LOS ANGELES, CA. (THECOUNT) — Stephen Hillenburg, who created iconic cartoon series, SpongeBob SquarePants, has died at age 57, Nickelodeon announced Tuesday.
Hillenburg, who was also a noted marine biologist, died Monday of Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS, the cable network said in a statement.
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Hillenburg had announced he had the disease in March 2017. His death comes just weeks after the passing of another cartoon hero in Marvel creator Stan Lee.
“He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family,” Nickelodeon’s statement said. “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.” source
An Oklahoma native with a love of both drawing and marine biology, Hillenburg conceived, wrote, produced and directed the animated series that began in 1999 and went on to spawn hundreds of episodes, movies and a Broadway show.
According to CelebrityNetWorth, Hillenburg was worth $150 million at the time of his passing:
“American director, animator, writer, producer, voice artist, and marine biologist had a net worth of $120 million at the time of his death in 2018.”