Guest Posts

Why do Poptropicans change their look so much?

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! This is a guest post written by Poptropica community member Gabren, who discusses thoughts on the frequency of changing one’s Poptropica avatar look. Enjoy!

change look

Why do Poptropicans change their look so much?

This is a question I get a lot on sites like Quora, which is a question asking-and-answering website I discovered recently. Anyway, I’ve wondered about this question myself. I’m not one to frequently change my appearance in-game, but when I do change it, I look back on how I looked before, and I think to myself:

“Wow, did I REALLY look that bad?”

And that is why I believe we like to change our avatars around so much. We see something that looks better in our eyes, so we feel like changing to it. But that doesn’t mean we have to change.

outfit stealing meme
meme credit: Yujo

I don’t change my character on the game very much for two reasons:

  1. because I am content with what I have.
  2. because the items I own took a lot of effort to collect them all in just the way I like it, even though I got most of them through the PHB’s Avatar Studio Gift.

My recommendation? Be content with what you have! So many people are always anxious about how they look, and in this game, it’s no different. Look, I’m
not saying you shouldn’t be open to change. I don’t want you to get bored with your avatar.

I always try to achieve the point of perfection with how I look. When I see someone else with a cool skin tone on Poptropica, I don’t covet it. I think, “Oh wow, that looks really cool, but I’m content with my own.”

If I do want to change, it’s never a big change. I might change my beard style a little here, or change my eyes a little there. But I try to have a standard recognizable avatar, like  Thinknoodles, the YouTube gamer known for his Poptropica walkthrough videos, among others. He almost never changes his avatar, and it looks pretty cool.

thinknoodles avatar studio

Well, that’s it for now. I hope to post more on this blog, so keep an eye out for more posts like this.

Tell me what you guys think in the comments below!

Keep popping,
Gabren

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Gabren!

The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. You can find some tips and guidelines on our Write for the PHB page. We also encourage sharing blog posts on the PHC.

If you have an idea for a PHB post, send it in!

Poptropica Portfolio

Poptropica Portfolio: Tyson Burnham

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans!

Another Poptropica Portfolio has been uncovered—this time we’re featuring the work of Tyson Burnham, lead animator and motion designer for StoryArc Media (which includes Poptropica). He’s the guy behind many of the island trailers and more.

The work below is taken from his portfolio website. Over in the section labeled “Game Environment Vector Illustration,” you can find these sweeping scenes from Poptropica (as well as some designs for what became the Mech on Steamworks Island):

In addition to illustrating, Tyson also created many of Poptropica’s animated trailer videos, such as the ones for Arabian Nights and Virus Hunter, among others. You can find a bunch of his animated work compiled together in this demo reel that includes work from Poptropica as well as other projects:

Tyson Burnham still works at StoryArc Media, and also enjoys taking on freelance projects, as seen in the video above.

If you liked Tyson’s portfolio, be sure to also check out other Poptropica artists we’ve featured: Kyle Miller, Geoff Hassing, Nate Greenwall, Chris Goodwin, Abraham Evensen Tena, Jordan Leary, Lance Fry, Nasan Hardcastle, and Ashley Lange.

Speaking of artwork, be sure to join in on the PHB’s Community Creations this month! December has only just begun, but it’s never too early to start brainstorming.

Hope you enjoyed this portfolio! Stay awesome, Poptropicans.

<・)))><<

Dr. Hare's Revenge, Social Media

What Dr. Hare doesn’t want you to know…

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! Slanted Fish here.

Dave from Poptropica is back with a fresh new video, featuring a semi-fresh batch of carrots from Dr. Hare’s space station, topped with “6 Tips and Tricks for MASTERING Dr. Hare’s Revenge”! Ready? Here it comes…

(Nope, I don’t know why Cliff Housebuff is featured on the video thumbnail, either. He’s not selling real estate in Dr. Hare’s space station, is he?)

Anyway, the 6 tips & tricks are…

  1. Do not be alarmed by your super-human strength… when you lift that massive carrot rocket-ship out of the ground.
  2. Read the instructions… they’re right there for you.
  3. Aim for the tough carrots first, and save the easy ones for last. Maximize your time so you’re not panicking at the end!
  4. It’s no big deal if you don’t make it through a level before the timer goes off. You won’t get reset back; you can replay a level as many times as you like.
  5. Take note of the exit doors. The level doesn’t end when you get to all the carrots—it ends when you get to the exit door.
  6. Use the map… driving blind is a recipe for disaster.

What’s that? You want more? Dave says he’d love to give more tips—really, he would—”but it just wouldn’t be fair to everyone else.”

Well, here at the Poptropica Help Blog, we’re all about giving you guys the advantage—really, that’s what we’re here for. 😉 So, if you’re craving more advice, be sure to check out our Dr. Hare’s Revenge Guide—a complete walkthrough with pictures!

Alright Poptropicans, that’s all for now. Surprisingly, no livestream from Stephanie this week. However, be sure to check out the post below for a recap of November’s Community Creations, and start brewing for December’s theme: winter/holidays!

Stay merry, Poptropicans!

<・)))><<

Community Creations

Community Creations: November 2017

Spotted Dragon

community-creations-logo

Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the November recap for Community Creations! November’s theme was heartwarming and the featured work is not in any particular order. Be sure to check out all the featured artists!

No clue what’s going on? Go see our intro post.

TOP 5 PICKS

Happy Lobster, Happy Cuddles by Napstachill

Napstachill - Happy Lobster, Happy Cuddles

So soft!!! Cute animals automatically equal heartwarming in my book. The curved lines and light coloring totally add up to a cuddly scene. Such cute chubs! The internet cannot resist cats of course, and the PHB’s very own Happy Lobster looks like he’s having a blast. Great, subtle movement and emotion! I can practically hear that kitty purring. Find their DeviantArt here.

Reunion by Tareloin

Tareloin - Reunion

Again, very soft! The smooth, blended coloring makes everything look super welcoming and the tones leave a nostalgic impression. This piece is like looking straight into a memory or a picture out of a scrapbook. Ah, the good ol’ days… Our dear Mordred looks genuinely happy in this scene, which brings joy to my lil’ fan-girl heart. So bright and pleasing! Find their DeviantArt here.

Reflections of the Past and Present by ANNE14TCO

ANNE14TCO - Reflections of the Past and Present

What cool effects! The deep, intense lighting is super dramatic and the warm tones in the upper half of this piece give off fuzzy, heartwarming feelings. Meanwhile, the bottom half of this piece shows great contrast with cooler, duller tones. This separations perfectly shows change over time and how our past may haunt us, but how the future will always be bright! Plus, the water effect is amazing. Find her DeviantArt here and go here to read a more in-depth description of this drawing.

One Year of our Relationship by Neemon99

Neemon99 - 1 Year Anniversary

How sweet! These two lovebirds, Little Foot and Sporty Fox, look so cute in this drawing. The big-pixel background gives the piece a cool digital vibe and their facial expressions make me fall in love with them myself! The bright colors really pop and everything about this is all around positive. Definitely fits our theme! Find their DeviantArt here.

The Raptors by BeanSkelly

BeanSkelly - The Raptors

Simple, but sweet. The emotion is obvious here and the viewer can easily tell that this group has been reunited for the better. Big grins and tears of joy perfectly add up to heartwarming! The bright background doesn’t take away from the subject, but definitely matches the tone well. There isn’t a whole lot of detail, but I feel like that simply alludes to how their family is the only thing they’re focusing on. The rest of the world can wait! Totally warms my heart. Find their DeviantArt here.

Honorable Mentions

Aesthetic Couple by Yoomzie
Some Things Never Change by CrazyPaintBrush
There is a Super Hero in All of Us by Tough Sky

All of the entries were so cute! You guys really pulled on my heartstrings this month. Keep up the amazing work! It’s nice to see such positivity in this round.

December: How Do I Participate?

Community Creations is a cool series for anyone in the Poptropica community to join in on. To sum up what it’s about, it’s basically a chance to show off your artwork, creepy fan-fic, realms, costumes, and anything else that pops into your mind.

If we really like the piece you submit, we will feature it here on the PHB! As long as it relates to that month’s theme. So what is December’s theme? December’s theme is…

Winter/Holidays!

I know, I know… it’s not winter everywhere. Buuuuut, the big holiday season is fast approaching for a ton of people around the globe! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or none of the above, you can find something to create this month for sure. But that’s not all! If your family doesn’t tend to celebrate the holidays coming up, you can just make something related to winter instead.

Share your Poptropicans in big ugly sweaters, write a Poptropica-styled Christmas song parody, build an igloo in realms, draw some villains around the fireplace, etc. The possibilities are endless! Good luck and happy holidays! 😀

Happy Holidays!!!

  • Submitting: Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArt, Twitter, or Discord.
  • Results: I will feature 5 of the submissions as well as 3 honorable mentions.
  • Limitations: Nothing NSFW, and make sure you relate to the theme.
  • Due Date: I will take any entries before the end of this month. Submit as many things as you’d like!

I will always be sure to let you know I have seen your creation. Bonus points if you make a compelling description for your piece! While quality counts, I’m mainly looking for something to simply catch my eye, so don’t be afraid to join in!

So what are you waiting for? Go make something awesome!

~SD

Poptropica Portfolio

Poptropica Portfolio: Kyle Miller

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans!

We’ve found another Poptropica Portfolio—this one belongs to Kyle Miller, who has worked as a senior designer for Poptropica.

The work below is taken from his site, Gamecreature. If you click on each display on his site, you can view images in full size and read a little bit about what each project is about and how Kyle contributed to them.

Portfolio8
Poptropica Avatars by Kyle Miller

In addition to that cool collage of Poptropica avatars that were designed for ads in the game, Kyle’s portfolio also features Poptropica ad areas he has worked on.

Monster High Freaky Fusion
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Strange Magic

You can find even more examples over on his portfolio website.

Finally, there’s a video at the end of his portfolio that demonstrates a sample of his work in developing and designing with Flash for Poptropica. Many of the animations are from ad games, though there are also some Store items in the mix. Check it out:

Kyle Miller currently works as a designer, artist, and developer of games with his own company, Gamecreature.

If you liked Kyle’s portfolio, be sure to also check out other Poptropica artists we’ve featured: Geoff Hassing, Nate Greenwall, Chris Goodwin, Abraham Evensen Tena, Jordan Leary, Lance Fry, Nasan Hardcastle, and Ashley Lange.

Speaking of artwork, be sure to join in on the PHB’s Community Creations this month! You’ve got until the end of this week to enter for November’s theme: “heartwarming.”

Hope you enjoyed this portfolio! Stay awesome, Poptropicans.

<・)))><<