Fanfiction, Guest Posts

Fanfic: Murder at Myron’s ๐Ÿฆ‰ Part 2/4

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Magic Kid. Enjoy!

Howdy guys! Itโ€™s Magic Kid, again, and Iโ€™m back with the second part in my latest fanfiction: Murder at Myronโ€™s! If you have no idea whatโ€™s going on, you can read the first part here.

Guys, I am having WAY too much fun writing this, Iโ€™d forgotten how satisfactory it was to leave innocent readers on cliffhangers. >:D

Last time I left you guys, you were introduced into a villain get-together dinner party, which was all jolly good fun until Winston returned to the party with the news that Myron Van Buren is MISSING!

*comical gasps from the crowd*

Where did he go? Youโ€™ll have to read for yourself to find outโ€ฆ

Murder at Myron’s

(Part 2/4)

Lightning split the sky, illuminating the scene.

Mordred was looking piercingly at Winston, as though he was reading his mind to see if this was some sort of prank. Director D was looking politely surprised. Moreau made a small gasp that was so comically French of her that Daphne sniggered. Ringmaster Raven did not seem affected by the news and remained still.

Captain Crawfish, on the other hand, spit out a drink and banged the empty cup on the table with a loud โ€œHEโ€™S MISSINโ€™?โ€. Gretchen Grimlock (whom Crawfishโ€™s drink had been spat out on) was scowling and looked disgusted. Black Widow couldnโ€™t care less. And Count Bram sat up a little straighter in his chair, waiting to hear more.

I, Merlin, was shocked to hear that the host had disappeared. I wondered what had happened to him and was very curious to find out. Excited (though very concerned), I started to fly around Mordred’s head.

โ€œIโ€™ve looked everywhere!โ€ Winston said heavily. โ€œHeโ€™s nowhere in the house โ€” or outside, for that matter.โ€

โ€œOdd,โ€ Moreau said. โ€œHeโ€™s normally the first one present for these sorts of things.โ€

โ€œVery odd indeed,โ€ agreed Raven.

Gretchen mused, โ€œHe ALWAYS makes a big scene whenever heโ€™s at a party. Something must be wrong if heโ€™s not aroundโ€ฆโ€

Captain Crawfish stood up. โ€œIโ€™m going to go find him!โ€ He started to walk out of the room.

โ€œWait!โ€ Winston said. โ€œWe should go in groups to search. I hate to be the paranoid one, but somethingโ€™s definitely off. It wouldnโ€™t be safe to go alone.โ€

โ€œAlright,โ€ Crawfish sighed. โ€œWhich one of you lot wants to come with me?โ€

Continue reading “Fanfic: Murder at Myron’s ๐Ÿฆ‰ Part 2/4”
PHB Series, Pop-over

Pop-over: Lackadaisy โ™ฃ๏ธ๐Ÿป

๐ŸŽต 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)
๐ŸŽต

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 itโ€™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 โ€œFrecklesโ€, 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 letโ€™s meet the characters โ€” 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 โ€œFrecklesโ€ McMurray is Rockyโ€™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 doesnโ€™t like it when people mess up with his plans or acts in an informal manner. Heโ€™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 isnโ€™t afraid to take in new recruits. There are rumors spreading around St. Louis that Miss M might have taken part in Atlasโ€™s death, but itโ€™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.


Thatโ€™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! ๐ŸŽƒ

Well thatโ€™s enough of me rambling. Iโ€™ll see you all soon! ๐Ÿ“š๐ŸงŠ

Fanfiction, Guest Posts

Fanfic: Murder at Myron’s ๐Ÿฆ‰ Part 1/4

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Magic Kid. Enjoy!

BOO! >:D Hi guys, did I scare you? Iโ€™m Magic Kid, and after my long hiatus after my last fanfiction, Zombies, Zombies, Always Zombies!, Iโ€™m back with another Poptropica fic for y’all: Murder at Myronโ€™s. Iโ€™ll post this fanfiction in four parts throughout the month of October as a Halloween treat for you PHB readers!

This series will be narrated by none other than Merlin, the mechanical owl from Astro-Knights Island, and will feature several Poptropica villains you know and love that will be introduced as the story goes on.ย 

And now! Without further ado, I present you withโ€ฆ

Murder at Myron’s

(Part 1/4)

It was a dark and stormy night…

Thatโ€™s how most stories start, right? Either that or โ€œOnce upon a timeโ€, which wouldnโ€™t suit the tale we were about to embark on anyway. But I assure you that the night of which our story starts was indeed โ€œdark and stormyโ€.

Thunder echoed in every corner of the woods, lightning crackled and split the sky, the rain mercilessly poured from the heavy gray clouds. What a storm, what a storm!

And then, from the clouded night sky, a light shone. It was bright and it wasโ€ฆ moving? Sure enough, the light was getting bigger, coming closer and closer to the ground.

Was it a UFO? Were perhaps aliens about to invade the lush forest? Good guess.

As the clouds parted to let this mysterious object land, it was now apparent that the light was from fire from the spaceshipโ€™s thruster. The rain pounded against the metal of the ship as it gently lowered itself down onto the earth, breaking the tall treesโ€™ branches as it went.

BOOM! And with that, our ship had landed. 

Continue reading “Fanfic: Murder at Myron’s ๐Ÿฆ‰ Part 1/4”
Contests

๐ŸŽช The PHB’s 15th Halloween Costume Contest: The Show Must Go On ๐ŸŽช

๐ŸŽต Come one, come all / It’s the PHB Ball!
Where the creatures of the dark / Gather answering the call ๐ŸŽต

Hello fellow Poptropicans, and welcome back to another Halloween Costume Contest with the PHB! Cue the excitement, and most importantly the theme… The Show Must Go On! ๐ŸŽช

This year, we’re looking for circus wonders, from trapeze artists to clowns, animals, and characters from carnivals in the media. And there’s one more twist: your costume must include a handheld item! โœ๏ธ

โ˜‘๏ธ Rules โ˜‘๏ธ

  1. ๐Ÿ’™ Create your costumes on Poptropica! You may create as many as you like for the competition. To qualify, it needs to have a handheld item and belong in a circus.
  2. ๐Ÿ“ธ Take a screenshot. For the backdrop, we recommend either the character customization screen or the Costumizer window on PoptropiCon. Hereโ€™s how you can take a screenshot. Please crop it to focus on your costume.
  3. โฌ†๏ธ Upload your pic to the internet. Youโ€™ll need a web link for your pic to share it with us, which you can get by posting it to sites like ImgurDiscord, or Instagram. Then, comment on this post with the link.

๐Ÿ—บ Tips for Creating Your Costume ๐Ÿ—บ

๐ŸŒŸ Prizes ๐ŸŒŸ

  • ๐Ÿ—“ Deadline: The contest closes on Saturday, October 26.
  • ๐ŸŽƒ On Halloween (October 31), weโ€™ll post our favorite costumes on the front page of the PHB for all to enjoy.
  • ๐Ÿฅ‡ First place will win a copy of Poptropica on Steam (valued at US$20), which includes 17 of the newer classic islands.
  • ๐Ÿฅˆ Second place will win a Poptropica merch item of their choice from Zazzle (up to US$20).
  • ๐Ÿฅ‰ Third place will win a Poptropica merch item of their choice from Zazzle (up to US$10).
  • ๐Ÿ’Ž Winning costumes will be immortalized in our Look Book, but weโ€™ll also have honorable mentions for just the post, not page.

Good luck! We can’t wait to see your wonderful costumes.

Advertisements, Creators, StoryArc Media, Uncategorized

Poptropica the Company shuts down, staying alive on Cool Math Games

ROI: We’re all about sound investments here.

BREAKING NEWS: Poptropica, the company, is out of business.

Last month, we reported on the apparent End of Poptropica, as reported by one Poptropica ex-employee on LinkedIn, and backed up by several “looking for work” updates from other former employees on the job-focused platform. Though there still has yet to be an official announcement from Poptropica itself, the news was recently confirmed on X/Twitter by another ex-Pop Creator, Jonathan Pitcher.

We reached out to Jon, former Art Director at Poptropica and its spin-off Roblox studio Suit Up Games (which has also closed), whom we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing before. Graciously, Jon was happy to share more information surrounding the company closure. Below is our Q&A:

PHB: Has Poptropica officially closed, and will there be an official announcement? What does this mean for the future of Poptropica?

Jon: The company that made Poptropica and Suit Up Games is now closed down โ€” Sandbox is the parent company for Poptropica & Suit Up Games. They also are for Cool Math Games and that will continue.

Poptropica will continue to live on at Cool Math Games.

Landfall: We’re establishing a beachhead.

PHB: Why and how has this happened?

Jon: The decline in Poptropicaโ€™s traffic made the company not able to secure clients for advertising to bring in enough revenue. Without regular paying clients for advertising the company could not continue.

Old Growth: It’s a jungle out there.

PHB: Is anyone is still working on Poptropica, and if so who?

Jon: The employees at Cool Math Games have the power to keep Poptropica going. I donโ€™t know what their plans are for new content at this stage.

PHB: How is the rest of Sandbox doing? Can they support Poptropica’s futureย development? Anyone else from Sandbox who can share?

Jon: The plan is for Poptropica to keep going on Cool Math Games. The employees at Cool Math Games have the latest perspective on Poptropica but letโ€™s give them time to decide how they would like to proceed.

Aces High: We’re baron our souls on this one.

PHB: Anything else you can shareย with Poptropica fans about this situation?

Jon: As I look for a new job as an art manager and animator Iโ€™ll continue my support with Poptropica and the Poptropica Help Blog. Thanks for keeping the torch lit.


We’re super grateful to Jon for shining some light on this situation, especially while Poptropica itself continues to leave us in the dark! Speaking of whom, Jon Pitcher is currently available for hire as a director or animator, and we think he’d be an amazing asset to any company or project. ๐Ÿ™Œ Check out his animation demo reel below which showcases many of the Poptropica ad mini-games he’s worked on:

We’ve also featured some of Jon’s work here on the PHB, which are now featured on his LinkedIn page! Enjoy a look at the design process of a monster worm, Q&A about the future of Poptropica, and his Poptropica Portfolio of artwork. Thanks for the spotlights, Jon!


Last month, we also took a dive into Poptropica’s financial statements, where we found losses noted and Sandbox lumping in Pop’s finances with their other subsidiaries. Now on their page in the Companies House of the UK government, where Poptropica Limited is registered, it shows that their accounts are overdue as of 30 September 2024 โ€” another sign that the company is not operating normally.

Meanwhile, a new filing from Sandbox International Holdings Limited dated 28 September makes note of a “slowing global spend on digital advertising” affecting their businesses, reflecting Jon’s comment that a lack of advertising clients for Poptropica affected its ability to continue.


But hey, the legacy of Poptropica lives on! Popular rising girl group KATSEYE, in response to a fan’s question on X, recently mentioned Poptropica among a list of video games they played. ๐Ÿ”ฅ


Despite the closure of Poptropica the company, the game still lives on officially through Cool Math Games, though whether it will ever receive updates remains to be seen. More of the game, including its older content, can also be unofficially accessed via Flashpoint. And we the PHB aren’t going anywhere โ€” we’ll continue to be here as a gathering space for the Poptropica fandom. See you around! ๐Ÿ‘‹

Top of the Heap: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

P.S. Poptropica just had its 17th birthday this past September! See how we celebrated with our community art collab here. ๐ŸŽ‰