SpongeBob SquarePants
| SpongeBob SquarePants | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | SpongeBob |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Stephen Hillenburg |
| Developed by | |
| Showrunners |
|
| Creative directors |
|
| Voices of | |
| Narrated by | Tom Kenny |
| Theme music composer |
|
| Opening theme | "SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Song" (performed by Patrick Pinney and the kids) |
| Ending theme | "SpongeBob Closing Theme" (composed by Steve Belfer) |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 15 |
| No. of episodes | 310 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 22–51 minutes |
| Production companies | United Plankton Pictures Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon[a] |
| Release | May 1, 1999 – present |
| Related | |
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards on May 1, 1999, and officially premiered on July 17, 1999. It chronicles the adventures of SpongeBob SquarePants and his aquatic friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom.
Many of the series' ideas originated in The Intertidal Zone, an unpublished educational comic book Hillenburg created in 1989 to teach his students about undersea life.[4] Hillenburg joined Nickelodeon in 1992 as an artist on Rocko's Modern Life.[5] After Rocko was cancelled in 1996, he began developing SpongeBob SquarePants into a television series that same year, and in 1997, a seven-minute pilot was pitched to Nickelodeon. The network's executives wanted SpongeBob to be a child in school, but Hillenburg preferred SpongeBob to be an adult character.[6] He was prepared to abandon the series, but compromised by creating Mrs. Puff and her boating school so SpongeBob could attend school as an adult.[7]
In only a month after its premiere in 1999, the show became the highest-rated and most viewed animated Saturday morning program that year, beating Pokémon.[8] The series received worldwide critical acclaim, and had gained more popularity by its second season. As of 2019, the series is the fifth-longest-running American animated series. Its popularity made it a multimedia franchise, the highest rated Nickelodeon series, and the most profitable intellectual property for Paramount Consumer Products. By 2019, it had generated over $13 billion in merchandising revenue.[9] The series has run for a total of fourteen seasons, and has inspired three feature films: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), Sponge Out of Water (2015), and Sponge on the Run (2020). Two spin-off series, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years and The Patrick Star Show, premiered in 2021. As of February 2022, four additional films are planned: three character spinoff films for Paramount+ and Netflix, and a theatrical SpongeBob film. The fourteenth season of the main series was announced in March 2022,[10] and premiered in November 2023. In September 2023, the show was renewed for a fifteenth season,[11] which premiered in July 2024.
SpongeBob SquarePants has won a variety of awards including six Annie Awards, eight Golden Reel Awards, four Emmy Awards, two BAFTA Children's Awards, and a record-breaking twenty-one Kids' Choice Awards. A Broadway musical based on the series opened in 2017 to critical acclaim.[12] The series is also noted as a cultural touchstone of Millennials and Generation Z.[13][14]
Premise
Characters
The series follows SpongeBob SquarePants, an energetic and optimistic sea sponge who lives in a submerged pineapple, and his aquatic friends. SpongeBob has a childlike enthusiasm for life, which carries over to his job as a fry cook at a fast food restaurant, the Krusty Krab. One of his goals is to obtain a boat-driving license from Mrs. Puff's Boating School, but he never succeeds. His favorite pastimes include "jellyfishing", which involves catching jellyfish with a net in a manner similar to butterfly catching, and blowing soap bubbles into elaborate shapes. He has a pet sea snail with a pink shell and a blue body named Gary, who meows like a cat.
Living two houses away from SpongeBob is his best friend Patrick Star, a dimwitted yet friendly pink starfish who resides under a rock. Patrick considers himself to be intelligent, with his ignorance of his stupidity being a key trait of his.[15] Squidward Tentacles, SpongeBob's next-door neighbor and co-worker at the Krusty Krab, is a grumpy and bitter octopus who lives in an Easter Island moai. He despises his job as a cashier and enjoys playing the clarinet and painting self-portraits. He is constantly annoyed by SpongeBob and Patrick's antics, who are unaware of Squidward's animosity towards them, though they get along well when the situation calls for it. Mr. Krabs, a greedy red crab, is the owner of the Krusty Krab. He serves as a father figure to SpongeBob. He is a single parent with a teenage daughter, a grey sperm whale named Pearl, who has no interest in taking over the family business.[16] Another of SpongeBob's friends is Sandy Cheeks, a thrill-seeking and athletic squirrel from Texas, who wears an air-filled diving suit to breathe underwater.[17] She lives in a tree enclosed in a clear glass dome locked by an airtight, hand-turned seal and is an expert in karate.
Located across the street from the Krusty Krab is an unsuccessful rival restaurant called the Chum Bucket.[18] It rarely has any customers due to its sale of chum-based food constituting as cannibalism by the majority of the fish population. It is run by a small, green, one-eyed copepod[19] named Plankton and his computer wife, Karen.[20] Plankton, being a childhood friend and eventual rival of Mr. Krabs, constantly tries to steal the secret recipe for Mr. Krabs's popular Krabby Patty burgers, hoping to gain the upper hand and put the Krusty Krab out of business.[21] Karen supplies him with evil schemes to obtain the formula, but their efforts always fail and their restaurant rarely has any customers.[22] When SpongeBob is not working at the Krusty Krab, he is often taking boating lessons from Mrs. Puff, a paranoid but patient pufferfish. SpongeBob is Mrs. Puff's most diligent student and knows every answer to the oral exams he takes, but he panics and crashes when he tries to drive a real boat, hence failing the course multiple times.[23] When Mrs. Puff endures one of SpongeBob's crashes or is otherwise frightened, she puffs up into a ball.[24]
An unseen figure called the French Narrator often introduces episodes and narrates the intertitles as if the series were a nature documentary about the ocean. His role and distinctive manner of speaking are references to the oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.[25]
Recurring guest characters appear throughout the series including: the retired superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, who are idolized by SpongeBob and Patrick; a pirate specter known as the Flying Dutchman; the muscular lifeguard of Goo Lagoon, Larry the Lobster; and the merman god of the sea, King Neptune. There is also a large variety of characters who serve as the main background characters for the show and are featured in almost every episode. They are each referred as "Incidental" followed by their given model number. Their names, jobs, personalities, relationships, voices, ages, and sometimes gender are inconsistent and tend to differ from each episode. There are 222 of these characters.[citation needed]
Special (generally half-hour or hour-long) episodes of the show are hosted by a live-action pirate named Patchy and his pet parrot Potty, whose segments are presented in a dual narrative with the animated stories.[26] Patchy is portrayed as the president of a fictional SpongeBob fan club, and his greatest aspiration is to meet SpongeBob himself. He gets into absurd escapades in a similar matter to the actual show, with Potty constantly making fun of Patchy's nonsensical aspirations and causes trouble for him while he tries to host the show.
