The Objective Standard

The Objective Standard

Arts & Culture

The Benevolent Spirit Behind Spongebob Squarepants

By William Nauenburg

Dec 05, 2019
∙ Paid
Share

The name Stephen Hillenburg may not be widely known, but the animated yellow sponge he created immediately reminds many people of childlike wonder, carefree laughter, and colorful quirkiness. Hillenburg was the creative mind behind one of the most iconic and successful cartoons of all time, SpongeBob SquarePants.

Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and raised in A…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Objective Standard to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 The Objective Standard
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture