Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of one of Nickelodeon’s most popular animated shows SpongeBob SquarePants, died on Monday following a battle with ALS, according to Variety. He was 57 years old.
“We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS,” Nickelodeon said in a statement. “He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”
Hillenburg, who instructed marine biology at Orange County Marine Institute in the mid-1980s, was hired as a director on Nickelodeon’s first in-house (and still one of its best) animated series, Rocko’s Modern Life. He was inspired by one of the show’s writers to turn his comic book The Intertidal Zone, about tide pool animals, into a television series. That led to SpongeBob. The program debuted in 1999, and 240-plus episodes later, it’s still going strong; there’s also two, soon-to-be-three SpongeBob movies, albums, theme park rides, video games, $17 billion in merchandise, and one extremely infectious theme song.
Hillenburg is survived by his wife of 20 years and son.
The tributes began almost immediately.
💛 We are sad to share the news of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Today, we are observing a moment of silence to honor his life and work. 💛
— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) November 27, 2018
Without #Spongebob, we wouldn't have been able to enjoy these memes
RIP Stephen Hillenburg pic.twitter.com/0QBCr46fmX
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/JordanCwierz/status/1067475626355912705
R.I.P. Stephen Hillenburg He made one of the greatest shows of the 2000’s something I didn’t think we can even think of pop culture in this era without Spongebob. Also don’t forget his time on Rocko. One of the great creators in entertainment. This is a sad day
— Jim Rot Video (@JimRotVideo) November 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/mikeshutt15/status/1067481289366953986
https://twitter.com/ryanyeetz/status/1067480000578969605
Dead at 57 is tragically unfair. My heart goes out to Mr. Hillenburg's friends and family. Spongebob made me laugh for so many years and it's 100% earned its place in animation history. https://t.co/URxqp1QQlU
— Chris “Kirbopher” Niosi (@Kirbopher) November 27, 2018
(Via Variety)