Setting
The series takes place primarily in the benthic underwater city of Bikini Bottom located in the Pacific Ocean beneath the real-life coral reef known as Bikini Atoll.[27][28][29][b] Its citizens are mostly multicolored fish who live in buildings made from ship funnels and use "boatmobiles", amalgamations of cars and boats, as a mode of transportation. Recurring locations within Bikini Bottom include the neighboring houses of SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward; two competing restaurants, the Krusty Krab and the Chum Bucket; Mrs. Puff's Boating School, which includes a driving course and a sunken lighthouse; the Treedome, an oxygenated glass enclosure where Sandy lives; Shady Shoals Rest Home; a seagrass meadow called Jellyfish Fields; and Goo Lagoon, a subaqueous brine pool that is a popular beach hangout.[31]
When the SpongeBob crew began production of the series' pilot episode, they were tasked with designing stock locations, to be used repeatedly, where most scenes would take place like the Krusty Krab and SpongeBob's pineapple house.[32] The idea was "to keep everything nautical", so the crew used plenty of rope, wooden planks, ships' wheels, netting, anchors, boilerplates, and rivets to create the show's setting. Transitions between scenes are marked by bubbles filling the screen, accompanied by the sound of rushing water.[32]
The series features "sky flowers" as a main setting material.[32] When series background designer Kenny Pittenger was asked what they were, he answered, "They function as clouds in a way, but since the show takes place underwater, they aren't really clouds. Because of the Tiki influence on the show, the background painters use a lot of pattern."[32] Pittenger said the sky flowers were meant to "evoke the look of a flower-print Hawaiian shirt".[32]
Production
Development
Early inspirations
Series creator Stephen Hillenburg first became fascinated with the ocean as a child and began developing his artistic abilities at a young age. Although these interests would not overlap for some time—the idea of drawing fish seemed boring to him—Hillenburg pursued both during college, majoring in marine biology and minoring in art. After graduating in 1984, he joined the Ocean Institute, an organization in Dana Point, California, dedicated to educating the public about marine science and maritime history.[33][34]
While Hillenburg was there, his love of the ocean began to influence his artistry. He created a precursor to SpongeBob SquarePants: a comic book titled The Intertidal Zone used by the institute to teach visiting students about the animal life of tide pools.[34] The comic starred various anthropomorphic sea lifeforms, many of which would evolve into SpongeBob SquarePants characters.[35] Hillenburg tried to get the comic professionally published, but none of the companies he sent it to were interested.[34]
A large inspiration to Hillenburg was Ween's 1997 album The Mollusk, which had a nautical and underwater theme. Hillenburg contacted the band shortly after the album's release, explaining the baseline ideas for SpongeBob SquarePants, and also requested a song from the band, which they sent on Christmas Eve. This song was "Loop de Loop", which was used in the episode "Your Shoe's Untied".[36][37][38]
Conception
While working as a staff artist at the Ocean Institute, Hillenburg entertained plans to return eventually to college for a master's degree in art. Before this could materialize, he attended an animation festival, which inspired him to make a slight change in course. Instead of continuing his education with a traditional art program, Hillenburg chose to study experimental animation at the California Institute of the Arts.[34] His thesis film, Wormholes, is about the theory of relativity.[39] It was screened at festivals, and at one of these, Hillenburg met Joe Murray, creator of the popular Nickelodeon animated series, Rocko's Modern Life. Murray was impressed by the style of the film and offered Hillenburg a job.[39][40] Hillenburg joined the series as a director, and later, during the fourth season, he took on the roles of producer and creative director.[35][39][40][41]
Martin Olson, one of the writers for Rocko's Modern Life, read The Intertidal Zone and encouraged Hillenburg to create a television series with a similar concept. At that point, Hillenburg had not even considered creating his own series. However, he realized that if he ever did, this would be the best approach.[34][39][42] He began to develop some of the characters from The Intertidal Zone, including the comic's "announcer", Bob the Sponge.[34] He wanted his series to stand out from most popular cartoons of the time, which he felt were exemplified by buddy comedies like The Ren & Stimpy Show. As a result, Hillenburg decided to focus on a single main character: the "weirdest" sea creature he could think of. This led him to the sponge.[34] The Intertidal Zone's Bob the Sponge resembles an actual sea sponge, and at first, Hillenburg continued to use this design.[34][39][40][43] In determining the new character's behavior, Hillenburg drew inspiration from innocent, childlike figures that he enjoyed, such as Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Jerry Lewis, and Pee-wee Herman.[34][40][44][45][46] He then considered modeling the character after a kitchen sponge and realized this idea would match the character's square personality perfectly.[34][39][40] Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Pearl, and Squidward were the next characters Hillenburg created for the show.[47]
To voice the series' central character, Hillenburg turned to Tom Kenny, whose career in animation had started alongside Hillenburg's on Rocko's Modern Life. Elements of Kenny's own personality were employed to develop the character further.[48] Initially, Hillenburg wanted to use the name SpongeBoy—the character had no last name—and the series was to have been named SpongeBoy Ahoy![43][48] However, the Nickelodeon legal department discovered—after voice acting had been completed for the original seven-minute pilot episode—that the name "SpongeBoy" was already copyrighted.[49][48] In choosing a replacement name, Hillenburg felt he still had to use the word "Sponge", so that viewers would not mistake the character for a "Cheese Man". He settled on the name "SpongeBob". "SquarePants" was chosen as a family name after Kenny saw a picture of the character and remarked, "Boy, look at this sponge in square pants, thinking he can get a job in a fast food place."[44] When he heard Kenny say it, Hillenburg loved the phrase and felt it would reinforce the character's nerdiness.[44][50]
Assembling the crew
Derek Drymon, who served as creative director for the first three seasons, has said that Hillenburg wanted to surround himself with a "team of young and hungry people."[45] Many of the major contributors to SpongeBob SquarePants had worked before with Hillenburg on Rocko's Modern Life, including: Drymon, art director Nick Jennings, supervising director Alan Smart, writer/voice actor Doug Lawrence (often credited as Mr. Lawrence), and Tim Hill, who helped develop the series bible.[45][46]
Although Drymon would go on to have a significant influence on SpongeBob SquarePants, he was not offered a role on the series initially. As a late recruit to Rocko's Modern Life, he had not established much of a relationship with Hillenburg before SpongeBob's conception. Hillenburg first sought out Drymon's storyboard partner, Mark O'Hare—but he had just created the soon-to-be syndicated comic strip, Citizen Dog.[45] While he would later join SpongeBob as a writer,[51] he lacked the time to get involved with both projects from the outset.[45] Drymon has said, "I remember Hillenburg's bringing it up to Mark in our office and asking him if he'd be interested in working on it ... I was all ready to say yes to the offer, but Steve didn't ask; he just left the room. I was pretty desperate ... so I ran into the hall after him and basically begged him for the job. He didn't jump at the chance."[45] Once Hillenburg had given it some thought and decided to bring Drymon on as creative director, the two began meeting at Hillenburg's house several times a week to develop the series. Drymon has identified this period as having begun in 1996, shortly after the end of Rocko's Modern Life.[45]
Jennings was also instrumental in SpongeBob's genesis.[52] Kenny has called him "one of SpongeBob's early graphics mentors".[46] On weekends, Kenny joined Hillenburg, Jennings, and Drymon for creative sessions where they recorded ideas on a tape recorder.[46] Kenny performed audio tests as SpongeBob during these sessions, while Hillenburg voice acted the other characters.[43][46]
Hill contributed scripts for several first-season episodes (including the pilot)[53][54][55][56] and was offered the role of story editor, but turned it down—he would go on to pursue a career as a family film director.[57][58] In his stead, Pete Burns was brought in for the job. Burns hailed from Chicago and had never met any of the principal players on SpongeBob before joining the team.[45]
Pitching
The execs from Nickelodeon flew out to Burbank, and we pitched it to them from the storyboards. We had squeezy toys, wore Hawaiian shirts, and used a boom box to play the Tiny Tim song ['Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight'] that comes on in the third act. We really went all out in that pitch because we knew the pilot lived or died by if the execs laughed. When it was over, they walked out of the room to discuss it. We figured they would fly back to New York and we'd hear in a few weeks. We were surprised when they came back in what seemed like minutes and said they wanted to make it.
While pitching the cartoon to Nickelodeon executives, Hillenburg donned a Hawaiian shirt, brought along an "underwater terrarium with models of the characters", and played Hawaiian music to set the theme. The setup was described by Nickelodeon executive Eric Coleman as "pretty amazing".[39] They were given money and two weeks to write the pilot episode "Help Wanted".[39] Drymon, Hillenburg, and Jennings returned with what was described by Nickelodeon official Albie Hecht as, "a performance [he] wished [he] had on tape".[39] Although executive producer Derek Drymon described the pitch as stressful, he said it went "very well".[39] Kevin Kay and Hecht had to step outside because they were "exhausted from laughing", which worried the cartoonists.[39]
In an interview, Cyma Zarghami, then-president of Nickelodeon, said, "their [Nickelodeon executives'] immediate reaction was to see it again, both because they liked it and it was unlike anything they'd ever seen before".[59] Zarghami was one of four executives in the room when SpongeBob SquarePants was screened for the first time.[59]
Before commissioning the full series, Nickelodeon executives insisted that it would not be popular unless SpongeBob was a child who went to school, with his teacher as a main character.[6] Hillenburg recalled in 2012 that Nickelodeon told him, "Our winning formula is animation about kids in school... We want you to put SpongeBob in school."[34] Hillenburg was ready to "walk out" on Nickelodeon and abandon the series, since he wanted SpongeBob to be an adult character.[34] He eventually compromised by adding a new character to the main cast, Mrs. Puff, who is a boat-driving teacher. Hillenburg was happy with the compromise and said, "A positive thing for me that came out of it was [how it brought] in a new character, Mrs. Puff, who I love."[34]
Executive producers and showrunners
Until his death in 2018, Hillenburg had served as the executive producer over the course of the series' entire history and functioned as its showrunner from its debut in 1999 until 2004. The series went on hiatus in 2002, after Hillenburg halted production on the show itself to work on the feature film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.[49] Once the film was finalized and the third season finished, Hillenburg resigned as the series' showrunner. Although he no longer had a direct role in the series' production, he maintained an advisory role and reviewed each episode.[59][60]
It reached a point where I felt I'd contributed a lot and said what I wanted to say. At that point, the show needed new blood, and so I selected Paul [Tibbitt] to produce. I totally trusted him. I always enjoyed the way he captured the SpongeBob character's sense of humor. And as a writer, you have to move on—I'm developing new projects.
When the film was completed, Hillenburg intended it to be the series finale, "so [the show] wouldn't jump the shark." However, Nickelodeon wanted more episodes.[62] Hillenburg appointed Paul Tibbitt, who had previously served on the show as a writer, director, and storyboard artist, to take over his role as showrunner to produce additional seasons.[63] Hillenburg considered Tibbitt one of his favorite members of the show's crew,[64] and "totally trusted him".[61]
On December 13, 2014, it was announced that Hillenburg would return to the series in an unspecified position.[65] On November 26, 2018, at the age of 57, Hillenburg died from complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with which he had been diagnosed in March 2017.[66][67] Nickelodeon confirmed via Twitter the series would continue after his death.[68] In February 2019, incoming president Brian Robbins vowed Nickelodeon would keep the show in production for as long as the network exists.[69]
As of the ninth season, former writers and storyboard directors Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli act as showrunners. Hillenburg is still posthumously credited as executive producer in episodes as of 2024.
Writing
According to writer and storyboard artist Luke Brookshier, "SpongeBob is written differently to many television shows."[70] Unlike most of its contemporaries, SpongeBob SquarePants does not use written scripts.[70][71] Instead, storylines are developed by a team of five outline and premise writers. A two-page outline is then assigned to a team of storyboard directors, who produce a complete rough draft of the storyboard. One of the methods used to assemble storyboards was to use Post-it notes. Most of the dialogue and jokes are added during this stage.[49][70] Brookshier has likened this process to how cartoons were made "in the early days of animation".[70]
The decision to eschew scripts for storyboards is one that Hillenburg made early in the series' development.[49] Rocko's Modern Life had also used storyboarding derived from short outlines, and having worked on that series, Hillenburg felt strongly about adopting the process for SpongeBob SquarePants—even though Nickelodeon was beginning to show a greater preference for script-driven cartoons.[45][72] Another series' writer, Merriwether Williams, explained in an interview that she and Mr. Lawrence would write a draft for an episode in an afternoon and be done at 4:00 pm.[73]
The writing staff often used their personal experiences as inspiration for the storylines of the series' episodes.[45][61] For example, the episode "Sailor Mouth", where SpongeBob and Patrick learn profanity,[61] was inspired by creative director Derek Drymon's experience as a child of getting into trouble for using the f-word in front of his mother.[45] Drymon said, "The scene where Patrick is running to Mr. Krabs to tattle, with SpongeBob chasing him, is pretty much how it happened in real life".[45] The end of the episode when Mr. Krabs uses even more profanity than SpongeBob and Patrick was inspired "by the fact that my [Drymon's] mother has a sailor mouth herself".[45] The idea for the episode "The Secret Box" also came from one of Drymon's childhood experiences.[61][73] Hillenburg explained, "Drymon had a secret box [as a kid] and started telling us about it. We wanted to make fun of him and use it."[61]
Almost every episode is divided into two 11-minute segments. Hillenburg explained: "[I] never really wanted to deliberately try to write a half-hour show".[61] He added, "I wrote the shows to where they felt right".[61]
Voice actors
- Cast members
-
-
Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star, additional voices -
Rodger Bumpass as Squidward Tentacles, additional voices -
Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, additional voices -
Mr. Lawrence as Plankton, Potty the Parrot (since season 10), Larry the Lobster, Realistic Fish Head, Fred, additional voices -
Jill Talley as Karen, additional voices -
Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks, additional voices -
-
Lori Alan as Pearl Krabs, additional voices
.jpg)
SpongeBob SquarePants features the voices of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, Mary Jo Catlett, and Lori Alan. Most one-off and background characters are voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, Sirena Irwin, Bob Joles, Mark Fite and Thomas F. Wilson.
