Category: PHB Series

Blast from the Past, PHB Specials, Web Development

A Lifetime of Headers, Part III 🤩

LJ

Happy New Year, Poptropicanos! 🥳 We’ve made it a quarter of a century into the new millennium! Woah. 🤯

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣

Speaking of being shook, can you believe the Poptropica Help Blog has been around for an incredible 16 years, and is now on its way to the 17-year mark this summer? It’s without a doubt that the PHB has made a significant impact on readers from all around the world during its time in the blogosphere, and I personally think that calls for some sort of recognition. 🫶

It’s been nearly 8 years since Fishy commemorated the many styles of headers past, and double that time since veteran former author, Codien, did it first. With that in mind, I thought a fun way to celebrate yet another 8 years of awesomeness would be to take a stroll down memory lane once again and revisit some of the old headers (2017-present day) that have graced the top of our homepage.

Most of these designs were crafted by our founder, Slanted Fish, but a few were created by other PHB staffers as well. During special occasions like Halloween, April Fools, and The Poppies, we sometimes find it extra fun to whip up some themed banners for merry measure. We even held a contest once! Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this trip back to 2017 (where we last left off) in…

✨A Lifetime of Headers, Part 3✨

(Hover over each image for more details & click to see them in full-size glory!)

November 2024, by me LJ
October 2024 (Halloween), by Smart Icicle
July 2024 (PHB Poppies 2024), by Gentle Dolphin
April 1, 2024 (Mount Olympus/Zeus’s reign of terror prank)
August 2023-2024, by Slanted Fish
July 2023 (PHB Poppies 2023), by Purple Paw
August 2022, by Slanted Fish
July 2022 (PHB Poppies 2022), by Smart Bubbles
April 1, 2022 (Poptropica Hate Blog prank), by Purple Paw
July 2021 (PHB Poppies 2021), by Purple Paw
June 2021, by Slanted Fish
April 1, 2021 (Poptropica Dating Sim Fan Blog prank), by Smart Bubbles aka MarayannTheConqueror
February 2021, by Slanted Fish
September 2020, by Slanted Fish
August 2020 (PHB Tribal Tournament 2020), by Gentle Dolphin
October 2019 (Halloween), by Slanted Fish
July 2019, by Slanted Fish
October 2018, by Slanted Fish
September 2018 (PHB Header Contest winner), by Gentle Dolphin
July 2018, by Slanted Fish
July 2018 (PHB Poppies 2018), by Slanted Fish
January 2018, by Slanted Fish
October 2017 (Halloween), by Slanted Fish
August 2017, by Slanted Fish

As you might notice, our method for designing headers over the last eight years has largely involved using illustrations instead of piecing together assets from in the game.

What began as an innovative approach in 2016 has now evolved into the norm, and I feel that the blog is even more unique and captivating as a result. It really demonstrates the remarkable talent of our community, don’t you think? 😁

Which ones do you remember from back in the day and which ones are your favorite? I really like the one Gentle Dolphin created for the header contest held in 2018. The Poppies headers are always a hit for me as well. Share your opinions and memories down in the comment section below!

(Don’t forget to check out parts 1 & 2 for even more nostalgia!)

Thank you so much for reading as always and I hope you continue to hang around for more moons to come. Pop on y’all! 🍾

Hellos & Goodbyes

KABOOM! A Magical New Author Has Suddenly Appeared 💥✨

Magic Kid

*cue overly dramatic entrance*

*extinguishes fire*

Hiya Poptropicans, it’s Magic Kid!

Guess what? Recently I received an email from Lucky Joker asking if I’d like to become an official writer for the Poptropica Help Blog!

Guys, I’m going to be honest with y’all: I legit thought that the Halloween candy was making me hallucinate. 🤣

After re-reading the email multiple times, exploding with unbridled joy, zooming to my bedroom, and screaming like a fangirl into my pillow (like the totally nonchalant person I am 😉), I wrote back to LJ. And now, here we are! 🙂

I’ve been playing Poptropica for about 7-ish years. You can read my MPIP story to hear how I discovered Poptropica and then also when I realized a few years later that the fandom exists. My journey has definitely extended from that post but it might be fun to read ✨The Origin of Magic Kid in The Poptropica World✨ anyway.

My favorite island is Monster Carnival (how dare you suggest otherwise? 😝) but I also really like PoptropiCon, Survival, and Zomberry Island. Honestly though, I love pretty much all the islands I’ve played. My favorite character is most definitely Edgar because how could you NOT adore that little fried dough loving, friendly carnie–in–training? My favorite villain by far is (you guessed it!) Ringmaster Raven.

So some more things about me are: I really enjoy drawing and writing (check out my Poptropica fanfictions: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! and Murder at Myron’s). I also like animated movies, bright colors, anything with high amounts of sugar, music, theater, and daydreaming in the woods.

If you’d like to friend me, my Poptropica username is BravestChicken and I’m always up for a game of Sky Dive. 😉

Thank you so much for reading, I am VERY happy to be here and I am SUPER excited to write some fun posts for y’all!

Over n’ Out!

~Magic Kid✨

PHB Series, Pop Fan Artist Spotlights

🎨 Pop Fan Artist Spotlight: Magic Kid

LJ

Howdy doodly, Poptropicanos and welcome to the latest installment of Pop Fan Artist Spotlight! This edition highlights an artist who’s become one of my recent favorites due to her exceptionally vivid and captivating artwork: the extraordinary *pause for dramatic effect* Magic Kid (who recently won 1st prize in our Halloween costume contest)!

Magic Kid’s Popsona

I really admire her enthusiastic commitment to creating Poptropica artwork, which has resulted in over one hundred deviations in her gallery to date. A swift glance through her collection will surely captivate anyone. Her signature aesthetic is characterized by its lively, bright, and almost glowy appearance. ✨ You can easily feel the passion and joy she invests in each creation, showcasing her true creative spirit. Take a look at this gallery of some of her proudest works:

So pretty, right? 😍 I had a chat with Magic Kid and asked her a few questions about her art, and here’s what she shared with me:

How has your style changed over time?

I’ve had quite a bit of improvement over the years. I’ve become faster at making art, more comfortable with random colors that don’t make much sense, somewhat better at poses, and overall, just become a better artist in ways that are kinda hard to explain. Despite that, drawing hands is still a problem for me. XD

Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?

I’m not sure where I see my art in five years. Maybe I’ll have a consistent art style by then? Perhaps I’ll learn how to render or draw more realistically? We’ll have to see, I guess…

Thanks for chatting, Magic Kid. Now there’s definitely more art from her to be discovered! Should you wish to explore her work beyond Poptropica, you can find more than 500 pieces on her DeviantArt page—MagicKidIsArtsy. (Even the page presentation itself looks cool since she’s got core membership. 😎)

And now our spotlight has officially concluded! Thanks for stopping by. Interested in being the next Pop Fan Artist Spotlight? Reach out to me on Discord (search the.lucky.joker on the PHC) or send us an email. Here’s to celebrating even more Poptropica artists!

Contests, PHB Specials

Guess That Poptropican, Round 5 👥❓

LJ

Howdy Poptropicanos! 🤟 Can you identify a random Poptropican character using just a few hints? Put your skills to the test in the fifth round of Guess That Poptropican! There are three difficulty levels to the game: easy, medium, and hard, depending on the character and the ambiguity of the given clues. Play for a prize! (read below)

🟢Poptropican 1 (Easy)🟢

  • I have my own wagon
  • My merchandise gets you to your intended destination
  • I’m currently on two islands
  • I owe Zeus money

🟢Poptropican 2 (Easy)🟢

  • I have a classic Poptropican name
  • I am a missing person
  • I’m on Poptropica & Poptropica Worlds
  • Balloon Boy resembles me

🟡Poptropican 3 (Medium)🟡

  • I always carry a weapon
  • I have a scar
  • I’m in a movie
  • You meet me in a bonus quest

🟡Poptropican 4 (Medium)🟡

  • I reside in an actual real-life city
  • I speak no dialogue
  • I’m not living
  • I have my own show

🔴Poptropican 5 (Hard)🔴

  • I’m a school student
  • I’m in the science fair
  • I have stitches

🔴Poptropican 6 (Hard)🔴

  • I like ice pops
  • I hate hospitals
  • I rediscover the fascination with space that I had when I was a kid

To be considered correct, your answers must include the complete names of the characters. The first person to get all 6 right will win a drawing of their Poptropican from me. (You can check out my artwork on Instagram and DeviantArt gallery for a preview.) 😀

Send your guesses to [email protected] for a shot at winning. I’ll announce the results as soon as I receive them. 😉 Thank you for joining, and good luck with the game. Pop on! 🍀

PHB Series, Pop-over

Pop-over: Lackadaisy ♣️🍻

🌸Smart Icicle🌸

🎵 Time’s a-wastin’, friend, can’t spare a minute
(Chasin’ after that liquid gold)
Take a big inhale o’ those St. Lou’ spirits
(We’d rather get it than ever get old) 🎵

Why hello everyone! Welcome to another Pop-over: a Poptropica crossover with another universe. This time, we’re going back to the Roaring Twenties (and no it’s not Gatsby)!

The story of Lackadaisy takes place in the glorious town of St Louis, Missouri and is set during the 1920s. It tells the adventures of Rocky, Calvin “Freckles”, and Ivy Pepper as they try and help Mitzi May (Miss M) keep the Lackadaisy Speakeasy in business. Lackadaisy started as a webcomic and has a TV show currently in production.

Now let’s meet the characters — and their Poptropica counterparts! (You can dress like them using the Avatar Studio Glitch, aka ASG.)

Rocky is the main protagonist of Lackadaisy. He is the leader of the team to help Miss M keep the Lackadaisy Speakeasy in business. You can find Rocky playing his violin in the band for the speakeasy, creating free verse poems, and being chaotic, which usually annoys Ivy. Here is a fun clip of Rocky. You can use the ASG account: RockyASG to turn into this fun, mischievous feline on Poptropica.

Calvin “Freckles” McMurray is Rocky’s cousin. Even though Rocky can get a bit chaotic at times, Freckles is the complete opposite. Freckles is often shy and innocent but he can switch to chaotic really fast to protect the ones he cares about. You can use the ASG account FrecklesASG to turn into him.

Ivy Pepper is perky, confident, hotheaded, temperamental, romantic, only when Freckles is around, and often saucy to those who get the better of her. (credit: Lackadaisy Wiki) You can use the ASG account: IvyPepperASG to turn into her.

Mordecai Heller is the main antagonist of Lackadaisy. He is more reserved and doesn’t like it when people mess up with his plans or acts in an informal manner. He’s also a triggerman for the Marigold gang after leaving the Lackadaisy speakeasy. You can use the ASG account: MordecaiASG to dress like him.

Mitzi May, formally known as Miss M in the show, is the current owner of the Lackadaisy Speakeasy. She is often in a depressed mood, since her husband, Atlas May, the founder of the Lackadaisy speakeasy, passed away. She cares for the people around her and isn’t afraid to take in new recruits. There are rumors spreading around St. Louis that Miss M might have taken part in Atlas’s death, but it’s just a theory. You can use the ASG account: MitziMayASG to dress like her.

Finally, we have Viktor. Viktor is the bartender of the Lackadaisy Speakeasy. Besides his knowledge of liquor, he cares for the Lackadaisy Speakeasy as he wants to continue with what Atlas started. He did have a bad run-in Mordecai in the past, so we will see what lies in store for this ferocious feline. You can use the ASG account: ViktorASG to dress as him.

That’s a wrap on the Lackadaisy Pop-over! While some indie cartoons have become hits, this new show is still trying to get their spotlight. So I encourage everyone to watch the pilot and tell me your thoughts! (Note: Since it takes place during the Prohibition era, the show does contain alcohol and gun violence.) It’s also got its own theme song now you can enjoy!

Inspired by these whimsical looks? Join in on the costume-making fun with our PHB 15th Halloween Costume Contest now until October 26! 🎃

Well that’s enough of me rambling. I’ll see you all soon! 📚🧊