800 Neopian Times Sponsors

    Happy 800th edition Neopian Times! It is hard to believe that 800 editions filled with hilarious comics and enchanting stories have come and gone. Yes, the Neopian Times is truly the pinnacle of user creativity where each week I am often amazed by the storytelling abilities of my fellow users or the research involved in an in-depth article. This showcase of original Neopian works has been going on for over 800 issues, which is sincerely incredible. However, behind every issue of the Neopian Times, there is an often forgotten element that helps to make to magic happen, the weekly sponsor. Every edition of the Neopian Times (without fail!) has had a sponsor shown at the bottom of the front page for all readers to observe. The sponsors play in integral part in making sure that each issue of the Times comes together for all Neopians to enjoy at the end of each week. These sponsors rarely get the recognition they deserve so I thought what better way to shine a spotlight on these marvelous contributors than dedicating an article to them in the 800th edition of the Neopian Times! This article will take a comprehensive look at all of the sponsors for the first 795 editions of the Times (I would have loved to do all 800 but articles for the 800th edition need to be in early!). I have gone through each and every edition of the Neopian Times to get information on each sponsor and its witty tagline. To start off this article, I will go through some of the major different types of sponsors over the history of the times and analyze each different category. Second, I will go through some fun facts, followed by a few of the most interesting and hilarious sponsors! Finally, we will close with some of the most memorable catch phrases that accompany each sponsor in their sponsorship recognition. We have a lot to cover in this article so let’s get right in and celebrate (almost) 800 sponsors of the Neopian Times!

    First, let’s go through a brief overview of the different types of sponsors that have supported the Neopian Times over the course of its history. The list of Neopian Times sponsors includes many highly diverse and impressive groups that have all made fantastic contributions to the Times. I have divided the list of sponsors into six main categories (Games, Shops, People/Places, Site Features, Site Events, and Others) in order to make this article and analysis a bit more manageable. We will talk about each one of these categories and the different types of sponsors within each category so that we can get a picture of just how vast the support for the Neopian Times is!

     Games

    Starting off, games have the highest number of sponsors among all categories. This makes sense as the Neopian Times can often contain many different game guides and there is even a trophy for getting into the times! Out of all games currently in the Games Room, 197 of them have currently sponsored an edition of the Neopian Times, with many games sponsoring multiple issues! However, while a vast majority of games has sponsored at least one edition of the Times, there are 59 games currently in the Games Room that have yet to sponsor an issue of the Times. Some notable names missing from the list of sponsors include Advert Attack, Feed Florg, Neoquest I & II, Splat-A-Sloth, and Usuki Frenzy. Regardless of which specific games have and have not yet sponsored an issue of the Neopian Times, the Games Room has been a very supportive figure of the Neopian Times and looks to continue its support of Neopian creativity in the future!

     Shops

    Shops make up the second largest group of sponsors of the Neopian Times. Shopkeepers across Neopia definitely get a boost from the advertising that comes with a Neopian Times sponsorship so the relationship between the Neopian Times and Neopian shops is a mutually beneficial one. At least one shop from every land in Neopia has sponsored an issue of the Times, which is a testament to the widespread popularity of this publication. However, while most shopkeepers have taken advantage of the opportunity to sponsor the Times, there are a small few that have yet to sponsor an issue. A few notable shops that have not yet sponsored an edition of the Times include Wintery Petpets, Café Kreludor, Collectible Coins, and Brightvale Fruits. Shops are definitely eager and willing to support the Neopian Times and show no sign of stopping anytime soon!

     People/Places

    Our third category is a bit of a mix of sponsors comprised of individuals, worlds, and places within worlds that have all sponsored an issue of the Neopian Times. For some reason, it is rare for an entire land to come together to sponsor an issue with individual places within each land more likely to sponsor an issue instead. For example, the land of Meridell has never sponsored an issue of the Neopian Times, but Turdle Racing and the Meridell Rubbish Dump have each individually sponsored an issue. This may just be each special place within each land wanting its own separate recognition as a sponsor, which makes perfect sense! Aside from worlds and places, occasionally individuals will step up and sponsor an issue all by themselves; however, this is a fairly rare occurrence. While the individuals that have sponsored an issue of the Neopian Times range from Jeran to Balthazar, all are surely welcome to help support the Times!

     Site Features/Contests

    The Neopian Times is not the only showcase of Neopian creativity, and the creative communities in Neopia definitely support each other! Our fourth category consists primarily of other site contests and features. Contests include various spotlights such as the Art Gallery, User Lookup Spotlight, and the Petpet Spotlight. In fact, the only active contests that have not yet sponsored the Neopian Times are the Booktastic Book Award and the PPL award. It is truly incredible how the creative contests in Neopia support each other! Other sponsors in this category include various Neopian features such as the News Page or the How to Draw Pages. I am sure we will continue to see a diverse mix of Neopian Times sponsors from this category as the Times continues to promote Neopian creativity!

     Site Events

    Looking back on the sponsors of the Neopian Times can be like looking back at the history of Neopia. Often times, whenever a major site event is occurring some aspect of that event will sponsor the Times. Many events such as the Altador Cup, Daily Dare, Mysterious Obelisk, and Festival of Neggs have all had their name on the bottom of the Neopian Times at some point in its history. It is great that when important events happen on the site, they really permeate all aspects of Neopia, including the Neopian Times! The Times is like a snapshot of Neopian history every week for 800 issues and the inclusion of site events as sponsors really help put each issue into context!

     Other

    Finally, our last category is pretty much all other sponsors that did not really fit neatly into any of our other five categories. I won’t go into too much detail about this section since some of these sponsors are truly unique and are featured in the later section as some of my favorite sponsors! The Other category includes a wide range of sponsors, which truly shows that the Neopian Times reaches almost all corners of Neopia and is sincerely a publication for all!

     Fun Facts

    Now that we have gone through the different types of sponsors of the Neopian Times, I wanted to go through some fun facts about the history of Neopian Times sponsors! In honor of the 800th issues, I am going to highlight eight weird, crazy, and interesting facts that show the illustrious history of the Neopian Times sponsor! Let’s begin!

    1. The first sponsor of the Neopian Times in its current form was The Rainbow Pool way back on the 10th Day of Hiding in Y3.

    2. The Advent Calendar has sponsored the most issues of the Neopian Times currently with 12 issues sponsored!

    3. The shortest time between sponsorship by the same sponsor is two editions, with Desert Diplomacy sponsoring issues 657 and 659. No sponsor has ever sponsored an issue of the Times in consecutive weeks.

    4. The longest time between sponsorships by the same sponsor is the Draik Nest, with a whopping 691 editions between its first sponsorship in issue 57 and its second sponsorship in issue 748.

    5. Illusen and Jhudora have had quite a rivalry when it comes to Neopian Times sponsorships, with both faeries sponsoring seven editions a piece of the Neopian Times.

    6. Speaking of rivalries, King Skarl has sponsored three editions of the Neopian Times while King Hagan, with all of his scholarly prowess has yet to sponsor an issue of the Times!

    7. One last rivalry here! Cap’n Threelegs and his Academy have sponsored four editions of the Neopian Times, starting all the way back in Issue 7! One the other hand, the Techo Master and his Training School still have not sponsored an issue!

    8. The Neopian Times has actually sponsored itself! In Issue 605, The Neopian Times was sponsored by The Neopian Times, which goes to show that truly anyone or anything can sponsor the Times!

     Author’s Picks

    To finish off our exploration of Neopian Times sponsors, I wanted to single out a few of the most wacky and one-of-a-kind sponsors that have graced the front page of the Times. Along with the actual sponsor itself, I also wanted to highlight some of the wittiest catchphrases that accompany each sponsorship. Once again, in honor of the 800th issue, I will highlight eight of each that I think truly embody the wonderful and zany nature of the Neopian Times!

     Sponsors:

    1. Two Cool Guys in Singapore (Edition #43): I think this has to be the most unique sponsor, as it has to do with a real life Neopets event! Regardless, it is very cool that events that occur outside of the realm of Neopia still make an appearance in the Neopian Times!

    2. The Virtupets Maintenance Tunnels (Edition #328): This sponsor was featured in conjunction with The Return of Dr. Sloth plot. Theses maintenance tunnels are no ordinary maintenance tunnels and played a key role in thwarting Dr. Sloth’s evil plan, with their reward being a Neopian Time sponsorship!

    3. The Dr. Sloth Appreciation Society (Edition #528): On the opposite end of the Dr. Sloth spectrum, we have his appreciation society. Appropriately, this edition of the Times coincided with Sloth Appreciation Day so how could one deny his appreciation society a sponsorship!

    4. Roo Island Gummy Dice Industry Council (Edition #538): Who knew that Roo Island had a council dedicated entirely to the Gummy Dice Industry! However, with all of their hard work regulating the industry and preventing future gummy dice attacks, this sponsorship is surely well deserved!

    5. The Water Tower (Edition #637): Hmm, a water tower seems to be a bit of an odd choice to be Neopian Times Sponsor. However, this water tower has a secret, which was revealed during the Coincidence event. During the event, even the Neopian Times couldn’t help but speculate what was actually happening along with the rest of Neopia.

    6. The Map of Neopia (Edition #664): As mentioned before, truly anyone or anything can be a sponsor of the Neopian Times, so why not everyone and everything? With the Map of Neopia being a sponsor, all lands put aside their differences to support a fantastic issue of the Neopian Times!

    7. Neopets (Edition #707): I could not think of a better sponsor than Neopets itself. This site has given us all so much and in honor of the site’s 16th birthday, it got a very special Neopian Times sponsorship opportunity!

    8. No one. Seriously, there is nothing here. (Edition #715): Well it is a bit strange to not have a sponsor for an issue the Neopian Times. I wonder if this has anything to do with a mythical world of jelly… nah! That’s probably not it!

     Catchphrases:

    1. Here’s a Metaphor You (Poetry Contest, Edition #29): Who doesn’t love a good pun? The Poetry Contest truly has a way with words and they displayed it during their sponsorship in edition #29!

    2. Made with Haunted Wood (Spooky Furniture, Edition #64): When you really think about it, the land of the Haunted Woods is actually filled with haunted wood! Well, know we know what happens to all that wood, it is turned into spooky furniture!

    3. A Mine’s a Terrible Thing to Waste (Doubloon Disaster II, Edition #277): Who says poets are the only ones who can come up with good puns? The pirates surely went all out with their catchphrase for Doubloon Disaster II and this pun was definitely a hit!

    4. Go KIKO LAKE! Oh wait… (Altador Cup III, Edition #348): This catchphrase is quite a bit shadier than the others on this list are. If one recalls, Kiko Lake was excluded from the third edition of the Altador Cup and the Altador Cup committee really must have wanted Kiko Lake fans to remember that with this catchphrase. Ouch!

    5. Take a Ride on Terror Mountain Public Transit (Snow Roller, Edition #382): I love imagining a giant snowball as the way Terror Mountain residents travel around the land. This characterization of Snow Roller is incredible imaginative and may someday (hopefully!) may become a reality!

    6. Poisoned by Jhudora? You’re Not Alone (The Pharmacy, Edition #531): With this catchphrase, one gets the feeling that the Pharmacy has seen it all. Surely, we have all been in the situation where we have received an unexpected surprise after consuming one of Jhudora’s unwholesome goodies. The Pharmacy will have just the thing to bring you right back up into maximum health!

    7. Maraquans: Secret Inventors of Bubble Wrap (Jubble Bubble, Edition #648): Maraquans definitely know the safety that comes with being surrounded by bubbles. With Jubble Bubble being all about protecting JubJubs with bubbles, they certainly are the inventors of a special kind of bubble protection!

    8. Show Someone How Much You Really Love Them This Week with a Reservation at Kelp (Kelp Restaurant, Edition #769): When Valentine’s Day comes around, a reservation at Kelp is almost impossible to come by. Kelp wants to make sure everyone knows the prestige that comes with one of these special reservations with this Neopian Times catchphrase!

    Well there you have it, a brief history and analysis of (almost) 800 Neopian Times sponsors. As you can see, the list of Times sponsors is as expansive as Neopia itself and I am sure we will see even more wacky and eccentric sponsors and catchphrases appear at the bottom of future editions of the Times. Happy 800th edition Neopian Times, here’s to 800 more wonderful issues!