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It's aimed at kids so it's not very in depth, but since Hillenburg interviews are as rare as gold dust it's still cool.
Source.
Pure text version in case you find the image difficult to read:
Source.
Pure text version in case you find the image difficult to read:
What a Sponge!
Are you a fan of the animated Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants"? SpongeBob, Patrick Star and their friends have been entertaining kids and adults for 16 years! Let's find out more about Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob.
Loving the sea
Stephen Hillenburg is 53 years old. He was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, but he grew up in Anaheim, California.
"I was always interested in the ocean," he said, "and also in art. I had to figure out how to put the two together, but painting fish sounded boring."
Creating SpongeBob
Today, Hillenburg is the executive producer of "SpongeBob SquarePants." He writes for the show, working alongside a large staff of writers and animators to put it together.
The staff will make a storyboard - a series of drawings with dialogue (the words said by the characters) that serve as an outline for the animators. Then Hillenburg and others will add jokes to "punch it up, to make it better," he said.
Not just a TV show
SpongeBob, Squidward and the gang appear in other media besides television. "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" was released in 2004, and earlier this year "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" hit theaters.
Comic books, video games, toys and even amusement park rides entertain fans.
Someone you know?
Many times, a writer will base a character on someone he or she knows. Stephen Hillenburg says none of the characters are based on people from his life - except for Mr. Krabs.
When Hillenburg was a teenager, he worked at a lobster restaurant in Maine during the summers. The owner of the restaurant reminded Hillenburg of a pirate with his strong Maine accent. He became the inspiration for Mr. Krabs.
"I added the cheap part (to Mr. Krabs) to give him more personality," Hillenburg said.
An all-ages audience
Hillenburg said that when "The Simpsons" took off in 1989, it really opened up possibilities for animation. "SpongeBob" appeals to kids and adults, he said.
"SpongeBob is a kid living an adult life. He has a job. Kids think being a fry cook is a great job."
Art or marine biology?
Stephen Hillenburg got a degree in marine biology from Humboldt State University in California and a minor degree in art. While teaching marine biology at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California, he wrote and drew a comic book about the animals living in tide pools. One of his characters was Bob the Sponge.
After graduating from California Institute of the Arts, where he studied animation, Hillenburg worked on an animated Nickelodeon show called "Rocko's Modern Life." He began thinking about a cartoon world where undersea animals live. SpongeBob became his central character. His last name, SquarePants, is because of his "square personality," Hillenburg said.
Advice to kids
"Follow your interests," Hillenburg said. "I never saw how my interests would collide. You don't want to work on a job where you're looking at your watch. I never imagined that I'd end up in animation, but marine biology and art collided, and here we are!"
Are you a fan of the animated Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants"? SpongeBob, Patrick Star and their friends have been entertaining kids and adults for 16 years! Let's find out more about Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob.
Loving the sea
Stephen Hillenburg is 53 years old. He was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, but he grew up in Anaheim, California.
"I was always interested in the ocean," he said, "and also in art. I had to figure out how to put the two together, but painting fish sounded boring."
Creating SpongeBob
Today, Hillenburg is the executive producer of "SpongeBob SquarePants." He writes for the show, working alongside a large staff of writers and animators to put it together.
The staff will make a storyboard - a series of drawings with dialogue (the words said by the characters) that serve as an outline for the animators. Then Hillenburg and others will add jokes to "punch it up, to make it better," he said.
Not just a TV show
SpongeBob, Squidward and the gang appear in other media besides television. "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" was released in 2004, and earlier this year "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" hit theaters.
Comic books, video games, toys and even amusement park rides entertain fans.
Someone you know?
Many times, a writer will base a character on someone he or she knows. Stephen Hillenburg says none of the characters are based on people from his life - except for Mr. Krabs.
When Hillenburg was a teenager, he worked at a lobster restaurant in Maine during the summers. The owner of the restaurant reminded Hillenburg of a pirate with his strong Maine accent. He became the inspiration for Mr. Krabs.
"I added the cheap part (to Mr. Krabs) to give him more personality," Hillenburg said.
An all-ages audience
Hillenburg said that when "The Simpsons" took off in 1989, it really opened up possibilities for animation. "SpongeBob" appeals to kids and adults, he said.
"SpongeBob is a kid living an adult life. He has a job. Kids think being a fry cook is a great job."
Art or marine biology?
Stephen Hillenburg got a degree in marine biology from Humboldt State University in California and a minor degree in art. While teaching marine biology at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California, he wrote and drew a comic book about the animals living in tide pools. One of his characters was Bob the Sponge.
After graduating from California Institute of the Arts, where he studied animation, Hillenburg worked on an animated Nickelodeon show called "Rocko's Modern Life." He began thinking about a cartoon world where undersea animals live. SpongeBob became his central character. His last name, SquarePants, is because of his "square personality," Hillenburg said.
Advice to kids
"Follow your interests," Hillenburg said. "I never saw how my interests would collide. You don't want to work on a job where you're looking at your watch. I never imagined that I'd end up in animation, but marine biology and art collided, and here we are!"
