SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg has died at the age of 57.
US TV station Nickelodeon said Mr Hillenburg died on Monday of Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS.
💛 We are sad to share the news of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Today, we are observing a moment of silence to honor his life and work. 💛
Mr Hillenburg conceived, wrote, produced and directed the animated series that began in 1999 and went on to spawn hundreds of episodes, movies and even a Broadway show.
