Stephen Hillenburg, who dreamed up SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon series, has died at the age of 57.
The heroes death was confirmed in a tweet by Nickelodeon, an American television channel on Tuesday.
Nickelodeon also added that Hillenburg died of motor neurone disease also known as ALS.
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“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 honour his life and work,” the tweet read.
? 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. ?
— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) November 27, 2018
Hillenburg SpongeBob series with more than 200 episodes has won multiple awards, including honours from the British Emmy Awards, Annie Awards and ASACP Awards and has also brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere.
He served as a director and writer on Nickelodeon’s cartoon series Rocko’s Modern Life from 1993 to 1996. It was there that he created SpongeBob SquarePants, which eventually premiered on the network in May 1999.
Born on August 21, 1961, Hillenburg is survived by Karen Hillenburg, his wife, and Clay, his son.