Category: PHB Parties

PHB Parties, PHB Specials, Web Development

A Decade of Poptropica: Party Recap and Reflections

Slanted Fish

10th bday pop

You’ve probably heard us say this a lot this month, but it’s a big deal, so we’re saying it again: 🎉 Poptropica is 10!!!!!!!!!! 🎉

That’s a pretty long time to be popping about. In fact, many of us here at the PHB have grown up seeing its progression over the years, from our pre-teens to early adulthood. Many others in this community are themselves just 10 years old, having been born right around the time of Poptropica’s launch! Whatever the case for you, whether you’re a longtime player or just discovered the game yesterday, you’ve got to admit it’s a remarkable thing to have made it here.

This past weekend, to celebrate the big milestone, the PHB threw a party on Poptropica and our chat server, the PHC. We brought our 10th birthday monkey hats and filled Multiverse rooms with laughter, head-to-head battles, and a standard dose of lag. Despite some hiccups with the party rooms, we still had plenty of fun meeting friends and hanging out on the PHC. Check out a recap of the shenanigans in the collage above, or this video captured by TallMeloniscool which recorded a portion of the events!

Here at the Poptropica Help Blog, we’re immensely blessed to have Poptropica be a part of our lives. This game and fandom – for all its whimsical complexities, hearty community of players, and skillful creativity – has made its indelible and unique marks on all of us who are celebrating its tenth anniversary this month.

To that end, the current PHB staff would like to share some reflections with you – our thoughts straight from the heart. You can also check out our “My Place in Poptropica” (MPIP) stories, linked below, for more about how the game has impacted our lives.

Brave Tomato:

bt1010 years? Wow, thanks for making me feel old, Poptropica. 😛 Anyway, I could never be any more grateful to be part of such an awesome community. Over the years, I have gotten to see numerous things, news, and such come and go as Poptropica evolved, and it has been great to get to experience it all.

It helped me gain new interests, build up my confidence to pursue an animation degree while in college, gave me an opportunity to share stories and artwork, and I got to meet so many amazing people through the fandom. I know this is weird for me to say, but being part of this changed my life. Thank you, Poptropica, for not being afraid to teach us not only educational lessons, but also to smile, laugh, cry, face our fears, and most importantly, bringing us all together.

Check out her whole MPIP story here.

Happy Lobster: 10bdayhl

Well, 10 years does seem like a very long time – but for me, playing since 2008, it strangely doesn’t feel like a very lengthy time looking back. As I grew older, I became more and more interested in Pop, ultimately leading up to my discovery of the community, and taking part in it since the start of 2016.

Since then, I’ve met so many amazing people, all of whom share a common interest, and made new hobbies that I almost definitely wouldn’t have began if not for the community – blogging, graphics, digital art. I wouldn’t change a single bit of my time with Pop and its fandom – and I’m very pleased to see Pop’s 10 birthday.

Check out his whole MPIP story here.

Lucky Joker:

lj10The fact that it’s been 10 years that these wide-eyed, formerly neckless characters have been around is still dawning upon me. I consider myself nothing more than privileged to have had this amazing game a part of my life for so many years. From mindlessly wandering around Poptropica in an elementary school computer lab, to secretly playing during the awkward years of middle school, and now to blogging on the biggest Poptropica fan site as an almost high school graduate, Poptropica has been with me all the way. It is with disbelief, but great joy as well, that I’m here today reminiscing on the huge impact Poptropica has had on my life, both online and off.

Looking back at the growth and evolution of this game feels so surreal. I remember earning my first medallion, purchasing my first membership, my first merchandise item… all like it was just yesterday. Because of this game, I’ve developed interests in mythology, astronomy, story writing, art, and journalism, and have also been learning to seek higher successes. This other world has truly influenced me, and for the best way possible. Anyway, I better stop before I get too emotional. Happy 10th birthday, Poptropica, and here’s to many more! ❤

Check out his whole MPIP story here.

Purple Claw:

pc10Poptropica is more than just a game, at least for me. Poptropica is an inspirational world that inspired thousands of people to make fan art, write fan-fiction, start blogging and writing, become more familiar with coding, and more. This game was what kept me sane through my teenage years (2014-2016, thankfully I’m much better now), my hard times, and whenever I wanted to be alone.

