ALS diagnosis for creator
FEW people deliver as many round-theclock laughs to so much of the globe. Three-fourths of the planet may be covered by water, but most of the rest of Earth seems to be covered by the ocean’s most wide-eyed character, SpongeBob SquarePants.
Stephen Hillenburg’s multibillion-dollar brainchild has been viewed in at least 170 countries and translated into dozens of languages.
Amid all this success, SpongeBob SquarePants, which was launched as a Saturday morning show in 1999 before moving to prime time, has retained its high creative spirit with creator Hillenburg at the helm for most of those seasons.
And now we’re reminded that we can’t take Hillenburg’s greatness for granted. On Monday, he announced he has ALS. He only recently received the diagnosis that he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease.
Hillenburg, 55, says he plans to continue to work on the series.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I will continue to work on SpongeBob SquarePants and my other passions for as long as I am able. My family and I are grateful for the outpouring of love and support. We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honoured during this time.”
In interviews, Hillenburg always speaks with a focused specificity that reflects his marine biologist’s mind – evidence of his professional life prior to his decision to alter his path toward animation.
Joe Murray, the creator of Nickelodeon’s Rocko’s Modern Life, spotted Hillenburg’s work at a festival and hired him for that show where the rising animator would meet his future SpongeBob title voice actor, Tom Kenny.
Hillenburg created SpongeBob SquarePants with an eye toward joyful innocence. “I think SpongeBob was born out of my love of Laurel and Hardy shorts,” Hillenburg said. “SpongeBob was inspired by that kind of character: the Innocent.” – The Washington Post