Hey Poptropicans! Blink and it’s December — the holiday season is upon us, and with it comes a plethora of gifts!
The 12 Days of Member Gifts annual tradition has kicked off, this year with items imagined by players via November’s Holly Jolly Holiday Design Contest. We begin with a flair for the furry: a Fox Outfit designed by Perfect Heart, or Joey, as some in the Pop community may know him.
Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as more prizes drop into members’ inventories! If you haven’t had the taste of the bougie Pop life yet, why not try your luck in the PHB’s Free Membership Giveaways?
Fret not, non-members… Amelia’s got you for holiday goodies too. Pop over to Adventure Outfitters and you’ll find tons of winter wonders and Christmas cheer on the shop floor, including a little baby penguin! 🐧
Thanks to Dizzy Feather for contributing to this news post.
Guest writer Invisible Ring has returned to the Pop Creators’ Blog to bring us a throwback to an old project of Poptropica’s — the Dr. Hare LEGO set. Though the campaign did not succeed to make the Rabbot lair into a real toy, it did bring us a lot of fun Dr. Hare-themed items along the way. Still, Ring readily admits, all the “hare-brained” talk is really just a way to keep pushing her Poptropica fan movie, “Battle Morale.”
Last but not least, enjoy the latest fan art features from Pop’s Instagram stories — including a royal sighting also seen in our latest Community Creations. By the way, our new art theme is Pop’s winter celebration, Grapple-Pap — just in time for all this holiday spirit! 💝
It’s all thanks to my sister really. I remember back in elementary school, in the late 2000s, I would look forward to staring at her computer screen. Well, up until the day I thought to myself, “Hey, maybe I should give this Poptropica thing a try myself!”
2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?
A name that immediately comes to mind for me as criminally underrated is Merlin. I feel as though Merlin gets lost in the masterpiece that is Astro-Knights Island. I mean, the bird sacrifices himself to save your Poptropican. Any respect Merlin has received through the years needs to be tripled, ‘cause I don’t hear nearly enough about this saint of an owl.
As for overrated, it’s gotta be Dr. Hare, right? I mean, no disrespect to the doctor who decided to wear a pink bunny costume but, surely his PhD could’ve gone to better use elsewhere.
The way to an owl’s heart is through its stomach.Dr. Hare illustrated by Fierce Flyer
3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?
Purely for the aesthetics, I’ve gotta go with Episode 1 of Survival Island. I really felt like I was there, like I was freezing and needed warmth and not just in the game. Getting that full immersive experience plus the beautiful scenery, is both nostalgic and was revolutionary to Poptropica.
Survival Island, Ep. 1 wallpaper
4. From your perspective, how have you seen the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB) and community change over time?
Change is inevitable. In the Pop community, the biggest changes that I dealt with were fellow bloggers and Poptropica enthusiasts coming and going. But through it all, my fond memories with them remain dear to my heart, and I have a feeling they would say the same.
5. How has your PHB career surprised you?
Joining the PHB has gotta be a top 10 moment in my life in terms of excitement and happiness. I was over the moon when I was welcomed in, and was pleasantly surprised to find that through joining the blog, I also became a stronger writer.
Fierce Flyer at the blue carpet of the Poppies 2018
6. What inspires you?
I could go on and on about the many things I see and learn everyday that inspire me, but if I had to choose just one, it’d be my older brother and fellow PHB author Sporty Boa. He’s played a pivotal role in the progression of not only my creativity, but also my journey of becoming my best self. So, shout-out to my brotato chip!
This community means so much to me; it’s hard to just put it in words, as corny as that sounds. I’ve recently turned 18, so I’m officially an “adult,” and I can truly say that the Poptropica community — everyone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting — will hold a special place in my childhood as a cornerstone of my life growing up.
8. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?
Oh for sure! My blog, Fierce Flyer Adventures, began as a Poptropica site, but has also branched out a bit. I made a post 4 ½ years ago called “The Oath of Socialization” where I basically challenged myself to break out of my shell and be my authentic self around others. That post really changed my life because, although it was only supposed to last for a week, I’ve been running with it to this day.
Vanquish E. Vile by Fierce Flyer
9. Outside of Poptropica and your PHB involvement, what are you passionate about?
I’m super passionate about sports — all kinds, really. Anything with a ball, and sometimes a puck or wheel, I’ll be watching it. Along with that, a passion I’ve always had is creating stories. I want to be an author one day, or a director/writer for my own show or movie!
Fierce Black Panther by Fierce Flyer
Favorites
Island: It’s a toss-up between Mystery Train and Reality TV, but I’ll give a slight edge to Mystery Train because of its captivating story and endearing characters.
Backstory/Lore: Ringmaster Raven. Such a captivating character with a truly tragic backstory, can’t help but to feel bad for him…
Character: My guy Edgar! Every time he showed up on my screen I was grinning, a bright spot in an otherwise disturbingly creepy environment on Monster Carnival.
Villain: Poptropica has so many great villains, but the cake goes to Director D ‘cause as a kid, I thought he was the coolest dude ever. Here’s a hot take: I think he could rock the bald look!
Costume: There are a lot of iconic costumes, but the one I remember the most, and always used, was the Midnight Ninja outfit. I would literally try to find any excuse possible to throw that thing on.
Train Attraction: Ride the rails in style.Let the games begin!Bird Boy’s bitter pastBald Director D (left)Midnight Ninja
Thanks for having me on! Catch this interview on the Pop Creators’ Blog as well. I look forward to seeing what else is in store!
Hello! Welcome to the next part of our series with the Pop Creators interviewing members of the PHB team. Meet Gentle Dolphin!
1. How were you first introduced to Poptropica?
I first discovered Poptropica back in 2008 (man, am I that old?). I watched my little sister play Poptropica on the family computer one day, and I wanted to play as well. Guess who kept playing the game long after that. 😉
2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?
Poptropica has a large quantity of characters, so some are bound to get lost in the shuffle over time. I have to agree with Purple Paw and say that Captain Ziggs is probably the most underrated Pop character. He gave his life to protect the citizens of Steamworks Island, yet he isn’t talked about much in the community. Even characters like the Elf Queen and the Magistrate get fan art on occasion.
As for the most overrated, I feel like I’m beating a dead horse by saying that Dr. Hare is overrated. He became the face of spinoff minigames, merchandise, and even Poptropica itself! He got so much attention that could have shared with other characters.
3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?
I loved visiting the dream worlds in Super Villain Island. They have some of the best scenery and provide interesting insight into some of Pop’s iconic villains. My favorite moment was hopping into the paintings in Black Widow’s dream. Talk about an immersive art experience!
I also want to mention the maze sections in Ghost Story Island. We’ve seen Pop from side-on and top-down perspectives, but this was the only time we could turn around and see every little corner of a location.
Lillies: There’s no need to moan, eh?Graveyard maze in Ghost Story Island
4. From your perspective, how have you seen the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB) and community change over time?
I joined the community sometime in 2017, when Poptropica was searching for ways to survive the death of Flash Player. There was a lot of uncertainty about Pop’s fate during that time, and the community changed along with the game. Older fans either stayed on board or left altogether, and new players joined the community. While the fandom isn’t as active as it once was, there are still dedicated fans creating fan art and crafting theories.
Backspace — the PHB’s “Blank Space” Taylor Swift Parody Music Video — with vocals by Gentle Dolphin! Read about the making of it here.
5. How has your PHB career surprised you?
First off, being invited to join the PHB was already a big surprise. 😆
In all seriousness, being part of the PHB taught me a lot about working with others online. I learned how to better communicate via text and how to plan online events like our annual Poppies awards. I still make mistakes every now and then, but that means there’s still room to grow.
I get inspired by many things, from stories to music to real-life experiences.
7. What does the Pop community mean to you?
The Pop community is full of creative individuals with a shared passion. The PHB’s Community Creations series is a testament to that fact.
“PHB Tribe Reps for the Poptropolis Games” by Gentle Dolphin
8. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?
You could say that Pop had a notable influence on my interests. Poptropica used to have a Daily Pop page that included comic strips like Peanuts and Big Nate. These comics inspired me to create my very own comics and set me on a creative path. I should probably get back into making comics, now that I think about it.
9. Outside of Poptropica and your PHB involvement, what are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about art and illustration. I’ve been working on a few projects, whether they be fully independent or with other people. Keep an eye out for them!
“Jersey Devil” by Gentle Dolphin
Favorites
Island: Ghost Story Island! It has a compelling story and a subdued tone not commonly felt in Pop’s other islands. I definitely want to see this island return in the future.
Backstory/Lore: I liked learning about Amelia during her side quest. While it doesn’t reveal any groundbreaking lore, it showcases Amelia’s character via casual conversation and set design. Her little apartment showcases her love of tea, her many adventures, and (of course) her obsession with unicorns. I certainly didn’t expect that last one, but I loved it!
Character: Fiona from Ghost Story Island. She is a sweet lady with a tragic history, and she is responsible for some of the island’s most iconic moments.
Villain: The Super Power Island crew. They’re a fun collection of villains to fight in a classic superhero setting.
Costume: I may be biased when I say “Pumpkin Punk”. 😜🎃
Thanks for the interview, and keep up the good work!
