SpongeBob’s Forgotten Origin Is Surprisingly Realistic
For many of us, SpongeBob SquarePants is synonymous with childhood. But he, like everyone, also had humble beginnings.
The first thing you should know about SpongeBob is that he isn’t just a kitchen sponge chilling underwater — sea sponges are actually a marine lifeform, which is what the character is based on.
Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, wasn’t just a great cartoonist — he was also a marine biologist. His depth and breadth of knowledge on the subject led to him instructing marine biology at the Orange County Marine Institute. It was here that SpongeBob’s story began…
SpongeBob Used To Be A Comic - But Not Like You Think
In 1989, in order to aid his marine biology teaching at Orange County, Hillenburg created a comic entitled ‘The Intertidal Zone.’ This comic was made to teach his students about tide pool animals.
The comic was presented by two characters: Rocky the Shrimp and Bob the Sponge — and yes, you’re right in thinking that Bob the Sponge is an earlier version of the SpongeBob we know and love. However, the little square dude is actually spherical in this comic (matching the IRL shapes of sea sponges), has normal teeth, and even a pair of sunglasses.
In every issue, the comic included facts about a vast range of tide pool creatures, including starfish, snails, scallops, and anemones.
On the collision of his two passions, Hillenburg said in an interview in SpongeBob Comics #1: “I had teachers in high school who knew I was interested in art and marine biology, and they would say: ‘You could draw fish for a living!’ and I just thought that sounded boring. I could never have predicted that these two interests would later converge in the form of an animated series and a comic.”
How Did This Comic Turn Into A TV Show?
According to The Independent, The Intertidal Zone is what drew Hillenburg back to art. He ended up returning to school and obtained a Master’s in experimental animation from the California Institute of Arts.
While studying, Hillenburg made a short film that drew the attention of Joe Murray: the creator of Rocko’s Modern Life. It was a popular cartoon at the time on Nickelodeon. Impressed by his work, Murray offered Hillenburg a job as a director on the show. During his time on Rocko’s Modern Life, Martin Olson, who worked as a writer on the show, saw the Intertidal Zone and encouraged Hillenburg to develop it into a TV series.
“For all those years it seemed like I was doing these two totally separate things,” Hillenburg told OC Metro (via HW Wilson). “I wondered what it all meant. I didn't see a synthesis. It was great when it all came together in SpongeBob. I felt relieved that I hadn't wasted a lot of time doing something that I then abandoned to do something else. It has been pretty rewarding.”
It took some time to develop, but when he pitched the TV series to Nickelodeon executives, Hillenburg made sure it was an experience they would never forget. In his The Guardian obituary, he is quoted as saying: "When I pitched the show, I made this special seashell. You could pick it up and hear me singing: “Spongeboy, Spongeboy!” I also made an aquarium with Patrick planted on the side, SpongeBob sitting on a barrel and Squidward inside. I wore a Hawaiian shirt. I don’t know what they thought of it. Eventually we pitched with a storyboard. The executive, Albie Hecht, walked out – then walked straight back in and said: 'Let’s make this.'"
And the rest, as they say, was history.
