The world has lost another remarkable artist once again.
American cartoonist, director, animator, and marine biology teacher Stephen Hillenburg, the brain behind the animation SpongeBob Square Pants, just died at the age of 57 due to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, simply known as ALS.
Nickelodeon said in a statement, "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."
Hillenburg revealed he was suffering from the motor neurone disease (MND) early last year, as posted by ABC News. He succumbed to death Tuesday weeks after Marvel creator's Stan Lee's death.
The artist was the man behind the production, the story, direction and even the creator of the Nickelodeon's animated series out of his love for children. He started the project in May 1999 and ever since, the animation has captured the hearts of kids and even the kids-at-heart. The Guardian reports the animated series has aired about 250 episodes.
Before becoming a gem in the entertainment industry, Hillenburg landed several jobs since 1984. At the start of his career, he became a park service attendant in Utah, and even became an art director in San Francisco.
He also became a marine-biology teacher in Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California, where he taught for three years. Though teaching was his first love, he then discovered arts as his passion. That was when he tried to become an animator.
The creation of SpongeBob SquarePants started when he was asked to create a comic, which he initially named as "The Intertidal Zone," he could use as an educational reference for his students. The comics featured characters from the sea such as octopuses, crabs, sponges, and starfish. One of them he called "Bob the Sponge," an actual sea sponge.
After his students appreciated his work, he decided to offer it to publishers. Unfortunately, no one saw its potential at that time. No matter how much he tried, he was always turned down.
One of his friends, American Writer Martin Olson, eventually read the comic and encouraged him to create a TV series using the same concept. That was when the characters had been given a new life. Since Hillenburg wants to stand out amid other competitors in the field, he used the strangest animal he knows as his story's main character.
