Hello Poptropicans! Welcome to a special addition to our Pop Portfolio series, in which we showcase the work of Pop Creators. This time, we’re featuring artist Lance Fry (whose portfolio we first saw in 2016)! 🍟
Anyway, like his Mocktropica counterpart, Lance left Poptropica for a while following staff cuts in 2018. However, he returned this May and is currently working remotely, according to his LinkedIn. Along with this, he’s also added new pieces to his design portfolio, so let’s jump in!
Mystery Train – train cars
Lance appears to focus largely on background design, with only a few pieces featuring items and assets. He’s done the interiors for many areas, such as the cars in Mystery Train, Pop HQ in Mocktropica, and the Viking dining hall from Mystery of the Map.
While we often cover Poptropica’s storytelling or fun characters, we sometimes miss appreciating the stellar background art. Personally, I remember hanging out in different areas just to enjoy the environment. The color palettes are vibrant and synergize well, and everything fits the cartoony style while having impressive detail. Lance’s work certainly does not fall short in this! (Click to enlarge images!)
Lunar Colony – space stationMystery of the Map – Viking dining hallMocktropica – Main StreetBack Lot – Sunrise StreetCryptids – Mews Mansion
This updated portfolio is found on ArtStation, and most of the work comes from older islands. It’s nice to see familiar faces — er, names, I guess — among the Pop crew again!
Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the June recap for Community Creations. June’s theme was Carnival, so be sure to check out all the featured artists!
Right away, this submission caught my eye with its creative, dynamic perspective. Having the viewer positioned in the game booth makes for a really interesting use of depth and drama! The eye contact with Black Widow and sense of danger with her soon-to-be-thrown dart provides some captivating intensity. Not to mention how I love seeing all these different characters visiting another island, and with such cool outfit designs! Amazing work! Find their Twitter here.
Monster Carnival Poster Redraw by TillyMeowJings
Of course, no “carnival” theme would be complete without some good ol’ Ringmaster Raven features. This design is a recreation of his poster seen on the island, which is really neat to see done in a different style. It retains that sense of vintage, worn paper while incorporating a more digital-feel in its linework. I also love seeing the slight alternate design choices of Raven’s outfit and other small details! Find her Tumblr here.
Goofy Ringmaster & Wicked Ringmaster by Magic Poptropican
Between these two costumes, I love to see their differences and similarities in how they relate to our carnival theme. Both mimic the theatrical aesthetic of Ringmaster Raven, with elements like the top hats, capes, and staffs, but have their own twists too. The goofy version is especially fun to see since it clearly incorporates themes from the recent Goofball Island! I also appreciate the attention to detail in the pet that accompanies this character, and how it changes accessories as well. Find the artist commonly in the comment section.
Monster Mya and Oliverby sleepybiker
Now this was quite the unexpected submission! The “Monster” aspect of Monster Carnival is obviously a huge part of the island’s story, but it’s especially interesting to think about what the monster versions of other characters may look like as well. The drawing was based on a fan-fiction that the artist wrote, making for some wonderfully fun designs. Find their DeviantArt here.
The Bird Boy by Dangerous Dragon
It was another dark moonless gloomy night in one of Poptropica’s unknown island, usually people would be scared but today they had a smile on their face! It was the day before Halloween! This time there was a carnival too! There was even a costume contest. People tried on many costumes and stores sold out in minutes! People were really excited as there was a chance to meet the famous monster Bird-Boy aka Ringmaster Raven! Now there was this boy Edgar who seemed the most different from all. He was the only Poptropican who couldn’t understand what the big deal was. “What’s so special about that magician?” asked Edgar. His grandfather told him all about the history of Ringmaster Raven. “They say that he is a monster! A long time ago in another one of poptropica’s island people used to hate him when he first appeared. Then Ringmaster Raven seeked revenge but was stopped. A hero named Dangerous Dragon helped Ringmaster Raven to fight for his justice without harming people. People soon realized that they were wrong. They agreed on equality. Now Ringmaster Raven is famous and even Dangerous Dragon too! Too bad this happened long ago. The island has already sunk.” Said his grandfather. Edgar was fascinated by all of this. He wanted to meet Raven!
The next day on Halloween Edgar set out to the contest wearing a costume that was most splendid. He was dressed up as Dangerous Dragon! When he reached the carnival it was filled with stalls of games, food and much more! There was even a Pumpkin decoration contest but Edgar had come to participate in the costume contest. There was a stage and everyone had to come up and show their costumes. When Edgar came up and Ringmaster Raven looked at him, he cried of joy! It reminded him of his friend who fought for his justice! After other people had finished, it was time for the result declaration. Everyone was excited to see who won. Ringmaster Raven walked to the stage and announced the winner. Edgar won! Ringmaster Raven came up to him and asked him to be his assistant. Edgar accepted and so now he helps Raven all around the world in his shows!
Though this is a simple narrative, details are rather apropos for the controversy surrounding Monster Carnival Island. The short story takes place in an alternate universe where Ringmaster Raven is accepted instead of ostracized and unfairly punished like in the island’s original ending. The ending was later rewritten, but still results in an imprisoned Ringmaster Raven. Dangerous Dragon gives us a glimpse into what Raven’s life could have looked like instead, which opens the door to a world of alternate possibilities. What do you think such a world would look like? Find the artist in the comments section.
Honorable Mentions
Carnival Goblin by Dizzy FeatherBehold, Corn by sleepybikerWorms by sleepybiker
Night at the Carnival by Smart Icicle and Bronze Socks
It is 10:00 in the morning, Red Ant and Maroon Lizard are on Main Street. They notice a flyer near the ice cream parlor.
Red Ant reads the flyer: Hello everyone! The Carnival is officially coming to town. Please go to the right to get to the front gate. Tickets are worth 25 credits. Can’t wait to see everyone! -the Ringmaster
Maroon Lizard: A carnival! Can we go. PLEASE!
Red Ant: Sure, I have enough credits to buy us both tickets. Come on!
Red Ant and Maroon Lizard rush to the carnival gate…
Looking at all the submissions from this month, I think I’m suddenly craving some cotton candy… anybody else? Just me? Well, anyways, awesome job as usual, everyone!
July: 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 July’s theme? July’s theme is…
🎉👯♀️ COSPLAY! 👯♀️🎉
PoptropiCon Episode 2: Spoiler Alert was recently re-released for all players, which got me thinking about all the amazing costumes and fun references throughout the island. Conventions IRL have slowed down quite a bit these last few years due to the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the same way online!
Cosplay is such a fundamental part of conventions, both IRL and in the world of Poptropica. I mean, who doesn’t love the chance to don a killer costume based on your favorite character? This month, we’ll extend that practice to Poptropica!
Of course, you can make a Poptropica costume based on your favorite TV show character, for example. But you could also draw other characters in the style of Poptropica, or write a fan-fiction all about dressing up at PoptropiCon. Maybe draw some of your favorite scenes from PoptropiCon featuring the coolest costumes, or even make your own IRL costume based on a Poptropican!
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!
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, Blue Bear — your new membership status lets you revisit various island episodes including Survival, Ep. 2: Hook, Line, and Sinker, along with other exclusive quests! Plus, you’ll also get to enjoy premium store items, member gifts, and other perks.
If you’re not a member, you still have the chance (or many chances, in fact): the PHB is hosting a giveaway every month, and it’s easy to enter! Just comment on the 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 Blue Bear! Keep on popping on! 🐻
Want a cool IRL Pop prop but can’t splurge on a plushie? 😜 Over the years, Poptropica has released a handful of templates for DIY paper crafts, and we’ve gathered them all for you right here!
You can make your own Rabbot and Dr. Hare from 24 Carrot, the Neon Wiener spaceship from Galactic Hot Dogs, the Henchbot from PoptropiCon, and even the Svadilfari hammer from Realms. Download and print them out by clicking on the hyperlinked text below:
If you don’t have a printer, you can try your school or local library for one, or ask a trusted friend or adult to help you print them at their home or office. Once you’ve got the printed sheet, just follow the instructions on them to cut the shapes with scissors ✂️, fold and glue where indicated 📄, and have a bit of patience so they turn out nicely.
Check out some of the finished products below from the Pop Creators! They’re great as shelf decorations. ✨ Try to collect them all!
Rabbot craftSvadilfari craft
You can also find these paper crafts under the Art tab on the PHB, or under the island extras on their corresponding guide pages.
Enjoy the process of creating, and have fun with your new paper pal! 🤩
I love this island, but it’s not super popular among the majority of the fandom. I think everyone enjoyed riding Elmer, playing Slap Jack, and herding cattle, but like most of the islands on this list, this adventure was overshadowed by the longer, more challenging islands.
When Old Poptropica was brought back for a short while in 2020, SOS Island was the first classic I played, and I loved it. I liked how although you didn’t interact with NPCs all that much, there were a lot of little mini-games, each revealing a little part of what really happened after you complete them. I loved the twist ending as well.
This one took me forever to complete. I loved flying around Africa, exploring different regions and collecting jewels. (Spoiler alert: Not gonna lie, though, the part when the totem pole comes to life, talks, and flies away did freak me out.) I had to look up how to play Mancala before I could even do the Mountains of the Moon part because I had no idea what this game was, and I didn’t really understand what I was supposed to do when I was taking pictures for Big Zeke, but this was still one of my favorite islands.
I feel like the islands based on comics, books, and other franchises unrelated to Poptropica don’t get as much attention as the more original islands do, but Big Nate Island really nailed it as far as gameplay, storytelling, and humor goes. I really miss playing this one.
Okay, you gotta love Charlie Brown and this island. Even though I didn’t know what to do when the Red Baron ship was chasing me in Snoopy’s mini-game, and I had a really hard time with the part where you roll the pumpkin over to the Van Pelt house, I loved the simple yet challenging gameplay, the hilarious cutscenes, and the lovable characters. This was an overall fantastic island that feels like it should be more popular.
So there you have it! These are five islands I believe to be underrated and don’t have all the attention they deserve. Hope you enjoyed it!
On another note, does anyone here know about Blooket? It’s a site where you can take random quizzes and play games, and I recently created a quiz about Old Poptropica!
It’s got a range of trivia questions about the game from basic to advanced, and I’m always adding new questions! You’ll need a free account to play. Once you log in, look for my “Ultimate Poptropica Quiz” by searching for it under the “Discover” tab.
Please try it out and let me know what you think of it! You can share your suggestions for new questions in the comments. Thanks for reading!
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!
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