Hey Poptropicans! In this post, we’ve got another ad game, another challenge, and another guest post. Poptropica’s certainly been busy!
Let’s start off with the big green tree base on Home Island promoting the upcoming Netflix animated film Vivo. Head inside and you’ll find it’s even prettier within! You can also talk to the animals to start a game.
The goal of the mini-game is to make your way through the Cuban rainforest to reach the Sand Dollars girlband before time runs out. Along the way, you’ll have to dodge flies, crocs, and even a giant snake.
You’ll win two prizes at the end: Gabi’s Stylin’ Outfit (with a drum animation) and a Head Rider of Vivo, a kinkajou (honey bear).
Between Vivo and Kamp Koral Island 2, it’s cool to see Poptropica pulling in their ad dollars in more creative ways again. Let’s hope we’re on our way to getting rid of those pesky sidebar ads—and while we’re wishing, how about the return of bigger game screens?
Vivo releases on Netflix in two weeks on August 6, with songs by the legendary Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame). Stay tuned!
Next up, another official artsy challenge! While the past few weeks and months have seen fan art, fan fic, and costume design contests, the new Coloring Creation Challenge asks Poptropicans to create their own Pop-themed coloring page! The idea is to create an outline drawing (with black or blue marker) on a white page that can be colored in, like so:
Previously released coloring pages from the Pop Creators
To enter the challenge, snap a pic of your design and drop it into Poptropica’s submissions form no later than 8 p.m. PST on Monday, July 26. Doodle on!
Last but not least, there’s a new guest post on the Creators’ Blog by Invisible Ring on the gone-but-not-forgotten Tribes of Poptropica. As she explains, tribes were teams you could join in the Poptropolis Games and rep on your friends page or with custom hats you could make in the Twin Palms Mall of Night Watch Island. Plus, each tribe had their own themed common room!
Seraphim tribe common room
Creating a tribal hat on Night Watch Island
You can learn more over on the PHB’s Tribes page as well as the individual tribe pages linked there (thanks for the blog shout-out, Ring!).
Here on the PHB, we’ve enjoyed even more tribal fun with our 2016 and 2020 Tribal Tournaments, and we even host a series of epic “Tribal Tailorings” in our ASG collection. Here’s hoping for the return of the eight epic tribes!
“Seraphim for the Win” by happyclonetrooper
“PHB tribe reps” by Gentle Dolphin
idkNanobotsASG
That’s a wrap for this post. What did you think of the Vivo ad game, and will you be streaming this release? What ideas are brewing in your head for the Coloring Creations Challenge? And which tribe rules them all? Share with us in the comments, and stay popping!
This interview was originally published on the Poptropica Creators’ Blog along with a call to go vote in the 2021 Poppies. Enjoy!
1. How were you first introduced to Poptropica?
My younger brother found Poptropica on Funbrain and introduced it to me. Back then, we would go on Funbrain to read Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid before it became a printed book series!
2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?
Most underrated character: Elf Queen from Twisted Thicket. She doesn’t seem to get mentioned much in the fandom, but her leafy design is absolutely magical, and her storyline very fitting for our modern climate crisis.
Most overrated character: Dr. Hare, who might just be the most marketed Pop character (he even had a whole LEGO campaign at one point!). But we love him anyway.
3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?
It’s hard to pick a favorite scene as there are so many that are visually stunning! But to highlight a few, I love the aesthetics of the Imperial Garden on Red Dragon (especially the cherry blossom trees), and the various interactive puzzles on Nabooti, such as the mancala game and the fox-chicken-cornfeed conundrum.
4. What was your inspiration in creating and furthering the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB)?
I was inspired to create a blog after seeing lots of fan blogs for other online games I enjoyed at the time, especially Club Penguin (rip). I stumbled into a Poptropica focus somewhat accidentally when setting up the site on WordPress: while thinking about the URL, I discovered that poptropica.wordpress.com was untaken, and it felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up. So that was the PHB’s first URL, which illustrates the dearth of Poptropica fan sites at the time, and how we were able to fill that gap on the internet.
What inspired me to keep going was everything else that followed. I was amazed by how quickly the site grew in readership, fueled by all the amazing things Poptropica has been doing, especially in the heart and depth of storytelling through gameplay in its myriads of island adventures. Even as the game changes and people come and go, what I enjoy about the PHB is how it continues to be a space for Poptropicans to share their ideas, fan art, and friendships. If you’re interested, I’ve written more about this on the PHB’s Philosophy page.
Poptropica Creator Dr. Lange’s drawing of the PHB team (2014)
5. How has your PHB career surprised you?
As the previous Q&A touches on, I’ve been surprised by the rapid popularity of the PHB (it reached 1 million views in its first year, and 13 years later, has over 35 million). But I’m not too concerned about the statistics—I’m more interested in cultivating the quality of people’s visits, and to that end it’s been a blessing to hear from so many Poptropicans over the years who’ve enjoyed what the PHB offers.
Another surprise is the creativity and intensity of so many fans’ Pop-inspired passions, which help shape what the PHB brings to the fandom, from personal My Place in Poptropica stories to discoveries of Pop Places IRL. It’s definitely not a one-person operation—credit goes to the many, many Poptropicans who make it all possible!
Banner Day: Let your freak flag fly.
6. What does the Pop community mean to you?
To me, it’s as simple as a gathering of people who enjoy Poptropica. They can be of all ages — some are even in their twenties like me. Poptropica fans are creative (just look at all the fan art, blogs, and videos), clever (we enjoy solving puzzles and finding trivia), and concerned (we support each other and sometimes critique for the good of the game we love). Above all, we’re united in our passion for Pop!
7. From your perspective, how has the community changed over the past 12 years?
The biggest change I’ve noticed personally is that the kids have gotten older. Though Poptropica has always been aimed at kids, it’s fascinating to see how teens and young adults (myself included) still participate in the fandom, often returning from childhood nostalgia and sticking around for the community and inspired storytelling (perhaps even creating some of their own). Of course, young kids are still around. From my perspective, even children are capable of enjoying Poptropica’s more sophisticated stories, particularly those from the classic islands.
Friendly Folk: All so nice and polite, for a while at least.
8. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?
Poptropica’s many whimsical worlds — from the medieval madness of Astro-Knights to the genie glamor of Arabian Nights — have inspired my art and writing, and widened my appreciation for digital storytelling and cultural connections.
As for the PHB, it has given me a space to write about something I care about, to carefully consider how to express ideas, and help the blog’s staff and guest writers do the same. Having our content read by so many fellow fans is a responsibility, privilege, and a great encouragement to keep building the blessing.
The skills, friendships, and passions developed over many years of playing and creating carry over to other areas of life too. For me, that has included earning my undergrad degree in English and pursuing a career in communications. With all the diversity in Poptropica and its community comes great potential for many more Poptropicans!
Fish Face: These ocean-dwellers are getting animated.
Favorites
Costume: Fish kimono from Red Dragon
Island: Shark Tooth
Backstory/Lore: How islands appear in the world of Poptropica through a central spot in the sea called the Nexus, as described in Poptropica graphic novel #4: The End of Time.
Hero: Max McGullicutty from Survival
Villain: Scheherazade
The Nexus, land of limitless time crystals
Shark Tooth: a nostalgic aesthetic
Max saves the day in Survival Island
Scheherazade’s life is quite the tale
Thank you, Poptropica Creators, for hosting this interview with me (and for calling the PHB “the leading fan-run Poptropica blog” in the original post 😁). Keep on popping on, Poptropicans! ✌️
Hey, Poptropicans! This is Gentle Dolphin bringing the latest Poptropica news! Today’s post will discuss the newest store items, Instagram fan art features, and a very fashionable guest writer. Let’s dive in!
