Here we are Poptropicans, with the first Island Flash-back! And this time I didn’t stall on the post until the end of the month! But in all seriousness, this island was high on my list, and considering this is its release month, it’s the perfect time. I know I already spoiled it in the title, but I’m going to do a dramatic reveal anyway! February’s island is…

Monster Carnival!!

I would be lying if I didn’t say this island has a very complicated history. It was actually planned to be released alongside Poptropica’s very first islands, but was delayed for years. Even some Creators seemed to think it was never going to be completed, as evidenced by the description for this old concept art found in the Daily Pop archives.

“The Wayback Machine: An early sketch for a long-rumored, never-completed Island.” -The Daily Pop

Monster Carnival takes its inspiration from many sources, from the horror genre, to the at times creepy atmosphere of circuses, and even the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe, referenced by both the main villain and the trainee Edgar. Possibly over time the island’s story and atmosphere became more complex due to new inspirations over what appears to be many re-writes.

*A really good example of how “creepy” and “pretty” can be conveyed in the same image*

Of course, no Monster Carnival discussion can be made without mentioning it’s villain: Ringmaster Raven. This character has stirred many responses from fans, due to his tragic backstory that held so much potential, and his unfortunate (and quite ungraceful) end. That all being said, he is still much-loved, and like many other villains is one of the main reasons this island is so remembered.

It’s just the story of a boy who lost his way, into shadows strayed–wait wrong “Nevermore”

Now here comes your part, fans! Monster Carnival and many of its peers were the first to go in the Flash-Haxe transition, and the months (or in this case, years!) of work artists and writers put into it should not go to waste! Make fanart, fanfiction, videos, guests posts, ~~chicken memes~~ and essays on why Ringmaster Raven deserved better. Let the Creators know what you appreciate about their past work to encourage them to preserve it!

Until next time!

Corvus honorem ~ Maryann/Smart Bubbles

Monster Carnival Island

Carrots, Cats, & Creatures

October 28, 2016October 29, 2016 Ylimegirl

Heyo readers,

Halloween is coming up this Monday, and I’m ready to dress up for a hardcore night of… playing Poptropica, probably, since I might be a little too old for trick-or-treating (by most people’s standards).

Anyways, the Creators have certainly have been getting in the spirit this month, and even more news has poured in from the floodgates! First of all, we’ve got a lovely wallpaper, perfect for screens with a 4:3 ratio! Skinny Moon claims it’s from one island and us “longtime Poptropicans” would know, but I keep staring and can’t think of any island that features scarecrows, carrots, and spaceships.

I mean, I can think of three different islands that have these traits, but not a single one. Maybe I’m just missing something, and I’m not as much of a veteran as I thought I was. I digress though. Wallpaper!

(Update: As a couple of commenters here have mentioned, this scene is from the optional video game you can play on Zomberry Island, Terror in the Garden.)

To keep up this spoopy mood, the Creators released some concept art and animations for one of the IOTM, Monster Carnival! We’ve got sketches of both the Poptropicans and monsters that made their way into the island, as well as a couple of animations.

monster-carnival-characters

It’s always pretty neat to see what designs creators go through before the final product. (Unless it’s my characters, in which case please don’t look into that my original designs are terrible and I want to burn them.) Be sure to check them all out!

watermonsterca

Finally, we have Skinny Moon celebrating Black Cat Day (October 27th) with the new black cat follower. This cat can jump really high and seems far more friendly than my cats. (Mine just sleep all the way over in the corner and glance at me sometimes. I’m sure they love me though.)

If you’re a member, be sure to pick up the card from the store. If not, well … say hi to Whiskers from 24 Carrot Island I guess? Wait, Whiskers isn’t a black cat. Darn it!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. May your Halloween be filled with lots of candy!

-Ylimegirl

Creators, Islands of the Month, Monster Carnival Island

October Occasions: IOTM, Skinny Moon’s Birthday, & PHB Contest!

October 13, 2016December 1, 2016 Spotted Dragon

Hey everyone! Spotted Dragon here again (I know, it’s like once in a blue moon these days) and it’s October, so you know what that means…

spoopy

Well, yes it does mean it’s time to binge watch Over the Garden Wall, but that’s not the point of this post. The point is that it’s a new month and that means a new Island of the Month! And that island is…

Monster Carnival! And for this spoopy time of year, I’d say Monster Carnival is a perfect choice. Remember that since this island is currently featured, it gets special advantages! 😀

First-time finishers get 500 credits instead of the usual 300
Repeat finishers get a one-time 300 credit bonus instead of the usual 150
There’s a brand-new walkthrough (by the Creators) for Monster Carnival to help you if need be
Some cool IOTM lost art and/or throwbacks will be posted throughout the month on the Creators’ Blog and social media
The IOTM’s exclusive members-only items are back in the Poptropica Store for a limited time (including the Ringmaster costume which was previously only available during early access)

Of course, we did already figure out the Islands of the Month – the other is Mythology Island – the Creators just finally got around to blogging about it (and mentioning the upcoming lost art!).

