Stephen Hillenburg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephen Hillenburg
Hillenburg in 2011, showing the first plans for SpongeBob SquarePants
Born	Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (1961-08-21)August 21, 1961 Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	November 26, 2018(2018-11-26) (aged 57) San Marino, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Humboldt State University (BS) California Institute of the Arts (MFA)
Occupation	Animator writer producer director marine biologist
Years active	1984–2018
Known for	SpongeBob SquarePants
Spouse(s)	Karen Umland ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	1
Scientific career
Fields	Marine biology
Institutions	Orange County Marine Institute
Signature

Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (born August 21, 1961 – died November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, and director. He was also a marine biology teacher. He is best known for creating the super popular Nickelodeon cartoon show SpongeBob SquarePants. He was the main person in charge of the show for its first three seasons. SpongeBob SquarePants has become one of the longest-running American animated TV series ever!

Stephen was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and grew up in Anaheim, California. From a young age, he loved the ocean and also enjoyed art. He started his career in 1984, teaching marine biology at the Orange County Marine Institute. There, he wrote a picture book called The Intertidal Zone about animals living in tide pools. He used this book to teach his students.

In 1989, after teaching for a few years, he decided to study animation at the California Institute of the Arts. He made two short films, The Green Beret and Wormholes (both in 1992), which were very successful. Because of these films, he got a job at Nickelodeon working on the cartoon show Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996).

In 1994, Hillenburg started turning the characters and ideas from his book The Intertidal Zone into what became SpongeBob SquarePants. The show has been on TV since 1999. He also directed The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), which he first thought would be the very last part of the series. After the movie, he stepped down as the main showrunner, but Nickelodeon kept making more episodes. He later helped write the story for the second SpongeBob movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, which came out in 2015.

Stephen Hillenburg won two Emmy Awards and six Annie Awards for SpongeBob SquarePants. He also received other awards for helping people learn about marine life. In 2017, he shared that he had been diagnosed with ALS, a serious illness that affects the brain and spinal cord. He said he would keep working on SpongeBob as long as he could. He passed away from ALS on November 26, 2018, when he was 57 years old.

Early Life and Learning

Stephen McDannell Hillenburg was born on August 21, 1961, at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. His dad, Kelly N. Hillenburg Jr., worked for the U.S. military. His mom, Nancy, taught students who couldn't see well. When Stephen was one year old, his family moved to Orange County, California. His dad then started working as a designer in the aerospace industry.

When asked about himself as a child, Stephen said he was "probably well-meaning and naive like all kids." He loved the sea from a young age. Films by Jacques Cousteau, a famous French ocean explorer, really inspired him. Stephen said Cousteau "showed a view into that world" that he didn't know existed. As a child, he loved exploring tide pools, which are small pools of water left by the ocean when the tide goes out.

Stephen also loved art from a young age. His first drawing was of an orange slice. In third grade, he drew "a bunch of army men... kissing and hugging instead of fighting." His teacher praised this drawing, and that's when he knew he had a special creative skill. He felt his artistic talent came from his mom's side of the family.

He went to Savanna High School in Anaheim. He called himself a "band geek" because he played the trumpet. When he was 15, he went snorkeling for the first time in Laguna Beach, California. This experience, and later dives, made him want to study marine biology in college. He said, "The switch clicked and I decided I wanted to be a marine biologist, but I also liked being an artist."

During summers after high school, he worked as a fry cook and lobster boiler at a seafood restaurant in Maine. This job later gave him the idea for SpongeBob SquarePants' job as a fry cook in the TV show!

Stephen went to Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, to study marine science. He also took art classes. In 1984, he earned his degree in marine resources. He had planned to get a master's degree in art. He explained, "Initially I think I assumed that if I went to school for art I would never have any way of making a living." But he later realized he should follow his passion for art.

Early Career and Teaching

Hillenburg taught marine biology to visitors at the Orange County Marine Institute (pictured) in Dana Point, California, in the mid-1980s.

After college, Stephen worked different jobs. Then, he found a job he really wanted: teaching kids. He started working at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California, in 1984. This place teaches people about the ocean and its history. Stephen was a marine biology teacher there for three years. He said, "We taught tide-pool ecology... Working there, I saw how much kids love undersea life." He also worked as an artist there. Even though it was a great experience, he realized he was more interested in art than in science.

While teaching, one of the directors asked him to create a comic book to teach about animals in tidal pools. He made a comic called The Intertidal Zone. It had sea creatures that looked like people, and one of them was "Bob the Sponge." This early Bob looked like a real sea sponge, not a kitchen sponge. Stephen tried to get the comic published, but no one would.

