Category: PHB Series

Popular Poptropicans

Popular Poptropicans: Dimension Bros

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, welcome to another Popular Poptropican interview! ⭐️ We have two guests today, Isaac and Theo, who together form the Dimension Bros. They’ve been making Poptropica (and other) fan videos (some of which are for ages 13+) on YouTube for over a year now, and are also known for heading up the Poptropica Month fan video event.

Welcome, Dimension Bros! Let’s pop into it.

Isaac (Zippy Stomper)
Theo (Perfect Ghost) and Frank the goat

What inspires you to create Poptropica videos?

Before we started, the only Poptropica YouTube videos you could even find were all just playthroughs and walkthroughs, nothing but gameplay. So we felt like there was just a huge hole for content in that area. Being one of the only channels making Poptropica videos that aren’t just playthroughs is pretty inspiring just due to the fact that it’s our job to fill that void that no one else seems to be filling.

The Earth Poptropica Help Blog is pleased to share this Dimension Bros video of Theo reacting to players’ Poptropicans.

What advice would you give to aspiring Poptropica YouTubers?

Solid advice for any YouTuber is just to focus on making content you want to make, and whatever is fun for you. But if you’re interested in Poptropica videos specifically, you could consider taking part in our Poptropica Month 2021 collab this September. All you need to do is make your Poptropica video, let us know about it, and we’ll add it to our playlist! Last year’s playlist has over 1,000 views, so taking part in Poptropica Month is a great way to give your channel a little extra boost from the Pop fandom! There’s a video on our channel about how to join.

Shameless self promo aside, as long as you’re enjoying the video-making process, people should enjoy watching them! It’s not hard to tell when a lot of love went into a video, and that’s all that really matters.

What do you enjoy about the Poptropica community? 

Theo: I enjoy everyone’s dedication to keeping the memory of Poptropica alive. You’d think for a game that had a majority of its content removed, fans would’ve left, and a lot did, but some fans have stuck around and are keeping the fandom chugging along! Like the PHB continuing to write posts and hold events, and fan artists continuing to draw their favorite characters, it’s nice to see a small but dedicated fandom still be so active for what little is left of the game.

Isaac: Having been a part of a lot of fandoms throughout my time on the internet, I’ve always found it interesting how close all the Poptropica fandom is. For better or worse, everyone in the fandom has had at least one interaction with pretty much everyone else. I feel like this creates a really good sense of unity. Every time the creators do something dumb (like forgetting the name of one of their own characters) the entire fandom unites to complain about it. And in a weird way, that’s kinda nice.

Publick House: This place on Cryptids Island could use some customers. Come right in!

What do you hope for the future of Poptropica and its fandom? 

Isaac: My main hope for the future of the Poptropica fandom is that everyone on the Poptropica Help Chat will change their nickname to “#ISAAC4MOD” in an attempt to “vote” me into office as the next PHC moderator 😉

Theo: In an ideal world, Poptropica would port all of the old islands and the game would be fully restored, but it looks like that’ll never happen. All I can hope for now is that more people take part in the Poptropica Rewritten project as an attempt to save Poptropica. (You can learn more about that project in another DB video we have on our channel.)

World Warriors: Welcome back to the stage of history.

What is your favorite feature (still here or gone) from the many years of Poptropica? 

Theo: Obviously the feature everyone misses most is THE ISLANDS, but another feature I really miss are the minigames you got from the store. I’m pretty sure I spent more time playing Shrink Shot than I did playing any actual islands as a kid. Another feature I miss dearly are all of the personality questions you could answer on your friends page, as well as that whole page in general.

Isaac: While it may have made little impact on gameplay, I really liked when you had to go to Early Poptropica during the events of Counterfeit Island. This along with details such as Zeus destroying a bunch of the other islands during the events of Super Villain really made Poptropica feel like one big cohesive game rather than a bunch of small separate ones. (And if you know me, you know I love theorizing on the connections of all the islands.)

What is your favorite Easter egg/reference in Poptropica?

Isaac: The entirety of Survival Island is a huge reference to one of my favorite short stories, “The Most Dangerous Game,” so playing through that is always enjoyable. I’m also a big fan of all the Marvel references in PoptropiCon, especially the Mighty Action Force card game, seeing as I’m a huge board/card game nerd. (Also, creators, if you’re reading this, you should make the MAF card game into a real thing!)

Theo: I really enjoy all of the references to Alcatraz in Escape from Pelican Rock. It’s no surprise that the island contains references to Alcatraz since the whole premise is based off the Alcatraz prison break, but having guards recite certain dialogue said in the prison, and having your Poptropican escape in almost an identical way to real escapees is cool. Also the PHB nod in that island is a fun easter egg too.

How do you feel about the Pop Creators fearing you?

Powerful. 

On a Dimension Bros post on Instagram about the upcoming Pop Month being funeral themed, the Poptropica Creators jokingly called the duo “Dimension Foes.”

🌟 Would you like to be the next Popular Poptropican? 🌟

To nominate yourself or someone you know, contact the PHB with the following:

  • the name of your nominee (a Poptropica name or other screen name)
  • a reason why your nominee should be the next Popular Poptropican

Thank you for reading, and stay awesome, Poptropicans!

~🐠

Guest Posts, Pop 5

Pop 5: Islands Resembling Movies 🎥🍿

Slanted Fish

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

Okay, so I don’t know about you, but do you ever play a Poptropica island, and you’re like, “Huh, this reminds me of that movie I saw last week.” If not, then let me show you some of my favorite comparisons. These comparisons are probably just coincidental, and some of these islands were made before the movie, but that doesn’t make it any less fun to talk about!

Green Screen: Nothing like the magic of special effects.

1. Escape From Pelican Rock Island = Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

I mean, this movie is practically the island! You’ve got the evil doppelgänger who frames the hero for a crime they didn’t commit. Next thing they know, they’re in one of the most top guarded prisons in the entire world with a very committed warden with no hope of escape.

And while the hero tries to come up with a plan to break out, they make friends with the inmates. In the end they get to kick their evil twin to the curb on top of a tower and restore order. If you take away the musical numbers, the globe-trotting theme, Josh Groban, and the other guest star appearances from Muppets Most Wanted, you’ve got Escape From Pelican Rock Island.

2. Time Tangled Island = Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014)

I loved playing Time Tangled Island when I was younger (and before non-players weren’t allowed to play it). I also loved watching Mr. Peabody and Sherman with my parents as well. My dad watched the original Mr. Peabody and Sherman shorts when he was a kid, so this movie means a lot to the both of us.

In terms of similar plots, you have a time machine gone haywire, a journey through several time periods, and meeting famous people. Although we didn’t get to go to Egypt or the French Revolution, we did go to France to the Statue of Liberty. There may not have been a genius dog or a creepy wooden child (watch the trailer, you’ll see what I’m talking about) but the approach of a time-traveling adventure in both forms of media are very similar. In both, the characters got to try out Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machine so, yeah.

There’s also a Meet the Robinsons (2007) feel when you get to fix the future and meet your future self.

3. Night Watch Island = Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

I mean, it’s about a character who’s hired as a security guard being alone in a mall during a robbery that occurs at night. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t put in a Poptropican that looks like Kevin James on this island. Paul Blart: Mall Cop is rated PG, but there is a scene where, because Blart is diabetic, he starts getting a little crazy when he accidentally ingests alcohol. It was cool to have a hero who has a health condition though. Represent!

I do know for a fact that the movie was really funny and the segway scenes were boss. Unlike Night Watch, though, there was no snake. But there is a spray tanner scene and you get to see him just hanging out in the mall like you can do on Night Watch Island.

4. Cryptids Island = Missing Link (2019)

This is such a sweet film. And a very interesting island. Though they both have their differences, these two go hand in hand. Both involve the discovery of many different cryptids and they both investigate the Loch Ness Monster (the one in Missing Link is a lot meaner though), the Yeti (in both, the Yetis were a dead end), and of course, Bigfoot.

There is also the presence of a rich man spending his fortune on finding these creatures. And may I say, both forms of media do a brilliant job with their villains. Missing Link has two villains, but Poptropica’s Gretchen Grimlock makes up for being just one with her ability to pop up from nowhere. She was more like Missing Link’s hitman Stenk in the novelization of Cryptids Island in that she was always trying to attack the main character wherever she went. In the game, she’s closer to resembling the movie’s boss villain, Lord Piggot Duncey, because she appears at the beginning and the end to claim what is hers. Surprisingly in both, you get to watch the villains fall to their deaths thousands of feet in the air.

And talk about Poptropica globe trotting! You get to take a boat out on the loch in Scotland to find Nessie, you get to meet Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest, and you get to climb the Himalayas to look for the Yeti.

5. Astro-Knights Island = Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

Just look at these two pictures. To quote The Office, “They’re the same picture.” In the first Star Wars movie, unlikely heroes take to the stars to rescue a princess and save a galaxy. Along the way, they battle aliens and come face-to-face with a half-robot villain who has the princess held captive and harbors a dark secret about their identity. Sounds like whoever developed the storyline for Astro-Knights Island was a Star Wars fan.

They both have a smart, strong, and independent princess who can defend themselves (Princess Leia using a blaster and Princess Elyana kicking Mordred to the curb), awesome spaceships, a cyborg villain, and at the end, the heroes receive medals in a fancy ceremony.

Any Star Wars fans in the Pop community will definitely enjoy the return of Astro-Knights Island now that they know the Jabba-weight it carries. In a way, I guess we always had a Star Wars Island. Too bad “Jedi Knight Island” would run into copyright issues.

Bonus: Fairytale Island (2021) = Happily N’Ever After and others

Check out my previous post where I compared Poptropica’s latest island to various movies and more: Fairytale Island: A storybook of many pop culture references.

That’s a wrap for this Pop 5! Stay tuned for the next posts about Pop Culture Islands where instead of comparing Poptropica islands, I’ll be comparing Poptropica characters to their popular media counterparts. Be warned, the next post may get a little… villainous.

(Try to guess who her Poptropican counterpart is in the comments.)

Oh, and also let me know what Poptropican villains you want me to draw for my next post. By the way, here are my drawings of Poptropican princesses with their Disney princess counterparts. (Click to enlarge!)

P.S. Before I go, let’s just take a moment to thank the kind soul who decided to put Napoleon Dynamite in Poptropica.

If anything, he should have come in at the end of Mocktropica and somehow used his nunchucks to save the day. Or a bo staff. I hear he’s pretty good with those.

Now that was pure poetry.

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Barefoot Knuckle. If you did, you might also enjoy her other guest posts here, including her Pop Fan Artist Spotlight!

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! 📰✨

Popular Poptropicans

Popular Poptropican: Noveen

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, welcome to another Popular Poptropican interview! ⭐️ Today’s guest is Noveen, an honorary winner of the title in the 2020 Poppies. As a longtime member of the community, he’s served in roles such as mod on the PHC, admin on the Poptropica Club Discord server, as well as rep of the Black Flags in the PHB’s 2020 Tribal Tournament.

Welcome, Noveen aka Quick Sponge! Let’s pop into it.

Which Poptropica community events do you enjoy?

Maybe these are a bit more underground, but I like contests and puzzles that people come up with. In contrast to parties, these tend to go on for several days while simultaneously creating hype. They also give something for my brain to chew on. Contests are always a great time for people to create art and other works. Pop Month, an event the Dimension Bros started last year, is also fun because it brings more fans to the community and I like watching everyone’s videos.

What do you enjoy about the Poptropica community?

I like that there are all kinds of people from all over the world. I have learned a lot about society and different communities, both good and bad. I also think it’s a bit funny or unexpected that a game like Poptropica can bring together people who are just so different, which in my opinion isn’t the case in other communities that may have a more homogenous demographic.

Meeting new people always gives you a new perspective and a chance to reformulate your outlook on things (or simply become more knowledgeable and concrete in what you believe), so that’s a good thing, and I think the original Pop Creators would be happy about it.

De Plane: This is, at last, a paradise island.

What do you hope for the future of Poptropica and its fandom?

Poptropica certainly isn’t the same today as when I was 8 years old. the best thing that could happen for me personally is Poptropica redeveloping their approach to the game, possibly targeting an older demographic (considering many fans have aged) or maybe even a spin-off project specifically designed for older fans. The most important thing is to increase the quality of writing in islands because most people aren’t happy with recent developments.

As for the fandom, people come and go all the time, but the people who’ve stuck around are some of my closest friends. I’m confident that no matter what happens, there will at least be people having fun talking to each other and sharing creative works. I’m excited to see where everyone will go in life once we’ve all grown up.

Liftoff: Up, up in my beautiful balloon.

What inspires your Poptropica original characters (OCs)?

I only have pretty much 2 OCs, including Quick Sponge and Short Gamer.

  • Short Gamer
  • Quick Sponge

To be honest, I saw Short Gamer on an ASG page and kind of claimed her as my own, since no one else had. She was just sitting there like an orphan. I noticed she had a cybergoth look and went off that. My version of Short Gamer is a cute, short, goth Asian lady, like someone I would want to be friends with.

For Quick Sponge, I sort of based him off my personal style/interests without having a personality too close to my own. He’s supposed to be stupid, but in an endearing way. Not sure exactly when it started, but at some point I made him start dating Short Gamer.

How has Poptropica influenced you?

When I was a kid, a lot of my friends in the Pop community were developing artists and they really inspired me. Sadly I don’t talk to many of them anymore, but I’ll always remember their influence on me. The community in general has had a lot of people (mostly older than me) who have sort of acted like mentors to me. I’ve had opportunities to explore a wide variety of projects like helping with Bloody Shrink Ray (a fan-made island with lots of blood, and which was only playable with Flash) and watching the process.

Ready, Yeti?: An early sketch of Bigfoot for Cryptids Island. We decided to make him scarier!

As for the game itself, I learned a lot from the older islands when I was a kid. The goal was to educate kids in fun ways, after all. Some of it has stuck around, like having a basic understanding of Morse code in Shrink Ray or urban legends from Cryptids. There are probably a lot of things I know today that I don’t even realize I learned from Poptropica when I was young.

What is your favorite feature (still here or gone) from the many years of Poptropica?

There were a lot of fun features like the Costumizer, Colorizer, and Costume Closet, but if I had to pick one thing in Poptropica, it would be those little pop quizzes you took when you logged in and it showed up on your profile. I always thought it was a fun way to learn a little bit about other people while also sharing a bit about myself. Plus, it’s always fun to answer things about yourself.

Quizzical: Time for you to become a Poptropica icon.

What is your favorite Easter egg/reference in Poptropica?

I like the numbers you can call on the phone on Nabooti Island (911, 411, 1225, 1337).

(You can friend Noveen on Poptropica with the username partygame3)

🌟 Would you like to be the next Popular Poptropican? 🌟

To nominate yourself or someone you know, contact the PHB with the following:

  • the name of your nominee (a Poptropica name or other screen name)
  • a reason why your nominee should be the next Popular Poptropican

Thank you for reading, and stay awesome, Poptropicans!

~🐠

Island Flash-backs, Uncategorized

Island Flash-back: Counterfeit 🖼

Agent Bubbles

We are halfway through the year, and this series! I probably should get this post finished ASAP because I finished a workout earlier and will probably be sore in the morning.

One thing that helps many people get through the long, hot summer months is doing art! And it just so happens that there’s a Poptropica Island centered around that–along with a mystery that only you can solve. July’s Island is…

Counterfeit!!!

Counterfeit Island is one that a lot of people from the pre-Haxe days loved and remembered. The story revolved around a museum in an idyllic French city, and the thief who planned to ruin it all. (Plus, check out our Pop Places IRL take on the setting!) Of course, I think we can all agree that the Black Widow is the most remembered aspect of this island, like many other villains. 🕷

Sadly, there was little concept art to be found this time. I scoured the Daily Pop archives, but as Counterfeit was released before its creation and they never uploaded past art for it later, I only managed to find this sketch from an old Creators’ Blog post.

Concept art for the design of the secret puzzle to the museum

That doesn’t take away from the impressive design work though! While simplistic, it’s also chic with a lovely bright color palette and great designs of the locations such as the museum and the Black Widow’s lair.

This island should be brought back for those cool spider designs on the bunker walls alone.

Unlike its more fantastical and less educational predecessor Astro-Knights, Counterfeit includes many famous paintings with information on art history, as well as the art forgery that collectors and museums have to deal with.

Fanart by Random Poptropican

(Small reminder that using the name “Inspector Veuvre Noire” in a FRENCH TOWN should prove that we would be a lot safer from these villains if only the all the other NPCs didn’t have a single shared brain cell.)

Before I say my closing words, I would also like to showcase this Skullduggery fanart for our previous Island Flash-back made by Dangerous Dragon! Thank you so much for your participation in this, DD! 😁

Now comes your turn, Poptropicans! Let’s remind the Creators why this island became so memorable, and why the efforts that went to create it should not go to waste! Encourage them to preserve their past stories and the potential they held!

Until August! (Hint: Olympics)

Castori honorem ~ Maryann/Smart Bubbles

Poppies

🎇 The Event of the Year: Poppies 2021 🎇

LJ

Hey Poptropicans, the time has come for the PHB’s event of the year! 🥳 The Poppies are our annual Poptropica fan awards, hosted all throughout July. 🏆 It’s our seventh year celebrating, and we’re once again asking you to tell us where the spotlight deserves to shine…

Poppies artwork by Purple Paw

To kick things off, the nomination round is open from now till Friday, July 16! Voting will begin soon after, and the award winners will be announced in a PHB party on Discord and Poptropica. More details to come!

But first, it’s time to nominate. In the comments of this post, name your choices for the award categories below:

Poptropica Awards

👨🏼‍🎤 Hottest Male Poptropican: The bachelors are endless. Which guy character in Poptropica do you find the most attractive? (This category is for NPCs, so please don’t nominate your friends.)

👩‍🎤 Hottest Female Poptropican: You can never have enough bachelorettes. Which lady character across the Poptropica lands do you think is the most stunning? (Again, this category is only for NPCs.)

🤦‍♀️ Most Overrated Character: Poptropica is chock-full of colorful characters who many of us either love or hate. We’ve had a Poppie award for most underrated character before, but how about the most overrated? Which character gets too much attention?

🏞 Most Picturesque Scene: From forests to fire planets to the bottom of the sea, Poptropica’s provided a treasure trove of beautiful, aesthetic scenery to marvel over. Which breathtaking landscape do you think deserves the top prize?

🥺 Cutest Creature: Of all the adorable critters scattered throughout the game — pets, followers, or otherwise — which do you think are the absolute cutest? To get your memory jogging, there’s a bunch of ’em named in the comments of this post!

🥴 Okay-est Ad Island: Let’s face it, we’re not all the biggest fanatics of the ad islands, but one has to trump the rest, right? This category includes American Girl: Courtney’s Island, American Girl: Kira’s Island, SpongeBob Island, and SpongeBob: Kamp Koral Island. (Because of the limited options, all are automatically nominated.)

🎁 Coolest Member Gift: With islands not coming out as often as they used to, there aren’t many perks of having a membership nowadays. One thing we do get, though, is members’ gifts — and among them are some pretty rad items. Which ones catch your fancy?

😵 Ickiest Poptropica Name: Poptropican names come in all sorts of kooky combinations and sometimes that combo isn’t so lovely. Can you come up with a pairing that’s utterly gut-wrenching? Our Poptropica Names page is an excellent source for finding the perfect (or in this case, imperfect) candidate for this category.

😎 Bougiest Poptropica Name: On the flip side, some lucky players are graced with the best possible name. Can you impress us with a name that sounds like it belongs to a superstar? You can also browse our names page for this category too.

😭 Most Missed Feature: Numerous beloved features have come and gone. Fact Monster, Costumizer, Realms, the photo booth, the old friends page… the list goes on. I suppose it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. What are the facets you desperately wish would come back?

😍 Finest Piece of Merch: Poptropica dropped a ton of awesome merch on Zazzle back in October including everything from shirts, hats, and even stationery. Which ones are you rushing to add to your cart?

Community Awards

🏝 Best Dream Island: The community is thriving with creativity, and it was definitely apparent during the Create Your Dream Island Contest late last year. You can check out various submissions under the My Dream Island category to read up on some of these imaginative ideas. Which idea would you like to become a reality?

🃏 Silliest PHB April Fools’ Prank: Like the Poppies, April Fools’ Day is undoubtedly one of our favorite times here on the PHB. It’s been an annual tradition for a long while now and we’ve done tons of pranks over the years. Which one had you fooled, or simply chuckling at your screen?

🎨 Best Fan Art of the Year: Poptropican artists from all over have created many eye-catching pieces in the past year, but which one was your favorite? Our We-Love-Poptropica DeviantArt group and Community Creations posts are great places to start looking! (Anything published after July 26, 2020 is eligible for the award.)

🏡 Coolest Clubhouse: Just like dream islands, the PHB has highlighted a plethora of spectacular clubhouse tours over the last few months. It’s incredible what lengths some Poptropicans go to to make a space their very own. See all the awesome cribs in our archives »

🎉 Most Popping PHB Party: Last August was the Tribal Tournament Closing Ceremony and not too long afterward was the Beev Party. In December, we bid farewell to Flash at our Gone in a Flash Holiday Party, and more recently we held our PHC Open House and Pride Palooza. Which one pumped you up most and was most memorable? (Because of the limited options, all are automatically nominated.)

🎥 Fan Favorite Video: We know our fellow Poptropica content creators work diligently to produce their stuff. Whether it’s a speedpaint, a top 10 list, a Poptropica tag video, or something else, there’s so much good stuff out there! To start with, you can browse last year’s Poptropica Month playlist created by Dimension Bros, or you can do some of your own searching on YouTube or TikTok. Be sure to include links! (Anything published after July 26, 2020 is eligible for the award.)

Remember, the nomination round begins now, so share in the comments who/what you think is worthy of the awards! Please limit your nominations to a max of three per award. You don’t have to nominate for every category, but the more the merrier! ✨

The voting round starts the following Saturday on July 17, and the poll options will be made up of the most popular nominations. Be sure to check back then to cast your votes, but in the meantime…

✏️ Nominate your faves in the comments! ✏️

p.s. Keep up with Poppies events throughout this month by popping in on the PHB! Your participation makes things more fun! 🥳