Artist interview with creator Abigail Grigg, and that friends thingamajig

Hey Poptropicans! Remember Abigail Grigg?

Abigail is a Poptropica artist who’s designed many of the newer things you see on Poptropica, like the monthly new store items and creatures from Reality TV: Wild Safari. She’s also working on the upcoming Zomberry Island content.

Here on the PHB, we recently featured a Pop Portfolio of her work. (Fun fact: She’s also known by her online name, Zukitz!) Now the Creators are joining in by having recently hosted a Q&A with Abigail, which we’re sharing below, with a few grammatical fixes (you can see the original on the Creators’ Blog).

Q: How long have you worked on Poptropica?

A: This month actually marks my first year working for Poptropica. I was hired as an intern last October and then pulled on for fulltime work this earlier this year. It’s been a big year filled with lots of learning and fun opportunities.

Q: Do you have a favorite Poptropican? How about a favorite Island?

A: I have a lot of love for Amelia. I love adventurous female characters, especially when they’re wearing goggles and aviator gear.

I might be biased but I really love Reality TV 2. Not only is my first island to have worked on, but I have a lot of love for animals and the safari aesthetic. I love running around and seeing all the animals and landscapes, and I was extremely excited when I heard about the idea and what it entailed.

Q: What kind of artwork do you make when you’re not working on Poptropica?

A: My personal artwork is a mixed bag of various styles and ideas, it’s a bit of a mess. I’ve got a webcomic called “King and Lionheart” that I’m constantly working on. I also love creating characters and creatures, so I tend to spew all sorts of new designs when the inspiration strikes. I’m also working on my own personal indie game with a team of colleagues. I have tons of ideas that I like to mess around with, and there isn’t enough time in the world for me to tackle it all. (Editor’s note: You can read “King and Lionheart” on its website, which the Creators’ Blog decided not to link to.)

Q: What’s your advice for young artists who’d like to go pro?

A: Experiment and try new stuff! I spent most of my time in art school trying out various disciplines, softwares, mediums, and styles. It’s through trying out different things did I discover my love for storytelling, game development, and illustration. I went to school wanting to become the next Disney animator only to realize that animation wasn’t my passion, and instead found interest in other mediums. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and get messy with new things, it’s the best way to learn what you’re into and what you don’t want to do.

Want to see more of Abigail’s cool Poptropica designs? Check out her Pop Portfolio here on the PHB!

Also on the Creators’ Blog this past week, Blue Tooth made a little guide for the new friends pages. Here you can see the fun features, new or revamped, in the 2019-redesigned version of Poptropica friends. Newer features include likes, stickers, a message board, and photo board. As Blue Tooth explains:

Despite the new shiny stuff, Poptropicans have been commenting on what’s been lacking with friends ever since the major overhaul it received early this year. Any veteran Poptropican looking at Blue Tooth’s guide, replete with its wittily captioned screenshots, can see what’s missing from before:

• The ability to add friends by username and see all your friends’ profiles listed. Blue Tooth herself mentions that “no one’s liked my page, yet” (sorry to bring it up, BT)—but if she were to share her username, and if we could add friends by username, you could bet the face of Poptropica’s social media would be lined up with likes. Plus, you can only see about 10 of your friends listed at a time, so even if you had her added, you might not ever find her profile!
• Where did the Photo Booth go? Recently, the Photo Booth disappeared from its spot on Home Island, which is why BT doesn’t have any pics to show us there. Other players who’ve made photos before, and who saved them on their new profiles, should still have them.
• Some customization is for members only. Those fun “bunny swag” (and other swag) stickers and colorful background wallpaper? Members only. Non-members only get to change a measly little mood icon beside their name.
• Which islands have been completed by this player? Calling it the “clout meter,” Blue Tooth’s post does show that the island completion stats are still there, but some Poptropicans miss the old display, where one could scroll through a long collection of medallions and see exactly which ones had been won by the player in question.
• No more Multiverse. While replaced by the Clubhouse, it’s hard to access if you can’t find the friend whose clubhouse you want to visit.

This could turn into another Pop Petition post, so let’s end it here for now. Blue Tooth assures us that “Friending and the Profile WILL be coming to mobile in the near future,” and that, if you have ideas for what else you’d like to see on the profile page, you should leave a comment on the blog.

Anyway, that’s all for this post! Leave your thoughts, questions, and suggestions in the comments, enter your Poptropica Halloween costume into our contest if you haven’t yet, and we’ll see you next time.

Stay friendly, Poptropicans!