SpongeBob SquarePants Creator Stephen Hillenburg Dies

Creator of the ever-popular SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon series, Stephen Hillenburg, died on Monday at the age of 57, according to a tweet from Nickelodeon.

The cause of Hillenburg's death was ALS, which he announced he had been diagnosed with last year.

Nickelodeon released a statement about Hillenburg's passing, saying, "We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS."

"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."

According to Variety, Hillenburg began his animation career in 1987 and went on to win an award for Best Animated Concept at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in 1992, for his animated short, Wormholes. He then worked as a writer and director on Nickelodeon's popular series, Rocko's Modern Life from 1993-1996.

After that, Hillenburg began working full-time on the series that would eventually be known as SpongeBob SquarePants, with the first episode airing on May 1, 1999 on Nickelodeon.

SpongeBob SquarePants has aired almost 250 episodes  to date and has been loved by both children and adult viewers.

Jessie Wade is a news writer at IGN and SpongeBob has always brought her comfort even through her adult years.