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! 🎁
Congrats, Giant Dragon — you can finally unlock some of the epic members’ items you’ve been craving, including the Rumpelstiltskin and Barbarian Warrior costumes from the store! Plus, you can hop on the blimp for an exclusive adventure on Time Tangled Island.
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 Giant Dragon, and as always, keep on popping on! 🐉
Hey Poptropicans! We’re featuring the storied drawings of Barefoot Knuckle. Hear about them from the artist herself in this guest post!
“Modern Rapunzel”
“Modern Beauty and the Beast”
“Modern Aladdin”
“Modern Rapunzel” (Fairytale Island style)
I always imagined Rapunzel being preoccupied with videogames and other tech-related stuff so she wouldn’t have any time or interest to escape the tower! Apparently she made it outside, but she seems to still be drawn more to the world of Mario than the real world surrounding her. I also took inspiration from the gamer costumes in the Poptropica store, animal hoodies and pajamas, plus sleep/lounge wear. I figured Rapunzel doesn’t own anything but comfy clothes to wear around the house. And of course she would enjoy adding multi-colored highlights in her hair! So what if no one sees it?
“Modern Beauty and the Beast” (Fairytale Island style)
Beauty and the Beast has got to be my favorite fairytale and it’s not just because of the movie! The original story was amazing as well and I was excited to draw Beauty as a quirky, shy girl with a green thumb who doesn’t seem to mind gardening in the new gown her host gave her. Speaking of which, although you can see his horns, the Beast seems to only show his bird-masked face as he’s hiding behind his new friend. The garden was really fun to draw and in the background you can see a crow in a birdbath, the castle behind the garden gates and the pink skies of Fairytale Island in the distance. This art is mostly inspired by the original fairytale, but the box Beauty is holding is a reference to the actress who played Beauty/Belle in the original Disney classic. But from what we can see, the only book this Beauty is carrying is about gardening.
“Modern Aladdin” (Fairytale Island style)
Aladdin has to be my second favorite fairytale! I was debating whether or not to do this since Poptropica already did Arabian Nights. But, what if the Aladdin story acted as a sort of bridge between Fairytale Island and Arabian Nights Island? So after that thought, I gave Aladdin an updated look to match the sneak peeks of Fairytale Island, complete with a trench coat and jeans! However, Aladdin’s scarf, makeup, and hair look kind of familiar to someone we know. If the picture isn’t enough of a clue, refer to Disney’s Aladdin 3: The King of Thieves and the deleted song, “Proud of Your Boy.” You might realize what the connection is, though I mixed it up a little to fit the Poptropican canon. Also, since the original Aladdin fairytale took place in China, I added the Chinese stone bowl from Time Tangled Island in reference.
“Marshal Dixie”
“Dove”
“Dove”
4. “Marshal Dixie” (Wild West Island, main OC)
Wild West Island is another fan favorite of mine. When I was developing the idea for a Wild West Island novel, I wanted the main character to be unlike anything there had been. And so, I developed the concept of an anti-hero named Dixie (or her other alias, pickpocket Rattlesnake Rhonda). I took inspiration from movies like Rango, McLintock (starring John Wayne), and Briscoe County Jr. A 14-year-old teenage pickpocket trying to keep her cover by posing as a marshal and trying to tame a horse just as stubborn, clever, and wild as she is, just seemed too good a story to pass up. Of course, though she and Elmer start off at each other’s throats, they eventually team up to stop El Mustachio Grande’s gang and become a force of good to be reckoned with. I mean, Dixie added Elmer to her Sheriff portrait, so they had to have become close at some point. You can see some personality through Dixie’s mischievous expression while using her prank pistol and Elmer’s unamused face.
“Dove” (OC)
Remember when a Pop Creator said that the forest art for Monster Carnival was a mix of creepy and beautiful? Well, while Ringmaster Raven shares the creepy half, his daughter, Dove (my OC), has the beautiful half. She was based on the real life character of Joseph Merrick, who, unlike Bird Boy, was taken in and cared for before he became the toast of English society. He was also known as the Elephant Man because of his disfigured body. Dove, like Merrick, was taken in and cared for, unlike her estranged father. The only trait she has that makes her stand out from the other Poptropicans are a pair of shiny black wings she was born with. Even though she was mocked and ridiculed by others, she has a beautiful, sweet, and sassy disposition, as well as the voice of an angel. She rose to become a famous singer and is often compared to a real life angel. I love drawing her in her 50’s casual dress and her ringmaster outfit. I was going for an appearance inspired by The Greatest Showman as well as the hidden gem of a movie, A Monster in Paris. These two drawings go together.
“An Astro-Knight Night”
“The Shakespeare Club”
“An Astro-Knight Night”
This was completed years ago and was one of my first Poptropica drawings. I wanted to capture the Princess’s point of view, looking out into space, and her love for astronomy. This took like two days to make. Those planet designs nearly killed me.
“The Shakespeare Club”
This was completed right alongside “An Astro-Knight Night.” Really, this was just a comedic piece. I will say, I was not skilled in the coloring department when I made this. My parents did laugh at Gamer Guy’s review though. Imagine what would happen at those meetings! Of course, Max McPatrick (from Mocktropica) would lead the group (with special assistance from Napoleon Dynamite) but how they got Hades to pose for the poster, I’ll never know.
“One Eyed Chavez”
“The Princess and the Raven”
“One Eyed Chavez” (OC)
While thinking about creating a series based on Poptropica, I started asking the question, “What kind of original characters could be featured in such a series?” I then came up with the idea of a bounty hunter named One Eyed Chavez, who keeps crossing paths with Oliver, Mya, and Jorge (from Mystery of the Map). At first the kids don’t know what to make of her, even though she helps them thwart Octavian on one occasion. It isn’t until Jorge, after getting separated from the team, winds up in the hands of Chavez, who after revealing herself as Debbie Luches, explains to Jorge that she is stranded in Poptropica just like he and his friends are. Though she doesn’t plan to leave her life inside this complex world, she does become a mentor for Jorge in many ways.
I was going for a battle-worn, scrappy look with just a touch of feminine beauty peeking out behind her scars and armor. My main inspirations were from Mandalorian and the Bad Batch characters from Clone Wars (series is great btw). Though she doesn’t show much emotion, the scar and eye patch are a visible sign of the hurt and pain she experienced in her past. Her purpose in the series is to help Jorge learn to be strong and appreciate the people (mainly his parents) in his life while also teaching him to fight and skillfully fly aircrafts (unlike the way he did in The Secret Society). She is an important part to Jorge’s development, so when he says in the graphic novel, “Guys, I just realized something… You’re the best friends I’ve ever had,” it feels earned and helps the creator (me) know that Chavez filled her purpose.
“The Princess and the Raven”
I don’t know what gave me this idea, but I thought they would be cute together. This is my first Raven/Bird Boy drawing I’ve ever done so I tried to make sure it looked great! I thought Snow White was designed beautifully in Fairytale Island, and she has been one of my favorite princesses since I was little, so of course I wanted to draw her. Besides, since her true love is animals, I’m sure she would want to befriend someone who is technically part animal/bird. Plus I think she made a good impression on him, so I think he’ll behave for her. Again, she did say animals were her true love and he is part bird, so 😉 it’s possible.
That concludes this Pop Fan Artist Spotlight! If you liked Barefoot Knuckle’s work, you’ll enjoy the many other forms of Art from the Poptropica community. Check them out and consider sharing yours!
Ask Poptropica Siri is a Q&A segment here on the PHB where you, dear readers, are invited to send in your Poptropica questions to have them answered with all the wisdom you can expect from a Smart Icicle.
Welcome back everyone! From all your questions last time, looks like everyone wants to know more about me in Poptropica. Well, I’m happy to answer! Time to get on the question train.
Who is your favorite villain? ~Pegs
I have lots of favorite villains from Poptropica, glad you asked that. My favorite villains are Dr. Hare, Captain Crawfish, Black Widow, and Binary Bard. Not only are they the aliases of the Poptropican Creators irl, but they also make great appearances in the game. We meet these villains in Super Villain, 24 Carrot, Counterfeit, Skullduggery, and Astro Knights Island. Sometimes in Reality TV as well.
Who is your favorite Super Power Island villain? ~Friendly Shell
I liked Copy Cat and how she makes copies of herself. If my Poptropican could choose a super power, I would want hers.
“Copy Cat” by napstachillCopy protection gets tougher all the time.
Who is your favorite pet/follower? ~Sliver Horse
My favorite pet is the bunny because it looks so cute in the game. My favorite followers are the Alicorn and Gary from SpongeBob Island: Kamp Koral. It would be cool if Poptropica added more magical creatures soon (if there’s ever a phoenix follower in Poptropica, I’m buying it since I have a LEGO set of one).
Alicorn followerGary the snail follower“Dorf and Pepper” by Blue Tooth (Poptropica creator)
How can you send in your questions to Ask Poptropica Siri?
That’s a great question! You can use the following methods:
📧 Send an email to askpoptropicasiri (at) gmail (dot) com. This way, you’ll get to keep your questions a surprise when they get answered on the blog.
💬 Comment on the latest Ask Poptropica Siri post. Your questions will be publicly visible before they appear in a Q&A post, but this allows others to interact with your question if they so choose. If you don’t have an email address, you can enter a fake one in the email field when you post your comment.
