Stephen Hillenburg, the man behind beloved cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants, has passed away aged 57.

Ad

SpongeBob broadcaster Nickelodeon confirmed that the creator had died following a battle with motor neuron disease, a condition he had been diagnosed with in March 2017.

"We are sad to share the news of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants," Nickelodeon tweeted from its official account. "Today we are observing a moment of silence to honour his life and work."

https://twitter.com/Nickelodeon/status/1067471668363313152

Hillenburg, a former marine biology teacher, created the show back in 1999 and served as show-runner until 2004, taking a break from the series after directing The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

He returned to the franchise in 2015, co-writing second film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge of out Water.

Celebrities and fans have been paying tribute to the cartoonist on Twitter.

Goodbye Stephen Hillenburg," skateboarder Tony Hawk wrote, "thank you for the shared laughs with my kids through the years. We're all Goofy Goobers thanks to you." Check out more tributes below.

https://twitter.com/tonyhawk/status/1067506022900584448

https://twitter.com/solomongeorgio/status/1067518027015442432

https://twitter.com/carlosalazraqui/status/1067528475118948352

https://twitter.com/jormataccone/status/1067500345545363457

https://twitter.com/DavidHasselhoff/status/1067531127764779011

Ad

https://twitter.com/jillboard/status/1067488843203457024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1067488843203457024&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fentertainment-arts-46365439

Authors

Ben AllenOn Demand Writer, RadioTimes.com

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Ad
Ad

Download RT App today!

Enjoy entertaining features, interviews and videos featuring your favourite A-list celebrities.
Download now
Ad
Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

RT offer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

hello
An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

summer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

More

promotional article footer

more