Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the superhit cartoon series Spongebob Squarepants, died on Monday. The cause of death was ALS, which Hillenburg revealed he had been diagnosed with in March of last year.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND), or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a specific disease which causes the death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles. Nickelodeon said in a statement: “He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”
