As shared in the last update, Adventure Outfitters has restocked its offerings with PoptropiCon goodies and more. 🥷 According to the Creators’ Blog, in the coming week we can also look forward to updated clubhouse decorations at the store! 🏡
Enjoy the latest fan art features from Poptropica’s Instagram stories, and click on the artists’ names to see more detail in the original posts, including a mini fanfic for how Amelia’s Grapple-Gift was received! 🎁
Happy new year, Poptropicans! 🥳 The start of 2023 brings goodies for members and non-members alike, as well as fandom highlights, including pops down memory lane. Let’s go!
January’s member gifts have arrived, bringing a Baby Snowflake follower, Blue PJs, and Blue Winter Boots to privileged players’ inventories! ❄️ (If that’s not you, have you tried our PHB monthly membership giveaways?)
Regardless of membership status, though, you might find some things you like over at Adventure Outfitters, where the shop floor is once again stocking PoptropiCon Island bits and bobs. With the last episode re-released for members only four months ago, this may be a hint for the paywall coming down soon for Ep. 3: Reign of Omegon. Fingers crossed!
Thanks to Dizzy Feather for the tip!
Over on the Poptropica Creators’ Blog, which has lately been getting much fewer updates compared with its social media counterparts, guest writer Invisible Ring has returned with a memory of an old Home Island landmark: the Movie Theater. 🎥🍿 As she shares, the theater used to be a room that played cartoons, though it was later remodeled into a crushed popcorn box with just one underwhelming video.
Original Home Island theater in 20172018 Home Island remodeling
But that’s not all! Ring missed the theater so much, she created a YouTube playlist featuring over 80 of the videos from BatteryPop she remembers seeing there. In between, she’s also cleverly interspersed commercials for her own Pop fan vids, including a trailer for an upcoming feature film called Pirates, Camera, Action! — watch it below:
New year, new story highlights on Poptropica’s Instagram profile! After a long stream of “Fan Art” highlights, Pop has added a few new categories to their page: OCs, Characters, and Memes. And the PHB is proud to be the first among the Memes for our recent post about our 2022 Rewind in the spirit of Spotify Wrapped! 💝
Anyway, enjoy the latest fan art features from this week — now neatly sorted into the new highlight categories. Still technically fan art, but at least the names are more differentiating. 😜
Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the December recap for Community Creations. December’s theme was Grapple-Pap, so be sure to check out all the featured artists!
To kick things off: a perfect fit of a fit for the holiday season! I love the playfulness of the costume design and the unique approach to winter-themed attire. It mixes in just a touch of mischievousness with that holiday cheer. And I seriously want that present shooter in game! Find their Instagram here.
Twas the Night Before Grapple-Pap by Dizzy Feather
Next up, we have a wonderful Poptropica-style twist on a classic holiday tale. It’s really fun to see Grapple-Pap take on a story that pretty much everyone can recognize. Plus, the extra attention to composing the text on this wintery background gives it a special touch. Very clever! Find her in the comments and on the PHC Discord.
Grapple-Pap by Tillymeowjings-arsb
“…Every year, for the Grapple-Pap holiday, I whip up some Grapple-Pops for the Baron. They slam the door in my face each time. It’s kind of this fun tradition we have…”“…The ship just drifted in here on its own, I guess… Rumpel has the Baron somewhere, or maybe even Grapple-Pap got them… it is the holiday where we all spread cheer, or Grapple-Pap will get you for one whole year…I’m getting worried…”
Okay, geez, I should have warned you all this would get emotional! With just a few panels, this work definitely packs a punch with its story. The lore of the Baron, Amelia, and all the Fairy Tale Island royalty continues to grow, and so does my investment with these characters. 🥺 The juxtaposition between the warm, bright setting of the past and the cold, dark composition of the present is quite powerful. The visuals add a lot of significance to the dialogue from the airship. Excellent work! Find their Tumblr here.
Bracelet by HeartOfEnder
It was the morning of Grapple-pap. The morning where kids rushed down the stairs to open gifts with their families. A time where as the old saying goes, “if you don’t spread cheer, Grapple-pap will get you for a year.”
Boys asked for cars and action figures. Girls asked for dolls and ponies. That morning they would giggle and laugh with happiness at their new toys, playing with them all day long.
For the Jones family, living in a town with festive decorations up for their occasion, their gift to their son, Felix, was not a toy, but a tool.
As the young boy opened the small box which was the gift from his parents, he was met with a strange bracelet. Unlike the sparkly bracelet with beads girls wore, it was made with a durable, neon orange rope, tied in a way you could unravel it. the rope was connected by a black side connector buckle, like the ones you see on backpacks. A small compass was embedded in the buckle, and even the buckle’s shape was odd, with strange fork prongs inside.
“Daddy, what is this?” The young boy asked, looking up at his parents. His dad smiled, crouching down and explaining it all to him.
“My Fledgling, this is a survival bracelet.” he said, taking the bracelet from the box. “I know you want to explore the world, but there are dangerous things out there. This will help you avoid those dangers.”
“How?” Felix asked, even more interested in the bracelet.
“Think of all the uses for a rope. This survival bracelet can do it all.” His father explained. “It even comes with a knife, which might be the most useful tool ever.” “It’s still too big to fit on your wrist…” Felix’s mother pointed out as the young boy excitedly put the survival bracelet on. “But one day it’ll fit perfectly. I can’t wait for that day!”
Acting as both a Grapple-Pap tale and a short prequel to Felix’s origin in the author’s Aerie of Eagles series, this story serves up a great sense of nostalgia. It has a traditional holiday setting that many kids can reminisce on, and leaves you wanting to know more about where the characters are now. Very interesting introduction! Find their Tumblr here.
Tally Ho-Ho-Ho! by happyclonetrooper
Lastly, we have a hilarious holiday card that I would be happy to receive myself! The artist has remade this card every few years, each purposefully tacky yet increasingly more polished each time. And, I have to admit, the “tally ho-ho-ho” pun is a killer. 😉 I wonder what sort of gifts MVB would give out? Perhaps I don’t want to know the answer… Find her Instagram here.
Honorable Mentions
Goblin of Grapple-Pap by Magic PoptropicanMyron and Winston Grapple by sleepybikerMistletoe by Distorted-Graffiti
Amazing work, everyone! It’s always hard to grapple with how talented you all are. From the whole PHB team, we hope you had an amazing holiday season and a great new year! Here’s to an even better 2023.
January: 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-fics, Pop clubhouses, 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 January’s theme? January’s theme is…
🤔🧩 Puzzling! 🧩🤔
One of my favorite gameplay elements of Poptropica has always been the puzzles. From playing minigames like mancala on Nabooti Island, to solving mysterious codes on Spy Island or changing the dragon sculpture on Counterfeit Island, puzzles seem to be everywhere when you really think about it!
Some are pretty straight-forward and other are, well… puzzling! But that’s why we have PHB Island Guides to help you out. So as we enter 2023 and start solving a whole new year of puzzles and challenges, let’s take a moment to celebrate the fun ones and share our frustrations on the more difficult ones.
Maybe draw your Poptropican trying to solve a particularly puzzling puzzle, or write a story about your favorite puzzling Poptropica minigame. Perhaps design a costume for what you think the ultimate puzzle-solving master would look like, or even design a Poptropica puzzle yourself! Your work doesn’t even necessarily have to involve a physical puzzle, just something confusing or a brain teaser of sorts will do. The options are up to you! Good luck!
Results: Next month, I will feature 5 submissions that stood out to me the most as well as some honorable mentions.
Limitations: Just make sure you relate to both the theme and Poptropica (and nothing NSFW or otherwise inappropriate).
Due Date: I will take any entries before the end of this month. Submit as many things as you’d like!
I will be sure to let you know I have seen your creation. 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!
But Poptropica’s forays into other projects only kept going throughout the summer, when we discovered their new Roblox studio Suit Up Games (which brought a Dr. Hare pet to a non-Pop Roblox game), and Poptropica Junior, with small activities aimed at Pre-K kids.
Let’s look back on our Top Islands! In addition to the releases mentioned above, as well as the temporary returns of the mini-games Hoptropica, Zomberry Hero, and The Grapple-Gift, Poptropica also converted a few quests for Haxe (desktop) and mobile.
As for our Top Con Artists this year, a host of bad actors aboard the Baron’s airship certainly kept us on our toes with a saga unfolding over several months. While Rumpelstiltskin seemed up to no good playing tricks on the Baronwho went missing, we’re still waiting to see where the reveal of the Red Queen on a rampage for Rumpel will lead us next.
Back down on Home Island, all might seem well with Amelia, who continues to rotate her shop selection regularly and without drama. At the same time, though, she’s been roped into Roblox by the Poptropica Creators themselves who, as mentioned, have lowkey been turning tail on their own game to make new games on another platform.
Anyway, the year can’t be contained in a list of top reads. But here are a few highlights from our blog archives:
Time to meet Poptropica’s 2022 island personality…
The PoptropiConCosplayer
Banner Day: Let your freak flag fly.
Like the island’s convention, Poptropica celebrates its legacy by bringing back fan favorite islands while also exploring new trails. Yet just as a cosplayer isn’t the real thing, so Poptropica’s nostalgic returns are just a shadow, no match for the more complex magic it once offered.
But onwards we go. Here at the PHB, we’re grateful to share with you another year filled with monthly Community Creations and membership giveaways, as well as guest posts including Pop fanfics and puzzles. Thanks for tuning in with us — that’s a wrap for 2022! 💝✌️
Pony Ride: Off into the sunset we go.
See you in 2023. Go on, press play!
~ 💙▶️ the PHB
✏️ P.S. While you’re here, comment with your thoughts on the year! Or peek into years past with the rest of the Poptropica Yearbook.
Happy holidays, Poptropicans! 🎄 We’re approaching the end of the month, which means it’s time to announce another lucky Poptropican to win our monthly membership giveaway! 🎁
Congratulations, Fearless Thunder — your new membership status lets you play various exclusive quests, including the recent relaunch of Survival Island, Ep. 3: Distress Signal! You’ll also get to enjoy the player-designed 12 Days of Member Gifts released earlier this month.
The Poptropica Help Blog hosts a membership giveaway every month, and it’s easy to enter! Just comment on our Free Poptropica Membership page and leave at least two other comments around the PHB within the month to be entered into that month’s giveaway.
We’ll announce a winner sometime in the final week of each month. If you don’t win, you can always try again for the next month! Full details »
Congrats again to Fearless Thunder! Keep on popping on! ⚡️
🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺 