Category: PHB Series

Hellos & Goodbyes

Goodbye from Smart Icicle

🌸Smart Icicle🌸

Hey everyone. It’s been a while, and I know the title of this post sounds a little intimidating. So let me explain…

My name is Smart Icicle and I’ve been part of the wonderful PHB staff team since 2021 (you can check out my Pop story to learn more). I ran the PHB’s Ask Poptropica Siri series and previously the Smart Icicle Blog. But I’ve recently realized something I must do, and it is really hard writing this without getting emotional: I am resigning from the PHB.

I know it’s sad to say goodbye. But I’ve been shocked to find my interest in Poptropica vanish. It hurts knowing that my favorite game that I’ve been playing since childhood has become something that I am no longer interested in. Also, with a sense of writer’s block leading to my blogging gap, I just feel overall that my time here is done.

I’ll be shifting gears towards another passion that I love, which is animation, specifically indie animation. I always had a fondness towards it and hope to develop this interest further, starting with my new YouTube channel, Smart Icicle Animations.

I do plan to stay on the PHC because I love seeing everyone and showing up for the Poppies (I’m still waiting for a rematch, LJ !). I wish the best of luck to Slanted Fish, LJ, and the rest of the staff.

With that, let me leave you with these cherished words that encapsulated my time here on the PHB: Don’t dwindle on dreams, instead hone in on them and turn them into reality. You never know what’s going to happen if you never try. 

~💕 Smart Icicle

PHB Specials, Uncategorized

Poptropica Tattoo Spotlights, Part 2 🦀✨

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! With more of the fandom coming of age while holding fond memories of this beloved game, we’ve seen a rise in Poptropica tattoos, some of which we’ve featured here. Now, we’re back with more!

Former PHB staff Andrew (HPuterpop) and Spencer (Cobalt) met up in New York City and commemorated their longstanding friendship with tattoos of their Poptropican characters, illustrated by Andrew and inked by clowns.ink and nylatattoo. 💙🔥🙌

Garrett got matching tattoos with his sister of a fun creature you may recall: the small crab from Time Tangled Island’s Main Street, which would explode after a few clicks. 🦀💥

And Bryant from Virtue Tattoo in Houston inked Shark Boy (later known as Shark Guy) from Shark Tooth Island, showcasing the process from start to finish with a nice reel you can watch here. 🦈✨

That’s a wrap, at least for now! Are you considering a Poptropica tattoo of your own, or know of any more out there? We’d love for you to share with us on our Discord server, the PHC.

Keep on poppin’ on! ✨

~🐠

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!