Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, we’re back with another Popular Poptropican!

Popular Poptropican is a series where we get to know members of the Poptropica fandom. We have a number of interviews lined up with staff writers of the PHB, and in this one, we’ll be talking with Lucky Joker!

Lucky Joker has been playing Poptropica since 2008 and joined the PHB team in 2016. Since then, he’s written over 200 posts for the PHB, including Poptropica specials like 100 Years of Fashion and fun games like Guess That Poptropican! Without further ado, hello LJ!

1. What do you enjoy about blogging with the PHB?

What I love most about blogging on the PHB is having the privilege to share my love for Poptropica with a wide audience of fans who are just as passionate about the game as I am. Sharing news, critiques, artwork, and having discussions with every one of our readers for nearly 5 years has been, and always will be, a highlight in my life. Also, parties! As a matter of fact, it was a party invitation that brought me into the community in the first place. I really enjoyed hosting the Tribal Tournament last year especially. That was a lot of fun! Basically what it comes down to is that I’m super grateful for the readers. None of this would be possible without them, so I appreciate them for keeping the blog alive.

2. What advice would you give to aspiring bloggers or writers in general that you wish you had starting out?

My advice to all the aspiring bloggers out there is to try to stay as active with posting as much as your personal life allows. Find time to frequently post and engage with your readers while granting yourself some breaks as to not overwhelm yourself with too many responsibilities. There have been times I’ve put too much pressure on myself which leaves me feeling like a failure when I don’t meet my (sometimes strenuous) expectations. Just do the best you can, be authentic, and have fun!

3. What is your favorite island and villain?

My favorite island and villain don’t correlate, but they’re both very popular picks from what I’ve seen in the fandom. Mythology Island (the Flash version) has always been my favorite since its release back in 2010. It’s the first island I ever played with early access as a member and it eminently ignited my interest in Greek mythology. As for my favorite villain, Ringmaster Raven would be my choice for a couple of reasons. His backstory is pitiful and his ending is unjust which makes me root for him in a way I wouldn’t for any other villain. Plus, I think his design is one of the best of any Poptropica character in general.

4. What challenge in the game has been the hardest to complete in your opinion?

For all of you OG Poptropicans out there, you may remember a time when a simple effort like returning to your blimp after finishing an island was no walk in the park. Poptropica has made some tweaks over the years to make tasks like this more convenient, but one of the toughest challenges I remember having to pull off was getting Whiskers to her bowl of milk at the Funny Bunny Carrot Farm on 24 Carrot Island. Having to guide the darn cat around with your cursor was so time-consuming and stressful, to say the least.

5. What is your favorite feature (still here or gone) from the many years of Poptropica?

There are a plethora of great features that make this beloved game so special. For me, it has to be the multiverse feature that takes the cake though. Being able to meet with specific Poptropican friends to go head-to-head in games was a nice change from the single-player world that is Poptropica. It made partying a lot easier for the PHB, and you just don’t get the same feeling in the regular old common rooms. The creators should really consider bringing this feature back to the game as soon as possible — perhaps after a few island releases — as it’s one of the single most enjoyable facets of the game for many of us. (Honorable mention: the Photo Booth!)

6. What is your favorite Poptropica item?

Wow, favorite item! This one is tough to answer because of all the possibilities there are, but I’ll have to go with the swirly goggles from the Hypnotic outfit. I remember feeling like such a Poptropica master when I found the secret item hidden on Early Poptropica back in the day. They’ve been a part of my signature look for quite a while now, and I only change out of them for special occasions like Halloween when I get into costume. I mean, really, who would LJ be without his goggles?

7. What is your favorite Poptropica Easter egg/secret/reference?

This may be a cop-out since it technically isn’t one single answer, but I thought the meta-references on Mocktropica Island were pure gold. There were numerous callbacks and humorous self-deprecating jokes scattered throughout the island. Some of the more notable ones can all be seen in the Poptropica headquarters trash can alone. An Afro Guy figurine, a scrapped Monster Carnival file, and the concept of the iconic Dr. Beev are among the gags brought to us by this otherwise (in my opinion) forgettable island.

🌟 Would you like to be the next Popular Poptropican? 🌟

To nominate yourself or someone you know, send Lucky Joker an email at [email protected] or a private message on Discord with the following:

the name of your nominee (a Poptropica name or other screen name)
a reason why your nomination should be the next Popular Poptropican

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Pop on, Poptropicans!

Ramble Review: Monster Carnival 🎡

April 16, 2021April 15, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Dangerous Dragon. Enjoy!

Hello, DD here. Today I am going to review an island which was good and almost perfect. It’s the amazing and sad Monster Carnival! *applause*

First, why do I like this Island? It’s because of the monsters. If you’ve played it then you would know that it’s spooky… horses going backwards?!! Oh no! I also like the twist. You work in the day, and just when night falls and you think you’ve saved the day, you see everyone has disappeared. Now, who did this? (Spoilers ahead.)

By following the trash trail, you find out the carnival people have all turned into monsters. Now comes the monster part and it’s really fun. Then after all this, we get to chase Ringmaster Raven (more on his story in my other post)!

Now this could have been my favourite island instead of Time Tangled, but the reason I say it was “almost perfect” was because of what happened to Ringmaster Raven. (This is getting tense. I can’t forget it! Raven always makes it in all my posts!) Yeah, everyone who’s played it knows what happened to him.

He just meant to take revenge on those bad townspeople for how they treated him. If they could’ve just helped him, this wouldn’t have happened. All he wanted was a place to belong, and to live together happily, but no! They couldn’t let them stay because he was a monster!! When Dr. Dan revealed himself as a monster too, they told him that they loved him, but if they had let Raven stay, both Dr. Dan and Ringmaster have had their happily ever after. I was really sad about this and I thought Raven should’ve taken revenge.

Ok, that’s the end. I really like this island but the ending really depressed me. I would give it a 9/10. What do you think?

Before we close, just a quick reminder that I’m hosting a mini competition which is open till the end of April. Check the comments of the PHB’s Community page for the full details.

Also, quick question: when Monster Carnival was on the map, could we customize from Ringmaster Raven? I had tried it but I don’t remember.

Spread Your Wings: And fly on out of here, or you’ll be sorry.

Keep Popping, Poptropicans!

~DD 💜

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Dangerous Dragon. If you did, you might also enjoy the PHB’s other Ramble Reviews of various islands, like this one about Vampire’s Curse by White Fox.

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! 📰✨

Clubhouse, Guest Posts

Clubhouse Tour: Noisy Snowball 🏡

April 14, 2021April 10, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Noisy Snowball. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! It’s me again, Noisy Snowball! There have been a lot of clubhouse tours, so I decided, why not make one myself?

I took some time to complete the design, and now my clubhouse now looks awesome to me, so it’s a perfect time to share it. First up: the entrance. My entrance is pretty simple, but I like it!

Two palm trees greet me as I enter, with an open window allowing me to see outside and let some nice air in. And next to the window are two sets of swords and shields!

Now to the left, here is one of my two relaxation places. In the bottom one, I have a couch to lay on with my pets, a basket to hold stuff in (my pets also like sleeping in it), and one of my favorite things, a plush unicorn saying hello! Plush toys are some of my favorite things, so when I saw one in the shop, I had to get it. 🦄

Above the couch, this is where I sleep! A hammock does a really good job for me, and it’s a bit more fun than a simple bed. I also have a bookshelf with all kinds of books! It’s nice to read before I sleep. I also have a mini moon hanging over it, which looks cool, but can also remind me to go to bed if I accidentally stay up.

How about a quick view of what’s up there?

