SpongeBob SquarePants is a beloved iconic cartoon character. This unique character, an anthropomorphic kitchen sponge with pants leaves some to wonder how he ever came to be. We’ve got this answer for you.
Original creator Stephen Hillenburg first thought up SpongeBob back in the 1980s when he was teaching. He created a comic book featuring all sorts of anthropomorphic sea creatures. Bob the Sponge was the main character.
This comic book was of high quality in terms of content and art. Though he pitched it to numerous publishers, no one was interested in Hillenburg’s sponge. He decided to go back to the literal drawing board. He went back to college to get a master’s degree in animation.
After getting his degree in experimental animation, Hillenburg landed a job with Nickelodeon. He worked on the show “Rocko’s Modern Life” where he became good friends with Tom Kenny, the future voice of SpongeBob. In fact, the day they met Hillenburg knew Kenny was the perfect fit for his character. Hillenburg also decided SpongeBob would be childlike, yet not an adult or a child.
“Rocko” ended in 1996 so Hillenburg worked hard on creating the “SpongeBob Bible.” This was a place that contained all of the backstories and motivations of the characters and the show. There were a few minor differences in the names and appearances of the characters.
In the comic SpongeBob was an anatomically correct sea sponge wearing sunglasses. Hillenburg decided on the show he should have arms, legs and wear clothing. He decided the name had to be SpongeBob instead of just Bob. After he renamed the character, Kenny wondered if a sponge in square pants could get a job in a fast-food place. Hillenburg thought “square pants” just sounded funny and perfect.
Hillenburg spent a large amount of time with Derek Drymon, a storyboard artist on “Rocko’s Modern Life,” ironing out his characters. He wanted to capture their true behaviors. The two decided SpongeBob needed to have a personality like comedians Jerry Lewis, Stan Laurel, and Pee-wee Herman.
It was time to pitch the show to Nickelodeon. Hillenburg and Drymon came into the pitch wearing Hawaiian outfits and playing Hawaiian music. They described each character and went through a potential pilot episode. Hillenburg went all out making a tiny version of Bikini Bottom. He even had models of all of the characters inside an aquarium. After the pitch was over, Nickelodeon executives were left laughing. They gave Hillenburg the money for the pilot.
One thing Hillenburg probably didn’t expect, but the show was a hit with adults. Kids and adults loved it when it hit the airwaves. Fast forward a decade later and SpongeBob and his pals are still living their lives in Bikini Bottom. It all started with a little kitchen sponge.
