Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, has passed.

May he rest in peace.

RIP, very talented guy who made one of the greatest cartoon icons

Damnn :( Spongebob defined part of my childhood. RIP sir

I hadn't gotten as much into SpongeBob around the time it started, but I watched plenty of Rocko's Modern Life growing up. RIP.

So young

Rest in peace.

Rocko's Modern Life was a big part of my childhood, and I'll always be thankful for the work he put in there.

So sad

Thanks for all the laughs

Gonna marathon those first few seasons on Amazon prime

Way too soon

I had no idea he had ALS.

RIP Stephen :(

My two kids literally just saw Spongebob for the first time yesterday while our internet was down and I busted out some old DVDs. They loved it.

What a terrible fucking disease. Such a shame.

R.I.P.

Aw man, so so sad :(

Wow, only 57/ that is still young :/ rip

On a broader topic for Nickelodeon as a whole, this has to be a pretty bad year for their legacy creators, isn't it, considering the stuff that was revealed/happened this year? The Dark Knight quote about dying a hero or living long enough to see yourself become the villain almost seems apt considering the stuff regarding Hartman, Schneider, and especially Kricfalusi. (That's not even getting into Loud House creator Savino's firing for sexual harassment just over a year ago).

Crazy that he passed so young but dude left a Legacy behind that few of us could hope to attain.

Crushing smh...

I just started watching the show again recently.

RIP. You gave us all something great.

Oh no... SpongeBob was an enormous part of my childhood. I remember when I was still a kid and the episode "Best Day Ever" came out I would march up and down the roads in RuneScape while "singing" the song in the chat window. I think i watched every single episode in the first 5 or so seasons. You'll be sorely missed :(

WHAT?! That's so young. My heart goes out to his family.

I never really understood Spongebob, but it's undeniable that this guy basically carried the entire network for over a decade.

Christ, ALS is a nasty disease.

Thank you for contributing to my childhood memories, Mr. Hillenburg.

RIP

Oh Christ no!!!!

My brother is going to be heartbroken about this. :(

Rest in peace Stephen. Thank you for your creation that has played such a big part of our lives, and will continue to do so for generations to come.

RIP
Like the show

...And he was working on the new movie.

Edit:double post

Aww, Spongebob is one of the greatest cartoons ever, even the new seasons are fun, he made laugh countless children and adults

rip :^'(

I remember when Help Wanted premiered after the Kid's Choice Awards in May 1999. I was 7 but I still remember it clearly. SpongeBob, up through the first movie, was incredibly important to me growing up in the early 2000s. The world was so serious and bled into all of our lives because of 9/11 and the Wars, SpongeBob was a refuge of unassailable optimism and humor.

I hope the 20th anniversary next year includes a big tribute to Hillenburg.

The Hillenburg run of SpongeBob is quite possibly the funniest show I've ever seen. It was foundational for me and my sense of humor.

RIP

RIP

So young, I have so many childhood memories with SpongeBob. Sad day... RIP

Terrible news. RIP.

Goddamn. That's sad, rip.

Fuck... so sudden ;_;

RIP.

Should rewatch the first three seasons of Spongebob again.

It's crazy how massive Spongebob is in North America at least.

I see more and more people post Spongebob memes and reactions, which is telling of the younger generation getting online and growing into teens. These kids grew up on Spongebob. I loved it as a teen, but it's really the kids that loved Spongebob and became a cultural icon for them

Fuck ALS. Horrible disease.

Fuck...57 years old...I'm tearing up.
R.I.P Mr. Hillenburg, I can't thank you enough for all the joy that Spongebob has brought to people's lives.

This is really really sad. Spongebob shaped the sense of humour of me and countless others. RIP Steve.

Rocko and Spongebob defined my childhood. He will be sorely missed in a world that could use a good laugh. Rest In Peace.

Nooooooo...
RIP
Thank you for all the laughs.

He brought joy to children around the world.
RIP

ALS is such a painful way to die. I hope he has found peace from his suffering.

My sister and I basically text each other spongebob quotes all the time and this is still one of the most hilarious scenes in any cartoon


And I loved Rockos Modern Life...

RIP

Fuck ALS and RIP Stephen. Your creation was a huge part of my childhood and I will always be thankful for you making it.

I was 16 when SpongeBob first aired, so I was a bit too "cool" for it at the time, being a dumb teenager and all. I've grown to really love and appreciate the show over the past 15 years or so.

RIP to a legend.

Fuck. I forgot he was even diagnosed with ALS. RIP:(

The first few seasons of SpongeBob are one of the best animated shows of all time.

Damn, I didn't even know he had ALS.

RIP. Spongebob will forever be legendary.

RIP.

Time to binge watch first three seasons.

Aw, RIP man. You created something great

ALS is such a fucking heartbreaking disease. Hillenburg was a legend and should be remembered as a huge influence on cartoons and media as a whole. Dude knew comedy, timing, self-awareness, and how to present stories that could be enjoyed by children and adults. Godspeed, my man.