here, here, here, and here, and remember, you can get all 12 gifts if you become a member at any point this month. It’s the best time for bonus items!
There’s winter fun for all in other ways too, and the latest comes in the form of these free winter coloring pagesfrom the Creators’ Blog! In addition to Poptropicans dressed for the cold, we’ve also got snowmen (one melted) and a candy cane. Click the images to open in full size!
Once you’ve opened a coloring page image, you could save them to your device and color them with an art app, or print them out and color them the traditional way. Either way, the Pop Creators would love to see your creations — you can share them on social media with the tag #poptropicart for a chance to have your work featured!
Have you been cooking up an idea for the Design Your Dream Island Contest? Keep in mind that the last day for entries is this Friday, Dec 18 at 11:59 p.m. PST! The winner will be announced ten days later, Dec 28.
Intensifying panic notwithstanding, be sure to use Poptropica’s submission form here when you send off your ideas. And you can share it with us, too, although we can’t make your island real.
In the last contest, the PHB shared a closer look at a contest entry from one of the runners-up: House of Cards Island. In a similar vein, if you’d like to share your island idea with PHB readers, we’d love to share what you’ve come up if you send in a guest post!
Time’s ticking for one more thing, too—the end of Flash itself. The end of 2020 marks the end of the Flash era, and we’re sending it off with a bang of a Poptropica party!
🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺 