Issue #17: July 2014

Issue #17
Date: July 6th, 2014

★The Popcorn★

Munch on the PHB’s pop-pop-Poptropica fan magazine!

Welcome to the seventeenth issue of the Poptropica Help Blog’s fan magazine! While we’ve previously called it The Poptropican’s 911, we have recently decided to give it a more delicious name, The Popcorn, and we will be back to publishing monthly, just like the beginning days of the 911. Enjoy!

—

Ask PHB

We’ve selected a few Poptropica-related questions from our e-mail inbox this month to answer… and here’s what we’ve got.

If my Poptropican’s account has been deleted, and now I’m trying to log in with the exact same username and password, what will appear? “Sorry, there are no users with this name”? ~Random Human

We don’t know of any Poptropica accounts that have been deleted, but most likely you’ll get an error message along the lines of what you predicted. To check whether an account exists, you can search its username on the Avatar Studio.

When is Survival Episode 4 coming out for members? Because I want to see your guide for Survival Episode 4. ~Muddy Kid

The Creators have not announced the release date for Survival: Episode 4 yet, but as the island medallion has already been uploaded, it should only be a matter of time! Stay tuned to the PHB for the latest updates.

—

Monthly Poptropica News

Read a monthly review of the newest happenings on Poptropica — you may find something you might have missed in the past month (June 2014)!

• The month started off with a bang — Poptropica’s official Facebook resurfaced after quite a long time!
• Soon after, a Google+ page popped up for Poptropica, followed by a couple new wallpapers for Survival: Distress Signal — but that’s not all!
• Soon after that, Survival: Distress Signal’s release was delayed a day, which is a Poptropica first.
• Survival: Distress Signal was released for members and Survival: Hook, Line, and Sinker was released to all.
• The PHB announced a party for their 12 million hits!
• A forgotten Fact Monster Island was revealed.
• A forgotten toy was found and theorized about, plus talk of the phrase “island” becoming extinct.
• The creators of the Poptropica comic were found!
• The Poptropican Portraits finale Livestream was broadcasted along with the 12 Million Hits party.
• A Poptropica Convention Island was theorized about.
• An extensive personal review of the CYDI Contest winners was released by Samwow5.
• A Poptropica sticker book was announced.
• Mission Atlantis: Fortress of the Deep was announced and given a release date, plus a new rhino costume was released for Survival: Cabin Fever.
• The Survival villain Van Buren was revealed in a new wallpaper.
• Mission Atlantis: Fortress of the Deep was released for members and Survival: Distress Signal was released for all!

—

Stories

What’s going on in the fictional fan-created universes of Poptropica?

★My Sister, the Super Villain: by Brave Tomato

(A Super Power Island one-shot fanfiction told from the POV of Ned Noodlehead as he recalls his life with his sister, Betty. Based off of Super Power and Poptropica Adventures for the Nintendo DS.)

To whom this may concern,

If you’re reading this right now, you shouldn’t if you ever want to think of me the same way ever again. My name is Ned Noodlehead, and I own a comic shop on the main street of Super Power Island. Everyone’s called me a hero ever since I stopped Betty Jetty from wreaking havoc. Super Hot Dog Boy, I called myself. Ever since that day, my comic shop was thriving with locals and tourists alike, praising me and even asking for my autograph. I try to keep a smile on my face as the customers came and went, but when the doors close for the night, I find myself thinking, “I’ve become a famous hero for putting my own sister in jail.”

Yes. Betty is my sister.

Her real name is Betty Diana Noodlehead and she’s three years younger than me.  Mom used to say that I was excited to become a big brother, and I even helped pick out items to go into her nursery. When Betty was born, Mom said I played with her each and every day, and I even helped change her diaper.

When I was five, I started to love comic books. I was amazed by the daring physical feats of the great fictional superheroes, stopping the villains from doing whatever, from robbing banks to world domination. Betty would lean over my shoulder and try to see what I was reading, but I’d turn the book away from her and walk into the next room. I lost count about how many times I did that to her, but I know it was a lot. Back then, I thought comic books were exclusively for boys (of course, I know better now), and girls were all about dolls and princesses.

Although I didn’t let her read my comics, she’d peek over my shoulder when I watched the TV shows. I just let her watch them with me, expecting her to just move to the next room in a short bit. However, she never did. She stayed and watched them with me. I was really confused.

One day, we even came up with our own superhero names- I remember that day as clear as the sky.

Betty was five and I was seven. We were sitting around the dinner table when my dad asked us kids, “If you were a superhero, what would your name be?”

I glanced at my dinner and off the top of my head, I blurted, “Super Hot Dog….Boy!”, promptly shoving a bite of hot dog in my mouth.

Betty had a harder time coming up with a superhero name. She was quiet, seeming to be in deep thought. “I dunno,” she sighed.

“Aw, sis, ya gotta think of something!” I sighed. Betty gave me a clueless look, still unsure. Then I said, “Hey, you said that you wish you could fly, right?”

“Yes,” she replied.

I grinned and continued, “I think I came up with something good: how about Jetty Betty? It rhymes.”

“Or Betty Jetty!” she replied, “It could act like a last name, an’ we can stop crime together!” She grinned in excitement.

Betty got out of her chair, leaving behind a half-eaten hot dog and ran around, arms out as if she was flying. Dad looked at me with a proud expression, “That was pretty creative, Ned!” I smiled in response. Now that Betty and I had names for ourselves, we were officially superheroes! At least in our young minds, we were.

Ever since that day, Betty and I played superhero almost every day as kids. Betty would bring out one of her dolls and pretend it’s a super villain. Mom or Dad would hide the doll, and it was our job as super heroes to find the “villain” and stop “him/her”.

“Where’d that Black Panther go, Super Hot Dog Boy?” Betty asked me.

“We gotta find her, Betty Jetty!” I replied, “Maybe you can fly up and take a look?”

Betty nodded and went up the playground house, what we counted as “flying”.

“There!” she shouted, pointing out of the house, “by the fence-I mean-bank!”

“Great work, Betty Jetty, now come down so we can stop her!” I said. Betty “flew back down” (aka slid down the slide) and ran up to me. We then ran together towards where Betty pointed, and there was the doll, dressed in all black, lying against the fence.

“Aha, Black Panther! You are not getting away this time!” I shouted at the doll.

“You’re comin’ with us!” Betty shouted, and then picked up the doll.

“Good work, Betty Jetty! We saved the day once again!” I proclaimed. There was a huge grin on Betty’s face when I said that. Those days were awesome. Although we weren’t real superheroes, we felt like them.

Even though I knew Betty liked super heroes like I did, I still didn’t let her read my comics. I was starting to get into an age where I started reading comics that were too old for Betty.

We played superhero until Betty finished 5th grade, and from there, we took our own separate paths. We both still loved superheroes, but we were getting older, so we were more into the live adaptations than the cartoons.

One day, I was visiting a friend of mine and Betty was alone with our parents in the house. I think she took this as an opportunity to sneak into my room (even though she wasn’t supposed to) and started reading my comics. I don’t know how far she was through but when I came in to my room, I caught my sister red handed, and I was furious.

“Betty! What are you doing?!” I yelled.

“I’m reading your comics!” Betty argued, “This is the only time I can!”

In a blind rage, I snatched my comic book out of her hands and put it back. Betty just sat there horrified as I put it away.

“Betty, these are my comics! Not yours! You can’t go through them- you could rip them apart and ruin them!” I shouted.

“I’m not 5 years old anymore!” Betty argued back, “You need to know that I have matured!”

“I am still your older brother, and you do what I say,” I said in a dark tone, “Now get out of my room.”

I still remember that horrified look on Betty’s face that day. She stood in my poster-filled room, tears filling her eyes. “Go!” I shouted again. Betty then ran out of my room, crying. As soon as she left, I closed the door and locked it, to make sure she won’t interrupt me. She knocked on the door, at various times throughout that day.

“Ned! I’m sorry I read through your comics without permission!” she sighed behind the door. Still in a blind rage, I ignored her.

Ever since that day, we rarely talked. As soon as we got home from school, we’d go into our rooms and do our own things. Betty would talk to her friends and I would read the latest comic issue and sketch in my sketchbook.

I’ll have to admit: Betty had a weird group of friends. I don’t remember who they were, but I knew that they were not the greatest of people. However, they were the only people she had. The only one I remember off the top of my head was Cathy Westmont.

There were days when Betty went out with her friends and come home acting really weird while we were in high school. She’d come home eccentric and slurred in speech after going to a friend’s party, and the next morning, she wouldn’t get out of bed for breakfast until 11. I had a feeling what was up with her, but I didn’t like to think about it.

I wasn’t really that great in high school, either, but for a different reason. I was smaller than the other guys, had acne all over my face, and somehow grew almost-buck teeth (I had no idea where they came from). I was called a geek and a nerd and a lot of other not-so-great things. I was not athletic like some of the other guys, so I was often pushed to the ground. I wish I could just forget high school.

One day, something weird happened. I was in college at the time and studying to be a comic book artist, when I received a phone call from my mom. She told me that Betty dropped out of high school. At this point, I knew that Betty was hanging out with the wrong people, as if the parties weren’t enough clues. I tried to call Betty, but received no reply.

It seemed like it was only yesterday when she was that innocent little girl who loved superheroes. What the heck happened to her? I have no idea to this day.

Years had passed, and I hadn’t talked to my sister in a long time. We were both now young adults, but I still looked like that nerdy teenager I always was. I still had the buck teeth and acne, unfortunately. My love for comics never faded, despite the family troubles, and Super Hot Dog Boy was still in my heart. I never became an official comic book artist, but I was able to open up my own comic shop on Super Power Island. I was super happy that day; I can finally share my passion with other comic-savvy Poptropicans like me. I can meet new people just like me and we can discuss our favorite comics.

Not long after the comic shop opened, however, I received another phone call from mom and she told me that Betty was arrested.

“What?!” I replied in shock, “What did she do?”

Mom sighed, “She snuck into the jet airport and tried to fly in it for the heck of it. Since she didn’t have a flying license, she was arrested. If I were you, I’d be the supportive brother and visit her at the jail.”

I didn’t want to do it, but I had to. I hadn’t seen my sister in years, and it would be really weird now. I looked up when the prison accepted visitors, then waited for the hours of the next day.

The next day, I was really tired. I took a boat over to the prison, and I couldn’t believe what I saw.  Inside glass cells used for calling were actual criminals, rough and tumble dudes that look like they belong in the comic books. Grisly and all around nasty looking, they were. Along the way to find Betty, I even saw Cathy Westmont in a glass cell. Then I finally saw Betty, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Betty had cut her pink hair short and it was up toward the sky. She had on a prisoner’s black and white shirt with a black skirt and a pair of black flats. I hardly recognized her, until I saw her blue eyes. I sighed and picked up the phone. Betty looked up and saw me behind her side of the glass wall. Hesitantly, she picked up her side of the phone.

“Betty…” I started.
“What are you doing here, Ned?” Betty hissed at me.

Ned sighed, “I just came here to see you, I heard what happened…”

“Sure. You did.” Betty’s words sounded as cold as ice.

“I’m sorry you have to go through this-“

“Since when did you actually care for me?” Betty snapped, “You never did.”

“Betty, I always cared for you…”

“No you didn’t! You never talked to me! And now that I’m in jail, you just decided to talk to me!?”

“It-“

“Don’t even say anything.”

“But we’re siblings! I always cared for you!”

Betty was silent for a moment. Then, in a cruel, harsh tone, she said, “Not anymore.”

Shock filled my heart and tears started to form. Again, what happened to the little girl who loved superheroes? Betty slammed the phone on me, and the police led me out of the prison.

I was in a depressed mood that day in the comic shop. My regulars came in and asked me what was wrong, genuinely concerned for me. I never answered.

I tried to move on after that day at the prison. However, there was one fateful day that changed everything.

I was cleaning up the comic shop when all of a sudden I heard a weird noise coming from the sky. I looked outside, yet it was clear as day. I went outside to see for myself. Maybe it was just a distant storm?

“GET INSIDE! IT’S A METEOR!” I heard someone shout. I panicked and ran into my comic book shop and prayed that it won’t hit my precious shop. Well, it didn’t.

Instead, it hit my sister’s prison.

There was a loud blast and I hid behind my cashier desk. I blinked and looked up minutes after the blast. I immediately went outside and checked my comic shop. Not too much damage luckily, but there were stone debris pieces on top of the roof of the shop. I saw in the distance the meteor in the prison. It was glowing green, and I was really confused. Police sirens blared everywhere and it was pure chaos.

I asked an officer what’s going on. He sighed, “The meteor allowed the 6 prisoners to escape. However… they, um, have superpowers.”

“What?” I asked, “Like Superguy style superpowers??!!” The policeman nodded. I was stunned. I didn’t know superpowers really existed, I thought they were only something seen in superhero comics and shows.

Then it hit me- Betty broke out of prison and now has a superpower.

A super villain.

It took a lot of time that day for me to adjust to that. I decided to be in my comic shop for the time being.

Not long after, a man with green hair and a ear-piercing broke into my comic shop.

“Ey, bub, give me the money in the register!” Spike shouted at me. I followed his orders and opened the register, noticing that he has super-speed powers. As he took the money out, he smirked at me, “So you’re Betty’s brother, huh? Well, she hates your guts. And now, she can fly. Calls ‘erself Betty Jetty.”

I said nothing, but had an angry look on my face. She used her superhero name from our childhood. After he said that, he sped off. The policeman then ran into my comic shop and asked what happened. I simply said that Spike robbed me. And now I really believed him when he said that the prisoners now have superpowers.

The next days were chaotic. I kept my shop open, but no one came in to buy anything, due to the chaos outside. However, a week passed and a mysterious tourist came onto the island. The tourist went around asking about what happened. I gave the tourist my Superhero’s Handbook that I wrote over the past week about how to be a super hero. From there, the tourist became one somehow and started arresting criminals left and right. Then I thought…

“I can finally be a hero!” I took my old bed sheet and a pair of underwear, followed the same steps the tourist did, and followed the tourist, who can fly now. I looked up at the sky and saw the tourist chasing after my sister. I was shocked at the sight and then, the tourist finally cuffed her. Both she and the tourist fell to the top of the building and I found this the perfect time to help out.

I ran into my sister and shouted, “Your sidekick has arrived!” The tourist gave me with an odd look, and I showed a look of pure pride. The mysterious hero cuffed Betty Jetty and took her away. As she was being taken away, I saw Betty’s look on her face. She looked at me with an obvious scowl.

When I went back down, the police officers were cheering and congratulating me. They were calling me a hero and for the first time ever, I felt like I was in the top of the pack.

However, I noticed that I was given all the credit shortly after the newspapers came out… so I felt guilty and gave the island medallion to the real hero in exchange for a hot dog. I was Super Hot Dog Boy after all.

It wasn’t until the next day that it dawned on me- I put my own sister back in jail, all for pride. People praised me. I accepted the praises, but in my heart, I never really did.  I still remembered that look my sister gave- it broke my heart.

Betty Noodlehead and all that remained was Betty Jetty.

This was all my fault. I should’ve accepted her apology that day in my room. I shouldn’t have ignored her all these years. I shouldn’t have done all those things. I wish I could go back in time and apologize to her. I wish I could’ve told her advice that her friends were not the good type to hang around with. I wish… oh, what’s the point of asking for wishes if they can’t come true?

So to whoever is reading this, I’m sorry that you have to know the truth. The real reason why Betty had a change in heart. My reason for caring about her so much. You know it all, now, I guess. Betty is now at a higher-security prison, and I know for a fact that I’ll never see my sister ever again, because only the super villain is left of her.

Yours Truly,
Ned Noodlehead (Super Hot Dog Boy)

★My Brother, the ‘Super Hero’: by Brave Tomato

(Note: This brief story is done in an audio interview form. Goes with the story above!)

