PHB Sneak Peeks, Poptropica Portfolio

Poptropica Portfolio: Nate Greenwall

Shark Boy may have been alienated from Poptropica, but his alter ego (otherwise known as Nate Greenwall, Poptropica’s lead graphic artist) is still out and about, churning out some really cool (and even unreleased) Poptropica imagery. They’re available for viewing on his portfolio website (scroll down for more info!). Here’s a look at some graphics of interest (as usual, click to enlarge):

Wow, did you catch all that?! Anyway, Nate has several pages on his portfolio site dedicated to various works he’s created for Poptropica (not all of which are posted above, but some may be familiar). If you’re interested, you can browse through them by clicking the links below:

  • Advertisements – designs for Poptropica ad buildings & characters
  • Dr. Hare’s Lair – LEGO Cuusoo – includes unreleased designs for a Dr. Hare minifigure
  • Papercrafts – from the LEGO Cuusoo campaign
  • Character design & animation – various Poptropica character designs (if you look closely, you’ll see the Sultan to be encountered on Arabian Nights Island!)
  • Posters & wallpapers – a selection of Poptropica wallpapers/posters
  • In-game illustrations – some full views of areas in the game, including the area by the sea in Ghost Story and even a palace for the upcoming Arabian Nights Island
  • Merchandise – among various things, the most noteworthy of all are the iTunes music CD covers and kids’ tattoos/face paint designs, both of which it looks like Poptropica is planning on releasing one day! (you can listen to Poptropica’s music at the PHB’s Behind the Scenes page too)
  • Logos, web, mobile design – graphics relating to Poptropica’s user interface (UI), including an array of buttons and icons, some of which have never been released

There’s a lot of creative work that goes into making Poptropica what it is and what it will be, and the artistic geniuses at Poptropica give us beautiful results. Enjoy the Nate Greenwall collection! 🙂

Advertisements, Bonus Items, Popspiracy Theories, PoptropiCon Island, Social Media

BoxTrolls, new map icons, and revisiting the Shark Boy mystery!

Hi Gs,

What isn’t happening in the world of Poptropica? Prepare to have your mind blown with all the new things happening in the Poptropica universe! 😀

Advertisement update: BoxTrolls

Some new ads are finally here, the first promoting the new movie “The BoxTrolls” (which btw looks incredible 😛 ). You’ll need to watch a lengthy trailer for the film in order to get a cool new “Eggs Costume“.

troll3

In other news, you’ll get a card upon signing in entitled “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge“. When used, a bucket of ice will be poured onto your Poptropican’s head. As of late, the Creators seem to be pretty involved with this project, having many of their characters take on the challenge and hints of the game’s founder, Jeff Kinney, taking it on as well. Of course that remains to be seen, but the card is still pretty cool. 😛

And have you seen my rendition of the challenge? 😀

aslHP

New map icons: PoptropiCon & Land

If you’ve checked the map recently, you’ll know that the PoptropiCon island microcosm has been added (of course it will be released on Thursday), alongside a Land icon that takes you to the feature (and no, the upcoming update has not been added yet).

They added yet another map page to hold these two, with only 6 islands being displayed. A load was obviously taken off of the previous page, but now that page is just proportionally off and only holds 5.

newmap

Revisiting the case of the missing shark

If you’ve been following the PHB for a while, then you’ll know about the Shark Boy mystery that has never really been answered. However, if you think about it, you’ll start to find some similarities between it and other mysteries of Poptropica.

sharkBoySimilar

Monster Carnival island was an old island (a classic) that was never released and was mysteriously taken off the map. For 6 years the mystery was left alone, the Creators hinting at it here and there. One time was different, however – they actually acknowledged that it was gone. (If you don’t know already, it was finally released about 8 months ago)

Not since the introduction of the Costumizer or the removal of the Monster Carnival map icon have we made an update this momentous.

If you compare that to what happened to Shark Boy, it’s pretty similar – even about the Creators acknowledging the disappearance –

The second Island we ever released, way back in 2007, was Shark Tooth Island, which featured the massive Booga Shark, a helpful medicine man, and one very special boy whose name we no longer recall.

So what does this mean? Is Shark Boy going to make a miraculous return? Will we ever find out why he mysteriously vanished? And could this all this be a publicity stunt for something bigger – a new island with Shark Boy as the villain (hey, no one said he was a good guy 😛 )? Tell me what you think in the comments. 😀

Eww, spooder! 😛

TAFN.

-HPuterpop

Popspiracy Theories, PoptropiCon Island, Sneak Peeks

BTS Overview & Theory: PoptropiCon, Ep. 1

BTS - Poptropicon 1

Hey guys! HPuterpop, Samwow5, and I have decided to start a new series together, called Behind the Scenes Overview & Theory. We thought that it would be best to take all the knowledge that we can gather from behind-the-scenes (BTS) Poptropica files/coding and compile them together in one simple-to-find place. Plus, with three minds thinking at once, a more spot-on theory is sure to come out. 🙂

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW (but that’s what you want, isn’t it?)

Overview of evidence

To kick off the series, let’s start with an island soon to be: PoptropiCon (Ep. 1: Line Forms Here). We have circled/boxed certain things in red in each picture that we think are important/just want to mention. Click to enlarge all the images.

Poptropicon alley bts images 1 - edit Poptropicon alley bts images 2  - edit

If you’ve been keeping up with PopCon sneak peeks, you’ve probably seen the background above before. The window that has been circled are noticeable in both pictures. It looks as if we, or someone else, breaks in or out of the building.  The “Thor” advertisement is circled because dialog related to it is shown further into the post.

Poptropicon alley bts text 4 - edit

This was also found, possibly representing a fight of sorts. The “glass breaking noise” might be from the window in the pictures above.

Now for some dialogue.

Poptropicon bathrooms bts text 1 - edit

Poptropicon bathrooms bts text 2 - edit

As you can see, this is why the “Thor” advertisement was circled before (Bucky Lucas plays him in a movie). Other things that we found connections to were a Fremulon mask and the time of a cosplay contest (more on that below). Now, all of this dialog is from Poptropicans waiting in line for the bathroom. Why do we want to get into the bathroom ASAP? The boxed text in this next picture may explain why.

Poptropicon center bts images 1 - edit

In this image, you can see that the cosplay contest begins at noon.

Poptropicon parking bts text 1 - edit

Poptropicon parking bts text 2 - edit

Here, we can see where we get the Fremulon mask, earning it by speaking Fremulon. We also wanted to box the dialog about pizza and costume creation because we found image connections.

Poptropicon parking bts images 1 - edit Poptropicon parking bts images 3 - edit

The pictures speak for themselves, aside from the squid mask. That was circled simply for the fact that this island is definitely going to be filled with cool, customizable objects/outfits.

Poptropicon center bts text 1 - edit

Hmm… a selfie? A wizard? Sounds familiar

22c3b-selfie

Yep, that looks about right. Plus, it seems that we have already met this man by the bathroom.

Poptropicon center bts text 2 - editPoptropicon center bts text 3 - edit

It looks like we need a ticket for some reason, huh? Could we have been looking for the “Power Amulet” in the bathroom?

Poptropicon alley bts text 1 - edit

Poptropicon alley bts text 2 - edit

Poptropicon alley bts text 3 - edit

Here we go, the final facts. There are a lot of guards/bouncers around, along with VIP sections and long lines. But why would we need a catapult? o_o

PoptropiCon is the hottest ticket in town. It’ll take all your wits — and more than a few disguises — to crash the party!

Yes, we can’t forget the island synopsis that has been given to us. It definitely backs up our conclusion…

Final theory

Based on the evidence above, we have more or less agreed on this concluding theory:

We don’t have a ticket to PoptropiCon and need to get in. By helping the people around us, we either manage to get a ticket, get progressively closer to the front of the line (although it’s a bathroom line, so… XD ), or use a catapult to bust in through a window.  There are a lot of guards around, presumably because a few famous people are inside.

I know, I know, not the deepest theory out there, but it’s the best we got. Besides… it look like PoptropiCon is right around the corner! 😉

~SD, HP, and SW5

Hellos & Goodbyes, Mission Atlantis Island

Spotted – signing in!

Hello PHB viewers! My name is Spotted Dragon and I am the newest PHB author.Poptropica Avatar Spotted Dragon 2

When I got the invite I was super excited. Being an author on here has been my biggest dream/goal, ever since I started blogging. Heck, the PHB inspired me to make my own site. I could never thank Fishy enough for how she has helped me become a happier/better person. 🙂

Now a little about myself. My blog is Adventure Time Pop, a Poptropica and Adventure Time site. I admit it’s an odd mix, but at the time I started blogging, Poptropica and AT were my favorite things in the world, and kinda still are. Anyway, I love art (but my digital art isn’t that good because I don’t have a drawing pad – I use my mouse), soccer, reading, writing, and a ton of other stuff. I’m also really into Gravity Falls, but I don’t want to bore you guys any longer, going on and on about myself. 😉

I guess that’s it for now! Hope you guys are gonna like my posts!

~SD

P.S. Be sure to check the Mission Atlantis 3: Out of the Blue World Champions live map! What place did you rank? I got #19, so not too bad. 😛 

ma live map 1

PHB Series, Surveys, Web Development

PHB survey analysis: what do you readers say?

PHB survey results

Hello PHB! Remember the readers’ survey I posted about a week ago as part of the PHB’s 13 million hits festivities? Well, in this post, I’ll be unveiling the results – although I should mention that the survey service used only showed the first 100 responses (for free), so accuracy only goes so far. Also, the “Poptropica population” represented are all PHB readers. Still, let’s take a look. 😀

1) What is your gender?

A pretty straightforward question – and results reveal that it’s pretty even, with slightly more Poptropica-playing (or at least PHB-reading) girls at 59%, and boys at 41%.

survey1

2) What is your age?

This one may be more surprising – while Poptropica’s target audience is ages 6 to 15, it seems the PHB’s audience comprises of the older half of that and even beyond. The most popular age group was 12 to 14 at 46% (almost half), followed by 9 to 11 at 35%, and then 15 to 17 at 15%4% claimed to be 18 or older, while on the other end of the spectrum, none who were 8 or younger responded.

survey2

3) Are you a member on Poptropica?

According to survey results, 50% (half) of you guys are paying members on Poptropica – and a further 14% say you used to be or will be. In contrast, just 36% have never been members and have no intention to be. Good thing the PHB covers member releases in a timely manner! 😛

survey3

4) When did you first start following (viewing) the PHB?

There’s a little bit of each in this one – with more recent years getting more votes, the most being 2013 (the year Poptropica got sound) at 25.51%, and 2014 (this year) at 20.41%. Then 2012 (when the Friends feature came along) follows with 19.39%, then 2011 (when Poptropica released their guide book) with 15.31%.

After that, 11.22% say they’ve been following since 2008 (the beginning)! Lastly, 2009 (the year of the PHF & PHC’s beginnings) and 2010 (when membership was introduced) are both tied at 4.08%.

survey4

5) What PHB features do you regularly use or browse? (Check all that apply.)

On this question, those who answered could check as many options as they deemed appropriate – and here we see that the news & sneak peeks we show here on the blog are the most popular, at 79%! Island walkthroughs and Cool Stuff pages (cheats, costumes, & more) are tied at 73%.

50% (half) of those polled say they read the PHB magazines (The POPCORN, formerly known as The Poptropican’s 911). Lastly, just 30% regularly use the PHC – our hangout spot for Poptropicans to chat (about anything!), party in Multiverse rooms, and have fun.

survey5

6) How often do you play Poptropica?

About once or twice a day and a few times in a week have tied here at 27.55%, while several times a day takes up 20.41% of votes. That’s about 75% (a vast majority) who do log in often; a good sign for Poptropica of course. 😀 In the minority, once every couple of weeks received 10.20% of votes, followed by once a week at 7.4%, then once a month at 3.06%. Finally, once every couple of months and even less than the options listed tied at 2.04%. Not bad!

survey6

7) How often do you visit the PHB?

Now for the PHB itself – most (42%) say they visit about once or twice a day, while several times a day and a few times in a week are both tied at 20.41%. Once a week took up only 9.18% of votes, once every couple of weeks even less at 4.08%, and no one voted once a month.

Also on the low side were once every couple of months at 2.04% and even less than the options listed at just 1.02%. All that being said, the PHB is grateful to have so many avid readers! 🙂

survey7

8) How likely is it that you would recommend the PHB to a friend or colleague?

This question was apparently “standardized” by the survey service, but colleagues aside, it allowed voters to rate us between 1 (lowest) and 10 (highest). 52% rated us either 9 or 10, 25% picked between 7 or 8, leaving just 23% choosing a 6 or lower. I’m not quite sure what the “net promoter score” means, but it’s 29. All in all, pretty good. 🙂

survey8

9) How did you find the PHB?

Not surprisingly, most people (83.84%) found us by searching the web for some form of Poptropica help. 14.14% say they found the PHB through another website, while the remaining 6.06% came here at someone’s recommendation. Well, that’s the breakdown.

survey9

10) Leave us any other feedback – complaints, praise, criticisms, thanks, etc.

This was a comment box where people could say whatever they wanted. Lots of responses came through, some anonymous and others signed, but here’s a sample of them:

So basically this is how I learned about the PHB. I was known as the Poptropica Master of my class. Everybody would ask me how I defeated the islands, and I actually had no idea. My cousins were actually the ones who taught me about the game, and beat all the islands for me. I was embarrassed at how I didn’t know what to do, even though I did very much enjoy the popularity, I kinda hated how whenever somebody asked me something about Poptropica, I would just say, “I don’t remember.” So, one day I asked my cousins how they found out about Poptropica. They mostly shrugged, and explained how one of my cousins was struggling in school, and often used the Funbrain website. Then eventually discovered Poptropica, and, well, fell in love. I also asked them, “Well, how did you become so good at it?” Then my oldest cousin smiled, and said, “The Poptropica Help Blog of course.” And when I got home, I decided to check the website out, and discovered how to actually learn to become the Poptropica Master all of my friends thought I was. And now, I’ve beaten almost all of the islands with only The PHB’s help. So you guys are doing a great job! Thanks for helping me out! -Random PHB reader

Many of you talked about how the PHB has helped you with Poptropica, blogging, and even making you the “Poptropica master” among your friends and classmates, which is pretty awesome! 😀

I love the PHB. I recently started following it, but I have been viewing it for much, much longer. I think you have gotten much better over the years and I am going to keep viewing your blog for years to come. Keep up the awesome job! I think you should add more things to the POPcorn magazine and that’s all.

Some things people have asked for include: more costumes, more costume contests, more things added to our fan magazine The POPCORN, a feature for introducing our unique Poptropican characters and writing their backstories, and more. We appreciate the feedback, and we’ll see what we can do! 🙂

If you ask me, this is the best fansite poptropica can have. I love your costume page, but it would be nice if you could update it more often. I found the PHB when I was looking for help on Vampire’s Curse, and have been there ever since. I love the POPCORN, it just blows my mind, every issue is different. In conclusion, this is the best fansite around, and i hope to continue reading it!!! Signed, Quick Fang

Also, someone asked about how the PHB background was made – so here’s the secret. Some time ago, before one of YouTube’s many layout changes, the Poptropica Creators had this image (I call it the “Poptropica bits and pieces”) tiled as the background of their channel.

However, it was pretty dark – so after saving it, I went through the hue changer and adjusted brightness/contrast on an image editor (I used Pixlr, but there are plenty of options out there, such as Photoshop). After several adjustments, I decided a lighter shade worked best with the PHB’s layout. (By the way, if you’d like to use any of these, please credit the PHB!)

This image works because it can be tiled, as in repeated next to each other continuously with no break in the pattern. You can also see it used in the Poptropica Crowd wallpaper and also this older wallpaper, but it’s harder to extract it to have it be able to tile just right.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this insight into your fellow PHB readers/fans – about 100 of them, anyway. Despite that limitation, at least the survey results came with some cool bar graphs with a nice color scheme! 😛 Result-gathering is now over, so thanks to all of you who took the time to answer! 🙂