Tag: Pop 5

Guest Posts, Pop 5

Pop 5: My Favorite Islands 🏝

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Dangerous Dragon. Enjoy!

Hello, DD here! Today’s hot pop-topic is all about favorite islands. I’ll be sharing my “Pop 5” picks in this post, but I’m also looking forward to seeing your comments about some islands that you love. (The PHB has a whole list of islands.) Let’s get started!

Map full of islands (picture: idk)

#5: Monster Carnival

I wished I could rank this island higher, but there are so many good ones. Anyway, the story starts out with a carnival needing your help, and the art really makes you feel like you are at a real carnival. At first I wonder, “where’s the monster part?” Then comes the delightful twist: they all are monsters, thanks to Ringmaster Raven! Scary!

It was very disappointing to see Raven tortured by his town. I wrote more about this in my other guest post, “Why Ringmaster Raven is a real hero.” The island could’ve been better if he’d gotten a better ending, with the town giving him some much-needed love. Still, the story is fascinating, the designs are impressive, and the difficulty is suitably challenging

#4: Survival

Survival reminds me of survivor shows, and I can feel the dangers of being out on the island as if in real life! The art is fabulous, and it’s good they don’t show too many ads, so it gives you the feeling of being stranded.

The story is truly chilling — and what a twist to find that we are the hunted. Scary and surprising! All in all, a really good and challenging island.

#3: Mocktropica

Mocktropica reminded me of Back Lot Island but with games instead of films. The jokes were fun, and interestingly, one feature they made fun of made it into Pop: the pets!

As for the art, it really feels exciting and adventurous. Everywhere you see Mega Fighting Bots and you wonder what’s up with that, but then you find out the twist — shocking! The people running Pop were the people destroying it!

And the story itself is a unique, creative concept: you have to basically save Poptropica by bringing in the people who worked there to fix it. It’s also highly difficult — I still remember Thinknoodles groaning when he played this island.

#2: Mission Atlantis

I loved how Mission Atlantis mixed fiction and nonfiction. It reminded me of the book Thea Stilton Special Edition: The Journey to Atlantis.

The first episode was simple, but it was fun getting to know many animals in the sea. The art is amazing: the creatures look very detailed, our submarine pod looks cool, and the water design is epic.

The story starts out with us getting a simple job but we soon discover much more: an entire ancient underwater city! Things get a lot more interesting, and it makes you feel like you are an explorer. It’s a difficult island, but that’s what makes the challenge fun.

#1: Time Tangled

Time Tangled was my first island, so I think of this as my birth island. It’s all about exploring the world, from caves to the Great Wall of China! This was the island which made me love Pop. I love stories about time traveling and the future! 

The story is basic but it is creative. We find all the objects in random places, with hints from the Oracle, and overall it engages you in checking everywhere to search for the items.
The art is really good too, and I enjoyed the Fact Monsters back when that was a thing. And the whole island really takes your attention, but it’s not too difficult, with no twist.

That’s my list, now what about yours? There are a lot more good islands but I prefer these. Anyway, tell me about your favorite islands! 

And if you’re feeling especially passionate, try writing for the PHB! Writing is a good habit, especially when it’s about what you love. I love Poptropica, and look where I am now! Thank you to Jeff Kinney, because if he hadn’t created Poptropica, we wouldn’t be here.

Also, surprise: today is my birthday! If you want to help make it special, please share your ideas in the comments below on how to celebrate a pop-tastic birthday, Poptropica style!

A Poptropica cake is a great idea!

This is DD popping out! Keep popping, Poptropicans! ~DD

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Dangerous Dragon. If you did, you might also enjoy their guest post “Popspiracy: Theories on how Poptropica villains turned evil.”

The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you! 📰✨

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Pop 5: Best-Dressed Characters in Poptropica II

Purple Paw

Heyo everybody! You may remember a post I wrote for the PHB back in September, highlighting my top favorite character outfits in Poptropica. Well, since then, after several more extensive tours of Poptropican fashion, I’ve realized that the five lucky characters I showcased last time barely scraped the surface!

There are over fifty islands on Poptropica’s map, and each of them displays equally unique and appealing style; so it seemed unfair that only five should be given a chance to shine! That’s why I decided to continue the fashion show with five more spotlight-worthy characters from across the islands. From the glamorous to the rugged, the old-fashioned to the outrageous, and everything in between, this new show’s sure to have something for everybody!

5: Mordred

Starting off the show, we have a taste of centuries-old apparel from the kingdom of Arturus! It’s clear that pre-robotized Mordred had an excellent sense of dress; right off the bat, the main purple-and-yellow color scheme is perfectly eye-catching, and the lace neck ruff, gleaming amulet, and neatly styled hair and beard add to the medieval aesthetics. The plume on top of the hat gives a satisfying flourish, making him an easy head to spot in the crowd! There’s no better example of old-fashioned yet likable style than from the genius Mordred himself!

4: Captain Slarx

Up next, let’s skip ahead a few hundred years to the much more modernized world of PoptropiCon! Captain Slarx, the master of Fremulon, doesn’t often receive a whole lot of attention, but I thought such an out-of-this-world costume definitely deserved a spotlight! The star of this style is, naturally, the purple alien mask, complete with shining red eyes and wildly waving tentacles; it’s no wonder that Poptropican in the bathroom line wanted one so badly. The red cropped top and skirt, with their sharp shoulder shapes (try saying that five times fast) and metal belt, add to the futuristic fashion look as well. May this fine Poptropican’s Zazzleblax be ever abundant.

3: Master of Ceremonies

In third place, we hop on over to Poptropolis Games Island, where the wonderfully dressed Master of Ceremonies waits to announce the Tribes! There are multiple pieces of this outfit that convinced me to award him a place on this list. Firstly, the blue-and-white toga echoes the styles of Ancient Greece, a place well-known for its competitive Olympic Games (which Poptropolis is based off of) and is therefore perfect for the Master of Ceremonies’ job. The microphone accessory is also another reminder of this Poptropican’s important position, as it’s not everybody who gets to announce the centennial Poptropolis Games! The green leaf crown follows the tropical rainforest scheme shown throughout the island, and also serves a double purpose to keep the neatly styled hair propped up! Once the Tribes have finished competing, it’s only fair to give our Master of Ceremonies a round of applause as well.

2: Persian Dancer(s)

Coming in second, here’s another Poptropican (or three, to be accurate) who deserve plenty more recognition than they got. These beautiful dancers from the Chicago World’s Fair were the very first Poptropicans to spin a full 360 degrees! Quite an accomplishment indeed. But, as this list isn’t about great Poptropican feats, we’ll skim over their physical abilities and take a look at those gorgeous outfits! Each dancer sports a semi-see-through sash of orange and pink colors; sashes that, in fact, twirl with them when they spin, creating a most beautiful effect. The striped, rustic colored skirts also show off splendid motion, and the gold band on their thick curly hair is echoed in the beaded necklaces. Overall, the color schemes, hairdos, and silk accessories combined create what (should have been) some of Poptropica’s most unforgettable looks!

1: Daphne Dreadnaught

And here is our first place winner…the little-known but extremely fashionable ghost-hunter, Daphne Dreadnaught! I’m not going to deny being a bit biased on this one, as she is one of my very top favorite characters. But I hope we can all agree that this is a spectacular style that deserved much more showtime than it got in the Spook Central mini quest alone! I’ll do my best not to rant about all that, though, so let’s dive on in to just why I love this outfit so much! The short black hair and its streaks of shocking white create an awesome hairstyle whose colors are copied nicely throughout the rest of the outfit, including in the black pants and white undershirt. The leather brown and shiny silver of the ghost-hunting goggles are also shown in other places, mainly on that fabulous vest and clasped collar, but also in the handheld hammer accessory! All in all, I’ll never get tired of looking at this one. 🖤

Well Poptropicans, that’s all this show’s got today! I hope you enjoyed examining some of these lesser-known fashionistas in the second part of my Poptropica-wide fashion tour. There are still many more amazing styles that I did not feature on this list, so let’s have one final round of applause for all those well-dressed Poptropicans who failed to make it into this post; and feel free to let us know down in the comments who you would choose for your own Poptropica fashion tour!

~Purple Paw 💜

Guest Posts, Pop 5

Pop 5: Islands From an Artist’s Perspective

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Mud Bub, who’ll be taking a look at Poptropica islands from her perspective as a college art student.

She shared with the PHB, “Poptropica allowed me to get more in-tune with my passion for art. Similar to other Flash or After Effects products like Wow Wow Wubbzy or this video, I get the most thrill out of flat yet bold and colorful designs, and this has greatly affected my art style.

As a college art student, having an influence such as Poptropica is very much needed for me, both with art and being a general stress reliever… I may be older… but time has given me a better understanding, excitement, and idea-fueled drive for the game. This [guest post] is more than just a Pop 5 list to me, but finally articulating the artistic passion that I’ve had for over a decade. Without the openness of the PHB accepting blog post submissions, I would not have finally gotten to express that.”

Thank you, Mud Bub! And with that wonderful intro, let’s get into the post…

Greetings! I’m Muddy “Mud Bub” Bubbles, an art student at Ephraim University and collector of black-framed glasses. Professor Max McPatrick assigned me to analyze only the finest of Poptropica’s island artistry, and I can only hope that he won’t deduct points for not including his native island, Mocktropica.

Poptropica islands are known for their vast adventures, but their visuals are also notable. I’ve discovered that they are all worthy of praise, but there are a mighty few that stand out in their attention to detail and interactions with art.

#5: Counterfeit Island

This wouldn’t be an article on Poptropican art without mentioning Counterfeit Island! This island arguably offers the most extensive art collection of them all, although the genres are a bit narrow, and seeing less represented forms of art would have been nice. It does beat Early Poptropica’s Pop Art Museum by a mile, though. There may be French stereotypes, but Counterfeit Island’s store logos and calming interior design of the abandoned house make for an authentic island experience. Most of all, it allows for literal hands-on experiences with fine art and learning its value, which makes for a great introduction to art history.

#4: Mythology Island

It’s no myth that this island has lovely Greek and Roman art. Although the meandering may be overdone, they make the island more unique and memorable. The fonts and architecture also stay true to ancient form. Hades, Zeus and Poseidon have their own icons that are presented consistently, from the island logo to the Mythology Surfer costume. These are examples of brand design, a modern form of art, that other characters use as well, such as Dr. Hare and his rabbit gimmick. The pictures above show how two forms of art (wall art and iconography + sculpture and iconography) can merge into one to truly showcase the personalities of the gods.

#3: Steamworks Island

This island is more inventive than just its gadgets! Steamworks Island takes on a truly vintage and trinket-y form that makes it hard not to love. The color palettes perfectly show the dullness of the tools in a somehow bright way. There are banners with gears and stripes on them, as well as buildings covered with beautiful vines. So many bits and bobs to be found that make it easy to understand the intricate stylings of steampunk. Exploring this town can get kind of isolating though.

#2: Red Dragon Island

This island truly deserves recognition for the interactions with art it allows us. From literal bridge-building to bonsai trimming and calligraphy, Red Dragon Island is an authentic celebration of Eastern art. Despite the wild ninja adventures, one can feel relaxed, too, while wearing a beautiful kimono as cherry blossoms fly in the breeze. Seriously, this island could be Black Widow’s next strike. The land of Edo leaves Jack and Annie’s neck of the woods in Frog Creek with a little more to be desired, but that stark contrast may make ancient Japan look all the more unique.

#1: Nabooti Island

This island is a real gem, and I’m not just talking about its logo! Nabooti Island allows you to explore many environments and rare items of Africa. It’s also a rarity to see how an entire continent can fit in one island, and note how the starting point isn’t even a separate piece of land. Still, there are artful features such as masks, sculptures and animal photography that allow us to see the beauty of the island’s culture. This is also shown in its fashioned natives, shimmering minerals and detailed hieroglyphics. Nabooti Island gives its players a diverse and unforgettable artistic appreciation of Africa.

Honorable mentions

  • Arabian Nights Island: This island proves that there is beauty to be found everywhere—even in a desert hijacked by forty thieves! The mansion in particular shows bold application of Middle Eastern architecture and design.
  • PoptropiCon Island: Yes, PoptropiCon, and this is not just because of my love of puns! This place is riddled with costume-makers, comic book writers, and other artists that connect over their craft. PoptropiCon is a testament to the ever-changing mediums of art and its content. That said, they could have shown more of the communities that conventions have to offer.
  • Big Nate Island: This unique island allows us to jump in a graphic novel. What it lacks in detail it makes up in its dynamic character design and a bright, consistent style. If nothing else, this one wins for the most colorful and characteristic island logo.

This list was so difficult to narrow down. Will you fight for the royal aesthetic of Astro-Knights? Maybe I wimped out on the Wimpy Kid islands and owe Greg Heffley an apology. Or will you be bold and claim the best art comes from your own Home Island? Share your favorite art from Poptropica in the comments!

– Mud Bub

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Mud Bub. If you did, you might also like the PHB’s tour of the art museum on Counterfeit Island or our Pop Places IRL series, which explores the real world inspirations of Poptropica islands.

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 page on how to Write for the PHB, and share blog posts on the PHC.

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