*click*

I still have no idea why the heck you’re asking me about my past, doctor. Why is it your business to know about me? Why do you want to know about my sucky life?

It’s for the records, Betty. I’m doing this for all of the prisoners.

*sighs* Fine. You’re probably gonna fall asleep at the end of this anyway-

Let’s just get started. I don’t have too much tape.

Okay, okay, Jupiter!

Now, let’s begin- I know you have a brother.

Oh, him. I hate my brother. He’s the biggest comic book nerd you’ll have ever met in your life. And to this day, he still looks like an awkward teenager! Bullied in school, didn’t give a care about me… before I ended up in Super Power Island’s prison, he wouldn’t even talk to me for years.

What’s his name?

You’re gonna laugh: Ned Noodlehead is my older brother.

Ned Noodlehead? The same Ned who defeated you?

Don’t remind me.

Okay, now tell me about this rocky relationship of yours.

He used to care about me. When we were kids, that is. I was…. *groans*

You were what?

…a comic book fan, I ADMIT IT! Okay?! Geez… Ned was prejudiced about me and comic books, he wouldn’t let me read them at all…

Because you were female?

Exactly. I tried to read one of his comics one day and he got angry for no reason!

So he did?

Yeah. He never even apologized to me or accepted my apology.

I know how that feels, being a youngest sibling myself. What happened from there?

*laughs* The best years of my life!

Meaning?

The perfect friends! I had so much fun after my two years of high school!

Two years of high school? Don’t you mean four?

No, two. I dropped out. Didn’t give a care for my grades. Realized I didn’t need school to live. Life can just be parties and fun. I don’t remember half of those parties, but I don’t care.

Who were these formentioned friends?

Marina Jules, Cathy Westmont-

Copy Cat?

Yeah, her. Lexi Dixon, Sammi Hopt-

You don’t have to list anymore.

Okay, fine, old man.

*low sigh* What got you arrested the first time?

Marina thought it would be funny if I flew a jet for the heck of it- without a license.

Hence the nickname “Betty Jetty”.

That actually was my superhero name from my childhood. Ned came up with it.

Interesting. 

Yeah… “Interesting”. I kinda did it as a “take that” to Ned.

I see.

So he visited me while I was in prison. He said that he was sorry that this was happening to me. Although he sounded genuine, I didn’t care. He never cared for me. He DOESN’T!

If you knew he was genuine, why didn’t you accept his apology?

Because he’s still Ned! I still saw the mean look in his eyes when-uh… I don’t know!

It sounds to me that the reason you didn’t accept his apology because you had gone too far off the slippery slope to come back to the person you used to be. 

And I’m happy about that.

Now, look, Betty Jetty! What you’re happy about is the very reason you’re here right now! 

So what?

So what! Is that how you reply to me, mor…Betty?! 

I’m done with this interview, doctor!

*a chair is heard falling over*

Security! Stabilize her! 

Don’t ever ask me about my brother again!

*a struggle is heard and muffled arguing ensues, suddenly cut off with the ending of the tape*

—

Island Ideas

What sorts of adventures are Poptropicans thinking of?

Four Foes Island: by Little Storm

The Plot: In four foes Island, It seems like your four bitterest enemies (Black Widow, Binary Bard, Dr. Hare, Captin Crawfish) have been united and plan to take over Poptropica and more importantly, make you their minion. A random poptropican comes and tells you to stop them you need to go into their lab which they made once they were united. Will you succeed in stopping your enemies and save Poptropica? Will you make it out of their lab in one piece or will you be destroyed and made their minion forever?

The Lab: Once you enter the Lab, you will go through alot of doors, and chaos including, giant robots, lasers, monsters, falling carrots and more! After you enter the last boss battle door, you will see your enemies sitting in four big throne-like chairs. Black Widow welcomes you and asks if you are ready to be their minion to which you reply that you have defeated them already and you can do it again. They all laugh and then start flying and each one has their own powers. You become over-powered as you are out-numbered but you made a friend earlier in the Island, Quiet Fly and she comes to your rescue when they all aren’t looking. She tells you that she has two more friends with her and lockets to give us super powers. She gives you a locket and the two other friends and when you wear them, you are able to access different powers. The other two friends however, afraid run away leaving the locket. You tell Quiet Fly you can do this alone and you wear all four necklaces, and prepare to fight your foes.

The Battle: Captin Crawfish will be throwing powerful flaming hooks at your, while Black Widow will throw deadly paints at you, Binary Bard will throw clocks at you, which are very powerful and Dr. Hare, well he will throw carrots which explode each time they hit you. You will have a full health meter which will go down each time you get hit, but you can also throw four powers at a time with the help of your locket. Thank Goodness for that. All four have very little energy so they will can be defeated in a short span of time.

You will be awarded by a Medallion by Quiet Fly, as a token of thanks.

★Shattered Island: by Spotted Dragon

My entry (for the Create Your Dream Island contest) was called Shattered Island and took place around New York. Basically, a villain named Terranova (Terra, meaning land) got upset because her life was so chaotic and unstable. She was always unhappy and so she wanted everyone to feel her pain by making the entire island’s land unstable. She creates a device that separates the land into multiple islands, ripping property a part. Your job is to put all the pieces back together, reuniting the town’s people. Along the way you meet a paperboy, who knows the quickest paths around the island. He follows you throughout the quest, giving you helpful advice.

Other characters you meet include Macavity, (a homeless man who used to be a famous Broadway performer, but is now delusional and still wears his cat outfit) tourists (who get separated from the rest of their family), and the snooty Metro worker (a teenager who lost her phone during the commotion).

Meanwhile, Terranova is watching the chaos safely from Liberty island. She is confused about what is right and what is wrong and is the only one who knows how to reunite the land.

—

Fashion

Check out the crazy styles rocking in Multiverse rooms!

Linkara from Atop the Fourth Wall: designed by Enclosed Lightning

Get the Shrink Ray Gun from the Poptropica Store!

Hipster Nerd: designed by Little Toes

• Hair from SlantedFish (friend her and customize)
• Bangs and freckles from the first girl you see on main street on Cryptids
• Glasses from the guy in Loch Ness
• Shirt from the guy in the boat also on Cryptids

Wolverine (from the X-Men movie series): designed by Mashimai

PewDiePie (Swedish video game commentator on YouTube): designed by Mashimai

• Hair — from the pale man in Reality TV Island.
• Fringe — from the boy with headphones in Lunar Colony Island.
• Mouth — from random players in the Common Room.
• Headphones — from the boy with headphones in Lunar Colony Island.
• T-shirt — from the boy with a slingshot in his pocket in Monster Carnival Island.
• Pants — from the spy agents in the headquarters in Spy Island.

Barack Obama (President of the United States): designed by Mashimai

• Hair — from C.J’s dad in the science fair in Shrink Ray Island.
• Mouth — from C.J’s dad in the science fair in Shrink Ray Island.
• Suit — from the top secretary in the spy headquarters in Spy Island.
• Pants — from the top secretary in the spy headquarters in Spy Island.

—

Fan Art

Check out the creativity of these Poptropica artists!

Poptropica Anime: by Happy Wing

My Self Portrait: by Cuddly Knuckle

This is Popspartica!!!: by HPuterpop

Creators Desktop Wallpaper: by HPuterpop

★Myron Van Buren: by Slippery Raptor

HP’s Livestream #5: by Spotted Dragon

PHB Filter: by Giant Rock

This is a SWF game. You can blur the Poptropica logo by moving your cursor farther right, and sharpen the image by moving it left. Click here to play!

Poptropica Quiz: by Giant Rock

Test your Poptropica knowledge with this SWF game made with Adobe Flash Professional CC. See how many questions you get right! Click here to play!

★Poptropolis: by xLunatiCXz

★Let’s Conquer the Entire World: by Muzzkin

—

Take a look at our main magazines page for more information about the PHB’s POPCORN magazine issues and learn how you can submit an entry too! Thanks for reading! 🙂