Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the popular cartoon character, SpongeBob Squarepants, has died. He was aged of 57.
Stephen had disclosed in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, a rare neurological disease that mainly involve the nerve cells (neurons) which is responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement.
Nickelodeon, the cartoon channel which Stephen worked with in creating Spongebob, released a statement that the cartoonist passed away on Monday, November 26.
They wrote:
We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS. He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. 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.”
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Stephen was born on August 21, 1961 and started his career in animation in 1987. Prior to this, he was a marine biology teacher.
He began working with Nickelodeon as a director and writer on a series, ‘Rocko’s Modern Life’, after which he began working on a series that eventually became ‘Spongebob Squarepants’.
