What do you think?
Rate this book
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Art of an Undersea World
Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 3, 2026
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐ Facts | Animation | Pop Culture
Thank you to IDW Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Art of an Undersea World offers a deep dive into the evolution of the iconic character's design we know and love. The book showcases concept art, character sketches, and behind-the-scenes details that reveal how SpongeBob and his friends became the recognizable figures that have entertained audiences for decades.
It also includes snippets from every SpongeBob movie, including detailed coverage of the latest 2025 release.
I look forward to seeing my favorite character besides SpongeBob,Fred, the “My legs!” guy, and I was glad to see his appearance in his hilariously battered state, perfectly reflecting his comically unlucky character. The book also includes additional lesser-known characters; even as a long-time fan, you might discover a character you haven't seen much.
This book is a treat for fans of the series, animation enthusiasts, or anyone curious about the creative process behind one of the most enduring pop culture phenomenas.
Thank you to IDW Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Art of an Undersea World offers a deep dive into the evolution of the iconic character's design we know and love. The book showcases concept art, character sketches, and behind-the-scenes details that reveal how SpongeBob and his friends became the recognizable figures that have entertained audiences for decades.
It also includes snippets from every SpongeBob movie, including detailed coverage of the latest 2025 release.
I look forward to seeing my favorite character besides SpongeBob,Fred, the “My legs!” guy, and I was glad to see his appearance in his hilariously battered state, perfectly reflecting his comically unlucky character. The book also includes additional lesser-known characters; even as a long-time fan, you might discover a character you haven't seen much.
This book is a treat for fans of the series, animation enthusiasts, or anyone curious about the creative process behind one of the most enduring pop culture phenomenas.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC REVIEW
I requested this book mainly for the nostalgia factor. I'm 29 years old and with my older brother we still quote SpongeBob when the opportunity arises. So this book certainly delivered everything I wanted but also made me acquainted with a lot of other information I wasn’t aware of. For example I had no idea that The Patrick Star show or Kamp Koral existed.
Something that bothers me is that many if not all images are very blurry and if I zoomed in it was impossible to tell what was going on but it got worse when there were annotations. I don’t know if it was a compression issue but for an art book it is a bit disappointing.
Personally, I have never followed the movies too much past the first one. Something about the transition into CGI feels off and hasn't worked for me. However, revising the concept art and light keys for the last movie currently out, was a blast. The color palettes are exquisite and so vibrant. And lastly the characters themselves. I finally see life back into them with the original charm and spark of the show.
All in all, I enjoyed this book tremendously. It brought my love for the show and characters back to the surface and it may cause me to sink into Bikini Bottom very soon.
I requested this book mainly for the nostalgia factor. I'm 29 years old and with my older brother we still quote SpongeBob when the opportunity arises. So this book certainly delivered everything I wanted but also made me acquainted with a lot of other information I wasn’t aware of. For example I had no idea that The Patrick Star show or Kamp Koral existed.
Something that bothers me is that many if not all images are very blurry and if I zoomed in it was impossible to tell what was going on but it got worse when there were annotations. I don’t know if it was a compression issue but for an art book it is a bit disappointing.
Personally, I have never followed the movies too much past the first one. Something about the transition into CGI feels off and hasn't worked for me. However, revising the concept art and light keys for the last movie currently out, was a blast. The color palettes are exquisite and so vibrant. And lastly the characters themselves. I finally see life back into them with the original charm and spark of the show.
All in all, I enjoyed this book tremendously. It brought my love for the show and characters back to the surface and it may cause me to sink into Bikini Bottom very soon.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the early copy!
I adore spongebob, always have and always will. it's an absolute comfort show that I still watch today, along with the films and spin-offs. This book gives insight into how the show came to be, and all the shows and films that followed. The art was also beautiful to see. Any fans of spongebob and Animation would love to give this a read.
I adore spongebob, always have and always will. it's an absolute comfort show that I still watch today, along with the films and spin-offs. This book gives insight into how the show came to be, and all the shows and films that followed. The art was also beautiful to see. Any fans of spongebob and Animation would love to give this a read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Amazing read! The introduction to Spongebob Squarepants world. Early sketches. Details of Bikini Bottom. Now i know of of Spongebob squarepants world. Love this book!!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews