Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Invisible Ring. Enjoy!
To celebrate my first early snowfall of the season, I have a Pop Quiz for you: What’s your favorite winter activity?
A: Snowball fights? 🥶
Nothing like a battle with the Whirley Street Kids or a good game of Snowpocalypse as I always say…
B: Christmas Decorations? 🎄
I know some people like to hang those up before it gets cold outside, but it certainly is a pleasure to have them up to see when the snow comes.
C: Skating? 🎿
Ice skating, that is—not roller skating. Don’t bring wheels to a frozen pond or rink! If skates aren’t for you, though, try sliding around in your shoes instead!
D: Staying indoors and relaxing by the fire 🔥
Those are your four basic options, but depending on how much snow you get, there are also snowmen, snow angels, snow forts, and snow sculptures to make!
If that’s still not enough for you to do, don’t worry. The holiday season is upon us all, (right after Thanksgiving, that is…) so get out there and have some fun! I’m going out to go catch some snowflakes! ❄️
Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Invisible Ring.
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!
Holiday photo with the crew on Mount Everest! (Photo taken on May 29, 1953)
Happy holidays, Poptropicans! No matter what you celebrate this time of year, we hope you all have fun and stay safe with your loved ones.
It’s been a quieter year than usual for Poptropica, but we still experienced our share of ups and downs! Check out our 2023 Rewind post in the Pop Yearbook for a recap on the past year’s shenanigans.
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!
Happy Grapple-Pap, Poptropicans! To celebrate the holiday season (both on Poptropica and in general), the PHB is hosting a Grapple-Pap Holiday Party! 🎄🥳
Legend has it that Poptropicans are obligated to spread holiday cheer, or the great Grapple-Pap will get you for one whole year. Well, we love an excuse to party, so you’re all invited join us on the Discord sleigh for a merry time of Poptropica play! 🎊🎅
Save the date for Saturday, December 18 @ 8 pm Eastern / 7 pm Central / 6 pm Mountain / 5 pm Pacific (for all other time zones, check a time zone converter). In some parts of the world, it may be Sunday morning, Dec 19. 📅
We’ll be hanging out in Poptropica’s common rooms like the Arcade (via the in-game menu), playing head-to-head games, and talking on our Discord chat server, the PHC — a space where PHB staff and other Poptropicans regularly hang out. It’s open anytime, so come on in. 💬👋
Bring your wondrous winter wear and get ready to have a beautiful blizzard blast. See you this weekend! ❄️
Heyo, Poptropicans! Big news: as promised, the festive Grapple-Pap side quest has appeared on Pop! After playing through it, I found it to be a very intriguing adventure. To begin, head across the wondrously snowy Home Island and speak to the man with a pile of presents.
He’ll ask you to deliver a gift to his sister. But before you accept the challenge, there’s one thing that needs to be set straight; what exactly is Grapple-Pap? According to the man, it’s ‘the time of year Poptropicans give gifts and merriment’. So it’s essentially the Poptropica version of Christmas! (I wonder what other holidays Poptropicans celebrate…)
If you’re feeling ready to go Grapple-Papping, respond with a ‘sure’ and you’ll be whisked off to start the adventure! Keep reading for a full guide with pictures below.
You’ll be in a very festive-looking town. Everybody’s dressed up in traditional Grapple-Pap apparel. Walk on up the road. You’ll pass by several townspeople getting ready for the holiday, including three jump-ropers and an ice-skater!
When asked where Clareta is, they all come up with generally the same answers. Nobody’s seen her for years, and they think that the Grapple-Pap got her. After all, if you don’t spread cheer, the great Grapple-Pap will get you for one whole year…very mysterious indeed. One will also tell you that the holiday is named after somebody called the Grapple-Pap! Finally, you’ll find a Poptropican who will give you a clue about Clareta. The baker up at the Salty Nugget tells you that Clareta lives in Cold Cliff Pass. An NPC wandering near the Salty Nugget will also warn you that Clareta has become ‘mean’ over the years…that can’t mean anything good.
Following the baker’s advice, go right to Cold Cliff Pass. There’s quite a bit of pretty winter scenery in this area.
It’s cold outside…
Keep walking down the hill until you reach a tunnel of ice with several floating platforms. There’s a stone block with an engraving on it; push it all the way against the far wall of the ice cave, and jump on it to reach the last platform. From there, climb onto the top slope and exit the ice tunnel.
Walk up a second hill and you’ll find yourself in front of a ledge with another stone block on top of it. Hop onto the ledge, and push the block off of it. Keep pushing it until you reach a very tall snowdrift. Using the block as a boost, climb up onto the snowdrift.
Go down another ice tunnel, and jump up onto a second tunnel above it, this one filled with snow and holly. There’s another stone block wedged in this tunnel, so you’ll have to push it out before you can proceed. From there, you’ll see a rope. Climb up it, and you’ll be in a blizzard; dangerous, yet beautiful. Walk against the blizzard down a hill–and, hey, there’s footprints in the snow here! Clareta must live nearby!
It sure is winter here.
Sure enough, at the bottom of the slope there’s a (rather rundown) house. Enter it.
Whoa, this house sure is creepy…just look at that huge, uh, whatever it is, hanging from the ceiling! But there’s a fire in the grate, so somebody must still live here. Walk through the house as far as you can go, past a huge bed with a bearskin on it, and you’ll see a piece of paper perched on a windowsill. Click on it, and you’ll see…
Aw, it’s Clareta and her brother (the man who sent you on the quest) at a Grapple-Pap years ago! Just look how young and happy they were…and it looks like Clareta is holding a Grapple-Pap gift not much different from the one you were sent to deliver to her. The two of them must have lived here together, at least when they were younger.
Once you’ve finished admiring that cute image, close it, and something quite frightening will happen. The bed behind you begins to shake…there’s a lump moving under the covers…and a very angry and bedraggled Clareta will burst out!! (Apologies for the horrible screenshot. I definitely wasn’t expecting something like that to happen!)
“I have a Grapple-Pap gift from your–“
Wow, somebody’s feeling nasty today. Clareta will scream at you to leave her house, which you, quite willingly, do. That Grapple-Pap’ll always get you if you’re not careful, as Clareta clearly demonstrated. But you can’t let it end like this…there must be something you can do to remind Clareta of the holiday spirit!
And, indeed, an opportunity presents itself! A very large pile of snow outside the house falls away to reveal a huge stone block with what must be the Grapple-Pap himself engraved upon it. Click on the block, and it’ll slide down the hill and crash straight into Clareta’s house! Oops…
Another scream will issue from the now-broken house, and Clareta will come outside and sprint away, promising that she’ll spread cheer. Run along after her.
Follow her back into the town, where she’ll be dancing (sudden change in mood, huh?) while holding a Grapple-Pop. She’ll thank you for reminding her what Grapple-Pap is all about, and gives you a Grapple-Pop as your reward. Congratulations, you’ve completed the Grapple-Pap quest!
Equip the Grapple-Pop and press space bar to turn everybody’s heads green.
Welp, that sure was a wild ride! Even though it’s not a full island, this side quest has really given us some insight on Poptropican lore and traditions. Overall, I think it’s pretty cool (pun may or may not be intended). But what do you think? Let us know in the comments down below! Merry Grapple-Pap!
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