Stephen Hillenburg, who died of ALS, drew on his love of the sea to create the cheerfully absurd SpongeBob SquarePants and an array of aquatic side charactersThe beloved show spawned hundreds of episodes for Nickelodeon, two movies and a Broadway musical
Stephen Hillenburg, who created SpongeBob SquarePants and the absurd undersea world the title character inhabited, has died at age 57, Nickelodeon announced on Tuesday.
Hillenburg died Monday of Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, the cable network said in a statement.
Hillenburg had announced he had the disease in March 2017.
An Oklahoma native with a love of both drawing and marine biology, Hillenburg conceived, wrote, produced and directed the animated series that began in 1999 and went on to spawn hundreds of episodes, two movies and a Broadway musical.
“He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family,” Nickelodeon’s statement said. “Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humour 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.
