Prior to inventing the denizens of the under-water city of Bikini Bottom for the iconic animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Stephen Hillenburg was a student at Savanna High School in Anaheim.
On Thursday, SpongeBob and his pals, Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Patrick Star and Plankton – or at least the actors who voice them –gathered in the Savanna quad with the students and staff to celebrate the animator whose imagination brought them to life.
Also there were Hillenburg’s wife, Karen, and son, Clay, and Nickelodeon executives as a bright yellow, metal bench installed as a monument to Hillenburg was unveiled.
Voice actor Tom Kenny, center, who does the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, records a video clip for Savanna High student Amber Arellano, 17, left, during a dedication ceremony of a SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Savanna High student Damaris Pascual-Mendez displays the autograph from voice actor Clancy Brown, who is the voice of Mr. Krabs in the Nickelodeon animated show SpongeBob SquarePants during a dedication ceremony of a SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Miranda Morales, 16, left, has her photo taken with voice actor Bill Fagerbakke, who is the voice of Patrick Star in the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants during a dedication ceremony of a SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The signature of voice actor Rodger Bumpass, who is the voice of Squidward, is written below the image of his character on a giant welcome poster at the dedication ceremony of a SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of the Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A Savanna High student attaches balloons to a sign welcoming the cast of the Nickelodeon animated show SpongeBob SquarePants during a dedication ceremony of a SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Stephen Hillenburg creator of the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, graduated from Savanna High School in 1979. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Voice actress Jill Talley, who is the voice of Karen, signs a poster at the dedication ceremony of a SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of the Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Savanna High student, Alyson Holley, 15, right, gets an autograph from voice actor Rodger Bumpass, who is the voice of Squidward in the Nickelodeon animated show SpongeBob SquarePants during a dedication ceremony of a SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Savanna High students gather along with voice actors and family, right, from SpongeBob SquarePants for the dedication ceremony of the SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench in memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Karen Hillenburg and Clay Hillenburg, wife and son of Stephen Hillenburg, pose for photos on the SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench dedicated to the memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg during a dedication ceremony at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Stephen Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Voice actor Clancy Brown, left, who does the voice of Mr. Krabs, does a sound bite for a cell phone video during the dedication ceremony for the SpongeBob SquarePants Memorial bench dedicated in the memory of Savanna High 1979 graduate and creator of the Nickelodeon animated series, Stephen Hillenburg, at Savanna High School in Anaheim on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Hillenburg died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2018 at the age of 57. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A plaque accompanying the bench reads, in part: “The world’s most lovable goofball and his pals Patrick, Squidward and Sandy are the brainchild of alumnus Stephen Hillenburg, who as a member of the class of 1979, began to refine his inventive and visionary talents at Savanna.”
“I was pretty adamant about them having a yellow bench,” said Hillenburg’s wife, Karen, who was consulted for the bench project. “I think SpongeBob has meant a lot to kids growing up. I’ve seen that all along. I’ve seen that it has had a huge impact.”
Hillenburg died in 2018 at age 57 from the neurodegenerative disease ALS.
Following the unveiling, cast members spent at least an hour signing autographs for the more than 100 students who came out, taking selfies and recording personalized messages in their characters’ voices for cellphone videos.
With the largest swarm of students around him was Tom Kenny, the actor who has been the voice of SpongeBob since the series’ first episode in 1999.
“The great thing about SpongeBob and being allowed to portray him is that it all came from a brain of the guy who went to this very high school, and he changed all of our lives and it’s so cool being part of something that is so multi-generational,” Kenny said.
“SpongeBob has been around for 20-something years. These guys obviously are younger than that by a good handful of years,” he noted. “SpongeBob has stayed cool. It’s not something that people leave behind them. They take it to high school. They bring it to college.”
Along with Kenny, voice-over actors from the series who attended the ceremony were Clancy Brown, the voice of Mr. Krabs; Bill Faberbakke, the voice of Patrick Starr; Roger Bumpass, the voice of Squidward; and Doug Lawrence, the voice of Plankton the Lobster.
After moving from Oklahoma to Anaheim has a child, Hillenburg developed a love for the ocean and passion for art.
“He had a teacher here (at Savanna), whose name I can’t recall, who was really encouraging to him and his artwork, so that was a big turning point for him,” Karen Hillenburg said.
Hillenburg majored in marine science at Humboldt State University – where he also still studied art – and then became a marine biology instructor at the Orange County Marine Institute in Dana Point.
While at the institute he drew a picture book about tide-pool animals, “The Intertidal Zone.”
“There was a sponge, a crab and there was a starfish, and they were those characters that went on to morph into the familiar cartoon characters,” Kenny said.
Animator Griffin Hanson had the initial idea to honor Hillenburg in some way, and was one of the main organizers for the memorial at the campus.
“Stephen Hillenburg is someone who every animator you’ll ever meet will say was an influence on them,” he said. “Learning that he went to school here at Savanna, and learning that Savanna was such an instrumental part in his artistic journey was something that was really important for me to help preserve, because a lot of people didn’t know that Stephen was a (Savanna) Rebel.”
Hanson reached out to Hillenburg’s mother, who suggested he contact Savanna High School.
Principal Michael Pooley received his email in July 2020 and said, “I knew from the get-go this was something we wanted to be a part of. I was super excited for the opportunity for our school and our community.”
Nickelodeon continues to produce “SpongeBob SquarePants,” which is now in its 13th season.
Hillenburg received two Emmy Awards and numerous other awards for the series.
“SpongeBob still enjoys such good will,” Kenny said. “It’s such a pleasure to be a part of and it’s all because of Stephen Hillenburg.”
