PHB Series – Page 27 – 🦄 Ponytropica 🦄

Popspiracy: The Baron’s Backstory

October 3, 2022 Slanted Fish

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

Heart here, with a slightly impulsive guest post written shortly after Baronstiltskin’s takeover. With all the new lore, I decided to write up this Popspiracy (Poptropica conspiracy) about the Baron’s potential backstory. Remember: None of this is canon to Poptropica (yet?), so take this with the tiniest grain of salt.

Early Life

The Baron was born on Fairytale Island as a member of the royal family. This was confirmed in the latest Baron visit but has been theorized for a long time. At some point either before or after Baron was born, Rumpel was causing trouble for Poptropica, playing with the world around him. This annoyed the Red Queen, so she locked Rumpel away.

The Baron didn’t like the whole being part of the royal family thing, so at some point she ran away or announced her departure. Either way, the Royal family seemed fine with that, since we never see them trying to get their daughter back. They likely still have some sort of connection, considering that Thanksgiving picture we saw.

Relationship with Amelia

So the Baron left the royal family, now what? They turned their attention to the thing they loved the most: legends! Were they real or not? Only one way to find out, and that’s to go on an adventure!

The Baron started adventuring, eventually stopping at an island in danger. There she met Amelia and together they saved the island, becoming friends.

Now what caused their friendship to become sour? Those who played Monkey Wrench Island would know the serious measures she took to come first place in the race. Perhaps before, Amelia and Baron had a friendly race. Amelia won, which angered the Baron so much that she ended their friendship —throwing a literal wrench in Amelia’s plane as revenge for the event that ended their friendship.

Post-Monkey Wrench

After the events of Monkey Wrench, the Baron likely crash landed on the same island we did, or landed in the sea and washed up on the island’s shores — we won’t question things too much here.

Here, the Baron met Ack and decided to adopt the monkey as her sidekick. While stranded on Monkey Wrench, she did some thinking. Taking revenge on Amelia was not a good idea, so what now? Sure, adventuring brought her money, but were there other options?

And then it hit her. The Baron could make easy money by looting faraway islands of their stuff, and selling them to dedicated adventurers: the players! But first she needed to get off the island.

The monkeys on Monkey Wrench Island were smart enough to plan and build the Poptropica blimp, so together with Ack, they worked to build the Baron an airship.

And so, the Baron began her monthly pop-up shop on Home Island to sell her findings to the players. Soon she was offering to let players assist her on her treasure hunts with The Baron’s Crusade.

With various developments surrouding the Baron and Rumpelstiltskin of Fairytale Island since then — including Rumpel’s Challenge ending on a cliffhanger, the side-quest becoming available for all, the shenanigans with the Baron’s Rumpel obsession, going missing, and now returning as Baronstiltskin — it sure seems like Poptropica might finally tie up the loose ends of Fairytale Island.

I hope you enjoy this little theory of putting pieces together! I couldn’t stop thinking about the new lore we got, so here we are. Love how lore adds so much depth to a virtual world — it’s my favorite thing in games.

Last thing: Chapter 6 of Storm’s Calamity, my Poptropica fanfic series, is now available on Tumblr and Quotev.

Heart out!

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by HeartofEnder. If you did, you might also enjoy her fanfiction series, The Witch’s Heart.

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!

Community Creations, Survival Island

Community Creations: September 2022

October 1, 2022September 30, 2022 Spotted Dragon

Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the September recap for Community Creations. September’s theme was Survival, so be sure to check out all the featured artists!

No clue what’s going on? Go see our intro post.

Top 5 Picks

How to Survive Off Path in the Dark Woods of Fairytale Island by Dizzy Feather (Little Pear)

To kick things off, we have a super unique submission! It presents a mixture of art and literature, which really brings the handbook-style short story to life. There is a lot of creative lore included that shows great attention to detail and imagination, expanding on what Fairytale Island (not Survival Island, but still clearly survival themed!) already gives us. Love the layout! Find her in the comments and on the PHC Discord.

Survival by Megan123456

Taking a step away from sepia, this submission has such beautiful, bright colors! It makes for quite the eye-catching scene and creates wonderful atmosphere in the environment. This is especially reinforced with the snow and flame texture. The effect also interestingly contrasts the freezing cold of the forest with the intense warmth of the fire, which is definitely reminiscent of Survival Island. Find her in the comments and on the PHC Discord.

Survivor Island – The Greatest Game by krazytalez

Here we have another bit of sequential work, this one featuring Silly Chicken’s time on Survival Island. An adventure—with both the excitement and the fear—I’m sure all of our Poptropicans remember! I enjoy seeing these little snapshots into different parts of the episodic quest in this format. The night vision adds an especially cool effect! Find their Instagram here, where you can find more from this comic series.

Survival Island by Doubletheblame

Another great snapshot of Survival Island, this design really captures that feeling of uncertainty when experiencing the story. There is a simultaneous atmosphere of total isolation and constant sense of being watched. It’s especially intriguing to see Myron’s point of view in this side-by-side! The layout of the camera and the reverse shot of the villain comes across as quite cinematic. Find her DeviantArt here.

Myron Animation by tillymeowjings-arsb

Though sans-mustache, this reanimation of an earlier post shows great personality—and amazing artistic growth! Lip-syncing is a challenging skill to master on top of drawing in general. And this short little video came out so smooth! I really enjoy the style of the character and the adorable facial expressions, all paired so some fantastic audio. Find her Tumblr here.

Honorable Mentions

Looks like we not only survived this month but thrived this month, guys. 💪 These creations were to die for, as always!

October: How Do I Participate?

Community Creations is a cool series for anyone in the Poptropica community to join in on. To sum up what it’s about, it’s basically a chance to show off your artwork, creepy fan-fics, Pop clubhouses, costumes, and anything else that pops into your mind.

If we really like the piece you submit, we will feature it here on the PHB! As long as it relates to that month’s theme. So what is October’s theme? October’s theme is…

💙💎😢 Feeling Blue! 😢💎💙

According to the Pop Creators, Poptropica isn’t just blue… it’s cerulean. But hey, there are plenty of cool shades of blue out there, so why stick to just the one? Still, I hope all the other colors aren’t green with envy.

For this set of creations, anything blue goes. That means the color and the feeling! If you draw me a picture, I wanna see everything from cobalt to navy, to sky and baby! If you write me a short story, I better feel all the feels and start tearing up by the end.

Though I exaggerate a bit, you get the idea. Think about all your favorite Poptropicans with blue outfits, or all your favorite blue background art. Think about the saddest moments from each island, and all that blue ocean our characters have to traverse. And be sure to keep an eye out for our annual Halloween Costume Contest this month as well!

Submit: Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created, email it to the PHB team on our Contact page, OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArt, Twitter, Tumblr, or Discord.
Results: Next month, I will feature 5 submissions that stood out to me the most as well as some honorable mentions.
Limitations: Just make sure you relate to both the theme and Poptropica (and nothing NSFW or otherwise inappropriate).
Due Date: I will take any entries before the end of this month. Submit as many things as you’d like!

I will be sure to let you know I have seen your creation. While quality counts, I’m mainly looking for something to simply catch my eye, so don’t be afraid to join in!

So what are you waiting for? Go make something awesome!

~SD

Free Membership Giveaways

PHB Membership Giveaway: September 2022

September 27, 2022September 24, 2022 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, we’re approaching the end of the month, which means it’s time to announce another lucky Poptropican to win our monthly membership giveaway! 🎁

Congratulations, LilysInMay — your new membership status lets you play various exclusive quests, including the recent relaunch of PoptropiCon, Ep. 3: Reign of Omegon! You’ll also get to enjoy premium items, including potential Halloween outfits for the spooky season.

The Poptropica Help Blog hosts a membership giveaway every month, and it’s easy to enter! Just comment on our Free Poptropica Membership page and leave at least two other comments around the PHB within the month to be entered into that month’s giveaway.

We’ll announce a winner sometime in the final week of each month. If you don’t win, you can always try again for the next month! Full details »

Congrats again to LilysInMay! Keep on popping on! 🌸♉️

Fanfiction, The Villain Saga, Uncategorized

“The Villain Saga” – Episode 4, Part 3

September 14, 2022 Agent Bubbles

(Table of contents) (See previous)

CUT TO BARD standing alone in an elevator. A quick look at a camera shows he somehow bent it away from the corner he’s in.

As the elevator descends, time appears to slow a bit. BARD’S face turns more serious and contemplative, as he flexes his robotic hand a couple of times, studying how the joints move and react to his nerve signals. He’s gotten used to seeing it constantly for years, but sometimes he still has to notice the difference from what used to be there.

A plastic cup is spilled on the floor next to him, with soda and ice cubes leaking out. He picks up an ice cube in his left hand, his human hand, and holds it for a moment, feeling the cold. He switches it to his right, and keeps it pinched between his fingers with no discomfort.

BARD

(under his breath)

There are some things I’ve yet to learn to replicate.

Continue reading →

Community Creations

Community Creations: August 2022

September 1, 2022September 1, 2022 Spotted Dragon

Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the August recap for Community Creations. August’s theme was 80s, so be sure to check out all the featured artists!

No clue what’s going on? Go see our intro post.

Top 5 Picks

Pop Culture: OTP in 80s Fashion by BunniesNBowties

Okay… so someone needs to tell me where to get that jacket and that button-up IRL, because I’m living for these looks. Starting as a request on Tumblr, the way that this design evolved into a magazine cover is awesome. The poses certainly match the tabloid composition, and all the text adds so much flavor to the image. The fits are iconic, and I’m loving how they still match each other while each having their own colorful patterned items. Find their Tumblrs here and here.

