Better late than never – September’s Baron has finally arrived, safe and well! However, the same cannot be said for the Baron… After going missing in action last month, this month’s Baron is Rumpel-fied, but back at the vessel’s helm nonetheless. Climb aboard the flying vessel, little adventurers. There’s lotsa loot to plunder! 🎉

 

As usual, the Airship arrival signals the delivery of a free player-designed costume. To make up for the delay in this month’s Airship, the Baron has recreated TWO player-made costumes! Without further ado, the winners of August’s costume contest are…

 

 

Candy Girl by Fast Leopard and Jester by Blue Bones! 🍭🤡

 

All players can nab the two FREE costumes from the Airship’s Cabin of Curiosities for a limited time. Put your sweet tooth front and center – channel your inner-cotton candy queen with Candy Girl, before clownin’ around with the Jester’s blue and yellow clown ensemble, complete with a halfsie skull mask and matching mini jester accessory. Congratulations, Fast Leopard and Blue Bones! 👏

 

As for the rest of the Halloween tricks and treats on board, all players can scoop up the dirt-cheap Halloween gear! It’s a steal. Redecorate your clubhouse with the Pumpkin Couch (10 credits), Trick or Treat Bag (10 credits), Pumpkin Chair (10 credits), Cat Clock (10 credits), and Haunted Painting (10 credits) for only 50 credits!

 

 

After securing September’s special haul, don’t forget to chat up the Baron Rumpel! He’s well past keeping his scheme a secret. Now that his plans have escalated, Rumpel’s keen on bragging about the sky pirate’s disappearance and his revenge against the Red Queen – the Baron’s fabled mother…

 

 

Pop tip: Descend to the Baron’s quarters from the Cabin of Curiosities, where Rumpel’s eager to spill the beans to players that have braved The Baron’s Crusade mini quest! 👀

 

Is it possible more Poptropica lore will be here sooner rather than later? Maybe so, little adventurers. 😉 Until then, hurry to the Baron’s Airship and claim your freebies and basically-free Halloween décor! Time’s-a-tickin’, Poptropicans! What do you think of this month’s Airship edition? Share your fave Cabin items in the comments – we want to know! ✨

1. How were you first introduced to Poptropica?

Surprise surprise, Funbrain! I’d been playing through our long lost friend, the Arcade, and had seen an ad for Pop on the side of the screen. My sister already knew a bit about it, and we set up a shared account. We continued playing together for a few years after that.

 

2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?

It’s near impossible to talk about overrated characters without mentioning Dr. Hare — 24 Carrot was but the beginning of his career. Personally, I also think Amelia gets a little more attention than she’s worth.

Dr. Hare in Hoptropica

 

As for most underrated, I’d have to go with Captain Ziggs from Steamworks Island. He’s already gone by the start of the island, but we later learn that he raised the drawbridge to keep the plant monsters at bay before presumably being cornered in his apartment. It’s largely thanks to him that the citizens of Steamworks made it to their cryotubes in time. Quite the unsung hero!

Captain Ziggs in Steamworks Island

 

3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?

It’s definitely difficult to choose, but in my eyes nothing beats Binary Bard’s dream from Super Villain Island. That galaxy artwork is spectacular, and the whole concept of the dream itself is so inventive! The Sacred Tree Hollow from Twisted Thicket, with its mystical forest aesthetic, ranks high on the list for me as well.

 

Binary Bard’s dream

 

Sacred Tree Hollow

 

4. From your perspective, how have you seen the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB) and community change over time?

It’s always shifting and changing alongside Pop itself. People will come and go often according to those changes; the end of Flash in 2020 brought both a resurgence of new fans excited for the future of the game, as well as those who became less active in the community after the loss of the classic islands. It’s amazing to see how long the PHB’s lasted and how many different people have come here over the years, whether they plant roots or just stop by briefly.

 

5. How has your PHB career surprised you?

I’d say I’m most surprised by the sheer amount of ideas, endeavors, and incredible creations that have graced the PHB, during my time as a staff writer and before! Artwork, fanfic, crossovers, animations, fan islands, even fan-made games—there’s so much creativity in the Pop fandom and the PHB holds a good chunk of it.

I didn’t quite know what to expect when joining the staff team, but it’s been a great experience thus far. The support and interactivity that can come from posting my own ideas is really gratifying. I’m thankful to be a part of it!

 

 

6. What inspires you?

As an artist myself, I’ve always been inspired first and foremost by other people’s artwork. I love viewing all the unique styles and methods of creating art and learning about how they’ve evolved throughout history. Getting outside and enjoying nature—whether by hiking, gardening, or finding a nice place to sit and enjoy the view—is a source of peace and inspiration for me as well.

 

7. What does the Pop community mean to you?

A lot. It’s become a significant part of my life—alongside meeting a fair amount of my good online friends here, the community’s become an outlet through which to channel my creativity and to view other peoples’ creations as well. Poptropica’s highly nostalgic for me, and it’s really nice to know and interact with other people who relate to that.

 

 

8. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?

Plenty of writings, ideas, and pieces of art from my earlier childhood and the present have been heavily inspired by Pop. I remember writing stories based on the events of Astro-Knights and Twisted Thicket, and I even attempted to write a whole play revolving around Night Watch (attempted being the keyword there… ahem). Its myriad of characters even helped me overcome my avoidance of drawing people!

Even now, I still find joy and comfort in the many amazing islands of Pop. It remains special to me, and I can say with certainty it’s made a huge impact on my life.

 

 

9. Outside of Poptropica and your PHB involvement, what are you passionate about?

My ungodly amount of art and writing projects. Even though I abandon them frequently, I still care about them equally and do my best to continue them whenever life (and my overactive brain) permits.

 

Favorites

• Island: Cryptids
• Backstory/Lore: Myron Van Buren’s family tree on his cabin wall
• Character: Princess Elyana
• Villain: Black Widow
• Costume: Daphne Dreadnaught’s steampunk design

 

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Massive thank you to Purple Paw for their wonderfully creative contributions to the Poptropica Help Blog and Pop community as a whole! See more of Purple Paw’s writing and art on the PHB! ✨

A breaking Poptropica news report is now live and ready to view.  Tune in now to find out what it is!

 

 

…But is that all the news a poptropican can give? Nope! This isn’t the first news report I’ve given here. THIS link is. The video you just saw is my 2nd news report.

 

 

This brings me to a very important question:  Which of these reports do you like better? The news link, or the news video? Leave a comment down below!

 

PS. Bonus question: Do you prefer reading the news or watching the news in general? (Or as a third option, do you just stay away from most news reports from any media and just go do something else?

 

 

You are welcome to leave a comment for this question as well; just play nice and have fun. …And I’ll be back again before you know it!

 

Halloween is almost upon us, Poptropicans!

 

In preparation of October’s Airship, this month’s costume contest kicks off Poptropica’s huge eerie-sistable celebration!

 

Last year, the Baron’s Red October event supplied plenty of spooky spirit throughout the month. On the Airship, six player-designed costumes (the most ever!) were recreated in-game and offered to all players for free! 

 

 

 

This year, the festivities continue! Designs submitted in this month’s contest will have the chance to be a part of the Airship’s special Halloween haul. Submit your costume designs by Monday, September 26^th at 8pm PST (9pm MST, 10pm CST, 11pm EST) to join this month’s Halloween costume pool. Let’s get this party startled! 👻

 

 

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How do you enter?

 

First things first, brainstorm ideas for your costume. Costumes should be original, reproducible and age appropriate. There is also a 3 entry maximum per month.

 

Once you have your outfit ideas, the next step is to draw them out! You can do this on paper or go the digital route to show off your designs.  Don’t worry about comparing yourself to the rest of the community. Differences in art skill will not affect your likelihood of being chosen. Go all out with it! The Team loves seeing your imagination and creativity!

 

Once you’ve finished drawing your outfit designs, the final step is to share them with us! The easiest way is to enter through the submissions page. Submit your designs one at a time, but be sure to include your Poptropican’s name and your login username with each entry.

 

If you’re on social media, you can also share your costume design on Instagram for others to see your idea! Remember to tag us (@poptropicacreators) and use the hashtag #MyPoptropicaCostume – we’ll repost your costume design to our story to share your work!

 

NOTE: Please submit your designs one at a time, as multiple attachments will not be received. Each month, a handful of players’ entries are received without any attached files. If you’re unsure if your image was successfully included, feel free to resubmit!

 

To start brainstorming your outfit designs, here are a few tips!

 

Remember, you have free reign over your design! Do you want your costume to be frightening, fabulous, creepy, cute, or even match your Halloween ‘fit IRL? Whether you have a quirky sense of style or if you’re a proud trendsetter, creativity and originality are always appreciated! Any idea can be a winner! 🏆

 

Keep these tips in mind as you’re designing your outfit: 

 

• Your costume submission should be original!
• Get creative! Look for inspiration in your favorite looks that you can put your own spin on! From TV/film, your personal wishlist outfits, career uniforms, and celebrity sightings, you can design just about anything.
• Costumes may also include accessories and special powers.
• While designing your entry, be sure it can be reproduced as a Poptropica costume. Avoid including tiny details would be hard to recreate and using previous store costumes.
   

Don't be discouraged if your design hasn’t been chosen in the past! We’re blown away by the incredible amount of creativity and unique costume designs each month. We wish they could all be winners! We always welcome players to resubmit past design submissions or come up with new costume ideas for each month's contest!

 

If you need some help getting your ideas flowing, last year’s Halloween-inspired submissions and the six lucky winning designs might come in candy! 🍭

 

 

Best of luck, everyone! Don’t hesitate to leave any questions or comments about the contest below. We’re eager to see what you put down the runway! 💃🕺

 

1. How were you first introduced to Poptropica?

 

My younger brother found Poptropica on Funbrain and introduced it to me. Back then, we would go on Funbrain to read Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid before it became a printed book series!

 

2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?

 

• Most underrated character: Elf Queen from Twisted Thicket. She doesn’t seem to get mentioned much in the fandom, but her leafy design is absolutely magical, and her storyline very fitting for our modern climate crisis.
• Most overrated character: Dr. Hare, who might just be the most marketed Pop character (he even had a whole LEGO campaign at one point!). But we love him anyway.

 

 

3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?

 

It’s hard to pick a favorite scene as there are so many that are visually stunning! But to highlight a few, I love the aesthetics of the Imperial Garden on Red Dragon (especially the cherry blossom trees), and the various interactive puzzles on Nabooti, such as the mancala game and the fox-chicken-cornfeed conundrum.

 

 

4. From your perspective, how have you seen the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB) and community change over time?

 

The biggest change I’ve noticed personally is that the kids have gotten older, both in the PHB community and the fandom at large. Though Poptropica has always been aimed at kids, it’s fascinating to see how teens and young adults (myself included) still participate in the fandom, often returning from childhood nostalgia and sticking around for the community and inspired storytelling (perhaps even creating some of their own). Of course, young kids are still around. From my perspective, even children are capable of enjoying Poptropica’s more sophisticated stories, particularly those from the classic islands.

As for the PHB itself, it’s definitely grown in professionalism over time. When it first started, we were a group of mostly 10–12-year-olds just starting to learn how to run a blog together, with all that entails. We’d create cringey graphics, ramble on in our posts with inside jokes told in all caps, and occasionally have drama spilling over in the comments. Not that we manage to completely avoid that now, but we’ve come a long way since the start and our style has definitely matured a bit. Nowadays the blog is proud to present content that is more consistent, organized, informative, balanced, and still with a touch of fun!

 

Poptropica Creator Dr. Lange’s drawing of the PHB team (2014)

 

5. How has your PHB career surprised you?

 

I’ve been surprised by the rapid popularity of the PHB (it reached 1 million views in its first year, and 13 years later, has over 35 million). But I’m not too concerned about the statistics—I’m more interested in cultivating the quality of people’s visits, and to that end it’s been a blessing to hear from so many Poptropicans over the years who’ve enjoyed what the PHB offers.

 

Another surprise is the creativity and intensity of so many fans’ Pop-inspired passions, which help shape what the PHB brings to the fandom, from personal My Place in Poptropica stories to discoveries of Pop Places IRL. It’s definitely not a one-person operation—credit goes to the many, many Poptropicans who make it all possible!

 

 

6. What inspires you?

 

Inspiration can come from anywhere: an interesting article, artifact, artwork… and it’s important to find some good ones, as that shapes our thought patterns and, eventually, the kind of person we become! As author Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Besides traveling the islands of Poptropica, I enjoy looking at real-life nature, listening to music and podcasts, and learning the stories of people past and present, as ways to be refreshed and inspired.

7. What does the Pop community mean to you?

 

To me, it’s as simple as a gathering of people who enjoy Poptropica. They can be of all ages — some are even in their twenties like me. Poptropica fans are creative (just look at all the fan art, blogs, and videos), clever (we enjoy solving puzzles and finding trivia), and concerned (we support each other and sometimes critique for the good of the game we love). Above all, we’re united in our passion for Pop!

 

8. From your perspective, how has the community changed over the past 12 years?  

 

The biggest change I’ve noticed personally is that the kids have gotten older. Though Poptropica has always been aimed at kids, it’s fascinating to see how teens and young adults (myself included) still participate in the fandom, often returning from childhood nostalgia and sticking around for the community and inspired storytelling (perhaps even creating some of their own). Of course, young kids are still around. From my perspective, even children are capable of enjoying Poptropica’s more sophisticated stories, particularly those from the classic islands.

 

 

9. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?

 

Poptropica’s many whimsical worlds — from the medieval madness of Astro-Knights to the genie glamor of Arabian Nights — have inspired my art and writing, and widened my appreciation for digital storytelling and cultural connections.

 

As for the PHB, it has given me a space to write about something I care about, to carefully consider how to express ideas, and help the blog’s staff and guest writers do the same. Having our content read by so many fellow fans is a responsibility, privilege, and a great encouragement to keep building the blessing.

 

The skills, friendships, and passions developed over many years of playing and creating carry over to other areas of life too. For me, that has included earning my undergrad degree in English and pursuing a career in communications. With all the diversity in Poptropica and its community comes great potential for many more Poptropicans!

 

 

10. Outside of Poptropica and your PHB involvement, what are you passionate about?

 

 

Perhaps it’s cliche, but I’m an advocate for making the world a better place, which can look a million different ways, including social justice, environmental sustainability, and everything in between.

 

Touching back on my work with the PHB, and outside of it, I’m also passionate about language. I love conveying ideas through writing, discovering just the right words to use, and appreciating a good pun or poetic line. English is my first language, but Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese are part of my life, too. Being curious about languages opens up new worlds!

 

Favorites

• Costume: Fish kimono from Red Dragon
• Island: Shark Tooth
• Backstory/Lore: How islands appear in the world of Poptropica through a central spot in the sea called the Nexus, as described in Poptropica graphic novel #4: The End of Time.
• Character: Sprocket
• Hero: Max McGullicutty from Survival
• Villain: Scheherazade

 

 

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Thank you to Slanted Fish for her immeasurable contributions and delightful coverage over the years! Check out our previous interview with the Poptropica Help Blog’s editor-in-chief, Slanted Fish, also posted to the PHB!

 

PoptropiCon, Episode 3: Reign of Omegon is NOW AVAILABLE! The third and final island installment has been converted to its former glory. Starting today, members can begin the epic conclusion of the PoptropiCon trilogy on desktop and mobile!

 

 

“Omegon has taken over and he won’t stop until he’s transformed everyone into a hench-bot. Only you can acquire the powers of the Mighty Action Force and save PoptropiCon!”

 

 

 

You’ve found a way inside Poptropica’s hottest event of the year. You uncovered the most anticipated film’s top-secret costume design. Now, your toughest challenge awaits. Are you ready to resist the Reign of Omegon? 🤖

 

Channel the heart of the Mighty Action Force heroes and hurry to the map! The fate of the world depends on you, Poptropicans! 🌎

Fall is in the air! Embrace the cool weather and autumn ambience in Pop style. Layer up, Adventure Outfitters is hoodies galore! 🛍

 

Explore the 11 hoodies that've been recently restocked, courtesy of Amelia herself! Want to outfit your Popsona in a colorful combo? Try your luck with the Pastel Hoodie (250 credits), Star Hoodie (150 credits, members only), Comfy Vibes (250 credits), Rainbow Ride (250 credits), and Tie-Dye Hoodie (250 credits). If you’d rather skip the bright colors, Amelia’s got plenty for you too! Browse the Cat Ears Hoodie (300 credits), Sweater Weather (250 credits), Coolin (75 credits, members only), Glam Gamer Girl (250 credits, members only), and the 2-for-1 King & Queen Hoodies (250 credits) to find your favorite. 

 

Now that your 'sona is dressed for the crisp autumn breeze, all that's left is your clubhouse! Match the great outdoor's seasonal shift with an orange Fall Wreath (150 credits) atop your clubhouse door. 

 

Of course, we can’t forget the monthly member gifts! As expected on the first Monday of each month, September’s member gifts have arrived precisely on time.

 

 

Today’s delivery is a real treat! This month’s surprise swag features a one-of-a-kind Neon Bike, Neon Leather Jacket, and Neon Helmet. Don your neon night rider outfits and get ready to burn some rubber, Poptropicans! 🏍💥

 

 

That’s all for today, folks! How do you plan to show off your seasonal styles? Have any hoodies caught your eye? Maybe you’re already thinking about your clubhouse’s next renovation? Share your fall clubhouse inspiration and impressions of this week’s hoodie haul in the comments, we want to know! 👀

Hello Everyone, 

 

Dizzy Feather here, and I'll start off by saying it's going to be a while on the Poptropican Heroes, it's not that I got bad character outlines, quite the opposite in fact. But to keep you entertained till next month, I'll share the prologue to a different fanfiction I've been working on, click here to see the original post. 

 

Dizzy Feather (voiceover):

They say that a large white owl stays in a part of the dark woods for most of its entire life, right before it’s death, it’ll hibernate for a total of 3 months before flying off to lay a single egg.

 

White Owls clear paths in the section of the woods they reside in, when an owl departs, just two short days later, the paths will be overrun with vines.

 

Most residents of the woods pack up their belongings as soon as the owl goes into hibernation, and then you have people like my Grandmother, who practically raised the owl, and refuses to leave the owl in its final months of life.

 

My cousin, Shy Owl, tried to get our Grandmother to leave the woods as soon as she realized the owl had gone into hibernation. Our Grandmother refused to leave, so Shy saw it fit to stay with her and make sure she would get out before it was too late.

 

Fade in:

In the Dark Woods we see Shy Owl climb to a large wooden structure, where a giant white owl is sound asleep . Shy Owl gently taps one of the bird’s talons. Then she jumps onto a tree branch a little ways beneath where she was. She picks up a fallen feather and examines it closely. we hear a loud sigh as she makes her way into a cozy looking log cabin.

 

Inside the cabin is an old lady seated in a rocking chair, she’s holding a pair of knitting needles, acting as though she is knitting, however there is no yarn anywhere nearby.

 

Grandmother:

How was your walk dear?

 

Shy Owl:

Not very good, that owl is going to wake up any day now, we should leave.

 

Grandmother:

Shy! I told you before, I’m not leaving until the owl leaves.

 

Shy Owl:

Can we at least start packing?

 

Grandmother:

Shy Owl! Go to your room!

 

Shy Owl:

Is that a yes?

 

Grandmother:

You know what? You are grounded young lady! You will stay inside for the entire day tomorrow!

 

Shy Owl:

But, the owl…

 

Grandmother:

And not another word about the owl.

 

Shy Owl marches up the stairs.

 

We’re left looking at the staircase for a few seconds before the scene changes to Shy Owl laying on her bed staring at the ceiling.

 

Shy Owl:

I’m just trying to protect her, *sigh* I wish Dizzy or Hyper was here, they would know what to do.

 

Shy Owl sits up and opens the top drawer of a small table near her bed, she pulls out a silver circular  locket attached to a matching chain. When Shy opens it, we see a small picture of a flower bouquet with yellow, purple, and pink flowers, below it are the words, “No matter how far we are apart, we’re still as close as we were.” Shy closes the locket and falls back over the bed, the locket still in her hand.

 

Shy Owl:

I’ll see you two again real soon, after all you need me as much as I need you.

 

 

That’s it for now, stay tuned on my blog for updates on this story, and I'll see you next month, where I'll share the next part of The Poptropican Heroes!

- Dizzy Feather

 

Shy Owl