If you are interested in any of these, head over to Monster Carnival Island right away! I’m very excited to see all this “lost art,” aren’t you? However, that’s not all that’s special about this month…

It’s also Skinny Moon’s birthday today! Yep, October 13th to be exact, so be sure to wish her a happy birthday. From all of us here on the PHB, happy birthday, Jessica! We all love and appreciate you very much, so we hope you had an amazing day. 😉

I’ve also been told to share this video with the lucky birthday girl… (very funny ylime) 😛

Other than these cool celebrations, remember that Poptropica is celebrating Halloween in other cool ways. Plus, be sure to enter in the PHB’s very own Halloween/Fall Costume Contest!

It’s our 8th annual this year, and it’s very special this time around because… the Poptropica Creators are sponsoring us by giving a one-month membership to each of the 10 winners (in addition to the prize of being featured on the PHB)!

Now you have to enter, right? Just do it!

Anyway, stay spoopy Poptropicans! >:)

~Spotted Trickster

Monster Carnival Island, Mythology Island

Of Gods and Monsters – October’s Islands of the Month

October 3, 2016October 3, 2016 Brave Tomato

Hey guys, my name is Brave Tomato, and welcome to the ever so spooky month of October!

2spoopy4me

Well, in Poptropica nowadays, a new month mean a new duo of Islands of the Month, where people have the opportunity to play an island for extra credits – no matter if it’s your first time playing it or you’re playing it again.

Since it is a new month, that means Mystery of the Map and Virus Hunter Island will no longer be giving extra credits upon completion.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s see which islands the Creators handpicked to be October’s Islands of the Month!

Monster Carnival

Not too surprisingly, Monster Carnival is the first of the two Islands of the Month this month. After all, Halloween is slowly approaching and a spooky island like such would fit right in to this month.

Captain Crawfish has even uploaded a new video walkthrough for the island:

If you’d prefer a written walkthrough, check out the PHB’s Monster Carnival Island Guide here!

Mythology Island

The second island, which may seem like a stranger pick at first, is Mythology Island. It seems like the Creators specifically are picking sound-updated islands (SUIs) to be islands of the month, and out of the remaining SUIs, Mythology is one of the few that also has a classical creepy vibe to it (especially in the Underworld).

Captain Crawfish has made a new video walkthrough for Mythology as well:

If you’d prefer a written walkthrough, check out the PHB’s Mythology Island Guide here!

___

Like with the previous IotMs, the first time you complete either of these Islands of the Month, you will attain 500 credits, and for one more time following that, you will attain 300 credits. Still beats the regular 150 credits from non-IotM islands!

So with this news in mind and guides in hand, go ahead and face off, whether it’d be a carnival full of monsters or the dangerous world of Greek Mythology!

Until next time, BT out!

Fanfiction, Monster Carnival Island, PHB Specials

PHB Sunday Special: The Monster Carnival Fanfiction Duology

November 15, 2015June 15, 2022 Brave Tomato

Hey guys, my name is Brave Tomato, and the past few weeks have been busy for me. So, as you guys may or may not know, I am a Poptropica fanfiction writer, and just last Friday I released a story called Forevermore, a sequel to my Monster Carnival fanfiction Nevermore from last year.

For today’s PHB Sunday Special, I’ll be introducing these two works! 🙂

neverforever cropped

I will proceed to show off both fanfictions now, giving brief synopses and background information, as well as links to where you can read them. Hope you enjoy!

Nevermore

Some of you readers may recognize Nevermore from Issue 15 of the POPCORN magazine, back when it was called the Poptropican’s 911. I released it April 23, 2014, so it is relatively older. Here is a summary for this one:

Based on the 37th island, Monster Carnival, and the newspapers featured in game, this fanfiction tells the fan-made account of the young and frail Bird Boy, a bird-human hybrid abandoned by a carnival, his short time in town, and the circumstances in town that caused him to become the notorious Ringmaster Raven years later.

So in a nutshell, this is a fan-made prequel to Monster Carnival going into more detail on what was on the newspapers we found in Dr. Dan’s apothecary, from the Bird Boy’s arrival to the town (which I dubbed Sanguenera, as a personal nod to a story I wrote when I was younger also featuring a “Ringleader” Raven) to his eventual exile.

If you’d like to read it, here are the links to it! I warn you though, it’s somewhat lengthy. 😉

deviantArt (downloadable PDF)
Issue 14 of Popcorn/Poptropican 911 (Only first few paragraphs)
Issue 15 of Popcorn/Poptropican 911 (Next few paragraphs and link to PDF)
Fanfiction.net (Text only)

Forevermore

Forevermore, on the other hand, is brand new! I just released it last Friday (the 13th). Unlike Nevermore, Forevermore is an interquel, meaning in this case it takes place during the events of the Monster Carnival quest. Here’s a summary:

An interquel to Monster Carnival and sequel to Nevermore. Ringmaster Raven’s carnival has arrived in town, promising fun for all. However, Dr. Dan isn’t feeling any of the cheer, for he realized that his own fate could be sealed by its coming. From the author of Nevermore, Forevermore focuses on Dr. Dan’s point of view, and what led to his mental breakdown in the Bonus Quest.

This one focuses on Dr. Dan rather than Raven. I worked on this one since May with a long break in the mix. It focused on an internal conflict rather than an external one, that being Dr. Dan’s struggle to identify himself as a monster.

If you want to read it, here are the places you can read it! It’s also somewhat long, but not as long as Nevermore: