Jan. 14, 2019
By Matthew Nasr
Staff Writer
Stephen Hillenburg, creator of Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” died on Nov. 26 at the age of 57 due to complications with ALS.
“SpongeBob SquarePants,” which Hillenburg directed, produced and wrote, went on to become the fifth longest-running American animated television series.
Surprisingly, Hillenburg did not always see himself in the entertainment industry. In 1984, he graduated Humboldt State University in California with a bachelor’s degree in natural-resource planning with a marine emphasis.
After attending college, he took on jobs ranging from a park service attendant in Utah to an art director in California. Then, he found his way to the career he wanted: teaching children. While working at the Orange County Marine Institute in California, one of the educational directors asked him if he would be interested in putting together an educational comic book about the animal life of tidal pools. This led to Hillenburg’s creation of a comic called “The Intertidal Zone,” which he used to teach students. That is where the idea for “SpongeBob SquarePants” originated.
Once he left teaching, Hillenburg enrolled in the California Institute of the Arts in 1989, where he earned a master’s degree in experimental animation. This prepared him for his work on “SpongeBob SquarePants,” which began airing in 1999.
Senior Brian Arroyave said even though the cartoon is meant for children, he still enjoys watching it.
“I like the show because, even at my current age, I can still sit down and watch it and be entertained,” Arroyave said.
He said his favorite episode is “Band Geeks” in which the cast of the show performed the song “Sweet Victory” by David Eisley at a sporting event known as the Bubble Bowl.
“It’s, in my opinion, the most iconic episode, and everyone remembers the cast of ‘SpongeBob’ singing together,” Arroyave said.
The episode is so popular that it even led to a change.org petition to have “Sweet Victory” performed at the Super Bowl this year. As of January 14, the petition had 1,129,871 signatures.
Senior Anthony Sammarone is among those who signed the petition.
“I think it would be a great moment and great tribute for Stephen Hillenburg,” Sammarone said.
He said he enjoyed watching the cartoon with his sister and friends when he was little.
“I was sad when I heard he died because ‘SpongeBob’ was a big part of my childhood, and it’s unfortunate that [Hillenberg] was still pretty young,” Sammarone said.
Sammaraone said his favorite character is Patrick, SpongeBob’s goofy best friend.
“He’s funny to watch, and I never know what he’s gonna say,” Sammarone said.
Freshman Aidan Cabrera said his favorite character is Squidward, the grumpy foil to protagonist SpongeBob’s upbeat character.
“Squidward is relatable because he is the only [character] in the show who has realistic views and understands how the world should really work, and he does not act like a cartoon,” Cabrera said.
He said he especially likes “The GraveYard Shift,” a spooky episode in which SpongeBob and Squidward stay late at the Krusty Krab, the fast food restaurant where they work.
“SpongeBob and Squidward actually work together and tell each other that they do like each other,” Cabrera said.
Although Cabrera finds “SpongeBob SquarePants” entertaining, he said he feels the quality of the show declined over time.
“I feel that he died too young, but the show already died because it became worse over the years,” said Cabrera.
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