WATCH: Spa-Con V sees Squidward, cosplay galore

Word of the day: Cosplay

The activity or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction (such as a comic book, video game, or television show).*

Rodger Bumpass, the voice actor who has played everyone's favorite grumpy squid on the Nickelodeon series Spongebob Squarepants for more than two decades, was the featured guest at Spa-Con V over the weekend. In his Q&A on Saturday, Bumpass delivered an entertaining hour of bringing some of Squidward's most iconic lines to life and reminiscing on fan-favorite episodes. And don't let his notoriously monotonous character fool you — Bumpass in real-life is hilarious. Check out some of Saturday's Q&A below:

The three day convention, concluding today and held in the Hot Springs Convention Center, brought more than just Spongebob Squarepants superfans. Come one, come all; over the weekend the center was crawling with cosplayers of favorite characters, and of just sheer imagination. It was a weekend for fandom and creativity to shine.

It all started with an opening concert by musical artist NUR-D on Friday. On Saturday, the day was filled with workshops, panels, activities, expo hall visits and a costume contest. Highlights of the day— other than the obvious Bumpass Q&A — included a workshop on mask sculpting with local Special FX Artist Tony Buck, a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate video game tournament and a Dynamic Figure Drawing Class with comic book artist Rags Morales.

Take a look at all the fun in the gallery below:

*Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Cosplay. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 25, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosplay