Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the mega-hit Nickelodeon cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants,” died on Monday. He was 57. The cause of death was ALS, which Hillenburg revealed he had been diagnosed with in March of last year.
Nickelodeon said in a statement. “He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. 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.”
About Stephen McDannell Hillenburg :
Stephen Hillenburg is a former marine biologist. He has an estimated net worth of $110 million dollars.
He was born on 21st August 1961 in Lawton Oklahoma US. He is also known as Steve Hillenburg. He did his schooling from Savanna High School which is situated in Anaheim, California.
Hillenburg graduated from Humboldt State University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Planning and Interpretation, with an emphasis on marine resources. He then became a marine biology teacher at the Orange County Marine Institute (now the Ocean Institute) in Dana Point, California. This interest, combined with his artistic talent and love of the sea and its creatures, led him to write and illustrate stories as teaching tools with characters that would later become the denizens of SpongeBob’s home, Bikini Bottom.
He began his animation career in 1987, pursuing a degree in Experimental Animation at the California Institute of Arts in Valencia and earning his Master of Fine Arts in 1992.
That same year he won an award for Best Animated Concept at the Ottawa International Animation Festival for his animated short “Wormholes”, which went on to be shown at various international animation festivals. From 1993 to 1996 he would pursue work in television as a director and writer on Nickelodeon’s series “Rocko’s Modern Life.”
He made many short films out of which two films, The Green Beret and Wormholes were awarded. He also wrote a comic book called Intertidal Zone in 1989 which also got released as a movie named “The SpongeBob SquarePants” in 2004 in U.S of which he later became the executive producer. Apart from an animator he is also known as a writer and director.
NetWorth Of Stephen McDannell:
Stephen Hillenburg has an estimated net worth of$110 million.
Source Of Wealth: Marine Biology, Acting, Writing, Producing, Directing
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Source: Variety, TheRichest