Also before I go, I would like to promote a little something from my blog. I’m doing an appreciation week for a TV show, The Masked Singer. (Click here to learn more about the show and here to watch one of my favorite performances from the show.) Anyway, see you soon!
Howdy doodly Poptropican friends! It’s LJ here with the final interviewee of the Popular Poptropican staff lineup. She’s the friendliest of fishes, the editor-in-chief, the very creator of this Poptropica Help Blog… it’s the one and only Slanted “Fishy” Fish! Does she really need an introduction, though? Let’s pop right into it!
1. What has it felt like to watch something you created grow so much and even get recognized by Poptropica themselves?
No doubt it’s been amazing! When I first started this blog, I couldn’t have imagined how big it would become. I didn’t really have any expectations — I just wanted to make a blog about something I cared about, because I had been inspired by fan blogs on the internet for other games I played, made by kids and young adults.
I remember the first time Poptropica made some kind of acknowledgement to the PHB, almost a year after it first began, it was just a feeling of surprise, awe, and excitement from me and others involved with the blog. Since then, it’s been nice to know the Pop Creators are keeping up with what fans are thinking, and to garner an occasional nod of appreciation!
2. What advice would you give to aspiring bloggers or writers in general that you wish you had starting out?
Looking back at some of my earliest posts, I’d say the biggest points I could have done better are writing more concisely and making the formatting more appealing. On the first point, remember that effective news writing is all about how well you’re able to get your message across, and you don’t always need a ton of words to do it. On the second point, it turns out there are ways to polish up a digital post, like making use of hyperlinks, bold text, and images.
Of course, these are things that take time and effort to figure out, and best practices will change over time. But the old adage remains: practice makes better!
3. What has been the biggest milestone for the PHB?
Just the fact that it’s been around for so long (12 years and counting), almost as old as Poptropica itself, is pretty phenomenal. The community definitely helps keep the spirit alive — without all of you, there’d be no blog here!
4. What sort of future do you hope the PHB will have?
I hope the PHB will continue to share Poptropica insights that are thoughtful, truthful, and tale-full for as long as we can dream of and grow from them. Nothing lasts forever, but why not enjoy the ride while we can?
5. Would you say the PHB is like a family? What do you think keeps everyone so involved and connected with the blog?
In a sense, yes! We may not know each other IRL, but we’re in touch with one another digitally and united through our common interest in Poptropica. I think new and solid quality content is what keeps people engaged and coming back — that’s true of any online space!
6. What is your favorite island and villain?
My favorite island is Shark Tooth, which may seem like an underdog choice, but it’s a classic (Poptropica’s second island!). The blue palm trees in the background are nostalgic Poptropica aesthetics, and despite the simplicity, there’s good story to explore.
And my favorite villain is probably Scheherazade from Arabian Nights. I love her many forms, with impeccable outfits in all and a compelling backstory that tugs at the heartstrings.
7. What challenge in the game has been the hardest to complete in your opinion?
Anything that’s dependent on game physics is quite the challenge — as in jumping platforms with the right timing or you’re toast. The volcanic platforms on the Fire Planet in Astro-Knights are a great example of this.
8. What is your favorite feature (still here or gone) from the many years of Poptropica?
The Costumizer, which allowed you to “steal” (well, copy) clothes off characters, was such a unique and fun feature in Poptropica. It’s a shame it didn’t carry over to the new Haxe version of the game (except for on PoptropiCon, where it’s essential to the quest).
9. What is your favorite Poptropica item?
It’s hard to pick! Maybe the boba tea, since I love drinking the stuff IRL. I also quite like the Rainbow Ride hoodie, which is a staple of my Poptropican’s wardrobe nowadays. And I have to also mention the Fireworks, which makes every PHB party pic so much brighter.
10. What is your favorite Poptropica Easter egg/secret/reference?
June is a month of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community, and the PHB is bringing that celebration to Poptropica. But we recognize that not everyone is familiar with what this is all about, so we wanted to make this post to explain the ABCs of LGBT in a kid-friendly way (with brief mentions of mature forms of attraction).
This post will be using the terms “LGBTQ+,” “LGBT,” and “queer” interchangeably, though it’s worth noting that “queer” has historically been used as an insult and only recently been reclaimed as a positive catch-all term. We’ll be going over some basic concepts and common LGBT identities — and tying them to the world of Poptropica!
Please remember that everyone is different, and identities are complicated, but we are all deserving of acceptance, love, and support. If you feel uneasy about the topic of LGBTQ+ identities, I encourage you to be open-minded and patient. Though you may not currently understand the perspective of a queer individual, they are important people nonetheless. And if you are LGBTQ+ and feeling misunderstood by people who don’t quite get it, I encourage you to demonstrate patience even when it is challenging, because the PHB aims to be an accepting place for all viewers. All that being said, let’s unpack this!
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