Stephen Hillenburg, "SpongeBob Squarepants" Creator Dies At 57

Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants Creator Died At 57 Of Lateral Sclerosis

• SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg died at 57.
• The great cartoon creator and animation worker died on Monday, 26th November.
• The megahit Nickelodeon series won several awards including both American and British Emmy.
• Hillenburg is survived by his mother, wife, son and his brother.

SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg died on Monday, 26th November at 57.

The Nickelodeon announced the death of the mastermind behind the hit cartoon series on Tuesday on Twitter. They wrote, "We are sad to share the news of the pa s sing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants" on their Twitter post.

 We are sad to share the news of the pa s sing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Today, we are observing a moment of silence to honor his life and work. 

— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) November 27, 2018

Hillenburg died of the ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) with which he was diagnosed in March 2017. Nickelodeon also released a statement tributing the creator where they said,

He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family.

The statement further continued,

Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor 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.

Hillenburg started his career in animation in 1987, before he earned his master's in 1992 at California Institute of Arts in Valencia.

That year, he won the award for the Best Animated Concept at the Ottawa International Animation Festival for Wormholes. Later, he joined the Nickelodeon series Rocko's Modern Life as a director. Then he went on to create SpongeBob SquarePants which premiered on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999.

The megahit Nickelodeon series won both U.S. and British Emmy awards and ASACP awards. Additionally, It was dubbed or subtitled in more than 60 languages.

Hillenburg is survived by his mother Nancy Hillenburg; wife Karen Hillenburg, with whom he had been married for 20 years; son Clay Hillenburg; and brother Brian Kelly Hillenburg.