Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the Nickelodeon animated megahit SpongeBob SquarePants and the nine-time Emmy nominee for this show, died on Monday at his home in Southern California at the age of 57.
The animator, writer and director was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from March 2017. He was best-known for the Emmy-winning Nickelodeon show which aired almost 250 episodes.
Inhabited by a good-natured pineapple-dwelling yellow sponge and a motley crew of sea creatures, the Nickelodeon TV program gained huge popularity with both children and adults over its nearly 20-year run.
“Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere.” said Nickelodeon while mourning Stephen’s death “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 is originally from Oklahoma, started his career teaching marine biology at the Orange County Marine Institute in Dana Point, Calif. He later switched gears to focus on animation, and working on Nickelodeon series Rocko’s Modern Life for about four years in the mid-1990s.
It was at Nickelodeon that his interests in marine biology and animation combined to create SpongeBob SquarePants.
“We are sad to share the news of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants,” mourning the dead, the children’s channel tweeted Tuesday. “Today, we are observing a moment of silence to honor his life and work.”
> Shatabdi Sarker Poushi
'SpongeBob SquarePants’ Creator Stephen Hillenburg Has Died At 57
Will You Support Our Work?
People turns to WhatsOn to understand what's goingOn? We have been empowering through hope & understanding for the last forty years. We’re an independent social enterprise & our journalism is powered by our supporters. Financial contributions from our readers allows us to keep our journalism free for all & to change the world for better. Please support us, with your donation - no matter how small. Your donation makes a real difference, it empowers our activist & academy, and engages wider community groups, & universities - connecting more people. WhatsOn is a change maker, let’s get our future back together!
