Steve Hillenburg

 

Stephen Hillenburg: Successful Animator, Director, and Producer by Jack Murphy grade 8 Berlin Brothersvalley Middle School

            One of the most successful animation producers and directors is Stephen Hillenburg. Hillenburg, who created the hit television show, “Sponge-Bob Square Pants”, also owns his production company, “United Plankton Pictures”.

            Before he created Sponge Bob, Hillenburg was a marine biologist from 1984-87. He then decided to fulfill his dreams by pursuing a career in animation. He got a job for the television show, “Mother Goose and Grim” and directed “Rocko’s Modern Life”. While working on the show, Hillenburg became friends with many of the cast and writers who would later be on Sponge Bob.

            After “Rocko” ended in 1996, he wrote a comic called, “The Intertidal Zone”, which was about a bunch of undersea creatures. Hillenburg pitched the idea to Nickelodeon. He showed up wearing a Hawaiian shirt and brought an aquarium that had the characters in it. Some of the Nickelodeon executives left the room to stop themselves from bursting out laughing. They loved the idea but changed the main characters name from “Sponge Boy” to “Sponge Bob”. Finally the show premiered on May 1, 1999 and the first episode was called “Help Wanted”.

           

            On November 19, 2004, the Sponge Bob Squarepants movie was released. It was supposed to be the series finale and Stephen would resign. Instead, the show was renewed for a fourth season and Hillenburg became the show’s executive producer. “Sponge Bob Squarepants” has been on television for a decade and new episodes premiered in March.

            If you appreciate comedy and good animation, you should watch “Sponge Bob Squarepants” created by Stephen Hillenburg, former marine biologist.