Around this time, Stephen started going to animation festivals. He saw student films from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). He decided he wanted to be an animator. In 1987, he left his teaching job to follow this new dream.

In 1989, Stephen joined the Experimental Animation Program at CalArts. He said, "Changing careers like that is scary." He studied with Jules Engel, who became his mentor. Stephen graduated in 1992 with a master's degree in experimental animation.

Animation Work

First Animated Films

Scenes from The Green Beret (top) and Wormholes (bottom).

Stephen made his first animated short films, The Green Beret (1991) and Wormholes (1992), while at CalArts. The Green Beret was about a Girl Scout with huge fists who accidentally knocked down houses. Wormholes was his seven-minute film about the theory of relativity. He described it as "a poetic animated film." A group called the Princess Grace Foundation helped fund Wormholes. Stephen said this funding "meant a lot" and allowed him to make a very personal film. Wormholes was shown at many international animation festivals and won an award for Best Concept.

Working on Rocko's Modern Life

Stephen's first professional job in animation was as a director for Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996). This was Nickelodeon's first cartoon made in-house. He met the show's creator, Joe Murray, at an animation festival. Murray saw Stephen's film Wormholes and offered him a job. Stephen accepted, even though he had planned to be a "starving artist."

Stephen worked closely with Joe Murray on Rocko's Modern Life for its entire run. Besides directing, he also produced, wrote, and drew storyboards for some episodes. He learned a lot about making TV animation from this job. One episode he co-wrote and directed, "Fish-N-Chumps," was about Rocko and his friends going fishing, while sea creatures below tried to catch them. This episode hinted at his future work with SpongeBob.

Creating SpongeBob SquarePants

The idea for SpongeBob SquarePants might have started as early as 1986, when Stephen was teaching at the Ocean Institute. He said it often took him about ten years for an idea to fully come to life.

While working on Rocko's Modern Life, one of the writers, Martin Olson, read Stephen's comic The Intertidal Zone. He encouraged Stephen to make a TV show based on it. At first, Stephen didn't want to create his own show because he saw how much work it was. But then he realized that his two passions – marine biology and art – could come together in a show. He said, "It was great when [my two interests] all came together in [a show]."

As he developed the show, Stephen remembered how much kids loved tide-pool animals like crabs, octopuses, starfish, and sponges. He decided the show should be underwater, focusing on these creatures. He wanted to create "a small town underwater where the characters were more like us than like fish." He also wanted his show to be different from other popular cartoons. So, he decided to focus on one main character: the weirdest sea creature he could think of – a sponge! He wanted the character to be innocent and childlike.

At first, "Bob the Sponge" looked like a real sea sponge. But then Stephen thought about modeling the character after a kitchen sponge. He realized this would fit the character's square personality perfectly. He said, "it looked so funny. I think as far as cartoon language goes he was easier to recognize." To voice the main character, Stephen chose Tom Kenny, who he had worked with on Rocko's Modern Life.

When Stephen presented the cartoon idea to Nickelodeon, he wore a Hawaiian shirt, brought an "underwater terrarium with models of the characters," and played Hawaiian music. Nickelodeon loved the idea and gave him money to make the show.

The Show's Success

SpongeBob SquarePants first aired as a preview on May 1, 1999, and officially started on July 17, 1999. Stephen said the show's main idea is that "innocence prevails." Critics loved the show, and it appealed to both kids and adults. One critic called SpongeBob "conscientious, optimistic and blind to the faults in the world." Another said it was "clever without being impenetrable to young viewers and goofy without boring grown-ups to tears."

SpongeBob SquarePants was an instant hit! Within its first month, it became the highest-rated Saturday morning children's series. By 2001, it was the top-rated children's show on TV. Nickelodeon even started showing SpongeBob during prime time, which brought in many older viewers. By May 2002, over 61 million people were watching the show. Stephen didn't expect it to be so popular with adults. He said, "When you set out to do a show about a sponge, you can't anticipate this kind of craze."

The show has become one of Nickelodeon's longest-running series. Its huge popularity has turned it into a massive media franchise. By 2015, it had made $12 billion from merchandise!

Leaving and Returning

In 2002, Stephen stopped making new episodes of the show for a bit to focus on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which came out in 2004. He said, "I don't want to try and do a movie and the series at the same time." He directed the film and helped write the story. The movie was about SpongeBob and Patrick searching for a stolen crown. Stephen dedicated the film to his mentor, Jules Engel, who passed away during its production. The movie made $140 million worldwide and was well-liked by critics.

After the movie, Stephen wanted to end the series so it wouldn't become less popular. He thought 60 episodes was a good number for a cartoon. However, Nickelodeon wanted more episodes because the show was so successful. So, Stephen stepped down as the main showrunner and chose Paul Tibbitt, a trusted team member, to take over. Stephen remained an executive producer and still gave advice on each episode.

In 2014, it was announced that Stephen would return to work more closely on the show. He also helped write and executive-produce the second SpongeBob movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, which came out in 2015. This movie also got good reviews and made $323.4 million worldwide.

Other Projects

In 1998, Stephen Hillenburg started his own company called United Plankton Pictures Inc.. This company produces SpongeBob SquarePants and other related media. From 2011 to 2018, the company also published SpongeBob Comics, a comic book series based on the cartoon. Stephen said he hoped fans would enjoy having a SpongeBob comic book from him.

A scene from Hollywood Blvd., USA.

Stephen also worked on other projects. He helped write Diggs Tailwagger, a TV pilot in 2007. In 2010, he started working on a new short film for animation festivals called Hollywood Blvd., USA. He filmed people walking and then animated them. The film was released in 2013. Stephen called it a "personal film" that was "just really about people in our town."

Personal Life

In 1998, Stephen married Karen Umland, a chef. He thought she was the funniest person he knew, and the character Karen Plankton from SpongeBob was named after her. Their son, Clay, was born in 1998. Stephen and his family lived in San Marino, California until his death.

His hobbies included surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, and playing "noisy rock music" on his guitar. He loved to play music with his son, who is a drummer. He also enjoyed birdwatching at home, but he always said he was "an ocean freak."

His friends and family called him "Steve." His co-workers said he was a "perfectionist workaholic" and liked his privacy. Julia Pistor, who helped produce The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, said Stephen was "very shy." Stephen himself said, "I make animation because I like to draw and create things. I have no real interest to be on camera or to be a celebrity."

Helping Others

Stephen and his wife Karen helped many projects and organizations through their United Plankton Charitable Trust, which they started in 2005. They named it after Stephen's company. They supported things they cared about, like art organizations such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They also gave a lot of money to health-related causes.

In education, they donated to schools, including the Polytechnic School (where their son went), CalArts, and Humboldt State University. Their donations to Humboldt State helped fund the HSU Marine Lab and a special award for marine science students. In 2017, the Princess Grace Foundation started the Stephen Hillenburg Animation Scholarship, an annual gift from the Hillenburgs to help new animators.

Illness and Passing

In March 2017, Stephen Hillenburg shared with Variety magazine that he had been diagnosed with ALS. This is a serious disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. He said he would keep working on SpongeBob SquarePants "for as long as [he is] able." He also asked for privacy for his family during this time. In his last days as executive producer, he found it hard to speak and eventually stopped coming to the office.

Stephen passed away at his home on November 26, 2018, in San Marino, California, at age 57, due to ALS. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California the next day.

His Legacy

Stephen Hillenburg's work continues to be celebrated. During the Super Bowl LIII halftime show, the band Maroon 5 used a clip from the SpongeBob episode "Band Geeks" as a tribute to him. A full version of the "Sweet Victory" song from that episode, with a dedication to Stephen, was played inside the stadium.

The TV special SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout and the movie The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run are dedicated to him and his amazing career.

In 2019, a new SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off show called Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years began production. It shows younger versions of the characters at summer camp. Some people, including former showrunner Paul Tibbitt, felt that Stephen would not have liked the idea of a "SpongeBob Babies" show. However, Stephen Hillenburg is still credited as the creator of Kamp Koral and other spin-offs, as he created the original characters.

Awards and Recognitions

In 1992, Stephen's early film Wormholes won an award for Best Concept at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. For SpongeBob SquarePants, Stephen was nominated for 17 Emmy Awards, winning two of them in 2010 and 2014. The show also won six Annie Awards and two British Academy Children's Awards.

In 2001, an environmental group called Heal the Bay gave Stephen their Walk the Talk award. He was recognized for helping people learn about marine life through SpongeBob SquarePants. The next year, he received the Television Animation Award from the National Cartoonists Society. In 2018, Stephen received the Winsor McCay Award at the 45th Annie Awards and a special recognition at the 45th Daytime Emmy Awards for his huge impact on animation.

A type of marine sponge found off the coast of Brazil was even named Clathria hillenburgi in honor of Stephen Hillenburg!

On November 18, 2021, a special bench and historical plaque were placed at his old high school, Savanna High School in Anaheim, California. His wife, Karen, chose a bright yellow bench that she felt captured his warm and funny personality. The memorial was dedicated with his family and many of the SpongeBob SquarePants voice actors and crew present.

Film and TV Work

Movies

Television Shows

Images for kids

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  Stephen Hillenburg in 2011.

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  Stephen Hillenburg's signature.

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Hillenburg para niños