An article by the Rumor Reporter
The Rumor Reporter is an unseen character that has written "Island Rumors" sections in various issues of the Club Penguin Times, replacing Upcoming Events whenever they appear, since August 2014; since March 2016 they were in the Secrets section instead. These posts vary from questioning established information, theorizing about unusual occurrences on the island, or simply comments from the reporter. Some may have been hints to upcoming events, references to recently released content, or simply world-building/flavor text. Occasionally, Island Rumors sections were written by other characters, primarily before the Rumor Reporter's debut.
The Rumor Reporter is not unique within the Club Penguin Times; several other articles have been attributed to unseen "Reporters". Some of the others include a Space Reporter for the Star Wars Takeover, a Student Reporter for the School & Skate Party, and a History Reporter in a few issues, such as the Secrets in Issue 557. The Rumor Reporter was the most prominent of these, however.
Island Rumors articles[]
| Issue | Rumor | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Issue 461: "Ninjas Searching for Truth!" | The reporter wonders about the list of five ninja truths Sensei published in the previous issue (which in turn was a follow-up to a question at the end of episode 5 of The Spoiler Alert), which asked ninjas to find which of five statements are true: he has a brother, there is a secret clan of kunoichi, penguins have learned to practice hidden styles including Shadow and Cheese, the EPF clashes with ninjas often, and some black belts trained caveguins penguins while traveling to the past. The reporter wonders if more than one is true. | The amount of information on these five statements range from small to nonexistent. There have never been any other mentions of Sensei having a brother or any sort of relatives, a clan of kunoichi, or black belts training caveguins. Elements besides fire, water, and snow have been joked about on occasion but cannot be practiced by players. As stated later by Sensei, ninjas and the EPF sometimes compete in hide and seek; the former hides while the latter seeks, although no interaction between these groups beyond this is clear.[1] |
| Issue 465: "Herby Werby Hanging Around?" | According to "secret sources", Herbert P. Bear had been stuck in a cave deep in the wilderness (following being carried by puffles during Operation: Puffle) until Klutzy recently found him. | No mention was made elsewhere on where Herbert was, but Jet Pack Guy did indeed report Klutzy found him, in EPF Phone messages in September 2014. |
| Issue 470: "Ghost Puffle?" | The reporter notes that myth-hunters are reporting the existence of ghost puffles all over the "renovated" Puffle Hotel during the Halloween Party 2014 and asks if anyone has any theories on why the ghost puffles arrived. | It is not explained why the ghost puffles appeared or where they came from. |
| Issue 473: "Herbert Underwater?" | The reporter reveals receiving news from an Elite Penguin Force insider that Herbert might have built a submarine, and to report any periscope sightings. | Herbert later appears in We Wish You a Merry Walrus in a submarine, used to carry out his plans. Blueprints for the submarine previously were seen on ClubHerbert.com, which he stole from Gary in October 2014. |
| Issue 481: "Box Dimension Weirdness" | The reporter points out how weird the Box Dimension is, and that only Rookie is the only one who thinks it makes sense- not even Gary the Gadget Guy understands it. The reporter lists what can be found in the dimension, including Plok and silly hats. | N/A |
| Issue 487: "Sasquatch Sightings" | The reporter mentions more and more reports of a mysterious unnamed creature, which some are referring to as Sasquatch, have been coming in. The reporter wonders if he is looking for something or someone. | Sasquatch, labeled in-game as "??????", first appeared as a mascot several months prior, in August 2014. A few weeks later during the Puffle Party 2015, the Sasquatch made his proper debut and was looking for food. |
| Issue 492: "Attic Storage Hides Treasures" | The reporter discusses the new Lodge Attic remodel, the "Mystery Attic", and the many objects from throughout Club Penguin history now stored within. However, the reporter is unable to determine the meaning of some items and wonders what they mean and if they are connected: the footprint mold, a map to an island, and a picture of a landscape. | None of these specific objects are ever explained. The footprint mold was later depicted in the ?????? Footprint pin, and resembles the shape of the Sasquatch's feet. The "picture of a landscape" may refer to the picture of the Wilds, showing a large puffle-shaped mountain. |
| Issue 494: "Sled Racer Legend" | The reporter talks about rumors regarding a new racer that has recently appeared at the Tallest Mountain named Intothemoat. Wearing his "signature hat and long hair", he has been topping the Sled Racer leaderboards recently. The reporter wonders if someone will be able to topple his score. | Intothemoat is a Club Penguin staff member that appeared both as a penguin and in-person in a Sled Racer 2.0 update video.[2] His high score was 9311 and was beaten quickly. He later made a blog post offering his respect to everyone that beat the score and gave some gameplay tips.[3] |
| Issue 500: "Gariannaโs Mysteries" | The reporter reviews information about Garianna the witch, such as how she is Gary's ancestor and owned a spell book with potion recipes and the method of finding gold puffles. The reporter mentions that nobody has met her, and wonders what happened to her or if she has connection to Scorn the Dragon King. The reporter also mentions Gary is not revealing any information, and considers visiting the Lodge Attic to try and learn more. | Although it is never mentioned what happened to Garianna, the Club Penguin Magazine comic from issue 35, "Gary's Quest!", portrays her accidentally summoning Scorn. This comic also depicts Gary meeting her, by traveling back in time to help her stop Scorn who she accidentally summoned. |
| Issue 502: "Everyday Phoning Facility" | The reporter points out how the Everyday Phoning Facility is unusual, questioning if anyone uses the phones inside, and notes seeing many penguins leave but few enter, wondering if they "teleport inside or something". | The Everyday Phoning Facility is the cover for the Elite Penguin Force's headquarters. The EPF Spy Phone can be used to teleport directly into headquarters. |
| Issue 504: "Conspiracies Abound!" | The reporter posts an update on the last article, mentioning many conspiracy theorists submitted theories about the Everyday Phoning Facility. The reporter shares some believe the facility is a portal to another dimension, and others believe aliens use it to communicate. Some are noted as believing the facility is the EPF headquarters and Aunt Arctic is their Director, but the reporter is doubtful, not thinking Aunt Arctic as cut out to be a spymaster. | Despite the reporter's doubts, Aunt Arctic is indeed the Director of the EPF, which was revealed a few years prior during Operation: Blackout. |
| Issue 507: "Rockhopper in Trouble?" | The reporter expresses concern for Rockhopper's well-being, as his messages in bottles shown in recent newspaper issues seem to suggest he may have gotten cursed by the Wheel of Potent Cheese he found. The reporter wonders if Rockhopper was so cursed he forgot how to get to Rockhopper Island or Club Penguin. | Shortly after, Rockhopper ends up inexplicably washing ashore on Club Penguin but with memory loss, prompting the Inside Out Party to help him recover his memories. |
| Issue 512: "Gary's Mad Science!" | The reporter points out how although Gary's inventions are great, they take many tries to get them right, starting at version 1 and are generally perfect by attempt 3000. The reporter wonders what happens to the other, likely dangerous, 2999 versions, questioning what could happen if Herbert or Rookie got ahold of them. | Some pre-3000 inventions have been seen on occasion, mostly on display in the Gadget Room, but for the most part it is never explained what happens to the prototypes. Rookie and Herbert have not been seen acquiring the prototypes, although Herbert has used Gary's blueprints on a few occasions and built what was depicted on them, such as the Electromagnet 3000, and after this article, Herbot (with the MascBots' blueprints). |
| Issue 524: "Tinfoil Hats" | The reporter notes that Tinfoil Hats have recently appeared, although nobody is sure where they come from. A few penguins are asked about it and a chef thinks they could be used as a pizza heater, while a shopper advises against it, believing boas to be a better option. Rookie guesses they are either from aliens or someone using it to wrap sandwiches. | Rookie's first guess is correct- Tinfoil Hats can be received from being abducted by the UFO, which debuted shortly before this article was published. Abductions happened at specific times in several outdoor rooms, and anyone abducted received a Tinfoil Hat. |
| Issue 529: "Gary Digging into the Past" | The reporter talks about how Gary has been trying to solve the recent UFO problem (its power source was stolen by Herbert) and has been taking the Time Trekker 3000 into the past. The reporter wonders if he is trying to get help from his ancestor Garugg the Ugg Ugg or if there is something in prehistoric times that could help the UFO. | As revealed a month later, Gary indeed found something to power the UFO in the past, power fragments, and the Prehistoric Party 2016 is held to gather them. |
| Issue 533: "Bears and Wolves" | The reporter announces that bears and wolves have been spotted in Club Penguin, in both the Forest and the Mall. The reporter thinks wolves in the Mall "make sense" since they "love a good sale" but wonders why bears would be there, wondering if they like escalators. | Any meaning behind this is unclear; likely is in reference to players roleplaying. |
| Issue 536: "Power Fragments Linked to Mysterious Meteor?" | The reporter questions the recently-uncovered power fragments from prehistoric times, unsure of how they work and what they are capable of. The reporter theorizes the fragments came from the purple Meteor that struck Club Penguin in 2012, which caused penguins to temporarily gain super powers, and notes how dangerous such power is, demanding answers. | Gary hypothesizes in Issue 534 that the fragments came from ancient meteors, but since the fragments are from prehistoric times, they would not have come from the same Meteor that struck in 2012, millions of years later. However, the Meteor and fragments both have very similar designs and contain great power. |
| Issue 538: "Power Source Plans?" | As a dance party caused by a laser of Herbert's appears at the Snow Forts (Operation: Tri-umph), the reporter points out that Herbert still has the power source he stole, and he just happened to build a laser right after. Figuring Herbert would not intentionally start a dance party, the reporter wonders what Herbert's next plan is. | While it is not clear why a dance party occurred at the Snow Forts (Gary speculates in the same issue this was simply a mistake on Herbert's part), the laser (and two more that appeared later) was indeed powered by the power source Herbert stole earlier. At the end of Operation: Tri-umph, the source is recovered by the EPF. |
| Issue 541: "Where Do the Items That Puffles Dig Up Come From?" | The rumor questions how the items puffles can dig up ended up underground, and speculates they came from the Box Dimension, wondering how puffles can dig up inter-dimensional items. | No explanation is ever provided on where Puffle Digging items come from. A comic in issue 458 of the Club Penguin Times depicts Blue Border Collie puffles burying only Bunny Slippers, although the digging mechanic predates this puffle's introduction and arrival on Club Penguin. |
Other[]
These Island Rumors articles were written by other characters (if at all), usually before the debut of Rumor Reporter.
| Issue | Rumor | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Issue 432 (by Aunt Arctic) | Aunt Arctic wonders about rumors she has heard about something large swimming near the Iceberg. She notes Gary's concerns about changes in the past affecting the present. | During the second week of the Prehistoric Party 2014, ongoing at the time, a Megalodon encased in Scary Ice in the past disappeared, and wound up in the present day somehow. Since then it has appeared swimming near the present-day Iceberg every hour. |
| Issue 435 (by Aunt Arctic) | Aunt Arctic shares some rumors she has heard about the Amazement Park: the merguins in the Marooned Lagoon come to life at night and visit the Hidden Lake, and the Herbert and crab cutout targets in Bullseye are "a little too lifelike". | Merguins do not appear in the Marooned Lagoon, although a fake one appears in the nearby Buccaneer Boats, but there is no indication it can come to life. There is also no mention of the real Herbert and/or Klutzy ever appearing in Bullseye. |
| Issue 447 & Issue 503: "Puffle Bands" (by Cadence) | Cadence talks about how ever since puffles learned how to "speak" (sound effects when performing the recently-introduced Puffle Tricks), rumors have circulated that they may have formed bands. She wonders if they have been told to do this or are doing it on their own. | While players can cause these sound effects at will, which all other players in the same room can hear, no mention is made of this happening narratively. |
| Issue 10448: "Microbots Searching Club Penguin?" | Mentions how in the future, Microbots have been descending to Club Penguin, seemingly to search for the technology the Ultimate Protobot 10000 wants. It is also speculated Protobot launched the bots himself, like he does with meteors. | Gary 3000 mentions in both the same issue of the newspaper, and his mascot scripts, that Protobot is indeed looking for space travel technology, and is the one launching the Microbots. |
| Issue 546: "The Statue in the Wilds" (by Aunt Arctic) | Aunt Arctic wonders about the large penguin-like statue in the Wilds. She somehow was able to ask various puffle creatures about it but their stories varied; most say it was built by ancient puffles that heard rumors about penguins, and unicorn puffles claim it is just a place for them to pose on. She also wonders if ancient puffles built anything else. | The origin of the statue is not mentioned otherwise. Penguins have been depicted alongside puffles as far back in time as hatching dinosaur puffles during the Prehistoric Party 2014, so "ancient puffles" building it while only "hearing rumors about penguins" is unclear. |
Trivia[]
- Rumor Reporter wrote a few other articles in the Club Penguin Times besides Island Rumors:
- The Feature Story in issue 526, about strange sightings in the new Area 501.
- The Support Story in issue 541, containing a leaked EPF document about Rookie's performance report, by Jet Pack Guy.
- The Secrets in issue 543, wondering if Glitterpants has a rivalry with blue crystal puffles.
- The Secrets in issue 545, speculating on where the Sasquatch may have come from; this was revealed to be the Sasquatch Village a few weeks later.
- The Secrets in 565, wondering about if the Iceberg can be tipped.
- The Secrets in 565, questioning what kind of mysteries could exist in Club Penguin Island.
Names in other languages[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | Repรณrter Especulativo |
| French | Chasseur de Rumeurs |
| Spanish | Reportero de rumores |
| German | Gerรผchte-Reporter |
| Russian | ะััะฝะฐะปะธัั-ัะฟะปะตัะฝะธะบ |
References[]
- โ Sensei scripts: Haiku Day - "EPF Hide and Seek"
- โ VIDEO: Sled Racer App Updates are Coming Soon!
- โ Guest Post: Intothemoat and Sled Racer Tips