Stephen Hillenburg, the biology teacher turned creative genius behind the wildly successful “SpongeBob SquarePants” children’s animation series has died, Nickelodeon announced Tuesday.

He was 57. Hillenburg passed away on Monday from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, associates said.

He created the hit Nickelodeon series, launched in 1999, which recounted the adventures of a yellow sponge and his friends in the make-believe city of Bikini Bottom in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

Instantly appealing to young children, their families and college students, it turned into a global licensing and merchandising phenomenon, winning awards and being aired in more than 60 languages, including Azerbaijani.

“He was a beloved friend and longtime creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family,” the network said.

“The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” from 2004 went on to gross more than $140 million worldwide with voiceovers from Scarlett Johansson and Alec Baldwin. 

Photo : afp