Woah! That is a long fall! Luckily we don’t take damage in Poptropica clubhouses. Anyway! There are a few lights hanging on the ceiling, and another open window, along with a basketball hoop. It’s pretty fun for some solo basketball training! Now, let’s move to the right…

Welcome to the center of my clubhouse! A few things are hanging on the wall, including a picture of a popsicle, a cactus photo, and a poster for a concert. I have to confess, the popsicle picture makes me hungry sometimes. There are a few plants up here, as well as a fake pineapple. There’s also a vanity, which I use to brush my hair and for a few other things, and a water cooler to stay hydrated. And in the middle, there’s a dog house, which my pets like to live in. Oddly, they take turns in it, but at least they’re sharing it. Now, it’s time for the top right!

Here is my other relaxation stop! We have another couch here, with a LED moon over it. I have a table as well, which has a little candle on it. But my favorite part here is the TV! I love watching TV shows and movies — it helps me relax after a long day. Maybe we could have a movie night?

Anyway, onto my gaming area! Since I’m a huge gamer, as evident from the poster, of course I needed a gaming area. And it’s really cool! A chair to relax on to browse the internet or play PC games, an awesome gaming PC with all of the essentials (and even a place to put drinks), and a speaker so I can hear everything coming from the PC! I’ve had a lot of fun over here, and it’s probably my favorite spot in the clubhouse.

Time to move down for the final area! I don’t really know what to call this area, but I guess it’s for technology. I have a table here that has a radio on top, which reports news from islands set in older time periods. It’s really interesting to hear what’s going on, especially since they aren’t as advanced in society as we are. I also have a soda vending machine, which is always good when I’m craving a soda. Plus there’s an ice cream dispenser! Getting ice cream 24/7 always cheers me up, especially after going on cruises that have had 24/7 ice cream machines!

And that’s it for my clubhouse! I hope you enjoyed it, everyone! I’m considering writing a “My Place In Poptropica” for my next guest post, but I only started playing Poptropica in January 2021, though I did know what Poptropica was for a while. So I’m not sure. People in the comments, should I do a “My Place in Poptropica” post?

That’s it from me! This is Noisy Snowball, signing off!

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Noisy Snowball. If you did, you might also enjoy other clubhouse tours we’ve featured, like this one from Dangerous Dragon. Consider sharing yours, too!

Guest Posts, My Place in Poptropica

My Place in Poptropica: Smart Icicle

April 13, 2021April 8, 2021 Slanted Fish

This is a guest post from Smart Icicle sharing her My Place in Poptropica story, which is all about one’s Poptropica journey. Enjoy!

A very long time ago | Discovery of Poptropica

I found Poptropica when I somewhere around 9-11 years old. Me and my sister were looking at ads on our games, playing on one Windows 7 computer. We decided to play together on first ever account: 1420951818 aka Bronze Socks. A few years later, me and my sister parted ways on Poptropica.

Design Concept: We sense a theme emerging.

The rise of Smart Icicle

I decided to create a new account on Poptropica since we now had two computers. My new account became Target1051 aka Smart Icicle. I played lots of islands back then (when the common rooms, Multiverse, and all the islands were still there). I liked Poptropica so much, I created lots of accounts back then. Meanwhile, my sister would also make accounts every now and then. The only account I remember from all of the other accounts were Popular Flyer.

I remember finding the PHB by searching up island walkthroughs for Poptropica. Soon, I became a pro at one of the Poptropica islands: 24 Carrot Island. After mastering that, I went on to play Skullduggery, Astro-Knights, and Counterfeit… but sadly I could not pass them, since I kept dying to Mother Phoenix, couldn’t stop Black Widow, and it took a long time to beat Captain Crawfish. Soon, I found something else (or rather, someone) I enjoyed…

Video walkthroughs

So, who is this someone I mentioned? I started watching video walkthroughs for the islands where it was a little bit confusing. Can you guess whose? Thinknoodles!

My favorite video playlist is his “Road to Captain Thinknoodles,” where Thinknoodles plays the islands for the first time. I also began watching his other videos, where he plays Roblox, Minecraft, etc. Back then, I couldn’t access Roblox since I had a Chromebook. Videos from others, like Danton, also inspired me to play Roblox and watch more videos. As you can see, I’m getting away from Poptropica…

Taking a break

Ater playing through the islands, I found myself bored. So I decided to take a break from Poptropica. I decided that when something new came out on Poptropica, I would start playing it again. In the meantime, I did other things, like watch my favorite movies and TV shows.

One day I returned to the PHB and found something heartbreaking there…

The end of Flash and return of Smart Icicle

The PHB had announced that Flash would be gone by the end of 2020, and when I saw that, I was downright upset. I had liked the islands, but realized ever since Haxe started in early 2020, I couldn’t play them.

Then I saw the announcement from the Creators’ Blog that there was going to be a Create Your Dream Island Contest. That got my attention, so I got out my notebook and pencil. I got to work thinking of ideas (which was hard because of the copyright rules!) and finally came up with one: Cherry Fall Island. I got the idea from my latest travels to China in June, plus I added a plot twist in it as well. The story is set in ancient China and I put in an empress, a monk (who helps out the player), and some shopkeepers. Although I didn’t win, I felt happy after seeing the winners of the contest and congratulated them in the comments.

Earlier this year, I saw the news about a new Home Island. Since this was a new update, I decided I’d officially return to Poptropica.

Haxe and searching for a membership

Haxe (the post-Flash Poptropica platform of the current game) was new to me, and I found out it was very different from when I last played. My favorite part about it all was the new Home Island: I just gazed in awe after seeing it for the first time.

I learned that you couldn’t do much since most of the old islands were gone and a lot of extra stuff was for members only. So I started looking for ways to get a membership, and found out about the PHB’s monthly giveaways, which I immediately signed up for. I hope I get a membership one day, since I can’t buy one.

I also hope Poptropica changes more soon, like with Poptropica Worlds. In the meantime, I started my own site: Smart Icicle’s Blog. Check it out! I would like to thank the few readers who’ve already visited, and the PHB staff for helping me promote it.

Night Watch: It’s no small decision to take the black.

Well, that’s about it. What did you think of my story of Poptropica? Do you wish to see my upcoming clubhouse? Can’t wait to share more on the PHB. Anyway, see you soon!

~Smart Icicle 📚❄️

Hope you enjoyed this “My Place in Poptropica” story! If you did, you’ll probably enjoy our other MPIP stories here on the PHB.

If you haven’t already shared your story, we invite you to send in your own. Interested in writing for the PHB under a different Pop-topic? Take a look at our Write for the PHB page for ideas, guidelines, and more! 📰✨

~the Poptropica Help Blog

Uncategorized

Mood boards bring a POP of color 💫

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! A new creative trend has swept the Poptropica community, and we’re here to share some of it with you. Unveiling: Poptropica character mood boards! 🤩

Mood boards are a collection of images and color schemes that relate to a particular subject (in this case, Poptropica characters). They’re common in the world of design, and the Poptropica fandom’s been getting in on them too. Check out these collages inspired by NPCs (non-player characters), from people of the PHC:

In addition to NPCs, OCs (original characters, perhaps your own player Poptropican) are also a popular subject. Check out these OC mood boards from various Poptropicans, where the pic pile might inspire your character’s next wardrobe and vice versa!

Like a visual version of the Popsona, or Poptropica persona, where one creates a story for their Pop character, these collections sure have a lot of personality! Now, what story does your character tell?

Thanks to all the above artists for sharing their mood boards with us! You can find them on our Discord server, the PHC, particularly on our #pop-art channel. Plus, feel free to share your own creations there too, and/or in the comments of this post. We hope you enjoyed this aesthetic feast and maybe feel inspired to make your own too. 💫

Keep on popping, Poptropicans! ✨

Author: Slanted Fish

Popular Poptropican: Lucky Joker