Are you wondering why the Poptropica map doesn’t have more islands than it does? If you’re an older player, you may recall a time when Poptropica had wayyy more islands on the map—more than 40, even! Where did they all go, and how can you play them again?
DIRECTOR D. and MOREAU are watching the prisoners from outside the lunchroom, through the window. Inside, the GUARDS are leading the three to their table.
MOREAU
What if we just told them who we actually are? Perhaps they would work better with a bit of fear pushing them.
DIRECTOR D.
Do you really think we can intimidate them? They may be desperate, but I doubt they’d all be willing to obey our every command if they felt they were being used.
MOREAU pinches her forehead.
MOREAU
If only one of them could keep them in line for us…
As if almost on cue, more (real) prison guards enter the hall, leading an older man dressed as a pirate, just as the AGENTS leave the lunch room.
EREWHON GUARD 1
Hey, is there any chance we can add him? He slept past lunch and we couldn’t do much about it.
One of the AGENTS shares a concerned glance with D. and MOREAU.
MOREAU
(Points at the window, towards the three)
…I don’t think it would be safe to put him in with them.
The PRISONER chuckles, leaning towards her, showing yellowed (and one real gold) teeth. MOREAU backs away.
CRAWFISH
I believe I can handle them m’dear!
DIRECTOR D. turns to the AGENT.
DIRECTOR D.
Let him in.
D. and MOREAU watch intently as the pirate is led into the room. Surprisingly, the other prisoners do not protest his seating at their table. One of the GUARDS hand CRAWFISH a tray of food before leaving. CRAWFISH practically starts drooling, and ties a cheap napkin to his shirt as though he were about to begin a 5 star feast.
DR. HARE picks at his food.
DR. HARE
I understand that this place has limited vegetarian options but…why are the mashed potatoes green?
BLACK WIDOW
If you think that’s bad, I think I chipped a tooth on the bread here once.
The COOK (Note: The same chef who served Myron Van Buren in Survival Island) enters from the kitchen, scowling.
COOK
Is that complaining about the food I hear?
DR. HARE
Unsurprisingly yes-
CRAWFISH
Ah, don’t listen to ‘em! This is delicious!
(He turns to the COOK, aware of who she is but just playing.)
Give my thanks to the cook.
The COOK chuckles, and gives him an extra serving before walking off. CRAWFISH starts to chow down, while the rest look at him in confusion.
DR. HARE
You actually like that stuff?
CRAWFISH
Compared to the months of maggot infested biscuits I had to endure, this is heaven!
MORDRED
I had to endure months—years—ages without anything. Without the brilliance of my cybernetics I most certainly would have perished of hunger!
(Somewhat to himself)
Per aspera…
BLACK WIDOW
Oh here we go again with the sob story.
MORDRED glares at her, but once again his grin hasn’t faded. WIDOW doesn’t back away but loses some of her boldness.
MORDRED
I don’t want your pity, I want the world’s punishment for what happened—
CRAWFISH stands, slamming both hands on the table.
CRAWFISH
Enough! I’m certain everyone here has a horrible tale to tell, but can I have a meal in peace?
MORDRED
Who are you to order me around?
CRAWFISH turns to him, his tone suddenly becoming more cautious.
CRAWFISH
I was simply making a suggestion for your own good, sir.
Pause. MORDRED nods, and the tension in the room settles a little as they all get back to eating. We look back at DIRECTOR D and MOREAU, who are so interested in the prisoner’s behavior that they don’t notice a shadowed DR. JUPITER lurking behind them.
DIRECTOR D.
He—he’s a leader.
MOREAU
Of course he is. Even evil pirates don’t want to face a mutiny.
DIRECTOR D.
Yes, but he knows how to work with them! Mademoiselle, I believe we’ve found the ones who can work for us.
The camera follows JUPITER leaving them, both “psychologists” still not even suspecting his presence. He turns down a corner, before mumbling to himself with a faint smile.
DR. JUPITER
As have I, friends. As have I.
FADE OUT.
END OF EPISODE 1.
And here we are! I’m just as excited to see where this goes as some of you are, and I’m happy so many of you have expressed interest in this series!
Of course, I can’t have a Villain Saga post without mentioning the amazing recent additions to the comic GEAR made!
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! 🎁
You might recognize April’s winner as he frequently guest posts and comments on the PHB: it’s Dangerous Dragon! Congrats, DD—enjoy the shiny world of member gifts, special store items, and Haxe’s one exclusive island, Time Tangled. You’ll have new things to write about!
Perks of membership include extra store items and monthly gifts.
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 DD, and as always, keep on popping on! 🐉
Howdy doodly Poptropicans, it’s LJ with the latest Pop Fan Artist Spotlight! Today’s artist I want to showcase is Gear. Gear often shares her illustrations (and more recently, mood boards) on the PHC and even illustrates for Maryann’s The Villain Saga series. How cool is that?
According to her, she thinks it’s thrilling that her art reaches a wide audience; in fact, she wants to become a Poptropica creator one day! Storyboarding and character design are two of her most favorite things and you can really see that passion manifest itself into her work. I find that each piece tells its own story (figuratively and literally) and that’s something I really appreciate when it comes to art. Check out this very diverse gallery (you can click the images to see them in their full glory):
Seriously, I think the various styles Gear’s able to produce really speaks to the talent she has as an artist. You have a more professional style that almost looks identical to the game, a chibi kind of style that reminds me of an old arcade game, and some semi realism thrown in there as well. I love it! What do you think? You can follow her on Instagram to see more @capax_infini.
And with that concludes this showcase! I hope you enjoyed this look into a Poptropica fan’s artwork. If you’ve made any Poptropica fan art of your own, we’d love for you to share it on our We-Love-Poptropica DeviantArt gallery. Also, don’t forget to check out all the other artists we’ve featured on the PHB. It’s a sight for sore eyes, for sure.
Thanks for reading as always and I’ll talk to you soon. Pop on!
Howdy Poptropicans, it’s LJ with the second installment of our Popular Poptropican staff writer lineup! Last time I was interviewed, but today we’ll be getting to know a bit more about Spotted Dragon — longtime Poptropica blogger and host of the greatly admired Community Creations series.
1. What do you enjoy about blogging with the PHB?
Poptropica has been such a big part of my childhood, and so blogging with the PHB has really been a childhood dream come true. I remember being ecstatic when I got asked to join the team many years ago! It was a fantastic outlet for my passion for writing growing up, and I’m glad that my posts can still reach a wonderful audience. And through all the ups and downs of Poptropica, it has been a blast being a part of such a fun, creative community.
2. What advice would you give to aspiring bloggers or writers in general that you wish you had starting out?
Writing for a blog is definitely much different than writing a novel. In blogging, you really get the chance to connect more with your readers and have fun with your posts. So don’t be afraid to really let your personality shine through! And for improving your writing in general, reading is a big helper. Read lots of different things and you’ll naturally start to pick up on different writing styles and techniques.
3. What is your favorite island and villain?
Oh boy, I’ve never been great at answering this question. I have so many favorites! For top favorite… I think I’m between Cryptids Island and Counterfeit Island. Gosh, there are so many fun villains too. I do love Gretchen GrimlockandBlack Widow from those aforementioned islands, but I’m also a sucker for Daphne Dreadnaught’s character design.
4. What challenge in the game has been the hardest to complete in your opinion?
Growing up, I had a REALLY hard time with building up my boat in Skullduggery. I didn’t fully trust the loaning system, so it took me a really long time to get a strong enough ship to beat Captain Crawfish.
5. What is your favorite feature (still here or gone) from the many years of Poptropica?
Hmm, I really do love the art that goes into Poptropica, including the character design, so I might have to say that the Costumizer is my favorite feature. I have always loved making different costumes, and I especially loved when I got to save those costumes.
6. What is your favorite Poptropica item?
Back to my love for costumes, I gotta say that I love the Colorizer as well as the OG Costume Collector. I just love the versatility of customization in games! And some of my favorite costume items growing up were definitely the Vampire Girl outfits.
7. What is your favorite Poptropica Easter egg/secret/reference?
This is another tough question! I think the first easter eggs that really got me excited as a kid were the Hypnotic Costume and the Viking Suit. I felt really clever when I found those! But these days, one of my favorite easter eggs might be the PHB License Plate, because it really feels like a personal shoutout in some ways.
(LJ: You can friend her on Poptropica with the username ooolala13!)
🌟 Would you like to be the next Popular Poptropican? 🌟
To nominate yourself or someone you know, send me an email at [email protected] or a private messageon Discord with the following:
the name of your nominee (a Poptropica name or other screen name)
a reason why your nomination should be the next Popular Poptropican
Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Pop on!