SpongeBob SquarePants creator dies at 57

Stephen Hillenburg, the biology teacher turned creative genius behind the wildly successful SpongeBob SquarePants children’s animation series has died, Nickelodeon announced on Tuesday. He was 57. Hillenburg passed away on Monday from ALS – Lou Gehrig’s disease, associates said.

He created the hit Nickelodeon series, launched in 1999, which recounted the adventures of a yellow sponge and his friends in the make-believe city of Bikini Bottom in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

Instantly appealing to young children, their families and college students, it turned into a licensing and merchandising phenomenon, winning awards and being aired in more than 60 languages, including Azerbaijani.

The network said: “He was a beloved friend and longtime creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon and our hearts go out to his entire family.

“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,” it added.”

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, released in 2004, went on to gross more than $140 million (R1.95 billion) worldwide, with voiceovers from Scarlett Johansson and Alec Baldwin.

Hillenburg announced last year that he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease.

He was nominated for nine Emmys.

Hillenburg was born on a US Army post in Lawton, Oklahoma. – AFP