Arabian Nights Island, Comics, Merchandise, Popstorms

Holiday wish list 2014, fat cats, & more!

Hey Poptropicans! First of all, there’s been a change of plans regarding the release of Arabian Nights, Episode 2 (Lair of Thieves) – although it was previously reported that it would come out Nov 25 (Tuesday) for members and Dec 11 for all, a more recent tweet is now saying that early access for members will start Dec 11, and everyone else must wait until Dec 30 to play. 😦

(Deception, Creators! Dream-crushing, hope-dashing deception!!)

In the meantime, check out our Behind the Scenes: Overview & Theory post to find out more about Arabian Nights: Ep. 2, with scene backgrounds, plot ideas, and more!

As the most wonderful time of the year approaches (with the kids jingle-belling and everyone telling you ‘be of good cheer’), it’s time for Poptropica’s annual holiday wish list! Click here to print out your very own 2014 copy, and be sure to check out the PHB’s Merchandise: A Guide to Poptropica Shopping page for info on the plethora of Poptropica goods available! :mrgreen:

(UPDATE: As Brave Tomato and Limelight have pointed out, if you look closely at the personalized T-shirts and hoodies, you’ll see a few former PHB authors’ Poptropicans on them: Shaggy Tornado on the pale blue shirt, Icy Comet on the pink hoodie, Green Boa’s name on the gray hoodie, and Super Thunder on the hot pink shirt. Subtle shoutout – thanks Pop Creators! 😀 )

phb authors shirts

PopStorm #7 recently popped up on Twitter – this one’s an a-meow-zing collection of fat cats. Aren’t they just purr-fect? 😉 Fur real though.

fat cats

Last last week saw Poptropica comics return after a little hiatus, but it looks like we only got two more strips since then before the Creators declared another break. However, our young Frankenstein monster-creating heroes will be returning in 2015!

Did you know that Poptropica Creators sit at home wearing big orange beaks on their faces while conferencing about common rooms for the app over Google Hangout? Well, that’s what this tweet and picture tells us. Not exactly sure who’s who, but from the list we do see a “Chris” (update: it’s Chris Messner) and “Jeff” (Kinney? Heim?). Thoughts? 😛

creators google hangout

Anyway, that’s all for now! This post’s bad pun is: what’s popping, Poptropicans? Oh wait – that’s the catchphrase we use for comments around here… well, how about an answer to the question? Popcorn’s popping, Poptropicans. 😉

App, Comics, Cryptids Island, Popstorms, Sneak Peeks, Social Media

Android app finally here & monstrously cute art

What’s popping, Poptropicans? Blake here, with a round of the Poptropica Help Blog’s Punch Out!!!

Has everybody gotten their retro video game references out of the way? Yes? Good. In all seriousness, Blake here, with a recap of Poptropica’s latest Twitter posts. First up, for all you Android fans out there, the Poptropica app is finally available for Google Play!

Screenshot 2014-11-20 at 5.54.25 PM

Yes, now you can frolic in Poptropica wherever you go! And all for the price of — wait, there is no price. It’s FREE! Just download the app from Google Play to get started.

By the way, this image was posted on Poptropica’s Instagram. Yes, after lots of retweeting other players’ Instagram posts, they’ve joined in on the Insta-bandwagon! You can follow them at PoptropicaCreators.

Next up, let’s take a look at the latest new doodles Poptropica’s been tweeting. Here’s PopStorm #6, which explores what Poptropicans would look like with shoes:

Screenshot 2014-11-20 at 5.54.07 PM

This is a great addition to the PopStorm series, and the one in the middle with the glasses reminds me of Groucho Marx. Oh Groucho, why did you have to go? D:

This next one is another possible teaser to an Island based on the Poptropica comics. What’s going on with these balloon animals, you ask? Well, as a hint, the tweet links to Funbrain’s page for the official Poptropica comics…

Screenshot 2014-11-20 at 5.53.52 PM

And finally, we have a blast from the past. Close your eyes. Are you closing them? Of course not, you wouldn’t be able to read this post otherwise! Anyway, just imagine the monsters from Cryptids Island back in kindergarten. Do you see it? No? Maybe this doodle from Poptropica artist Jon Pitcher will help. Who knew little Chupa had a secret crush? 😉

Screenshot 2014-11-20 at 5.53.30 PM

This has been “Let’s Imagine!” with Blake. *little rainbow star thingy from The More You Know pic floats above head* Enlightening, was it not?

Well, that’s it for the Poptropica Help Blog’s Punch Out!!! today. I just defeated Tyson by a series of button-mashing combos, so it’s time for me to go soak my thumbs in ice! Stay popping, Poptropicans.

Comics, Popstorms, S.O.S. Island

Poptropica comics return, Stubb from SOS, & PopStorm mouths

Hey everyone! Slippery here with a few updates.

After a two-week hiatus, Poptropica comics have finally returned from its slumber with 9 new strips for week 27, which you can catch up on by visiting the Creators’ Blog or by reading them here (click to view in full size)! Prepare for creepy hotels, raging rivers, and freaky Veggiestein…

Next off, the Creators tweeted a sketch made by a Poptropica illustrator of a story for Stubb, a character from SOS Island. You might recognize her from the time you went into the ship’s boiler. The Creators noted that she believes that “hard work fixes anything”. Check it out:

Last but not the least, the Creators tweeted their 5th PopStorm image, entitled “Menacing Mouths”, featuring… many weird mouths. Check ’em out!

 Embedded image permalink

That’s all of the updates we have for today! Don’t forget, PoptropiCon (Ep. 2: Spoiler Alert) is out to all – for a walkthrough, check out the PHB’s PoptropiCon Island Guide. 🙂

-Slippery

Labs (Land), Popstorms, Sneak Peeks, Social Media, Vampire's Curse Island

Treehouse tour, a popping 3D effect, & more art

Yep, the updates just keep on coming!

Best of Land winner: Zany Crown’s treehouse tour

The Public Land Preview may be over, but the hype isn’t! Captain Crawfish filmed a quick tour of Zany Crown’s treehouse, the winner of the “Best of the Land” readers’ poll. 🙂

Pretty cool, huh? I definitely think the basement with the tree roots was the best part of the Land. It was super creative, so congrats, Zany! (Plus, Land will be released as a full version early next year!)

Popping 3D on Forgotten Islands

Plus, the Creators posted a reminder that Poptropica: Forgotten Islands is now out for Nintendo 3DS. (Well, actually, it has been out for about a month now.) You can buy it from Amazon or a local toy store if they have it. Just in time for the holidays!

This game marks the first time Poptropica has been presented with stereoscopic 3D, and you don’t even need overpriced 3D glasses!

More behind-the-scenes art

Of course, as is the trend these days, more behind-the-scenes art has been released on Poptropica’s Twitter and also their new Tumblr. (Click to enlarge the images.)

Check out PopStorm #4 – deviating from the “hair” themes of the first three, this one demonstrates the squash and stretch theme.

popstorm 4

Next we have Jeff Kinney’s rough castle sketch for Vampire’s Curse Island, which was drawn on a huge piece of paper. Looks like it didn’t deviate too much from the end product!

vampire early art

Finally, here is a sneak peek of a palace interior scene for an upcoming, unannounced island. Apparently the island will be coming in January 2015, so that’s not too far away!

sneak peek island

Any theories, guys? I may be way off, but this image kind of reminds me of the underground cave Daily Pops that surfaced throughout 2013. Some people even thought they could be for the return of Legendary Swords. Check out this or this PHB post for some of these sneak peeks, or see some of the images below from our Daily Pop sneak peek archive.

The images seem to have a similar style, right? Then again, at a second glace, the old Daily Pops remind me of Arabian Nights too. Well, hopefully you guys have some better theories than I do. 😛

Last but not least, PoptropiCon, Ep. 2: Spoiler Alert releases to everyone tomorrow! Get ready for a big plot twist – and if you need spoilers, check out our PoptropiCon Island Guide. 🙂

That’s all for now! Comment your thoughts below. 😉

~SD

Advertisements, Comics, Popstorms, PoptropiCon Island

Wimpy Kid: Long Haul ad, P-Con public release date, & more Twitter tidbits!

