The Greatest, Exciting Con in Arkansas

You must be wondering why I decided to do a review of a con almost a year after attending such event. A busy work schedule and I needed to take care of myself mentally and physically. The last time I wrote a review about a con was nearly four years ago. That con was Arkansas Comic Con, which is held in Little Rock every September. You can read my experiences from that event by going to my profile and then heading to my stories. Without further ado, let's get on with the review.

In case you're not familiar with Spa-Con, it's a three -day pop culture and comic convention held at the Hot Springs Convention Center in Hot Springs, Arkansas every year around late September, while Arkansas Comic Con is usually held the second weekend in September. The seventh installment of Spa-Con will take place on September 22-24 2023. I used to live in Hot Springs for two years, from 2010-2012, while attending college, so returning there to attend a con was a bit emotional for me. I always wanted to attend Spa-Con for who knows how long, but I've heard great things about it. I've asked one of my cosplay friends if this con was worth attending for me and he said highly recommended it. Three weeks before heading to Hot Springs, I announced on Instagram that I was going to my first con in almost three years. My cosplay line up consisted of only two cosplays: Superman and Iron Spider Ranger. My excitement was hard to contain and I invited a friend to accompany me to the event. September 23: I woke up and was getting prepared to leave Fayetteville and head to Hot Springs with my friend, who has never been to a convention in his life. It was an opportunity for me to show him firsthand on what a convention is like and introduced him to one of my cosplay friends. It was going to be a long drive, which I'm used to whenever I have to attend a con outside my area. We didn't arrive in Hot Springs until sometime later in the afternoon. I was planning on going as the Green Lantern for the first day of the con, but went with Superman instead.

When I arrived at the convention center after we settled down at a Motel 6, we picked up our badges and I posed for a super photo (no pun intended), as you can see above. This was my first time attending Spa-Con and the atmosphere was out of this world, which leads me to sharing a bit about one of my cosplay friends who has been a cosplay guest at this con for years.

Gregory and I have been friends for almost six years. The first time we met each other was at a con in North Little Rock in November 2017. I turned 30 earlier that week and the con started on that Friday. He went as Doctor Strange and I asked if I could take a picture of him. Since then, we've hung out at different cons two other times, including Spa-Con. Also, you can catch Gregory at San Diego Comic Con, which he's very popular at the event and I enjoy his many stories from there. So if you see someone as Doctor Strange or Mr. Fantastic at a con, chances are that you've ran into Gregory. Be sure to say hello to him, ask him for a photo, and tell him that Texxx-Man Cosplay sent you. Just like Spa-Con, I've heard that SDCC is a great con and one of the largest events in the U.S. Going back to Spa-Con, the first day of the con was electrifying and everyone was enjoying themselves. I have several pics of me with a large inflatable Incredible Hulk in two different cosplays, which you can see on my Instagram page.

Day two of the event was even more exciting, which I'll go into more detail in a bit. The Iron Spider Ranger was the cosplay I went as and by the way, the belt and helmet were made by my amazing cosplay craftsman of many years, Johnny. I did a free photo op with one of the celebrity guests, ran into and chatted with my other cosplay friends I haven't seen since early 2020, and gone to pre-judging for the cosplay contest, which was going to take place that evening.

The most exciting part of the evening was the cosplay contest. After the introductions of the cosplay judges, guests, and others were made, the winners of the cosplay contest were announced. I was happy and excited for each of the winners. The point of taking part in cosplay contests is to have fun, even if you don't win any of the categories. As a two-time cosplay contest winner myself, taking part in them is not only something I look forward to, but they have boosted my confidence. Win or lose, I always remind myself that having fun is the most important part. I don't obsess with winning. If it happens, it happens and if it doesn't, it doesn't. I don't take it personally.

To close out the night, I took part in an awesome cosplay group photo. As you can see in the previous picture, my legs were starting to cramp up badly as we had the photo taken and it took a while for the confetti to be released. The photo was finally taken and the confetti eventually came out. My legs were very sore after that group photo, but it was worth it. I took one more photo with another cosplay friend I haven't seen in a while before leaving the convention center.

I had plans of attending the last day of the event, but my friend and I decided to head back to Fayetteville the next morning.

Days after having a great time at Spa-Con, I wore this amazing shirt. It reminded me of the wonderful experiences I've had there. So what did I think of Spa-Con? Out of all the cons I've attended, this one in particular was the most exciting of them all. The staff were so nice and helpful. I got to see familiar and new faces. I thank Gregory for making that weekend worthwhile for me and whenever I do have the time, I would attend Spa-Con again. If you're looking for a convention that filled with fun and excitement, look no further than Spa-Con. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a positive convention experience. If Spa-Con were to invite me as a cosplay guest, which I've never done before, I would be grateful and elated. Being a cosplay guest at a con is still on my bucket list, as well as having my own panel. For someone who attended Spa-Con for the first time, it was a fun-filled weekend I'll remember forever.

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