Joining the community is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life, and I’m really thankful for every single one of my friends. Everyone here is so nice. Being in this fandom made me realize that Poptropica is my home, and I’m really happy to see this world become 10 years old. Here’s to many more! Stay poppin’! (:

Check out his whole MPIP story here.

Silver Wolf:

sw10Poptropica has become a huge part of my life, and I even remember the first time I played it, which was about 9 years ago (I was in elementary school!). I didn’t become part of the community, though, until 2012, and that was possibly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I only know some of my best friends because of how we met on Poptropica chat rooms or blogs, and I’m so happy to have them in my life. Even my family asks how blogging is going, and it’s become a conversation piece with others offline.

Poptropica has also always been a way to cheer myself up if I’m going through a hard time, and I’ve formed a personal connection with it over the years; it inspires me to be creative and express myself without judgment. I can’t believe it’s been so long, and I wish Poptropica a happy 10th birthday! I can’t wait to see what else the future holds. 🙂

Check out her whole MPIP story here.

Slanted Fish:

fishy10I’m greatly indebted to Poptropica for its being the source of creativity by which I do much of my writing. After all, there would be no Poptropica Help Blog without Poptropica; no Poptropica fandom nor all the fan art, blogs, friends, and conversations it’s inspired for ten years now. So thank you, Poptropica, for giving voice to so many ideas… and for giving me something to write about.

Blogging about this game over the years played a huge part in how I’ve developed my own writing voice, as well as a passion for sharing words with people that I’ll carry with me for as long as I have the ability for language. And it’s more than writing, of course: on Poptropica there are artistic worlds to admire, stories to dig deep into, and many more treasures than can be named – but suffice it to say, I’m grateful to have popped into these tropics. Keep on popping, Poptropica! 🎉

Check out her whole MPIP story here.

Slippery Raptor:

slip10If Poptropica was a kid, it’d be 10 years old today. Funny that it would probably play Poptropica as a kid, too! It’s cool to see how time had flown by so fast. I remember myself many years ago going to a friend’s house just to play Shark Tooth Island, and nagging him about a new island’s release not long after. This game has been a big part of my life.

Only Poptropica had the magic to make me feel like putting in so much effort, time, and dedication into a game. Even in the rough and crazy times, we’ve gotten through, and I’m pretty sure we can keep going through with just a little patience. And look, Poptropica’s already 10! Long live Pop! Stay poppin’!

Check out his whole MPIP story here.

Spotted Dragon:

sd10I still can’t believe it’s been 10 full years! I started playing Poptropica waaaay back in the early days and while I’ve taken breaks, I’ve never really stopped playing. Though I didn’t truly become part of the community until a few years after my very first medallion, I’m still amazed at how big our little fandom is. If I hadn’t started blogging, I honestly don’t know where I’d be in life right now!

I do get odd looks when people find out I still play Poptropica, but those looks almost always turn into a wholesome, nostalgic conversation. I don’t care that I’m a bit old for the game and I don’t know how long it will be before all of this starts to fade from my mind, but I’m 100% enjoying this while it lasts. I’ve made many priceless friendships and discovered absolutely incredible artists, and little things like that are what really made me stick around so long.

Check out her whole MPIP story here.

Well, that’s enough opining from us for now. We’d love to hear your thoughts on baby Poptropica growing up into big-guy Poptropica, and we bet the Creators would too. So we encourage you to share in the comments, even if it’s a simple “congrats!”

🎈🎁 Happy 10th birthday, Poptropica. 🎁🎈

😁 Thanks for everything. 💕

pop 10years

❤️,
– the Poptropica Help Blog –

PHB Parties

Celebrating 10 Years of Poptropica!

Slanted Fish

pop 10years

2007 to 2017… it’s been a poppin’ decade.

September 2007 – From an office in Boston, Poptropica is launched as an extension of the kids’ educational entertainment site FunBrain. There is no blimp, because there’s only one island: Early Poptropica. There is no Costumizer, no friend profiles, no membership. Just a simple island, and a gaggle of basic-looking Poptropicans.

But ten years later… the Poptropica of the past is worlds apart from the present – with tons of creative characters, 50+ intricate islands, and lots more fun features – but at its core, it’s still the same whimsical world it started out as. And now here we are, in September 2017, looking back on the fact that it’s been a whole decade. Most games don’t stay popular for so long and still pump out new content, but this one beat the odds. Wow.

To commemorate the occasion, we put together the graphic above, celebrating each one of Poptropica’s 10 years with the 10 letters of its name (although, since September is not at the start of the calendar year, the last letter had to encompass two years). You can click on the picture above to take a closer look – there are a lot of details packed in, with each letter marking some events that took place in its represented year. Hope you enjoy! 😁

That’s not all. We’re also going to be having a party on Poptropica to celebrate the anniversary – after all, we couldn’t let such a big milestone pass by without one! It’ll be this weekend, it’ll be lit 🔥, and you should totally pop in…

10years party

Mark it on your calendar! Here are the details for the celebration:

  • 😜 WHO: Everyone’s invited! PHB staff will be there too!
  • 🎉 WHAT: Multiverse parties on Poptropica, games, and hanging out on the PHC.
  • 🕒 WHEN: September 16, 2017 (Saturday) @ 3 p.m. EST /  2 p.m. CST / 1 p.m. MST / 12 p.m. PST. If you live in a different timezone, you can use a time zone converter to see what the time will be where you live.
  • 🎈 WHERE: The Poptropica Help Chat (PHC), our moderated chat server on Discord. If you’ll be on the go at this time, you can download the Discord mobile app.
  • 🎂 WHY: To celebrate a decade of Poptropica’s existence!

You’ll find the Multiverse room codes on the PHC during the party. Bring your favorite party gear: colorful outfits, balloons, special effects – let’s pop into those rooms with a bang! See you there, and bring on the flair! 😉

– the Poptropica Help Blog team –

Contests, Livestreams, PHB Parties, Poppies

Recap: Poppies 2017 Winners and Party!

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans!

Throughout this month on the PHB, we’ve been hosting The Poppies, our annual Poptropica community awards event. This is our third year of doing the Poppies, and as usual, it’s been a blast! From nominating to voting to partying, we’re grateful to celebrate the Poptropica community with you.

Even the Poptropica Creators showed interest in our Red Blue Carpet event!

The main event, which celebrated the Poppies winners and the PHB’s ninth birthday with a lively party on the PHC and Poptropica Multiverse rooms, has just wrapped up. Thanks to all who attended – can you find yourself in the recap collage above?

We see amazing costumes at every PHB event, but this year we really wanted to highlight some of our favorites. So, we’ve compiled a selection of some stand-out outfits from the Poppies attendees in the Multiverse rooms! Check out their snazzy suits:

best poppies outfits

Kudos to Red Crush, Greedy Shadow, Mia (aka Grumpy Cactus – she also won Best Poptropica Fansite alongside her friend LillySparkle$!), Sporty Boa (who almost died for his outfit!), and Spotted Lion! Y’all are looking especially fly on the blue carpet.

Of course, what you really wanna know is who won, right?! We announced all the winners via a livestream during the party, but in case you missed it, you can catch up on it below. The video contains commentary from several PHB authors – Brave Tomato (main host), Spotted Dragon, Silver Wolf, and Lucky Joker – as well as pics for each category and a breakdown of voting percentages via charts (to show how the other nominees fared).

Below the video, we’ll also list out all the winners and the second-place runner-ups.

And the Poppies go to…

A huge congratulations is in order for all the winners of this year’s Poppies!!

Winners should have received a printable paper Poppie trophy from us via email or social media, and nominees (those who made it to the voting round) have been given badges. Thanks to Spotted Dragon for creating these! If you earned a Poppies trophy or badge but did not get one, we may not have your contact info – if so, do let us know!

Here at the Poptropica Help Blog, we can’t stress enough how blessed we are to be able to write about something we love and have so many readers who keep up with our shenanigans. Whether we’re planning creative parties or putting together island walkthroughs, it’s a pleasure to play Poptropica alongside all of you.

So thank you. Thank you for being part of this community, in big ways or small ways, whether veteran or newbie. Thank you for seeing us to our 9th year – from 2008 to 2017, it’s been a pretty long journey, and it’s not over yet. Here’s to more to come!

We’ll see you next time on the blue carpet!

 ✨ Don’t stop poppin’! ✨

– the Poptropica Help Bloggers –

PHB Parties

Join us for the Poppies 2017 Awards Party!

LJ

The party has wrapped up, but you can still watch the archived livestream HERE. Stay tuned for a recap post coming soon.

Hello, Poptropicans! The big day is near…

This month, as you may know, we’re celebrating the Poppies, our annual Poptropica community awards event. Very soon, we’ll be announcing the winners!

The nominations have been selected… the voting round is about to conclude… and the PHB’s 9th birthday is coming up, which means it’s time to celebrate! On the big day, July 26, the blog turns 9 years old, and we’ll be having a party on the PHC – and, we’ll be revealing the winners of the Poppies awards via a livestream on Brave Tomato’s YouTube channel!

Of course, all Poptropicans are invited, and you’ll want to keep the details in mind…

  • 😀 WHO: Everyone’s invited! PHB staff will be there too!
  • 🎉 WHAT: Multiverse parties on Poptropica, hanging out with fun-loving Poptropicans on the PHC, and tuning in to a livestream hosted by some PHB staff, where we’ll be revealing the winners of this year’s Poppies!
  • 🕖 WHEN: July 26, 2017 (Wednesday) @ 7 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. CST / 5 p.m. MST / 4 p.m. PST. If you live in a different timezone, you can use a time zone converter to see what the time will be where you live.
  • 🎈 WHERE: The Poptropica Help Chat (PHC), our moderated chat server on Discord. If you’ll be on the go at this time, remember that Discord has mobile apps you can download!
  • 9⃣️ WHY: To celebrate the winners of the Poppies, the PHB’s 9th birthday, and of course, have a good time!

You’ll find the Multiverse room codes on the PHC during the party, as well as the link to view the livestream when it begins. Dress up in your best apparel – tuxes, ties, dresses, and other fancy attire – and get ready to cheer for the winners!

We hope you can join us at this super stellar event! ✨

– the Poptropica Help Blog team –

PHB Parties

Recap: PHB’s Pride Party 2017!

Slanted Fish

pride recap

Hey Pridetropicans – we’re proud of you for standing up for love.

Last week, the PHB invited everyone to Poptropica’s first ever Pride Party, a celebration of showing kindness and dignity, particularly to our LGBT neighbors who don’t always get that love. Though we may all have various perspectives on the topics surrounding them, we do not have to agree on everything to agree on the most important premise: loving our neighbors by extending them their due respect as fellow humans.

Just in time before Pride Month wraps up, we had our party the other day over on the PHC and a couple of Multiverse party rooms on Poptropica. Everyone was dressed up in dazzling rainbow hues and funky parts like antlers and crescent moon masks. Check out all the fun colors and costumes in the recap pic above! Lots of PHB staff came, and the Pop Creators and Mitch Krpata even retweeted our mentions of the party, though they did not make it to the event.

Of course, the lag soon began with the explosion of firecrackers, confetti bubbles, and other special effects… as it tends to go. We planted some peaceful decor as well, including rows of Poptropolis grass statues and flowers, which really brightened up the rooms! It was a great space for chatting and battling in head-to-head games.

Over on the PHC, it was cool to have people supporting one another, be questioning and investigating issues of identity, and striving for peace. At the heart of it, that’s what a Pride Month event such as this tries to do: inspire thoughts and discussions about what it means to love, even when other people love differently.

Whether or not you believe gays should marry or see gender as either a binary or a spectrum isn’t nearly as important as how you choose to treat the members of the LGBT community. Even if you could not make it to this party, we hope the dialogue we have started will inspire you to ask questions, hear more of their stories, and affirm their value as equally created human beings. Likewise, if you’re already a big supporter, remember to be gracious when you express your views to those who are not so familiar.

The PHC is always open for Poptropicans to hang out, and we strive to be a place where all can feel welcome, LGBTs included. Come join us anytime.

Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

– from the Poptropica Help Blog –