Ah yes, the nostalgic times. I found Poptropica when I was around 10 years old. Me and my friend were sharing one Windows 7 computer, looking at ads on our games. We had never heard of Poptropica before, but we were in the mood to try something new.
So we created our first account together: Bronze Socks. (If the name sounds familiar to you, yes, that’s my Community Creations partner!) Anyway, this was during the peak of Poptropica, with the Multiverse, all the islands you could play, everything.
After a while, we each got a computer and didn’t have to share anymore, so me and my friend went our separate ways. I continued to play Poptropica as Smart Icicle (username: Target1051). Here’s me on the New You building of an older Home Island!
2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?
My choice for underrated character — I found many, but I would have to say the magistrate from Ghost Story Island. He’s nostalgic to consider, yet a bit villainous — after all, he did orchestrate a murder.
The most overrated character right now, in my opinion, would be Rumpelstiltskin. With all the Fairytale Island lore ongoing these past couple of years, including Rumpel’s possession of the Baron, and now being hunted by the Red Queen, it seems Rumpel is highly ranked among people’s villain tiers. Still, I wish each villain could get equal love in the community, rather than the hype often going to the same ones.
Magistrate from Ghost Story (left)Rumpelstiltskin from Fairytale (right)
3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?
I love seeing Binary Bard’s and Dr. Hare’s dreams in Super Villain Island. Another one is the Imperial Garden from Red Dragon — at one point, I even set it as my phone wallpaper because I loved it so much!
I also liked most of the scenes from Arabian Nights, which have some of my favorites to play through as well: catching Scheherazade as a genie, and being in her princess room. And I enjoy a good villain takedown — although I didn’t get to witness them from personal experience since the gameplay was difficult, it was fun watching Captain Crawfish, Binary Bard, Dr. Hare, and Black Widow getting defeated.
4. From your perspective, how have you seen the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB) and community change over time?
To me, it’s an equation: Pop changes = PHB changes. Every time Poptropica changes, the PHB does as well. So much has happened to the game over the years, and the community has evolved too. I’ve seen this mentioned often and completely agree that, with the end of Flash in 2020, many people lost interest in Pop, including myself.
Perhaps the pandemic had something to do with the game’s momentum slowing down. But despite the shifts, I’m still happy to see the PHB keep going, and parts of Pop still hanging onto some of its OG content.
Eye Alone: Looking out from within.
5. How has your PHB career surprised you?
I was really excited to see what would happen after I became a staff writer on the PHB. My PHB career surprised me because it sent huge waves of creativity that I never knew I had, plus it changed my writing style. Before joining the team, as a reader, I had zero creativity and zero interest in writing. I have to say thank you to Slanted Fish for this opportunity to write about something that I enjoy. After joining the PHB, I was inspired to continue writing, and even started my own blog.
World Warriors: Welcome back to the stage of history.
6. What inspires you?
Music, video games, family history, movies, TV shows — they all inspire me. As the saying goes: Inspiration is the key to success. Even watching other people writing inspires me.
7. What does the Pop community mean to you?
The Pop community means a lot to me. It feels like another whole family to me. I love just watching everyone’s whole different approaches and ideas, and I feel like I helped inspire new guest writers on the blog.
Turban Core: Into the heart of a den of thieves.
8. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?
I would say Pop has influenced me a lot IRL. It not only brought back my creativity and love of writing, it also made me love trying out new games to enjoy on the web.
9. Outside of Poptropica and your PHB involvement, what are you passionate about?
I love my family, friends, teachers, and writing. They all just make me feel me.
Gallery: The writing is on the walls.
Favorites
Island: Skullduggery
Backstory/Lore: Dr. Hare’s origin story as a lead scientist who engineered a malfunctioning mind control device that turned him into an evil hare-y genius
Character: Harold Mews from Cryptids
Villain: Dr. Hare, Captain Crawfish, Black Widow, and Binary Bard
Costume: Dr. Hare costume
Dr. Hare’s backstory from the 2011 Villain Showdown on the Pop Creators’ Blog
Thank you to the Pop Creators for inviting me to do this interview, which you can also find on the Creators’ Blog. I have had a blast playing Poptropica, keep up the great work!
Hello! Welcome to the next part of our series with the Pop Creators interviewing members of the PHB team. This time, get to know MaryannTheConqueror, aka Smart Bubbles!
1. How were you first introduced to Poptropica?
Like most older players, Funbrain is where it started for me. It was the main website Pop was advertised on, and I remember seeing it all the time there. I used to spend a lot of time on Funbrain as well!
2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?
Underrated – Probably Fiona from Ghost Story. Ghost Story had by far one of the best storylines in Poptropica and I miss it dearly, and she’s one I don’t see much of except for some fanart every blue moon.
