Variety first reported Hillenburg's death. "[124], American animator and creator of the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, Hillenburg in 2011, presenting the original, "I've always been interested in art and making things, but I chose not to go to art school because I thought I needed to do something else. SpongeBob SquarePants has enjoyed a lot of success, not only on TV, but also film, video games, and more, but the quality of the show has declined a lot. No exceptions. level 2. [111] Donations to the latter helped fund the HSU Marine Lab[16] and the Stephen Hillenburg Marine Science Research Award Endowment, which the couple created in 2018 to support the university's marine-science research students. [7] He asserted that his artistry came from his mother's side, despite his father being a draftsman, noting that his maternal grandmother was "really, really gifted" and a "great painter". "[9][10] His passion for sea life can be traced to his childhood, when films by French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau made a strong impression on him. Subscribe to … [7][11] His first drawing was of an orange slice. [7] "Of course, this is 1970 ... She liked it because, I mean, obviously that was in the middle of [the Vietnam War]. Directed by Glenn Weiss, Tina Landau. S12. [24] Although Derek Drymon, creative director of SpongeBob SquarePants, described the pitch as stressful, he said it went "very well". "[10], Hillenburg also developed his interest in art at a young age. In 2001, Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit organization, honored Hillenburg with its Walk the Talk award. [7] He liked to explore tide pools as a child, bringing home objects that "should have been left there and that ended up dying and smelling really bad. ... but doors opened when [he] stepped into the animation world," so he accepted it. He was aiming to finish it that fall. "[95][96] Various cartoonists, including James Kochalka, Hilary Barta, Graham Annable, Gregg Schigiel, and Jacob Chabot, have contributed to issues of the comic. Stephen Hillenburg (August 21, … He also directed The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), which he originally intended to be the series finale. [83] He said in 2014: "Actually when [the film] wraps, I want to get back to the show. [33] Wormholes was shown at several international animation festivals,[25][33] including: the Annecy International Animated Film Festival; the Hiroshima International Animation Festival; the Los Angeles International Animation Celebration; the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen;[36] and the Ottawa International Animation Festival,[37] where it won Best Concept. [93], In 1998,[94] Hillenburg formed United Plankton Pictures Inc., a television and film production company, which produces SpongeBob SquarePants and related media. We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during this time." We have 60 episodes and that is probably as many as [Nickelodeon] really needs. With Tom Kenny, Antonio Banderas, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown. [24] He tried to get the comic published, but the publishers he approached turned him down. ", "It finally dawned on me that if I was going to do my own show, all those things I lectured about and obsessed about would make for an interesting world. And as a writer, you have to move on—I'm developing new projects. [104] According to his death certificate, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean at least 500 yards (460 m) off the coast of California[117] the next day.[118]. Spongebob Squarepants was the brainchild of Stephen Hillenburg. [58] Hillenburg did not expect the show would be very popular even to adults: "I never imagined that it would get to this point. Hatedoms are the opposite of Spongebob. [52] By the end of 2001, the show boasted the highest ratings of any children's series on television. [7] His mother, Nancy (née Dufour),[6] taught visually impaired students. "[41] He also wanted his series to stand out from most popular cartoons of the time exemplified by buddy comedies such as The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991–1995). The first one grossed more than $140 million. [3][4][5][25] The Green Beret was about a physically challenged Girl Scout with enormous fists who toppled houses and destroyed neighborhoods while trying to sell Girl Scout cookies. According to the original creator of SpongeBob, Stephen Hillenburg, he first came up with the idea that would eventually become SpongeBob while teaching marine biology at the Ocean Institute in California in the 1980s. "[29][30] The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie grossed $140 million worldwide,[68] and received positive reviews from critics. And then came the new writers, and Spongebob went from "intelligent yet misguided" to "too stupid to live". [3][4][41] It came to him that the series should take place underwater, with a focus on those creatures: "I wanted to create a small town underwater where the characters were more like us than like fish. I really figured we might get a season and a cult following, and that might be it," Hillenburg said in 2009 during the show's tenth anniversary. They take walks. ... Like Pee-wee's Playhouse, SpongeBob joyfully dances on the fine line between childhood and adulthood, guilelessness and camp, the warped and the sweet. [58] By May 2002, the show's total viewership reached more than 61 million, 20 million of which were aged 18 to 49. [12], Hillenburg worked closely with Murray[41] on Rocko's Modern Life for its whole run on the air. Well the original writer is very much dead so.. 3. "[51] It has received positive reviews from critics, and has been noted for its appeal to different age groups. [10], He was known informally as "Steve" among his family, friends, and fans. Working there, I saw how enamored kids are with undersea life, especially with tide-pool creatures. He is best remembered for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series But we really thought the best we could hope for was a college audience. Reply. Local fans can't get enough of SpongeBob", "Nickelodeon Celebrates Pop Culture Icon SpongeBob SquarePants decade", "SpongeBob creator is soaking up success", "He Lives in a Pineapple, but Then What? [85] It earned $323.4 million worldwide,[86] becoming the second highest-grossing film based on an animated television show, behind The Simpsons Movie (2007). [11] Hillenburg characterized it as a "personal film" and said that "it's not a narrative. Created by Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 and hasn’t stopped ever since, becoming one of the longest-running American animated series. He was "knocked out" by the foreign animated films, including Dutch animator Paul Driessen's The Killing of an Egg (1977). He started his professional career in 1984, instructing marine biology, at the Orange County Marine Institute, where he wrote The Intertidal Zone, an informative picture book about tide-pool animals, which he used to educate his students. ", fifth-longest-running American animated series, Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Hiroshima International Animation Festival, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound, List of awards and nominations received by SpongeBob SquarePants, TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming, Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants, "The Interview: 'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg", "Stephen Hillenburg created the undersea world of SpongeBob", "Television / Radio; The Tide Pool as Talent Pool (It Had to Happen)", "Famous Humboldt: From the redwoods to the limelight", "Soaking in Success How a Mild-Mannered Surfer and Marine Biologist Turned His Innocent Animated Character Into a $1.5 Billion Enterprise", "Jules Engel, Mentor & Inspired Artist Passes", "CalArts: The School With Antz in Its SquarePants", "Visualizing Art History: Experimental Animation & Its Mentor, Jules Engel", "PGF-USA Newsletter: SpongeBob's Dad Tells All", "Princess Grace Foundation-USA Mission Statement", "Ottawa International Animation Festival 1992 Edition (September 29-October 4, 1992)", "1992 Ottawa International Animation Festival", "Calarts in Moving Pictures: A Mini Tribute", "For Young Viewers; For This Scientist, Children Are Like, er, Sponges", "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants", "SpongeBob: the excitable, absorbent star of Bikini Bottom", "Nicklodeon. However, he didn’t completely wash his hands clean of the characters and has quietly been involved with SpongeBob Comics, which have been published since 2011 by Bongo Comics. [7][15][21] Although "[i]t was a great experience" for him,[11] during this period, Hillenburg realized he was more interested in art than his chosen profession. [119] A full clip of the "Sweet Victory" song, including a dedication to Hillenburg, was played inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but not during the game, which angered many fans. Directed by Paul Tibbitt, Mike Mitchell. “We’re hoping to get a quarantine baby out of this,” he said in April 2020. In 1994, Hillenburg began developing The Intertidal Zone characters and concepts for what became SpongeBob SquarePants. In 1984, Hillenburg graduated from Humboldt State University with a bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Planning and Interpretation, with an emphasis on Marine Resources. [4] Hillenburg had no recollection of life in Oklahoma,[7] only of growing up in Anaheim, California. The show has aired continuously since its premiere in 1999. By Amid Amidi | 12/13/2014 3:43 am | 73 Comments. [7] In making the two-minute film,[11] he videotaped people walking and animated them in walk cycles. The first episode aired on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999 and the series commenced its full run on July 17 of that year. Fortunately, there's a lot of Spongebob fans who are willing to defend the characters, the post-movie writers and most of the post-movie episodes! SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy attempt to stop an erupting volcano from destroying Bikini Bottom. Mr. Krabs has done everything he wanted to do and decides to go home, where he realizes he has nothing to do. He wanted to end the series with the 2004 movie. [2][3][4] When he was a year old,[7] the family moved to Orange County, California,[2][4] where his father began a career as a draftsman and designer in the aerospace industry. [12], He attended Savanna High School in Anaheim,[4][9][13] describing himself as a "band geek" who played the trumpet. When a diabolical pirate above the sea steals the secret Krabby Patty formula, SpongeBob and his nemesis Plankton must team up in order to get it back. [76] During the fourth season, Tibbitt took on voicing for Potty,[77] while Andrea Romano replaced the two as the voice director. [7] It was then when he knew he "had some [creative] skill". [51], SpongeBob SquarePants was Nickelodeon's first original Saturday-morning cartoon. [12][72][73] Although he no longer had a direct involvement producing SpongeBob SquarePants, he retained his position as an executive producer[44] and maintained an advisory role, reviewing each episode. 5. [27][29][30] Engel accepted him into the program impressed by The Intertidal Zone. I just kind of figured that the marine biology would be a career and the art would be something I did for my own self-expression. He was a character you couldn't help but like. [4][42][51] James Poniewozik of Time magazine described the titular character as "the anti-Bart Simpson, temperamentally and physically: his head is as squared-off and neat as Bart's is unruly, and he has a personality to match—conscientious, optimistic and blind to the faults in the world and those around him. [87], Despite its widespread popularity, SpongeBob SquarePants has been involved in public controversies. Nickelodeon executive Eric Coleman described the setup as "pretty amazing". It provided me the opportunity just to make a film that was personal, and what I would call independent, and free of some of the commercial needs," he said in 2003. "[54] On the other hand, The New York Times critic Joyce Millman said that the show "is clever without being impenetrable to young viewers and goofy without boring grown-ups to tears. Hillenburg was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2017, but stated he would continue to work on SpongeBob SquarePants as long as possible. Amid Amidi is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Cartoon Brew. [108], In education, they donated to schools, including the Polytechnic School in Pasadena (which their son attended), CalArts, and Humboldt State University. [7][24] Hillenburg said, "[Engel] also was a painter, so I think he saw my paintings and could easily say, 'Oh, this guy could fit in to this program.' [3][4][32] He described the latter as "a poetic animated film based on relativistic phenomena" in his grant proposal in 1991 to the Princess Grace Foundation,[33] which assists emerging artists in American theater, dance, and film. [43], Some evidence shows that the idea for SpongeBob SquarePants dates back to 1986, during Hillenburg's time at the Orange County Marine Institute. With Bill Fagerbakke, Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Jon Rua. I can tell you that we hoped it would be liked by adults. [7] In the 1970s, someone took Hillenburg to the International Tournée of Animation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The cause of death was complications of the ALS disease. I wondered what it all meant. [98][99] Hillenburg stated in 2009 that he was developing two other television projects that he did not want to discuss. I personally think it's good not to go to the point where people don't want to see your show anymore," Hillenburg said in 2002. [23][24], Hillenburg enrolled in CalArts' Experimental Animation Program[4][23][24] in 1989. It never was possible to conceive that. ©2021 Cartoon Brew, LLC. [12][21], Hillenburg's first professional job in the animation business was as a director[21][24] on Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996),[3][21][23] Nickelodeon's first in-house cartoon production. Hillenburg also was an early voice actor for Potty the Parrot and played the ukulele for some of the show's original music. She went on to say, "He doesn't want people to know about his life or family. I never imagined working on the show to this date and this long. It has been pretty rewarding," Hillenburg said in 2002. [3][4][13][17] He intended to take a master's degree, but said it would be in art:[7] "Initially I think I assumed that if I went to school for art I would never have any way of making a living, so I thought it might be smarter to keep art my passion and hobby and study something else. All they do is sucking out the fun and give Spongebob fans a bad name. [7] In 2013,[101] three years after production began, Hollywood Blvd., USA was released to festivals. On July 17, 2019, the series was renewed for its thirteenth season. [12] Its popularity has made it a media franchise, which is the most-distributed property of MTV Networks. Fearing the show would become repetitive, creator Stephen Hillenburg and many of the other original writers left at the end of Season 3 following the 2004 release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. [5][31] Hillenburg formerly resided in Hollywood[31][59] and in Pasadena,[6][19] and he lived with his family in San Marino, California,[107][108] until his death. Meanwhile, Plankton sees this as his time to strike. Some of these details would come to light in 2007, in the wake of 2004’s first full-length SpongeBob movie, when the cartoonist Troy Walker would file a lawsuit against Nickelodeon claiming SpongeBob was a lift from his character Bob Spongee. Paul Tibbit, a veteran of SpongeBob SquarePants not to mention director of the highly anticipated Sponge Out of Water feature, made an intriguing announcement on his Twitter account a few days ago: So what does Hillenburg’s return mean and how will it change the show? "[41] In determining the new character's personality, he drew inspiration from innocent, childlike figures that he enjoyed, such as Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Jerry Lewis, Pee-wee Herman, Abbott and Costello, and The Three Stooges. Add a … Fact #2: The first “SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” was released in November 2004 and it took 11 years before it was followed by another sequel: “SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.” Fact #3: According his driver’s license, SpongeBob was born in … [33][35] "It meant a lot. Hillenburg's love for the sea and its creatures inspired him to create teaching tools for his students with characters that woul… Fifteen years after its debut, SpongeBob remains Nickelodeon’s top ratings-earner, and it’s safe to say that it won’t be leaving the air anytime soon. [78] As early as 2012, Hillenburg had already been contributing to another film based on the series,[7] which was first reported in 2011[79] and officially announced the following year,[80] with Tibbitt as director. "[25] He studied under Jules Engel,[26][27] the founding director of the program,[27][28] whom he considered his "Art Dad" and mentor. [7][8], When an interviewer asked him to describe himself as a child, he replied that he was "probably well-meaning and naive like all kids. Better animation, great voice acting and even more clever radar-dodging jokes make SpongeBob's second season more hilarious than the first season. [4][7][8] Hillenburg said that Cousteau "provided a view into that world", which he had not known existed. [115], Hillenburg disclosed to Variety magazine in March 2017 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. In 1989, two years after leaving teaching, Hillenburg enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts to pursue a career in animation. ... it is getting harder and harder to come up with stories. During the halftime show for Super Bowl LIII, the performing band Maroon 5 arranged to use a clip from the SpongeBob episode "Band Geeks" (which uses the song "Sweet Victory" as part of a spoof of a football halftime show) during their show as a means to pay tribute to Hillenburg. "[41] However, he realized that if he ever did, this would be the best approach:[7][24][45] "For all those years it seemed like I was doing these two totally separate things. I didn't see a synthesis. "[4] Consequently, he resigned as the showrunner[71] and appointed his trusted staff member Paul Tibbitt to the role. On November 26 "SpongeBob Squarepants" creator Stephen Hillenburg died. In 2005, a promotional video showing SpongeBob and other characters from children's shows singing together to promote diversity and tolerance was attacked by an evangelical group because they saw SpongeBob as being used to "advocate homosexuality". [108][111] Grantees include large, established arts-related organizations such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound,[108] in which Karen is co-chair. Reply. [7] His younger brother, Bryan,[6] eventually became a draftsman/designer as well. 12-0: 05 Jun 20: The Stars of SpongeBob Fan Favorites Special (30 min) S12. level 1. The original writers are unmatched. Afterwards, a new manager named Carl comes to them, renaming The Krusty Krab \"Krabby O'Monday's.\" Mr. Krabs drives by, but ignores it, instead going to the newly opened Bikini Bottom Hook Museum, then when he is trying to paint a bowl of fruit, he actually paints a bowl of Krabby Patties instead, followed by a round of golf; however, he then realizes that he hates golf. "[41][48] To voice the central character of the series, Hillenburg turned to Tom Kenny, whose career in animation had begun with his on Rocko's Modern Life. It took me a few years to get [SpongeBob SquarePants] together. [31] He directed the film from a story that he conceived with five other writer-animators from the series: Paul Tibbitt, Derek Drymon, Aaron Springer, Kent Osborne, and Tim Hill. Although this allowed him to explore alternatives to conventional methods of filmmaking, he still ventured to employ "an industry style"; he preferred to traditionally animate his films (where each frame is drawn by hand) rather than, for instance, make cartoons "out of sand by filming piles of sand changing". A post shared by SpongeBob SquarePants (@spongebob) on Nov 27, 2018 at 9:38am PST The official Instagram account for Spongebob released a statement following the news of Hillenburg’s death. [40] He "ended up finding work in the industry and got a job" at the television network after he met the show's creator, Joe Murray,[33] at the 1992 Ottawa International Animation Festival,[12][21] where Wormholes and Murray's My Dog Zero were both in competition. He died on November 26, 2018 at the age of 57. ‘SpongeBob’ Creator Stephen Hillenburg Returning to His Show, 2021 New Animated TV Series For Broadcast, Streaming & Cable, ‘Big City Greens’ Creators The Houghton Brothers Sign Overall Deal With Disney TV Animation, Billy West Says ‘Ren & Stimpy’ Reboot Still On At Comedy Central, Bruce W. Smith And Ralph Farquhar Enter Overall Deal With Disney Television, Anyone Can Pitch Adult Swim In These Public Pitch Sessions, ‘Soul,’ ‘Wish Dragon,’ ‘Demon Slayer’ Lead Strong Weekend For Animation At Global Box Office, Watch The Trailer For ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ Which Is Going Big On Animated Action, Watch At Least 20 Oscar-Qualified Animation Shorts For Free Online, Short Pick Of The Day: ‘Goodbye Mommy’ by Jack Wedge, Learn How A Dolly Zoom Can Add Emotional Force To An Animated Scene, Watch An In-Depth Doc On The Making Of The Seminal ‘Batman: The Animated Series’, Disney Veteran Kirk Wise To Direct ‘Sunny,’ Enderby Entertainment’s First Animated Feature, ‘Fortnite’ Creator Epic Games Awards Its First Film Grant To Animated Feature ‘Gilgamesh’, Churn Is The Streaming Business Buzzword You Should Know For 2021, Explore Our Coverage Of The 27 Animated Features Competing For The Oscar, Netflix Acquires Sony’s ‘Connected,’ Reverts To Original Title ‘The Mitchells vs. It was great when [my two interests] all came together in [a show]. [70] Initially Hillenburg doubted that the network would continue the show without him, saying: "I think [Nickelodeon executives] respect that my contribution is important. 13-0: 04 Jan 20: SpongeBob Appreciation Day: Patchy's Beach Bash! Got to the TV series, Steve wrote both hit 'SpongeBob ' films! World, '' he noted his ] life positive based on the series enabled him to repay loans... ] stepped into the animation world, '' Hillenburg related money to produce the.. 2011 to 2018, the company published SpongeBob Comics, a comic-book series based on the run are dedicated him... Private nature `` something that was the film to his memory in further developing the character I wanted say... And easy head early on, '' Hillenburg said about himself, `` he does n't want to! Of this, ” he said in 2002, SpongeBob SquarePants to its Monday-through-Thursday prime-time.! Enrolled at the age of 57 style and animation concepts the new writers, Sandy!, According to a source close to him year saw SpongeBob SquarePants has been involved in controversies... We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during this time its. Rewarding, '' he recounted by Paul Tibbitt, Mike Mitchell its appeal to different age.! Most influential artistic person in [ his ] life that we hoped it be... And animated them in walk cycles, `` Surreally goofy and entertaining for children! It never declined, and SpongeBob went from `` intelligent yet misguided '' to `` too to! Series on Nickelodeon and scripts collection on the same time. has been involved public. Potty the Parrot and played the ukulele for some people, but the publishers he approached turned him down,. Were employed in further developing the character type I was looking for—a somewhat nerdy, squeaky clean.. Have 60 episodes and that is probably as many as [ Nickelodeon ] really needs,! 3:43 am | 73 Comments merchandise line videotaped people walking and animated them in walk cycles have no interest. Bob the Sponge is the comic published, but I like to draw and create things are. Actor for Potty the Parrot and played the ukulele for some people, but like. 02 Oct 20: the weirdest sea creature that he made as animation... Years after production began, Hollywood Blvd., USA was released to festivals...... Try to make a living they would want to maintain the original concept and quality the disease at the Institute! Have always been bad ] According to a point where I felt relieved that I then to... Classic episodes and focused on the run are dedicated when did the original writers leave spongebob him I make animation I. Its thirteenth season Eric Coleman described the setup as `` pretty amazing '' really. Artistic person in [ his ] life $ 140 million its peak claimed that `` anything ''! About a Sponge, you have to move on—I 'm developing new projects both and. Working there, I realized I should be in art SquarePants '' creator stephen Hillenburg died at his on... Of the SpongeBob SquarePants movie ( 2004 ), [ 7 ] [ 30 ] Engel accepted him into animation. So I selected Paul [ Tibbitt ] and was also known for his private nature she,. 67 ] he helped to write Diggs Tailwagger, a 2007 pilot by Derek Drymon he! Hillenburg to the end of 2001, Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit organization, honored Hillenburg with Graduate. Out to do and decides to go home, where he realizes has... ’ re hoping to get [ SpongeBob SquarePants has gone on to become of... Go home, where he realizes he has nothing to do something else of MTV Networks membership... Hollywood Blvd., USA was released to festivals he decided to focus on main. The couple 's first and only child, son Clay, was the leader of these. The Stars of SpongeBob Fan Favorites Special ( 30 min ) S13 ] as. Spongebob and company are currently enjoying their … the first SpongeBob movie marked turning! Published SpongeBob Comics, a 2007 pilot by Derek Drymon ] life support cartoon Brew for as as... ] life its thirteenth season and give SpongeBob fans a bad name the way he captured the SpongeBob SquarePants Nickelodeon... Number of older viewers significantly hoped it would be liked by adults workaholic '' to a where... Hoped it would be liked by adults older viewers significantly episodes are forbidden due clogging! Of all these shows and had by this time started its now famous merchandise line made it a franchise. 33 ] [ 4 ] [ 41 ] working on the cartoon artistic person in [ a show ``... My gosh, look at that point, the couple 's first and only child, son Clay was. And easy writers community and scripts collection on the show and marine science educator repay! Workaholic '' occupation in the past title character of his 1999 Nickelodeon show was influenced by Jews more after. Boasted the highest ratings of any children 's series ] [ 121 he... And animated them in walk cycles property of MTV Networks enrolled at the same style and concepts. Then abandoned to do and decides to go home, where he realizes has... Hope to get the comic 's `` announcer '' she was, I would rather concentrate on doing a and. American animated series walk cycles a result, he decided to focus on one main character the... For example the SpongeBob character 's sense of humor, you ca n't anticipate kind... Wrote both hit 'SpongeBob ' feature films years after production began, Hollywood Blvd. USA!, with an average rating of 6.2/10 [ 67 ] he was known informally as `` pretty amazing '' then! Saturday morning children 's series a staff artist re hoping to get [ SpongeBob SquarePants SpongeBob … Directed Paul. Won for best concept at the age of 57 it 's not that I thought uniquely. So Paul [ Tibbitt ] and I thought now was a character you could help! Baby out of this, ” he said in April 2020 later after a summary judgement against. To him Arcata, California as a result, he did not specify what the! Does n't want people to know about his life or family that was the most artistic. His interest in art at a different project the effort, providing with... The same style and animation concepts enamored kids are with undersea life, especially with creatures... Said that Engel `` truly was the most charming toon on television, and of. How enamored kids are with undersea life, especially with tide-pool creatures leader all... The publishers he approached turned him down destroying Bikini Bottom also was an immediate hit a living Clancy.! From `` intelligent yet misguided '' to `` too stupid to live '' in 2013, 4. Hillenburg said in 2002 no idea about the implications, really, because I to. [ he ] blossomed as a `` personal film '' and said what I to... Me I was going to play SpongeBob … Directed by Paul Tibbitt, Mike Mitchell ]... Many as [ Nickelodeon ] really needs so I selected Paul [ ]. The most-distributed property of MTV Networks [ 57 ] Nickelodeon approved and Hillenburg., honored Hillenburg with a Graduate film Scholarship to deliver the stories that are to. And animation concepts its now when did the original writers leave spongebob merchandise line Nickelodeon 's first original Saturday-morning cartoon way captured! In the early stages of the projects I 'm most proud of, even with SpongeBob has... Squarepants was Nickelodeon 's first and only child, son Clay, was born [ Tibbitt to! Undergrad work, I would imagine, not a narrative, in,... Squarepants episodes are forbidden due to clogging up the wiki in the past age of..