Hi guys! Slippery here. There’ve been a lot of Poptropica updates and other tidbits over Twitter and the Poptropica world lately, so here’s a recap! Let’s start with the minor ones.

Poptropica Name-All Islands Quiz

Poptropica recently shared an awesome Poptropica quiz! It’s a name-all island quiz. Can you name them all? Just click this link to take the quiz. I’ve got an extra challenge for all of you: can you beat this score? 😀

result

Concept art: Black Flags Common Room and new PopStorm hair idea!

Another behind-the-scenes moment was featured on Twitter – an early concept idea for the Black Flags tribe common room. Who’s a Black Flag member here? However, if you’ve ever visited the Black Flags room, you’ll recognize that this was not what they went with – it was a rejected idea. What do you think?

blackflags

Here’s the latest PopStorm entitled “Helpful Hairstyles”!  Hairstyles that you can control on your own?! These are odd-looking hairstyles. How awesome is that?

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 9: The Long Haul ad

The 9th book of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has made it to Poptropica! As mentioned above, the title of the 9th book is The Long Haul. In this advertisement, Greg Heffley and his family visits a country fair, which Greg finds boring. When you get inside, just talk to Greg and he’ll tell you that if you can roll the pot-bellied pig, you’ll win great prizes!

The game is simple, similar to the mini-game on Great Pumpkin Island where you push the biggest pumpkin. You’ll run through moles, mud puddles, barns and crazy fair booths. Here’s a tip: Use physics! (Push the pig with great force from a far spot.) You can also watch a pig fly to the sky and crash a pie eating contest. When the pig lands on the weighing scale and breaks it, you’ll receive two prizes: a Pig Costume and a Pumpkin Bazooka Game (which leads to an external link, and awards you an in-game Pumpkin Bazooka).

Win an autographed Poptropica sticker book!

DK Publishing is holding a raffle draw for a chance to win an exclusive Poptropica Sticker book signed by Jeff Kinney! Enter now and you could be the lucky winner of this awesome treat! This tweet contains the link (note: you must be aged 13+ and live in the U.S. to enter):

Interview with Poptropica comic artist Kory Merritt confirms upcoming graphic novel

One of Poptropica’s artists, Kory Merritt, was interviewed on an online magazine named “L’idea Magazine”.  He talks about his creation, Lost Side of Suburbia and of course—Poptropica! He also confirmed the Poptropica graphic novel  which is coming in 2015.  Here’s an excerpt of the interview. If you would like to know more about this interview, visit this link.

L’IDEA MAGAZINE: You are illustrating a graphic novel for a famous author. Are you still keeping the details secret or are we ready for the revelation of this mysterious author?
KORY MERRITT: Ah, that’s the Poptropica stuff. The famous author is Jeff Kinney, the Wimpy Kid himself – I think I’ve dropped that name a few times already. He created Poptropica and the characters from the Poptropica comics, along with author/editor Jess Brallier and some others. I’m presently drawing and coloring a 105-page graphic novel based on the Poptropica comic characters. It’s an original story from Jeff and Jess, and the script was written by Max Brallier, who has another illustrated series in the works. They’re really cool people. I’m lucky to be on board. I nearly geeked-out the first time I heard from Jeff, but luckily managed to keep it together (or at least that’s how I remember it).

Best of the Lands: The Best of the Best

Who will be reigned as the best of the best? The Poptropica Creators asks everyone of us to judge and vote our own Lands champion! The battle is between Zany Crown’s terrific tree house, Serious Bird’s tasty village, Silver Lightning awesome obstacle course and Fast Lizard’s haunted house! Who’s the best of the best? Vote in the poll!

Ladies and gentlemen, here’s what all you’ve been waiting for…

PoptropiCon Episode 2: Spoiler Alert public release date!

What’s coming next Thursday, 13 November (on my birthday)? PoptropiCon’s second episode, Spoiler Alert will finally be released next Thursday! What an awesome birthday gift, Creators! 😉 Do you want to know a spoiler? Guess what? SPOILER ALERT: There will be an awesome plot twist!

That’s every update on Poptropica right now, so I better go too! What do you think of the recent updates? Leave a comment below!

-Slippery XD