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Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, is dead. He was 57 years old.
Oklahoma first announced that he was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2017. His 25-year-old employer, Nickelodeon, confirmed Tuesday the death at Polygon of Writer, director and animator.
"We are extremely saddened by the announcement of the death of Steve Hillenburg as a result of a battle against ALS. He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner for everyone at Nickelodeon, and our heart goes out to all his family.
Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of children and families all over the world. His completely original characters and the universe of Bikini Bottom will long remember the value of optimism, friendship and unlimited power of the imagination. "
The network also asked fans to take a moment of silence in memory of Hillenburg. on his Twitter account.
Hillenburg's health problems began in 2017, but he continued to work on his very popular cartoon until his death. After taking the time of the series after the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants movie In 2004, Hillenburg entrusted the reins of showrunning to his long-time creative partner, Paul Tibbitt. But before the release of the second Bob movie sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants: A fish out of the waterHillenburg returned to work full time on the cartoon.
SpongeBob SquarePants started in 1999 and will soon be celebrating its 20th anniversary. Hillenburg has taken another step this year: its 25th year at Nickelodeon. He began his first animation work in 1993, joining Joe Murray and the rest of the newcomers' staff to direct surreal comedy. The modern life of Rocko. Many of his colleagues on this show followed him up to SpongeBob SquarePants following the end of this series in 1996. Bob sponge has since become the longest series in Nickelodeon's history and, with two feature films, even gave birth to a Tony-nominated Broadway play. Another film is in preparation.
The love of oceanography gave birth to the story of a sponge with a simple and always positive spirit. Hillenburg has often spoken of his dedication to the field of traditional animation, but also to marine life; he even worked as a marine biologist before studying the art form. Last September, Hillenburg donated $ 135,000 to his university, Humboldt State University, to fund a grant that will help marine biology students complete their research projects.
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