Walking in the 80s by XMzhier

Speaking of colorful, I’m really impressed with the use of colors in this image! It’s quite the challenge to use such bright, harsh tones without coming across as too bright, but there’s a perfect balance of subdued hues here to keep things looking nice. The side profile walking composition is super fun, and I love seeing all the little 80s refences in the background text. ~~Though you will not be forgiven for Rick Rolling me…~~ Anyone else get the urge to just listen to lofi beats and chill? Stunning work on the outfit designs and entire layout! Find their Twitter here.

Party in the 80s by Dizzy Feather & Love Feather

This long horizontal composition is really unique, and uses an interesting way to present all the different outfits. I especially love the different poses of the Poptropicans, which elevate the image from a still display of clothes to a rather engaging scene. Plus, the diner setting, funky colors, and bold accessories certainly belong in the 80s. Wonderful idea to include so many looks! Find the artists in the comments and on Discord.

80s Island Idea by iHateFridays

80s Island (most likely a placeholder name) will basically just be a big homage to sci-fi movies that came out during the time, such as Star Wars, Back to the Future, etc.

The island would start off with the player landing near a disco. A time traveler would show up and start crying about how there’s going to be an alien invasion, however no one takes him seriously. The time traveler looks upset and the player feels sorry for him, telling him they believe him. The two of you then decide to work together to stop the alien invasion.

The two of you track down an alien in disguise (most likely in a minigame), which is at a VHS store. There is a mini boss battle with the alien, with some 80s music playing in the background. The battle involves the alien chucking different VHS tapes at you, which transport you to different locations depending on the tapes.

The next alien is at a roller skating place. The boss battle involves a skating-themed minigame where you have to avoid the roller-themed attacks the alien throws at you.

After that is back to the disco place at the start, where this time there are multiple aliens you have to hunt down. You and the time traveler guy do some detective work, which would involve some problem-solving minigames. You manage to interrogate one of the aliens, who escapes but you steal its weapon.

You have to do some more problem solving to find the rest of the aliens, as well as using your newly acquired weapon to take them out. At some point you brag about how the weapon made it a lot easier.

When it seems you’ve taken out all the aliens, it’s suddenly revealed that the time traveler was an alien all along!! A UFO lands on the island and aliens appear everywhere, and your weapon is also destroyed.

All hope seems lost, but the people of the island aren’t willing to give up yet and you all work together to fight the aliens. There’s a big massive boss fight with some of the lower minions, eventually leading to the time traveler himself. You also get an even cooler alien weapon. You trade some edgy dialogue and eventually your Poptropican wins, sending the aliens away for good.

Honestly, this island sounds like it would be super fun to play. The story allows for interesting characters, amazing design opportunities, and a captivating story that a lot of people may like. Maybe something the writer should keep in mind for any future Dream Island contests? It would also introduce some vintage settings and details to an ever younger and younger Poptropica audience. Find their Twitter here.

80s Poptropican by Super Jumper

Now, this color-popping outfit definitely gives me 80s vibes. With the cherry earrings, black pumps, and even root beer handheld item, this look would be really fun to see in store. I love the loud colors and the accessories would look great mixed and matched with tons of outfits! A wonderful submission for the monthly costume contest, for sure. Find the artist in the comment section.

Honorable Mentions

With all these awesome submissions this month, it really felt like we traveled back in time a bit. It was a blast to see all these loud colors and fun references! Keep up that creativity next month.

September: How Do I Participate?

If we really like the piece you submit, we will feature it here on the PHB! As long as it relates to that month’s theme. So what is September’s theme? September’s theme is…

🌲🐻 SURVIVAL! 🐻🌲

As back-to-school season enters full swing, sometimes in face of piles of homework and tests there’s only one thing you can try to do: survive. ~~Not to mention how unbearably hot it still is outside for me.~~ And, of course, there’s Survival Island in Poptropica too, which includes Episode 2: Hook, Line, and Sinker for members only.

I’d like to emphasize Survival Island in this month’s theme not only for those reasons but also because it can sometimes feel like Poptropica as a game is barely surviving as is. The fandom certainly keeps the dream alive, but with news like Poptropica Jr. it’s difficult to see the direction the original game is headed in.

But nonetheless, let’s keep surviving and thriving with this month’s set of creations! Anything related to Survival Island obviously goes, but so does anything that could relate to the general concept of “survival.” Maybe draw your favorite scene from the island, or create your best apocalypse survival outfit. Even write a story of your Poptropican surviving in the woods or try on your best Myron Van Buren cosplay for size. We can survive this month together!

Submit: Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created, email it to the PHB team on our Contact page, OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArt, Twitter, Tumblr, or Discord.
Results: Next month, I will feature 5 submissions that stood out to me the most as well as some honorable mentions.
Limitations: Just make sure you relate to both the theme and Poptropica (and nothing NSFW or otherwise inappropriate).
Due Date: I will take any entries before the end of this month. Submit as many things as you’d like!

I will be sure to let you know I have seen your creation. While quality counts, I’m mainly looking for something to simply catch my eye, so don’t be afraid to join in!

So what are you waiting for? Go make something awesome!

~SD