Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of kids’ favorite character Spongebob Squarepants, has passed away aged 57.
Hillenburg, a marine biology teacher, first began using sea creatures as teaching aids. He would go on to create the character of Spongebob, and the whole underwater world of Bikini Bottom, back in 1999.
The cartoon series would go on to win numerous awards, spawn two Hollywood movies, and hundreds of items of merchandise.
Hillenburg passed away due to complications related to motor neuron disease. He was first diagnosed in 2017.