Six new furniture items are available for purchase in the clubhouse store. Everyone can decorate their clubhouses with the storage trunk, white dresser, selfie ring light, and skateboard. However, members can acquire the mobile phone and pineapple picture.
After some furniture shopping, why not treat yourself to some new clothes from Amelia’s Adventure Outfitters? Our current store lineup features familiar fashions, but there is also a brand new Galaxy Hoodie, which members can purchase for 150 credits.
Nothing at Amelia’s store suits your style? Don’t forget to hop onto the Red Baron’s airship for some exclusive items, including the winning entries of June’s costume contest! Act fast before the Red Baron sets off on another adventure and leaves these costumes lost to time.
While you’re buying clothes from either Amelia or the Red Baron, think about how you can mix and match pieces of your new duds to create a unique look for your popsona. Golden Wolf, the newest guest writer to grace the Creators’ Blog, made a post showcasing some custom-made outfits ranging from cozy to classy.
Golden Wolf was also happy to provide original art of her popsona! I love her cool street fashion in this picture, especially with her two colorful hair streaks. 💙💜
Last but not least, the Poptropica Creators shared more amazing fan art in their most recent Instagram stories. There’s fan art of classic Pop characters as well as some July costume contest submissions. The story also included our IG post advertising the PHB’s Poppies 2021 event! Thanks for the shoutout, Creators!
Hey Poptropicans! In this post, we’ve got Instagram highlights of fan art and more, plus a guest writer looking into a Poptropica character with history. Let’s pop in!
Also on Instagram, the Creators shared a new graphic to celebrate the 4th of July, aka US Independence Day last weekend. It’s a little ironic that Dr. Hare, Poptropica’s resident carrot slave owner, is out here proclaiming freedom. But hey, villains do love a good fireworks show! 🎆
In other news, the Creators’ Blog recently shared a guest post from a new guest writer, HappyStarfish, who gave a deep dive into an old Poptropica character that’s been making a few comebacks: Ishmael, the boy in blue winter clothes.
You may remember the guy from Fairytale Island when you were carrying Cinderella to the ball, or sometimes spot him in ad spaces promoting the Arcade. But if you’re a real Pop veteran, you may recognize him as the whale lover you saved on the now-gone SOS Island.
On Fairytale Island
Arcade promo on ad streets
On SOS Island
Although the post doesn’t mention the kid’s name, it does have significance: Ishmael is a nod to the first-person narrator in the classic 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, on which the story of SOS Island draws inspiration. Anyway, you can read more about this beloved blue character on the Creators’ Blog!
Call me, Ishmael.
That wraps up this post! Hope you enjoyed the fan art and archival look into the iconic Ishmael, and be sure to catch up below on all things Red Baron. Stay cool, Poptropicans!
Hey Poptropicans! Sometimes good things come in small packages, and I’ll be sharing about one that I got: the Dr. Hare button!
The Dr. Hare button is available from Poptropica’s Zazzle merch store for US$2.25 and comes in various sizes (ranging from 1 ¼ to 6 inches) and shapes (round or square). I went for a classic round shape with a small diameter of 1 ¼ inch. Here’s the packaging it arrived in:
For its small size, the button sure came in a large packet. Cactus not included.
And here’s Dr. Hare with Dr. Hare to show off the front and back of the button. The way the distinct goggles and teeth are surrounded by lots of negative space gives the design a nice minimalist feel. Overall, it’s definitely a cute pin of Poptropica’s pinkest punk!
Front
Back
You can stick this button anywhere that the pin can poke through, like your backpack, denim jacket, lanyards, or more. As for me, my Dr. Hare button has found a home among my pin collection.
Can you spot the carrot thief?
Thanks to the Poptropica Creators for sponsoring this post! The Creators kindly hooked up the PHB with a generous Zazzle gift card, so we’ll be sharing more merch reviews here soon. Stay tuned! 👀
For more about all the Poptropica merch that exists, from Zazzle to beyond with toys and more, check out the PHB’s Merchandise Guide. ✨
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