PHB Series – Page 58 – 🦄 Ponytropica 🦄

Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the January recap for Community Creations! January’s theme was Doctors (and the featured work is not in any particular order). Be sure to check out all the featured artists!

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

Top 5 Picks

The Good Doctors of Pop by Gentle Dolphin

Kicking this month off, we already have such a wide range of Poptropican-doctors to feature! It seems that Dr. Lange is certainly a fan favorite among the community, but it’s nice to see so many other characters here too, especially since they each have their own unique color scheme. I love the four figure composition and posing! But I have to be honest… I would be a little nervous walking into Dr. Romero’s office. Unfortunately, a blueberry a day does NOT seem to keep the doctor away. Find her DeviantArt here.

Dr. Hare by Fierce Flyer

Ah, a classic doctor and quite the hare-raising villain we have up next! Though this design is fairly simple, the energy in the pose and the distinct texture in the colors make it really interesting to look at. It definitely matches a “pop” aesthetic, and the scraggly whiskers paired with the bright green goggles certainly give me some crazy doctor vibes. Find his Twitter here.

Poptropica Doctors by GEAR

Heh, now I think we all knew we couldn’t get through this post without seeing this trio in particular! Dr. Hare aside, I think that Dr. Beev and the fan-created “Dr. Nyah” are real proof of the influence and creativity of this community. And how cute is it to feature these guys as a little family? Dr. Nyah may be a little young here, but I can imagine her all too soon taking over the world. Find their Instagram here.

Baby Doctors by AdventurersNHunters

Okay, and here I thought we couldn’t get any cuter. These little critters may not have gone to college just yet, but they still seem professional enough to me. Featuring these characters as babies is quite the creative take on this month’s challenge, and I think a lot of their energetic personalities really shines through. I can’t take my eyes off of, well, Dr. Beev’s goofy little eyes! Find her DeviantArt here.

Glow Rave Dr. Hare by thehypercutter

Ooh, now this is also an interesting take! We see Dr. Hare time and time again in Poptropica, so it’s quite bizarre to see him with such a different design. I love the hypnotic, neon colors! And like many of our other features, Dr. Hare’s crazy energy really shines through. And I like that he’s still got on some pink and green! Find their Twitter here.

Honorable Mentions

Wow, who knew Poptropica had so many doctors? I wonder how much work it is to earn your PophD… *ahem* Anyway, top notch submissions this month!

February: 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 February’s theme? February’s theme is…

Pretty in Pink!

With February upon us, I can think of no better color to embrace this month than all pink! Now, I know what you must be thinking: doesn’t this theme entail more Dr. Hare art? Well, yes, he does certainly pair well with this hue. BUT, just think of what and who else you can use as your muse too! Gretchen Grimlock, Betty Jetty and Moreau come to mind right away. Or even the Heart Astro Knight costume or pink Dark Knight costume!

But even with all these pink-centered Poptropicans, you don’t have to limit your subject matter to just them! Maybe draw something completely unrelated to the color, but only use a pink monochromatic color scheme? Or if drawing isn’t your thing, maybe write a story where the color pink plays a very important role. Maybe create your prettiest all pink costume? The choice is yours, as long as I get sick of pink after seeing it!

Just be sure to get creative with it, because we have already had “monochromatic” as a theme in the past. Though we’re focusing on pink this month, your work does not necessarily have to be ALL monochromatic pink!

Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArt, Twitter, or Discord.
Results: I will feature 5 of the submissions as well as some honorable mentions.
Limitations: Nothing NSFW, and make sure you relate to the theme.
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

Island Flash-backs, Uncategorized

Announcing Island Flash-backs (and honoring a special fan creation)!

February 1, 2021February 4, 2021 Agent Bubbles

Hello Poptropicans! With Adobe Flash having officially shut down, we have finally seen the loss of many beloved classic islands. However, there is hope with the Haxe conversion of these old favorites. Still, the Creators have A LOT to go through, so we thought we’d do something special in the meantime to remember some of the best islands that were in the game. Announcing an upcoming PHB series: Island Flash-backs!

The goal of this is simple: We’ll dedicate each new month to celebrating a classic island from the Flash era, encouraging the Creators to bring them back through all of your fan creations and a special post here on the PHB.

Through this we hope to honor beloved, awesome islands, whether well-known or maybe less popular, showing our love and support for these stories to the Creators! While I have several islands planned for the upcoming months, if there’s significant demand for one I haven’t listed, I will certainly consider it, so feel free to make suggestions!

I had Mocktropica planned for this month (January), but due to personal reasons I wasn’t able to fulfill that post on time. But I will be announcing February’s Island Flash-back soon, so stay tuned!

Before I leave, I would like to quickly direct you to one more thing: a fan project that deserves WAY more recognition: The Poptropica Dating Sim! It’s created by Jia/Magniventris from the PHC, our Discord server, and will continue to be updated.

Including music (lovingly) ripped off from Jeff Heim

It’s exactly what it says on the tin: You date some of Pop’s most infamous villains! It’s got awesome art, witty dialogue, voice acting ~~including yours truly as Ringmaster Raven~~, and the most attractive Poptropica OC I’ve ever seen…I mean–

Please join us in supporting this fan game ~~and begging for Dr. Morrigan to be an option~~!

Castori honorem ~ Maryann/Smart Bubbles

Free Membership Giveaways

And the first winner of the PHB’s Monthly Membership Giveaway is…

January 31, 2021January 29, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans. It’s time to announce the first winner of the PHB’s Free Poptropica Membership Giveaways: GreedyShadow!

Congrats, GreedyShadow! May your new membership allow you to attain all the cool items of your heart’s desires. By the way, if you need a refresher on what membership has to offer, check out our Membership Tour page, updated for 2021.

One of the perks of membership in the age of Haxe is access to Time Tangled Island, which is currently available to members only. Here on the PHB, we recently updated our Time Tangled Island Guide with tons of new pics — check it out if you need help or just want a throwback!

Anyway, in case you missed the announcement earlier, our membership giveaways are a new monthly occurrence here on the PHB. It’s easy to enter the giveaway, so why not give it a try?

To enter for your chance to win, 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!

For the full details, including all caveats and the philosophies behind these giveaways, head on over to the PHB’s Free Poptropica Membership page. That’s also where you get started on entering the monthly raffles!

Thank you all who have been participating, and regardless of the outcomes, we hope you’re having fun interacting with the PHB. Let’s keep the comments coming for all Poptropicans to enjoy! 🥳

Keep on popping on,
~the PHB 💙

PHB Specials

Which Poptropica character are you based on your zodiac sign?

January 27, 2021January 28, 2021 LJ

Howdy, Poptropicans! It’s LJ and today I’d like to talk about the 12 astrology zodiac signs and the characters that I believe embody them. Let’s pop right into it! (disclaimer: dates may vary depending on the source)

♈ If you were born anywhere between March 20 and April 19, you are an Aries. Aries are said to be direct and confident leaders — and because he operates the infamous Sea Chicken ship and commands his very own pirate crew, I think Captain Crawfish best fits this description.

♉ Next are Taurus, which are those born from April 20 to May 20. Just like Aphrodite, Taurus are known for their relaxed and loving nature, and are extremely loyal as well.

♊ For the people born somewhere between May 21 and June 21, you may share a lot of similar traits to the intelligent CJ from Shrink Ray Island. Geminis are usually very intellectually curious and immersed in many hobbies. It takes a really smart cookie to invent a shrink ray!

♋ Elf Queen represents the Cancer sign. Cancers, born between June 22 and July 21, tend to be compassionate and caring individuals who carry a gentle demeanor. You may seem distant at times, but that’s just because you sometimes need your own space.

♌ Next are the Leos. Like Flashy Florian Fosbury, you’re most likely vivacious and proud. You might even come off as a diva every now and then. Leo birthdays range from July 22 to August 22.

♍ Virgos are born anywhere between August 23 and September 22, and are often logical, systematic, and diligent just like the supercomputer Holmes. He may be the villain of Game Show Island, but really he was just misguided. No one can deny his superb coordination skills.

♎ If you were born somewhere between September 23 and October 22, you belong to the Libra sign. I reckon you’re a charming, intuitive, and luxurious chum just like Mr. Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory island! I mean, who else can dazzle a group of kids in their very own whimsical chocolate factory?

♏ All hail the mighty and powerful Zeus — the representative for Scorpio! Born from October 23 to November 21, Scorpios are absolutely fearless and passionate in everything they do. Just look at how Zeus attempted to take over all of Poptropica not once, but twice! I suggest using your strengths for good instead of evil though.

♐ For those born between November 22 and December 21, you are a Sagittarius and are most like Harold Mews. Similar to the businessman, it’s likely that you’re a wild and adventurous explorer type who loves to tell stories about your discoveries.

♑ Next up is Capricorn as best portrayed by Oliver. Capricorn birthdays range from December 22 to January 20. Capricorns are known for their youthful and playful nature and are always ready to take on whatever steps in their way. They have a can-do attitude, optimistic outlook, and can sometimes be a little mischievous.

♒ All Aquarius, rise, for you share characteristics with possibly Poptropica’s most iconic character, himself — Dr. Hare! People born from January 21 to February 19 are rebellious, eccentric, and unusual (in the best possible way of course) in the way they carry themselves. Keep doing you!

♓ And finally, Pisces! Pisces, born between February 20 and March 19, are recognized for being visionaries. They are greatly imaginative and even a little mysterious on occasion. You’re just like the brilliant engineer Nikola Tesla from Mystery Train island.

And there you have it folks — the 12 zodiac signs as represented by your favorite Poptropica characters! I hope you got a kick out of this post. It was a pleasure writing it for you guys. Thank you for reading and I’ll talk to you in the next one. Pop on!

– Lucky Joker 🍀

Monkey Wrench Island, Pop Petitions

Pop Petition: Bring Monkey Wrench back 🙈

January 25, 2021January 26, 2021 Purple Paw

Hi there, Poptropicans!

As you may have gained from the title of this post, I’m here to discuss a Poptropica island that, although it had lots of great potential, is often overlooked by fans, and was even erased from the map altogether two years ago. Yes, I’m talking about Monkey Wrench.

Monkey Wrench was the tutorial island released in 2016.

It’s easy to see why this island is so frequently forgotten, as it was only a tutorial island; incomparable to greater classics such as Astro-Knights or Skullduggery. But, even though it was only invented to teach new Poptropicans how to play, I still felt that Monkey Wrench was quite a bit more than that. To better understand what I’m on to, take a look at the following reasons for why I think Monkey Wrench should be brought back.

One of the biggest things that made me get so attached to this short but sweet island is the lore it provided. You’re probably wondering what I mean; Monkey Wrench didn’t give us a full, thoughtful story to think over, unlike other islands that centered on their storytelling. But it did give us something I never expected to have a real answer for, least of all from a tutorial island; where the iconic Poptropica blimp came from.

Who knew that the great Poptropica blimp would come from a pack of monkeys?

I’m sure many of us wondered how one of Poptropica’s most well-known features, the golden blimp, came to sit on Home Island the moment we created our Poptropican avatars. And it was a big surprise when the answer to this longstanding question came in the form of a tutorial island! Besides, learning where your blimp comes from is a perfect introduction to Poptropica. In my opinion, Monkey Wrench succeeded all expectations of what a tutorial should be.

You may still be slightly doubtful about how important Monkey Wrench really was. I know one thing that bothered a lot of players about this island was how many game controls were taught during it, interrupting the experience; but, after all, Monkey Wrench is a tutorial. If it didn’t teach you how to control your avatar, speed up the dialogue, and use items from your backpack, that would have ruined the whole point. (Although I do think it would be interesting to see Monkey Wrench expanded into a full island.)

Another reason why I think Monkey Wrench should return is the amount of design that went into it. The visual scenery, character design, and audio soundtracks were all amazing, and I don’t think such beautiful work should go to waste so quickly. A couple of my favorite scenes from Monkey Wrench include Amelia’s airplane soaring over the majestic Poptropican sea during the Flying Ace Race, as well as all of the lush tropical scenery on Crusoe’s island.

And the visual design isn’t the only ‘wow’ factor in this island; I truly mean it when I say Monkey Wrench’s soundtracks were some of the best in Poptropica. (You can listen to them on SoundCloud.) Each music piece sets the mood perfectly, with the right amount of action, calm, and fun. Not to mention that there were at least four separate soundtracks created all for this one smaller island!

And we haven’t even reached the character design yet. The Red Baroness, Monkey Wrench’s main villain, had a spectacular outfit going, and I was always very intrigued by her. If only Monkey Wrench could be returned to the map and possibly expanded on, it would give us a chance to delve deeper into her back story; and find out just where she got to when her plane crashed in the ocean! Does the great Red Baroness live on?

After all that, Poptropica’s current tutorial island, Snagglemast, pales in comparison to Monkey Wrench. While Monkey Wrench provides story, suspense, scenery, music, and even an explanation for Poptropica’s iconic blimp, Snagglemast gives us a much shorter quest of collecting coins from across the small island. Let’s not forget that the tutorial is also very important because it’s most new players’ first impressions of Poptropica. If the tutorial island is made carelessly, than new players probably won’t want to stay around for long.

Although I had already played Poptropica for a time before Monkey Wrench was released, I would have been glad if Monkey Wrench were my first impression of the game, because it truly shows what Poptropica is all about; storytelling. Even though Monkey Wrench’s story is short and doesn’t reach as deep as other, bigger islands, it still has a small amount of lore, and that’s what counts. Whereas if a new player plays Snagglemast as their first island, they would most likely think Poptropica was nothing more than several short fetch quests.

To conclude: if the Creators are reading this post, I hope you’ll take into consideration what I’ve said. Monkey Wrench will always hold a special place with me, and it would be all for the better if it returns someday.

~💜🐾

Category: PHB Series

Community Creations: January 2021