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, this is a guest post by Invisible Ring. Enjoy!
For years, Master Creators have showcased the best pieces of their Poptropica Realms here. But some of these creators don’t just decorate one or two sections of their Realms, but many, or even all the scenes, like me! So what now?
Well, when I shared my seven Clubhouse Tours here on the PHB, it reminded me of Realms the whole way through. So I thought, why not make Realms tours, too? I have seven Realms I think everyone will really enjoy… so let’s do it! It’s my great honor to introduce the PHB’s very first full-on Realms Tour, starting with my newborn winter Realm, Erjenoop.
Look out the window! It’s SNOWING!! And listen to the radio! It says the schools are closed today! You know what THAT means…
Hey Poptropicans! We know the game’s gone through a lot over the years… so why not take a pop down memory lane?
Young adult nostalgia YouTuber Lulaloopsey just dropped a video essay delving into Poptropica’s 17-year history, already amassing 20K+ views within the first day of posting. Check it out (mild language warning):
While a lot of the content she covers is documented here on the PHB (thanks for the shout-out 🩵), Lulaloopsey also brings her own perspective and experiences of playing the game as a kid in her deep dive into Poptropica’s lore, which makes this all the more engaging.
Hey Poptropicans! With more of the fandom coming of age while holding fond memories of this beloved game, we’ve seen a rise in Poptropica tattoos, some of which we’ve featured here. Now, we’re back with more!
Garrett got matching tattoos with his sister of a fun creature you may recall: the small crab from Time Tangled Island’s Main Street, which would explode after a few clicks. 🦀💥
That’s a wrap, at least for now! Are you considering a Poptropica tattoo of your own, or know of any more out there? We’d love for you to share with us on our Discord server, the PHC.
Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Invisible Ring. Enjoy!
Prologue
Whenever I think of Christmas, I think of Christmas carolers, decorations, and Christmas trees with presents underneath. I love all this and more about this holiday season, but I sometimes feel sad in spite of all this, just like Charlie Brown.
Unlike some holidays, there seems to be more to Christmas than this; even more than family reunions and festivals! But it’s hard to remember what it is, and what all those other activities have to do with it.
But when Charlie Brown asked what Christmas is really all about, Linus gave him his answer with the story of the First Christmas, and it really helped him feel better. He passed this story onto his whole neighborhood, and now I wish to pass it to all of you.
The First Christmas Luke 2: 1-16(KJV) Illustrations by Invisible Ring
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us.”
And they came with haste, and found Mary, Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Epilogue
Whenever I read this story, I think back to the Christmas trees with stars on top, and think of the star of Bethlehem that guided those shepherds to the Christ child, Jesus. I also think of the carolers, singing together like the multitude of angels that came down to earth that night.
The First Christmas story is often depicted in nativity scenes, alongside the Three Kings who gave gifts to baby Jesus, kind of like how we give gifts to each other nowadays. May we not forget the true meaning of Christmas — the best way to make sense of this whole holiday season!
Hope this yuletide message of good tidings lifts your holiday spirits as it did mine. Have a joyous and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone!
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you!
If we thought 2023 was a quiet year for Poptropica, well, 2024 might just give it a run for its money. And a run out of money, too, as the game now hangs on life support. Still, the community won’t let it go so easily.
Run Aground: Whatever floats your boat.
(You might be interested in taking a look back on Poptropica’s previous years, too. We’ve got just the thing over on our Yearbook page!) 📖
So let’s hit Rewind and see what 2024 had in store for Pop! ⏪
The move was made official in March, with the Poptropica.com website disappearing altogether and redirecting to its page on Coolmath Games, where the game can still be played. However, there were no new game updates all year, nor will there be for the foreseeable future.
In September, the writing was on the wall for Poptropica, with various staff departures announced on LinkedIn. There was even a post from an ex-staffer announcing the closure of the Poptropica company, which was further confirmed in another interview with Jon Pitcher. As Jon shared with us, “The decline in Poptropica’s traffic made the company not able to secure clients for advertising to bring in enough revenue” — but “the plan is for Poptropica to keep going on Cool Math Games.”
Despite the downer of Poptropica’s current state, here on the PHB we’ve tried to keep spirits up with lots of fun content throughout the year. 🎉
While things may continue to be quiet on Poptropica’s end, the Poptropica fandom will still be around to make some noise for our favorite game. Join us on our PHC Discord server to find fellow Poptropicans, keep playing Poptropica on Flashpoint for more content, and of course, stay tuned to the PHB for the latest. 🫶
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