Nickelodeon’s ‘SpongeBob’ Celebrates 25 Years: NPR

Nickelodeon Sponge Bob SquarePants made its television debut 25 years ago on May 1, 1999, before the series’ official launch in July 1999.

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Nickelodeon Sponge Bob SquarePants made its television debut 25 years ago on May 1, 1999, before the series’ official launch in July 1999.

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Finish this piece: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

If you answered correctly with “SpongeBob SquarePants!” You’ve probably heard of the square sponge cartoon that debuted on television 25 years ago, on May 1, 1999 (before the series’ official launch in July 1999).

But before the “absorbent” and “porous” SpongeBob took over television and movie screens, he was actually SpongeBob in an educational comic strip.

Here’s a look at the story behind SpongeBob SquarePants.

From SpongeBob to SpongeBob

Sponge Bob SquarePants Creator Stephen Hillenburg attended Humboldt University majoring in marine science and minoring in art. After graduating in 1984, Hillenburg eventually began working at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California. While working there as a marine science educator, Hillenburg illustrated the flora and fauna of the tidal pools in the form of an educational comic strip titled The intertidal zone. And the comic’s narrator may look familiar: a sea sponge with sunglasses and a round face named “SpongeBob.”

In 1989, Hillenburg enrolled in the experimental animation program at the California Institute of Art. After completing the program, he gained more experience in animation. Eventually, he was hired as a director on the Nickelodeon cartoon. Rocko’s Modern Lifeaired from 1993 to 1996. While working on the series, he was encouraged to film The intertidal zone in an animated format, something he could offer to Nickelodeon.

Talk to NPR Morning edition In 2001, Hillenburg said he worked to develop the design and personality of his characters, including SpongeBob.

He described the moment of inspiration: “It wasn’t until I drew a square sponge, like a sink sponge, that it really seemed to fit the character I was looking for, this innocent, perfectly clean character , I guess you could say: the square peg in the round hole.

After approving Hillenburg’s pitch, Nickelodeon implemented Sponge Bob SquarePants being the network’s first Saturday morning cartoon.

Fun for all ages leads to a multi-billion dollar franchise

Sponge Bob SquarePants broadcast for the first time in preview after that of Nickelodeon Children’s Choice Awards on May 1, 1999. The first segment of this preview, titled “Help Wanted,” is only eight minutes long, but it introduces a solid coterie of denizens in the fictional underwater town of Bikini Bottom.

From SpongeBob’s best friend, a starfish named Patrick (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke); to Mr. Krabs, a greedy red crab voiced by veteran actor Clancy Brown; to a grumpy octopus named Squidward (voiced by Roger Bumpass); to two characters voiced by Tom Kenny: Gary, a meowing sea snail, and of course, the optimistic and overzealous kitchen sponge and the titular character, SpongeBob SquarePants.

“Help Wanted” shows SpongeBob preparing for his dream job as a fry cook at the local greasy restaurant owned by Mr. Krabs: “The Krusty Krab.”

In Nickelodeon promotional art, SpongeBob (center) serves “Krabby Patties” to customers: from left, Sandy Cheeks, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Patrick.

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In Nickelodeon promotional art, SpongeBob (center) serves “Krabby Patties” to customers: from left, Sandy Cheeks, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Patrick.

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Tom Kenny, who worked with Hillenburg on Rocko’s Modern Life, took a unique approach to developing SpongeBob’s voice. Talk with Fresh airTerry Gross in 2004 about the process, Kenny said:

“When it came time to find a voice, it was just about finding a voice that was childish and maybe childish, but not childish, ageless, enthusiastic and just a little weird. And we ultimately settled on this elfin helium voice that SpongeBob ended up being.

The preview for the first episode contained two additional segments: “Reef Blowers” and “Tea At The Treedome”; the latter featured a scientific squirrel who lives in a biodome named Sandy Cheeks, voiced by Carolyn Lawrence.

The series officially debuted on July 17, 1999. The same year, Sponge Bob SquarePants beat the popular Saturday morning cartoon Pokémon in average audience.

The cast of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical poses on stage during opening night on December 4, 2017, at the Palace Theater in New York.

Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Nickelodeon

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The cast of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical poses on stage during opening night on December 4, 2017, at the Palace Theater in New York.

Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Nickelodeon

Sponge Bob SquarePants has only grown in popularity. In 2002, the show had nearly 56 million total viewers, nearly a third of whom were aged 18 to 49, the St. Petersburg timetable reported that year. In 2004, its first theatrical release, The SpongeBob Moviegrossed $141 million worldwide.

Hillenburg stepped down as showrunner following the film’s release, but remained credited as executive producer of the series and co-wrote the story for 2015. The Sponge Bob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.

The Emmy Award-winning series is in its 14th season. And the franchise has expanded to include another theatrical release in 2020, two spinoff TV series, more than two dozen video games and even theme park rides.

A musical based on the underwater sponge and his friends was brought to Broadway in 2017 and had more than 300 performances before closing in 2018. The New York Times reported that the franchise generated $13 billion. dollars of retail merchandise sales in 2017.

SpongeBob’s Endurance

In 2017, Hillenburg announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. He died a year later. In tribute to Hillenburg, more than a million fans signed a petition to have the series canceled. characters to play during the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show.

Colleagues close to him attribute much of the cartoon’s success to Hillenburg. Talk with Fresh air in 2004, Kenny said Hillenburg balanced attention to detail and flexibility of the characters.

From left to right, actor Bill Fagerbakke, Sponge Bob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg and actor Tom Kenny attend the premiere of The SpongeBob Movie on November 17, 2004, in New York.

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From left to right, actor Bill Fagerbakke, Sponge Bob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg and actor Tom Kenny attend the premiere of The SpongeBob Movie on November 17, 2004, in New York.

Peter Kramer/Getty Images

“Steve Hillenburg is definitely the big kahuna and, quite often, every vocal nuance, every blink and twitch of the eyes is mapped to the nanosecond in his mind,” he said. “And then other times he just takes the leash off you and says, ‘You know, I don’t know where it’s going. Just take him where it’s funny.’ So you never know if you’re going to do math or jazz, it’s pretty cool.”

Twenty-five years after its television debut, the series continues. Sponge Bob SquarePants was renewed for its 15th season last fall and another movie (this one starring Sandy Cheeks) is planned.

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