Source: Bruce Glikas / Getty
By: Deion Allen
Creator of one of the most famous cartoon characters in television history has passed away. Born August 21, 1961 in Lawton Oklahoma, Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that effects the brain cells and spinal cord, in March of 2017 and has been laid to rest after his long and hard fought battle with the disease. The news was broken to the public via a tweet from Nickelodeon.
SpongeBob SquarePants is arguably one of the greatest cartoons ever created, being aired in over 200 countries and in 50 different languages. Earning numerous awards, Including Emmy’s and Annie’s and landing the No. 9 spot on TV Guide’s “50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All-Time”, the undoubtably greatest accomplishment of the SpongeBob SquarePants series is the legacy, which is still being polished and added to.
From video games, to theme parks, to statues made entirely out of wax, SpongeBob has represented F.U.N. for families across the world and left a plethora of singalongs to keep the party going for years to come! Speaking of sing-a-longs, here are Radio One’s top 5 SpongeBob Songs courtesy of its creator, Mr. Hillenburg.
5. FUN Song
4. The Campfire Song
3. Stripped Sweater Solo
2. I’m a Goofy Goober
1. Best Day Ever
Thank you Stephan Hillenburg for your genius innovation, and you will forever be missed!