I’m also going to quickly mention Binary Bard because — wait, wait, hear me out — the guy has a lot of fans, I’m aware. However, I’ll consider him underrated until his island is back and he has his own book series.
Overrated – Poor Dr. Hare’s getting a lot of flack this time, isn’t he? Ah well. He’s a pretty easy answer and to be fair, I do feel that for the main mascot of Pop, he’s definitely one of the simpler characters (but don’t take this too seriously as you will soon find how VERY biased I am).
Fiona (right)Dr. Hare
3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?
I remember I used to go to the background of Poptropica Realms — when you exited out of a specific realm and just stared at all the mini worlds in bubbles — and listen to the ambience. The music and calm there was very sweet, and it was one of those rare times when you open a game but don’t really play it, instead just stopping to enjoy the scene.
4. From your perspective, how have you seen the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB) and community change over time?
I’m one of the newest authors on the PHB, and while I had only posted a little bit before joining, I’ve actually lurked in this community since 2015! I read so many blogs, discovering any fan theories or creations that I could. At the time, I was pretty anxious about joining in the fandom, but I think I still got a decent view of what it was like.
I do feel the community is far less active recently. It’s sad to see the fan blogs slow down, but things have been a little slow. I remember enjoying many series from the PHB as well, including their seasonal magazine that has since retired, The POPCORN!
“The Boy Nobody Wanted” by MaryannTheConqueror (Smart Bubbles)
5. How has your PHB career surprised you?
I think people can have different reasons for any creative arts, including storytelling. For some, they just want to do something they enjoy and express themselves. While I feel that too, I’m also passionate about bringing emotions and inspiration to others.
I’ve been writing a concept script for a Poptropica TV series called “The Villain Saga” for a while now, which you can read on the PHB. It’s very much just for fun, but it brought me so much joy when I saw other Pop fans writing their own stories in a similar format!
6. What inspires you?
Nature is a massive thing for me. I love being in green forests, which is kind of hard as someone who lives in a desert! Music is also a huge source of inspiration for me — I tend to create things based more on emotions than general ideas, hence why I can have a futuristic comic inspired by a horror musical.
I’ve also been developing an interest in studying cultures around the world. I’m especially passionate about Japan and hope to travel there someday! Who knows, maybe I can even make some Poptropica stuff while I’m there… ;>
Arch Enemies: Bridge over troubled water.
7. What does the Pop community mean to you?
It’s a lot of fun to just be able to geek out about characters and nostalgia that just aren’t known or discussed outside of this community. I can create things and get feedback or practice ideas through fan creations, which in turn helps me improve my personal work.
Poppies 2022 by MaryannTheConqueror
8. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?
I have to say my work outside of Pop hasn’t changed much before and after. I was an artist and writer before, and I still am. I was involved in the Pop community a bit before being invited to work on the PHB as well. That all being said, I find myself becoming more interested in writing articles on subjects I’m steeped in, such as gaming and fandom, and blogging with the PHB has absolutely given me more practice in those departments. And of course, collaborating on and creating projects inspires me even further!
9. Outside of Poptropica and your PHB involvement, what are you passionate about?
I love all kinds of music (listening, not writing, still haven’t got the hang of that). I hope to learn as many mediums of storytelling as possible, be they comics, animation, or novels. I have a deep love for bittersweet or just downright tragic stories. Astronomy also interests me, and while I don’t think I have the brainpower to study it as a profession, I love learning as many facts as possible!
“Planets of the Past” by MaryannTheConqueror
Favorites
Island: Astro-Knights. Astro-Knights Astro-Knights Astro-Knights. Ghost Story comes in second place though!
Backstory/Lore:
This is going to come as a surprise to absolutely no one who’s read my posts or interacted with me — Mordred’s. I can joke till the end of time about how much of a Bard stan I am, but it’s actually not quite that. The guy’s pretty evil. He’d easily be one of the hardest to redeem.
But I love tragic characters, and I feel like he has quite the foundation to become one. There’s a lot to look into. Why did he start performing cruel experiments and rebelling against the kingdom? Will he continue to replace himself with cybernetic parts over time, and if so, at what point will he truly lose himself? Hehe. Yeah it’s a bit much. But he’s just got such a good base to construct ideas from!
“The Knowledge of the Stars” by MaryannTheConqueror
Character: Mordred.
Villain: I imagine you’ll never be able to guess.
Costume: The Acidic Dinosaur. Nothing will ever beat it.
Mordred in Astro-Knights IslandAcidic Dinosaur
Funding for this post is provided by Harold Mews’ bank account. If you’d like, you can check out more of my writing and art on the PHB. You can also read this interview on the Pop Creators’ Blog. Pop on!
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