Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Invisible Ring, showing us one of her biggest realms yet. The Realm code is w3qvy. Enjoy!
Howdy, y’all! Come fer the tour, have ya? Well, yer in luck, pardners. Amidst these sandy grounds, we got dude ranches, ghost towns, campsites, and even a BEACH! All right here in the beautiful Realm of Keafogoab Sha!
Tickets are sold right here, and it just so happens we got some extra tickets from my fire and ice Realm tours! Buy these, and today’s rootin’ tootin’ Realm tour is free!
But I know what yer thinking: “What are the tickets for?” They’re for the train, that’s what! This Realm ain’t like the others. Not only is this Realm the first one I made after growin’ up in Asgard, but it’s a BIG Realm. VERY big! There’s no WAY we can cover this whole Realm on foot, so we’re takin’ the train today. ALLLL ABOOOAAARD!!
Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans! We’re gonna be moseying back in time today to visit Wild West Island! And if you like this series, sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.
Wild West Island quite obviously takes place in the western US during the American frontier period of the 19th century. The time period has been highly romanticized, especially in film, so there’s no wonder we have a Poptropica island themed around it!
photo: Dodge City (smithsonianmagazine)
Pretty much every building, character, and background matches this old western aesthetic. Details range from apparel, architecture, fonts, dialogue, and beyond! Sometimes the smallest changes can have a big impact on an island’s theme. The setting has this wide open feeling, and I think Poptropica was able to successfully portray that in their own style. Do you agree?
Rawhide: It’s a little wild, and a little strange, when you make your home out on the range.
Double Dos: This cactus looks lonely. Maybe it should stop being so prickly.
photo: The Wild West Era (vintagenews)
photo: Wild West (BBC)
One of the most iconic places in any old western town is, of course, the Saloon (in this case, found in Diamond Plains). And Poptropica did manage to make such a location kid-friendly enough to be included! Anyone care for a round of root beer? It’s on me!
Saloonatics: This Poptropican is a stand-in that you’ll never see on any Island.
photo: Old Saloons (vinepair)
photo: Saloon (wallpaperup)
Another noteworthy building would definitely be the Marshal’s Office or Jail (also in Diamond Plains). Whatever the law enforcement may be (sheriff, marshal, constable, you name it), even deputies seemed to be quite prevalent in a time rampant with outlaws, bounty hunters, and gangs. It was cowboys galore!
Marshal Law: Justice is black and white.
photo: Old West Jail Interior (Jeffery L. Cohen’s flickr)
Since we mentioned the jail, we of course have to bring up the Bank, because the whole “outlaws robbing banks” trope just cannot be ignored. The bank we see in Poptropica is located in Rock Ridge. Stick ’em up!
photo: Pioneertown California (onlyinyourstate)
photo: 19th Century Bank Teller (petticoats&pistols)
We could very well look at the Train Station as well, considering it does tie into the bank robbery within the story. Quite different than the train station we see in our Mystery Train comparison, huh?
Train in Vain: It doesn’t look like much is happening at this station.
photo: Lochee West Railway Station (David Mason’s flickr)
After all that, I think we simply must talk about the Casino in Dos Cactos next. During such wild times, gambling tended to be a common occurrence. But yet again, Poptropica was able to fit it into its kid-friendly world! Looks like everything’s coming up aces for them!
Everbody Wins: Everything is coming up aces in this Wild West town.
Games of Chance: Everything’s coming up aces!
photo: Old West Cowboy Gamblers (ebay)
photo: Frontier Gambler (wikipedia)
If we stay in Dos Cactos, we can head on over to a sort of carnival, but more specifically a shooting gallery. Yes, traveling shows did date back to the wild west era—you simply had to travel between the far away towns for profit! And every good cowboy knew how to shoot a pistol.
photo: Early 1800s Midway (doc’smidwaycookhouse)
photo: Easton (delawareandlehigh)
Curious about other displays of showmanship? Why, just take a look at the local Snake Oil Salesman in Rock Ridge of course! Traveling carts were quite the norm in the wild west, with salesmen often promising miracle cures and obscure tonics of all sorts. Maybe be careful about spending your money around here…
photo: Traveling Medicine Shows of the Old West (curioushistorian)
Another cart we get to see in Wild West is owned by a photographer (this one in Dusty Gulch), which could perhaps be considered more of a miracle than the tonics! The world’s first photograph was taken in 1826, perfectly fitting into the frontier era. That makes us pretty lucky to even have photos from around that time to compare with the island!
Pilot Error: Different parts of scenes are made at different times, so we use stand-in characters when necessary.
photo: Remarkable Old Photographs from the Wild West (historycollection)
Dusty Gulch is also home to Rusty’s Ranch, as you may know (though this can also be compared to the ranch in Rock Ridge). Raising cattle and horses and such was so common in fact that it was actually one of the factors leading to the Dust Bowl. So maybe it was only a stable job in one sense of the word?
Cool Ranch: Giving you a new perspective on the next Poptropica Island.
photo: Dude Ranches of the Wild West (st.louispost-dispatch)
Something else we can’t forget: the gold mines! The California Gold Rush of the 1800s was a huge population push to the west. Time and time again it seems like people yearned to move west! Though it didn’t guarantee fortune to all, that’s for sure.
Mind the Gap: Be careful not to get off-track here.
photo: Montana Mine Old West (mcmahanphoto)
Bringing our adventure to an end, the Canyon Hideout feels like an appropriate grande finale. One of the most famous IRL hidey-holes for gangs and outlaws was the “Hole-In-The-Wall,” an isolated area in Wyoming.
Desert Inn Nothing: like a secluded hideaway for the discerning bandit.
photo: The Hole-In-The-Wall (historydaily)
Boy howdy, that was a lot of places, wasn’t it? And we didn’t even go into detail about the hotel, clock tower, or trading post! Just goes to show you how much detail goes into one setting/game design.
Do you think Poptropica successfully replicated the alluring aesthetic of the IRL wild west? Yay or neigh? What island would you like to see us compare next in this series? Be sure to leave your thoughts in a comment below!
Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the May recap for Community Creations! May’s theme was Wild West (and the featured work is not in any particular order). Be sure to check out all the featured artists!
Wow, right off the bat I love the ambiance of this work. The warm hues and brilliant lighting really add to the western atmosphere. The composition is well arranged and there are lots of details that fill up the scene! Finding that sort of variety in an otherwise plain landscape can sometimes be a difficult task, but the textures here were nailed. And the presentation leaves me wanting more! Will our hero find her way home, or succumb to the harsh temperatures of her environment? Very smooth execution! Find her DeviantArt here.
Snake Oil Salesman by Gentle Dolphin (aka JordynGowens)
Oooh, now this is an interesting take on our theme! While most of us think of El Mustachio Grande when we imagine the Wild West, that’s not the only villain of the desert! Hardcore Poptropica fans will certainly remember R.J. Earl, the infamous salesman of Wild West Island. The tonics and mixtures that he offers may seem “too good to be true,” but… what do you think? Anyway, the attention to detail in this piece is wonderful, making for another vividly atmospheric scene. The lighting is gorgeous, the lineart is smooth and crisp, the items in the shop add great easter eggs, and the colors are brilliant! A truly unique entry with an intriguingly symmetrical composition! Find her DeviantArt here.
Lone Coyote’s Fond Memories by Perfect Fish (aka jaekelopterus3)
Lots of detail in this submission too! The busy composition here presents a lot of information, but truly represents the fun of Wild West Island! With the changes in Poptropica we’re all facing right now, this piece definitely reflects the nostalgia and perhaps worry that we are all feeling. The work has a ton of brilliant energy, making for a whimsical, childlike mood (perfect for Poptropica of course). I love the elements of text, the bold colors, and the vivid texture. Plus, we don’t often get to see Poptropicans portrayed with fingers! Attention can be found in every inch of the paper, for sure! Find the artists in the comment section and on Discord.
Staring Down the Barrel of a Gun by ray-of-flight
Ah, yet another piece with brilliant lighting! The warm hues, once again, are very appropriate for this month’s theme and make for a particularly interesting color palette. I love the drama found within this scene, especially given the angled lighting and the perspective of the viewer. The foreshortening required in the pose is a difficult one to pull off, but the view of the gun certainly makes the effort worth it. The composition is more straightforward, but that certainly adds to the drama! Excellent work! Find their DeviantArt here.
Ready for the Showdown by AdventurersNHunters
Here, we see “Sheriff Jackson ‘Red Hunt’ Smith and Deputy Darcy ‘Yellow Stone’ Stone Versus El Mustachio Grande and The Grande Gang.” How exciting! According to the artist, “Red was just visiting his home island while Yellow went there due to what is happening there. Suddenly, Yellow and Red run into eachother and have no choice but to work together, they still hate eachother. Jackson only did to hunt down El Mustachio and claim his reward.” Dun dun duh!!! This piece is definitely filled with drama and excitement, perfectly showcasing a true western showdown. It’s as if it were a movie poster for an old western film! I love all the different characters, the colored blocking within the composition, and the dark shading. Wonderful! Find her DeviantArt here.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Gretchen and Grande by blueiceegirlart
El Mustachio Grande by CottonCandiHeart
Stinky Man by iLee-Font
Lots of Grande fan art this month, which was super cool!
JUNE: 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 June’s theme? June’s theme is…
Monochromatic
With June kicking off Pride month and the continued fight for equality, the significance of color never ceases to be prominent. Luckily in art, color is an element for self expression and pride rather than something that divides us. So this month, let’s showcase some color in our amazing community, but with an added challenge!
Monochromatic, if you aren’t familiar, means “one color.” Therefore, I challenge you to submit work that you make using only one color! Remember that different shades and tints of that color, as well as neutrals are allowed. So get creative, and maybe we will be able to feature work from EVERY COLOR OF THE RAINBOW! And if you aren’t into drawing, remember that you can still participate. Perhaps write a story with one color being particularly important, write a poem about all your favorite purple things in Poptropica maybe, or even put together an outfit in Poptropica that’s all one color. It’s all up to you, so let your color shine with pride!
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 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!
Speaking of pictures, the Creators have also posted a new sneak peek for Back Lot Island, which appears to be a rather grainy movie clip of a chase sequence in a “Wild West” (not the island) film in sepia. Sometimes that’s just what a movie needs, along with heroes and villains and all.
A couple new sneak peeks suggest the possibility of a theater/stage performance theme! Perhaps a new island idea? This one’s called “Wild West – Nope, not a sequel. Something new!”
The guy with the Legendary Swords skull mask is apparently SteveCreator, who appears in some Daily Pop sneak peeks. (Another is the character who looks like Gamer Guy from Zomberry Island.) Thanks Elphangor! Check out this sneak peek as well: “Cheap Seats – Sit too close and you’ll go cross-eyed.”
Thanks Samwow5 for the heads-up. Perhaps this theater is related to the recent home studio sneak peek we saw. What do you think this might be about?
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