Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, dies of Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 57

published

November 28, 2018 7:56:27 AM

The creator of SpongeBob SquarePants and the absurd underwater world he lived in, Stephen Hillenburg, died at age 57, Nickelodeon announced.

Hillenburg died on Monday of Lou Gehrig's disease, a motor neuron disease also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), said the cable network in a statement.

Hillenburg had announced that he had the disease in March 2017.

A native of Oklahoma, Hillenburg has designed, written, produced and directed the animated series that debuted in 1999 and which gave birth to hundreds of episodes, films and a Broadway show .

"He was a beloved friend and a long-time creative partner for everyone at Nickelodeon, and our heart goes out to his entire family," said Nickelodeon's release.

"Steve conferred on SpongeBob SquarePants a sense of unique humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of children and families around the world.

"His completely original characters and Bikini Bottom's universe will long recall the value of optimism, friendship and unlimited power of imagination."

"An innocent man in a world of jaded characters"

SpongeBob, an absurdly cheerful fellow, his fellow starfish, Patrick, and a vast group of ocean creatures quickly seduced students and parents, as well as children.

"The fact that it's underwater and isolated from our world helps the characters maintain their own culture," Hillenburg said in 2001.

"The essence of the series is that SpongeBob is an innocent in a world of jaded characters, the rest is an absurd wrapping."

Born in his father's army in Lawton, Oklahoma, Hillenburg graduated from Humboldt State University in 1984 with a degree in natural resource planning and then taught marine biology at Orange University. County Marine Institute.

He then turned to drawing and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Animation from the California Institute of the Arts in 1992.

The same year, he created an animated short called Wormholes that won applause at festivals and helped him land a job in the Nickelodeon, Modern Life series.

He worked there from 1993 to 1996 before beginning to create Spongebob's Bikini Bottom underwater world, which testifies to his knowledge of marine life and his willingness to throw all the details out of the window.

"We know that fish do not work and that there is no organized community with roads, where cars are really boats," he said.

"And if you know a lot about sponges, you know that live sponges are not square."

The show was an immediate success that has not lost its dynamism for nearly 20 years since its inception.

His nearly 250 episodes have won four Emmys and 15 Kids Choice Awards, creating an endless range of products to compete with any other pop culture of the 2000s.

"A truly generous and kind person"

In 2004, the show went on the big screen with The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and a sequel to The SpongeBob Movie 2015: Sponge Out of Water.

A musical adaptation on stage opened on Broadway in 2017, with music by stars such as Steven Tyler, Sara Bareilles and John Legend.

He has won 12 Tony Award nominations, including one for the best performance of a lead actor for Ethan Slater.

"I am sorry to hear about the death of Stephen Hillenburg," Slater said in an email.

"By working on SpongeBob, I've known him not only as a creative genius, but as a truly generous and kind person.

"He warmly welcomed us to Broadway as new members of his wonderful Spongebob family, and clearly explained from the start why he was so loved: a sincere kindness."

Hillenburg leaves behind his wife Karen Hillenburg, his son Clay, his mother Nancy Hillenburg and his brother Brian Kelly Hillenburg.

AP

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