Steve described SpongeBob to me as childlike and naïve. He's not quite an adult, he's not quite a kid. Think a Stan Laurel, Jerry Lewis kind of child-man. Kind of like a Munchkin but not quite, kind of like a kid, but not in a Charlie Brown child's voice on the TV shows.
Kenny voices SpongeBob and a number of other characters, including SpongeBob's pet snail Gary and the French narrator. He also physically portrays Patchy the Pirate in live-action segments of most special episodes. Kenny previously worked with Stephen Hillenburg on Rocko's Modern Life. When Hillenburg created SpongeBob SquarePants, he approached Kenny to voice the main character.[74] Kenny originally used the voice of SpongeBob for a minor character on Rocko.[48] He forgot how to perform the voice initially and did not intend to use it afterward. Hillenburg, however, used a video clip of the episode to remind Kenny of the voice.[48] When Hillenburg heard Kenny perform the voice, he knew immediately he wanted it for his character. He said to Nickelodeon executives, "That's it—I don't want to hear anybody else do the voice. We've got SpongeBob."[46] The network insisted on auditioning more actors, but Hillenburg turned them down; in the words of Tom Kenny, "one of the advantages of having a strong creator is that the creator can say, 'No, I like that—I don't care about celebrities.'"[46] While Kenny was developing SpongeBob's voice, the show's casting crew wanted him to have a unique, high-pitched laugh in the tradition of Popeye and Woody Woodpecker.[75]
Fagerbakke voices Patrick Star[76] and other miscellaneous characters. At the same time when Hillenburg, Derek Drymon and Tim Hill were writing the pilot "Help Wanted", Hillenburg was also conducting auditions to find voices for the characters.[45] Fagerbakke auditioned for the role of Patrick after Kenny had been cast.[77] Fagerbakke recalled that during this audition, "Hillenburg actually played for me a portion of Tom [Kenny]'s performance [as SpongeBob], and they were looking for a counterpoint."[77] In an interview, Fagerbakke compared himself to the character and said, "It's extremely gratifying".[78] Whenever Patrick is angry Fagerbakke models his performance after American actress Shelley Winters.[79]
Squidward Tentacles is voiced by Rodger Bumpass, who describes him as "a very nasally, monotone kind of guy." He said the character "became a very interesting character to do" because of "his sarcasm, and then his frustration, and then his apoplexy, and so he became a wide spectrum of emotions".[80] Arthur Brown, author of Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Cartoons!, has compared Squidward's voice to that of Jack Benny's,[81] a similarity Bumpass says is mostly unintentional.[80]
Voice acting veteran Clancy Brown voices Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob's boss at the Krusty Krab. Hillenburg modeled Mr. Krabs after his former manager at a seafood restaurant, whose strong Maine accent reminded Hillenburg of a pirate.[82] Brown decided to use a "piratey" voice for the character with "a little Scottish brogue" after hearing Hillenburg's description of his boss.[83] According to Brown, his Mr. Krabs voice was mostly improvised during his audition and it was not challenging for him to find the correct voice.[83]
Mr. Lawrence had met Hillenburg before on Rocko's Modern Life. While working on the pilot episode of SpongeBob, Hillenburg invited him to audition for all the characters.[84] Since other voices had been found for the main cast already, Lawrence began by voicing a variety of minor characters. This included Plankton, who was initially only set to appear in one episode.[84][45] Mr. Lawrence recalls that Nickelodeon executives told Hillenburg, "'we could stunt-cast this. You know, we could have Bruce Willis do this voice.' And Steve was just like, 'it's Doug [Lawrence], don't you hear it? This is the character! This is the guy!'"[84] Jill Talley, Tom Kenny's wife, voices Karen Plankton.[85] Being a Chicago native, she uses a Midwestern accent for the character.[86] Electronic sound effects are underlaid by the series' audio engineers to create a robotic sound when she speaks.[87] Talley and Mr. Lawrence often improvise Plankton and Karen's dialogue. Lawrence called improvisation his "favorite part of the voice over" in 2009.[88] He elaborated in a 2012 interview, saying, "I always enjoy the back-and-forth. [Talley and I] start to actually overlap so much talking to each other that [the voice directors] have to tell us, 'hey, stop doing that, separate what you're saying!'"[84]
Carolyn Lawrence voices Sandy Cheeks. She was in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, with a friend who knew SpongeBob SquarePants casting director Donna Grillo. Her friend said to Grillo that Lawrence had "an interesting voice". Grillo invited her to audition and she got the role.[89][90] American actress Mary Jo Catlett,[91] who is known for her live-action roles on television programs from the 1970s such as Diff'rent Strokes and M*A*S*H provides Mrs. Puff's voice.[86] As of 2017, voicing Mrs. Puff has become her only regular television role; Catlett described herself as "basically retired" in 2013, since she feels that voicing Mrs. Puff requires less preparation than her performances in person.[92] Lori Alan voices Pearl Krabs.[93] During her audition for the role, Alan was shown an early drawing of the characters and noted that Pearl was much larger than the rest of the cast. She decided to reflect the character's size in her voice by making it deep and full in tone. She aimed to make it invoke the sound of whales' low vocalizations while also sounding "spoiled and lovable."[94] In an interview with AfterBuzz TV, Alan said she knew Pearl "had to sound somewhat like a child," but needed "an abnormally large voice."[95]
In addition to the regular cast, episodes feature guest voices from many professions, including actors, athletes, authors, musicians, and artists. Recurring guest voices include: Ernest Borgnine, who voiced Mermaid Man from 1999 until his death in 2012;[96] Tim Conway as the voice of Barnacle Boy from 1999 until his death in 2019;[97] Brian Doyle-Murray as the Flying Dutchman;[98] and Marion Ross as Grandma SquarePants.[99] Notable guests who have provided vocal cameo appearances include: David Bowie as Lord Royal Highness in the television film Atlantis SquarePantis;[100][101] John Goodman as the voice of Santa in the episode "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!"; Johnny Depp as the voice of the surf guru, Jack Kahuna Laguna, in the episode "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One";[102] and Victoria Beckham as the voice of Queen Amphitrite in the episode "The Clash of Triton".[103][104]
Voice recording sessions always include a full cast of actors, which Kenny describes as "getting more unusual".[46] Kenny said, "That's another thing that's given SpongeBob its special feel. Everybody's in the same room, doing it old radio-show style. It's how the stuff we like was recorded".[46] Series writer Jay Lender said, "The recording sessions were always fun ..."[105] For the first three seasons, Hillenburg and Drymon sat in the recording studio and directed the actors.[106] Andrea Romano became the voice director in the fourth season,[106] and Tom Kenny took over the role during the ninth. Wednesday is recording day, the same schedule followed by the crew since 1999.[106] Casting supervisor Jennie Monica Hammond said, "I loved Wednesdays".[106]
Animation
Approximately 50 people work together to animate and produce an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.[70] Throughout its run, the series' production has been handled domestically at Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, California. The finished animations are handled overseas at Rough Draft Studios Korea, Ltd. in South Korea.[61][107] The California crew storyboard each episode, which are then used as templates by the crew at Rough Draft,[61] who animate each scene by hand, color each cel on computers, and paint backgrounds. Episodes are finished in California, where they are edited and have music added.[70]
During the first season, the series used cel animation.[63] A shift was made the following year to digital ink and paint animation.[63] In 2009, executive producer Paul Tibbitt said: "The first season of SpongeBob was done the old-fashioned way on cells [sic], and every cell sic had to be part-painted, left to dry, paint some other colors. It's still a time-consuming aspect of the process now, but the digital way of doing things means it doesn't take long to correct".[63]
In 2008, the crew began using Wacom Cintiqs for the drawings instead of pencils. The fifth season episode "Pest of the West", one of the half-hour specials, was the first episode where the crew applied this method. Series' background designer Kenny Pittenger said, "The only real difference between the way we draw now and the way we drew then is that we abandoned pencil and paper during the fifth season".[32] The shift to Wacom Cintiqs let the designers and animators draw on computer screens and make immediate changes or undo mistakes. Pittenger said, "Many neo-Luddites—er... I mean, many of my cohorts—don't like working on them, but I find them useful. There's no substitute for the immediacy of drawing on a piece of paper, of course, but digital nautical nonsense is still pretty fun".[32]
Since 2004, the SpongeBob crew has periodically collaborated with the LA-based animation studio Screen Novelties to create stop-motion sequences for special episodes. The studio produced a brief claymation scene for the climax of the first theatrical film.[108] It was re-enlisted in 2009 to create an exclusive opening for the series' tenth anniversary special.[109][110] The abominable snow mollusk, an octopus-like creature made of clay who acts as the antagonist of the double-length episode "Frozen Face-Off", was also animated by the company.[111] Animation World Network reported that "within the SpongeBob creative team, there was always talk of doing a more involved project together" with Screen Novelties.[111] As a result, the group was asked to create an episode animated entirely in stop motion in 2011. This project became "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!",[112] which reimagined the show's characters as if they were part of a Rankin/Bass holiday film.[113] Tom Kenny, who is normally uninvolved in the writing process, contributed to the episode's plot; he said in 2012 that he and Nickelodeon "wanted to do something just like those old school, stop-motion Rankin-Bass holiday specials ... which I watched over and over again when I was a kid growing up in Syracuse".[108]
Unconventional materials such as baking soda, glitter, wood chips and breakfast cereal were used in mass quantities to create the special's sets.[114] Members of the Screen Novelties crew received one win and two nominations at the 30th Annie Awards,[115] a nomination at the 2013 Golden Reel Awards,[116] and a nomination at the 2013 Annecy International Animated Film Festival for animating the episode.[117] The team built a dolphin puppet named Bubbles, voiced by Matt Berry, for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.[118] Sequences involving Bubbles included a blend of stop motion and traditional animation. A second special animated in stop motion, themed around Halloween and using the same Rankin/Bass-inspired character models, was produced for season 11.[119][120]
Music
[The music has gone] from mostly sea shanties and Hawaiian music à la Roy Smeck meets Pee-wee Herman—still the main style for the show—in the early episodes, but it now includes film noir, West Side Story to [Henry] Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith and [Steven] Spielberg. There's Broadway-type scores and plain old goofy, loopy, weird stuff. I try to push the envelope on this show without getting in the way of the story, and I try to push it up and way over the top when I can get away with it, all the time keeping it as funny and ridiculous as possible.
Mark Harrison and Blaise Smith composed the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song.[122] Its lyrics were written by Stephen Hillenburg and the series' original creative director Derek Drymon. The melody was inspired by the sea shanty "Blow the Man Down".[40] An old oil painting of a pirate is used in the opening sequence. Dubbed "Painty the Pirate", according to Tom Kenny, Hillenburg found it in a thrift shop "years ago".[48] Patrick Pinney voices Painty the Pirate, singing the theme song as the character.[40] Hillenburg's lips were imposed onto the painting and move along with the lyrics.[48] Kenny joked this is "about as close of a glimpse as most SpongeBob fans are ever going to get of Steve Hillenburg", because of his private nature.[40]
A cover of the song by Avril Lavigne can be found on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie soundtrack.[123][124] Another cover by the Violent Femmes aired on Nickelodeon as a promotion when the series moved to prime time.[125]
Steve Belfer, one of Hillenburg's friends from CalArts, wrote and performed the music heard over the end credits.[45] This theme includes ukulele music at Hillenburg's request.[45] Drymon said, "It's so long ago, it's hard to be sure, but I remember Hillenburg having the Belfer music early on, maybe before the pilot".[45]
The series' music editor and main composer is Nicolas Carr.[121] After working with Hillenburg on Rocko's Modern Life, he struggled to find a new job in his field. He had considered a career change before Hillenburg offered him the job. The first season's score primarily featured selections from the Associated Production Music Library, which Carr has said includes "lots of great old corny Hawaiian music and big, full, dramatic orchestral scores."[121] Rocko's Modern Life also used music from this library. It was Hillenburg's decision to adopt this approach. Carr has described the selections for SpongeBob SquarePants as being "more over-the-top" than those for Rocko's Modern Life.[121]
Hillenburg felt it was important for the series to develop its own music library, consisting of scores that could be reused and re-edited throughout the years. He wanted these scores to be composed by unknowns, and a group of twelve was assembled. They formed "The Sponge Divers Orchestra", which includes Carr and Belfer. The group went on to provide most of the music for later seasons, although Carr still draws from the Associated Production Music Library, as well as another library that he founded himself—Animation Music Inc.[121]
Release
Broadcast
| Season | Episodes | Segments | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 20 | 41 | May 1, 1999 | March 3, 2001 | |
| 2 | 20 | 39 | October 20, 2000 | July 26, 2003 | |
| 3 | 20 | 37 | October 5, 2001 | October 11, 2004 | |
| 4 | 20 | 38 | May 6, 2005 | July 24, 2007 | |
| 5 | 20 | 41 | February 19, 2007 | July 19, 2009 | |
| 6 | 26 | 47 | March 3, 2008 | July 5, 2010 | |
| 7 | 26 | 50 | July 19, 2009 | June 11, 2011 | |
| 8 | 26 | 47 | March 26, 2011 | December 6, 2012 | |
| 9 | 26 | 49 | July 21, 2012 | February 20, 2017 | |
| 10 | 11 | 22 | October 15, 2016 | December 2, 2017 | |
| 11 | 26 | 50 | June 24, 2017 | November 25, 2018 | |
| 12 | 26 | 48 | November 11, 2018 | April 29, 2022 | |
| 13 | 26 | 52 | October 22, 2020 | November 1, 2023 | |
| 14 | 13[c] | 21 | November 2, 2023 | December 2, 2024 | |
| 15 | 20[126] | — | July 24, 2024 | TBA | |
Streaming
SpongeBob SquarePants was able to be streamed on Netflix until its deal with Viacom ended in 2013. The series continues to stream on Netflix in various regions outside of the United States.[127][128] The series was also available on Hulu from 2012 until 2016.[129] The series was available on Amazon Prime Video in 2013 after the Netflix deal ended.[127] As part of the rebranding plan of Paramount+, the series joined along with other ViacomCBS shows on July 30, 2020.[130][131]
Currently, the first 15 seasons are available to be streamed on Prime Video and the first 13 seasons through Paramount+.[132]
Home video
SpongeBob SquarePants DVD releases are distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment under the Nickelodeon label.
| Season | DVD release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |
| 1 | October 28, 2003[133] | November 7, 2005[134] | November 30, 2006[135] |
| 2 | October 19, 2004[136] | October 23, 2006[137] | November 30, 2006[138] |
| 3 | September 27, 2005[139] | December 3, 2007[140] | November 8, 2007[141] |
| 4 | September 12, 2006[142] | November 3, 2008[143] | November 7, 2008[144] |
| January 9, 2007[145] | |||
| 5 | September 4, 2007[146] | November 16, 2009[147] | December 3, 2009[148] |
| November 18, 2008[149] | |||
| 6 | December 8, 2009[150] | November 29, 2010[151] | December 2, 2010[152] |
| December 7, 2010[153] | |||
| 7 | December 6, 2011[154] | September 17, 2012[155] | September 12, 2012[156][157] |
| 8 | March 12, 2013[158] | October 28, 2013[159] | October 30, 2013[160] |
| 9 | October 10, 2017[161] | TBA | October 7, 2020[162] |
| 10 | October 15, 2019[163] | TBA | October 7, 2020[164] |
| 11 | March 31, 2020[165][166] | TBA | October 7, 2020[167] |
| 12 | January 12, 2021[168][169] | TBA | TBA |
| 13 | December 5, 2023[170] | TBA | TBA |
| 14 | November 19, 2024[171] | TBA | TBA |
Anniversaries
Tenth anniversary
Ten years. I never imagined working on the show to this date and this long...I really figured we might get a season and a cult following, and that might be it.
Nickelodeon began celebrating the series' 10th anniversary on January 18, 2009, with a live cast reading of the episode "SpongeBob vs. The Big One". The reading—a first for the series—was held at that year's Sundance Film Festival.[173][174] The episode, which premiered on TV on April 17, 2009, features Johnny Depp as a guest star.[175] Other celebratory actions taken by the network included the launching of a new website for the series (spongebob.com) and the introduction of new merchandise. A "SpongeBob and water conservation-themed element" was also added to Nickelodeon's pro-social campaign The Big Green Help.[173] In an interview, Tom Kenny said, "What I'm most proud of is that kids still really like [SpongeBob SquarePants] and care about it ... They eagerly await new episodes. People who were young children when it started 10 years ago are still watching it and digging it and think it's funny. That's the loving cup for me."[176]
Three nights before the official anniversary date, an hour-long documentary on the series, Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants, premiered on VH1.[172][173][174][176][177] Critically acclaimed duo Patrick Creadon and Christine O'Malley created the film as a followup to I.O.U.S.A.—a documentary on America's financial situation. Creadon remarked, "After spending two years examining the financial health of the United States, Christine and I were ready to tackle something a little more upbeat. Telling the SpongeBob story feels like the perfect fit."[173] On July 17, Nickelodeon marked the official anniversary of the series, with a 50-hour television marathon titled "The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash Weekend". It began with a new episode, "To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants". Saturday saw a countdown of the top ten episodes as picked by fans, as well as an airing of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. The marathon finished on Sunday, with a countdown of episodes picked by celebrities and the premiere of ten new episodes.[173][178][179]
Nickelodeon continued celebrating the anniversary through the rest of the year. An eight-episode DVD set featuring To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants was released shortly after the marathon on July 21.[180][181] Next a 2,200 minute, 14-disc DVD set titled The First 100 Episodes was released on September 22.[181][182][183] Finally, on November 6, an hour-long television film, titled Truth or Square, debuted on Nickelodeon. The film is narrated by Ricky Gervais and features live action cameo appearances by: Rosario Dawson, Craig Ferguson, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, LeBron James, P!nk, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and Robin Williams.[184][185][186] It was released as part of a five-episode DVD set on November 10, 2009.[187]
Twentieth anniversary
On February 11, 2019, Nickelodeon announced it would recognize the twentieth anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants with a series of celebrations known as the "Best Year Ever".[188][189] In honor of the anniversary, Pantone created color shades known as "SpongeBob SquarePants Yellow" and "Patrick Star Pink" to be used by Nickelodeon's licensing partners.[190][191][192] Romero Britto, Jon Burgerman, and the Filipino art collective Secret Fresh were commissioned by Nickelodeon to create art pieces devoted to SpongeBob SquarePants. Some of these pieces were to be adapted into commercial products.[190][191] On February 12, in conjunction with Nickelodeon's announcement of the "Best Year Ever", Cynthia Rowley presented a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed wetsuit during New York Fashion Week.[193][194][195] A month later, Marlou Breuls presented the SpongeBob SquarePants-themed "Icon Collection" during Amsterdam Fashion Week.[196][197] That summer, Nike, in collaboration with Kyrie Irving, released a SpongeBob SquarePants series of shoes, accessories, and apparel.[198] In July, for the first time ever, SpongeBob SquarePants became the theme of a cosmetics line, which was released as a limited time offering by HipDot Studios.[193][199][200] The "Best Year Ever" also introduced an official SpongeBob SquarePants YouTube channel and a new mobile game based on the series, along with new toy lines.[192][193]
The "Best Year Ever" formally began on July 12, 2019, with the premiere of the one-hour, live-action/animated TV special SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout.[188][189][201] It continued that month at San Diego Comic-Con, with two panels, a booth, and various activities devoted to the series.[192][202] The "Best Year Ever" was recognized on Amazon Prime Day with an exclusive early release of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best 200 Episodes Ever!, a 30-disc DVD compilation of two box sets, SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Next 100 Episodes. The collections received a standard nationwide release on August 27.[203] The "Best Year Ever" continued into 2020 culminating with the August 14 release of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.[188][189][204]
Twenty-fifth anniversary
On May 22, 2024, Nickelodeon announced it would celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants with a worldwide event known as "SpongeBob 25".[205]
"SpongeBob 25" formally began on July 13, 2024, with the 2024 Kids' Choice Awards hosted by SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star. The following week, Nickelodeon rolled out a series of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes with Easter eggs and nods to previous episodes of the series.[205]
The Krabby Patty Kollab collaboration began on October 8, 2024, in which Wendy's and several local restaurants collaborated to bring their own interpretations of real-life Krabby Patties.[206]
A one-hour television special, Kreepaway Kamp, premiered on October 10, 2024 on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.[206]
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best 300 Episodes Ever, a 44-disc DVD compilation of three box sets, SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Next 100 Episodes and SpongeBob SquarePants: Another 100 Episodes, released on October 15, 2024.[207]
Reception
Ratings and run-length achievements
Within its first month on air, SpongeBob SquarePants overtook Pokémon as the highest rated Saturday-morning children's series on television. It held an average national Nielsen rating of 4.9 among children aged two through eleven, denoting 1.9 million viewers.[208][209] Two years later, the series had firmly established itself as Nickelodeon's second highest-rated children's program, after Rugrats. SpongeBob SquarePants was credited with helping Nickelodeon take the "Saturday-morning ratings crown" for the third straight season in 2001.[210] The series had gained a significant adult audience by that point—nearly 40 percent of its 2.2 million viewers were aged 18 to 34.[211] In response to its weekend success, Nickelodeon gave SpongeBob SquarePants time slots at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, to increase the series' exposure.[211][212] By the end of 2001, SpongeBob SquarePants had the highest ratings for any children's series, on all of television.[19][213][214] Weekly viewership of the series had reached around fifteen million, at least five million of whom were adults.[19]
In October 2002, another Nickelodeon series, The Fairly OddParents, ranked as the number two program for children between two and eleven years old.[215] Its ratings at that time were almost equal to SpongeBob SquarePants' then-average of 2.2 million viewers per episode.[215] The Fairly OddParents even briefly surpassed SpongeBob SquarePants, causing it to drop into second place. At this time, The Fairly OddParents had a 6.2 rating and nearly 2.5 million child viewers, while SpongeBob SquarePants had a 6.0 rating and 2.4 million child viewers aged two to eleven.[216] Nickelodeon "recognized" The Fairly OddParents for its climbing ratings and installed it in a new 8:00 PM time slot, previously occupied by SpongeBob SquarePants.[215] In an interview, Cyma Zarghami, then-general manager and executive vice president of Nickelodeon, said, "Are we banking on the fact that Fairly OddParents will be the next SpongeBob? ... We are hoping. But SpongeBob is so unique, it's hard to say if it will ever be repeated."[215]
In 2012, however, the series' ratings were declining.[217][218] The average number of viewers aged two to eleven watching SpongeBob at any given time dropped 29% in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to Nielsen. Wall Street Journal business writer John Jannarone suggested the series' age and oversaturation might be contributing to its ratings' decline and might also be directly responsible for the decline in Nickelodeon's overall ratings.[219] Media analyst Todd Juenger attributed the decline in Nickelodeon's ratings directly to the availability of streaming video content on services like Netflix, a provider of on-demand Internet streaming media.[220]
Philippe Dauman, the president and CEO of Viacom, contradicted that notion, saying: "We are getting nice revenues through these subscription VOD deals", adding Netflix only has "some library content" on its service.[221][222] A Nickelodeon spokesman said, "SpongeBob is performing consistently well and remains the number one rated animated series in all of children's television."[219] He added, "There is nothing that we have seen that points to SpongeBob as a problem."[219] Dauman blamed the drop on "some ratings systemic issues" at Nielsen, citing extensive set-top-box data that "does in no way reflect" the Nielsen data.[223]
Juenger noted SpongeBob could affect the ratings of other Nickelodeon programming because children often change channels to find their favorite programs, then stay tuned to that network.[219] Nickelodeon reduced its[clarification needed] exposure on television. In the first quarter of 2012, the network cut back on the number of episodes it aired by 16% compared to a year earlier.[219]
On April 22, 2013, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced their intentions not to renew their existing deal with Viacom.[224] Viacom's deal with Netflix expired, and shows such as SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer were removed.[225] However, seasons five through eight of SpongeBob are still available to stream on Netflix in Canada.[226] On June 4, 2013, Viacom announced a multi-year licensing agreement which would move its programs, such as SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer, to Amazon.com, Netflix's top competitor.[227][228] Amazon agreed to pay more than $200 million to Viacom for the license, its largest subscription streaming transaction ever.[229][230]
SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the longest-running series on Nickelodeon.[231] It became the network's series with the most episodes during its eighth season, surpassing the 172 episodes of Rugrats.[232] In the ninth season, its 26 episodes brought the total number of episodes produced to 204.[233][234][235] In a statement, Brown Johnson, Nickelodeon's animation president, said, "SpongeBob's's success in reaching over 200 episodes is a testament to creator Stephen Hillenburg's vision, comedic sensibility and his dynamic, lovable characters. The series now joins the club of contemporary classic Nicktoons that have hit this benchmark, so we're incredibly proud."[236][237] Many children of the 2000s grew up with the series, leading to the series possessing an extensive influence on Generation Z and millennials and greater internet culture.[238]
Critical reception
SpongeBob SquarePants has been widely praised, particularly for its appeal to different age groups, and the show has earned numerous awards and accolades throughout its run. James Poniewozik of Time magazine described the title character as "the anti-Bart Simpson, temperamentally and physically: his head is as squared-off and neat as Bart's is unruly, and he has a personality to match—conscientious, optimistic and blind to the faults in the world and those around him."[239] According to Laura Fries of Variety magazine, the series is "a thoughtful and inventive cartoon about a hopelessly optimistic and resilient sea sponge ... Devoid of the double entendres rife in today's animated TV shows, this is purely kid's stuff. ... However, that's not to say that SpongeBob is simplistic or even juvenile. It's charming and whimsical, but clever enough to appeal to teens and college-aged kids as well."[240] The New York Times' critic Joyce Millman said SpongeBob "is clever without being impenetrable to young viewers and goofy without boring grown-ups to tears. It's the most charming toon on television, and one of the weirdest. And it's also good, clean fun, which makes sense because it is, after all, about a sponge." Millman wrote, "His relentless good cheer would be irritating if he weren't so darned lovable and his world so excellently strange. ... Like Pee-wee's Playhouse, SpongeBob joyfully dances on the fine line between childhood and adulthood, guilelessness and camp, the warped and the sweet."[241]
Robert Thompson, a professor of communications and director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, told The New York Times
There is something kind of unique about [SpongeBob]. It seems to be a refreshing breath from the pre-irony era. There's no sense of the elbow-in-rib, tongue-in-cheek aesthetic that so permeates the rest of American culture—including kids' shows like the Rugrats. I think what's subversive about it is it's so incredibly naive—deliberately. Because there's nothing in it that's trying to be hip or cool or anything else, hipness can be grafted onto it.[242]
In another interview with Los Angeles Times, he commentated on the show's adult audience: "[On one hand] It's a kind of time machine that transports parents back to when they watched TV in their footie [pajamas]. On the other hand, it's very hip in the way it's presented. It is very edgy to adults who know how to read and listen between the frames."[243] Television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked SpongeBob SquarePants as the 22nd greatest American TV series of all time in their 2016 book TV (The Book).[244] In a 2007 interview, Barack Obama said SpongeBob is his favorite TV character and admitted that SpongeBob SquarePants is "the show I watch with my daughters."[245][246][247]
Awards and accolades
SpongeBob SquarePants has received many awards and nominations; among these are four Emmy Awards (Outstanding Special Class Animated Program in 2010;[248] Outstanding Sound Editing—Animation" in 2014;[249] Outstanding Children's Animated Series in 2018; and Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program in 2018 for Kenny);[250] six Annie Awards;[251][252][253][254][255] and two BAFTA Children's Awards.[256][257] In 2006, IGN ranked SpongeBob SquarePants 15th on its list of the Top 25 Animated Series of All Time,[258] and in 2013, it ranked the series 12th on its list of the Top 25 Animated Series for Adults.[259] In addition, the website's UK division ran a Top 100 Animated Series list and like its US counterpart, ranked SpongeBob SquarePants 15th.[260]
TV Guide listed SpongeBob SquarePants himself at number nine on its list of the 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time in 2002.[261] In June 2010, Entertainment Weekly named SpongeBob one of the 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years.[262] Viewers of UK television network Channel 4 voted SpongeBob SquarePants the 28th Greatest Cartoon in a 2004 poll.[263][264] The series is among the All-TIME 100 TV Shows, as chosen by Time television critic James Poniewozik in 2007. He said, "It's the most funny, surreal, inventive example of the explosion in creative kids' (and adult) entertainment that Nick, Cartoon Network and their ilk made possible."[265] In 2013, the publication ranked SpongeBob SquarePants the eighth Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time.[266] Television critic Matt Zoller Seitz included the series in his 2016 book with Alan Sepinwall titled TV (The Book) as the 22nd greatest American television series of all time, saying that "SpongeBob SquarePants is an absurdist masterpiece that Salvador Dalí and Groucho Marx would have watched together in their smoking jackets".[267][268]
Legacy
.jpg)
In July 2009, Madame Tussauds wax museum in New York launched a wax sculpture of SpongeBob in celebration of the series' 10th anniversary. SpongeBob became the first animated character sculpted entirely out of wax.[269][270][271][272]
The character has also become a trend in Egypt at Cairo's Tahrir Square.[273] After the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, SpongeBob became a fashion phenomenon, appearing on various merchandise items from hijabs to boxer shorts.[274][275] The phenomenon led to the creation of the Tumblr project called "SpongeBob on the Nile". The project was founded by American students Andrew Leber and Elisabeth Jaquette and attempts to document every appearance of SpongeBob in Egypt.[276] Sherief Elkeshta cited the phenomenon in an essay about the incoherent state of politics in Egypt in an independent monthly paper titled Midan Masr. He wrote, "Why isn't he [SpongeBob] at least holding a Molotov cocktail? Or raising a fist?"[277] The phenomenon has even spread to Libya, where a Libyan rebel in SpongeBob dress was photographed celebrating the revolution.[278] Although The Guardian and Vice have asserted that the trend has little to no political significance,[273][274] "joke" presidential campaigns have been undertaken for SpongeBob in Egypt and Syria.[274][276]
A clip was posted to YouTube in February 2013 that features soldiers in the Russian army and navy singing the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song as they march.[279][280] According to the website that uploaded the video, this is one of the "most popular marching songs" in the Russian military.[279] The video garnered nearly 50,000 views within its first week.[280]
Following Hillenburg's death in November 2018, more than 1.2 million fans signed a petition for the National Football League to have the song "Sweet Victory" from the season 2 episode "Band Geeks" performed in his honor at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show. Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium's Twitter account, the venue of the show, tweeted a GIF of SpongeBob dancing in "Band Geeks" in December. Maroon 5 who were performing at the game, included a brief clip of SpongeBob in a preview video, leading fans to believe the song would be performed. While the song's opening was ultimately included, it served as a transition into artist Travis Scott's set, which left many fans disappointed.[281][282] In response to fans' disappointment at not hearing the complete "Sweet Victory" song during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIII, the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League showed a clip of the full "Sweet Victory" song during a game at the American Airlines Center. In the clip, the characters' band uniforms are recolored green after the Stars.[283][284]
Several species of organism have been named in reference to SpongeBob. In May 2011, a new species of mushroom, Spongiforma squarepantsii, was described and named after the series' title character.[285] In 2019, a species of sea sponge, Clathria hillenburgi, was named in honor of Hillenburg, also referencing his creation of SpongeBob SquarePants.[286] In 2020, a species of abyssal sea star, Astrolirus patricki, was described and named after Patrick Star; individuals of this species were found to be closely associated with hexactinellid sponges, and it was thus named after Patrick as a reference to the character's friendship with SpongeBob.[287]
In honor of Stephen Hillenburg, a nonprofit fan project titled The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Rehydrated was released online on May 1, 2022. It consists of a re-creation of the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie reanimated by 300 people with re-recorded music and dialogue. Amid the YouTube premiere, the video was taken down by Paramount Global due to copyright laws. As a result, the hashtag #JusticeForSpongeBob became trending on Twitter against Paramount's action. The video was restored the following day.[288][289]
SpongeBob in internet culture
Online memes relating to SpongeBob SquarePants have achieved widespread popularity on the Internet, so much so that Vox's Aja Romano declared in 2019 that "Spongebob memes came to rule internet culture".[290] A subreddit devoted to memes based on the animated series has, as of May 2019, accumulated over 1.7 million subscribers, a figure exponentially higher than subreddits devoted to the series itself.[290]
Matt Schimkowitz, a senior editor for Know Your Meme, told Time that a combination of factors make SpongeBob memes so popular. He speculated that nostalgia for the past, alongside the cartoon's young audience, contributed to the SpongeBob SquarePants' outsized presence in Internet meme culture. Schimkowitz further added that memes derived from the series are exceptionally good at expressing emotions.[291]
Michael Gold of The New York Times concurred. The writer opined that because of the show's "high episode count" and that it was "so ubiquitous at the beginning of the 21st century", SpongeBob SquarePants became "easy meme fodder".[292]
Nickelodeon and members of the SpongeBob cast have expressed approval for the trend. Tom Kenny told Time that he found SpongeBob memes relatable and good-natured. Kenny said that while the show's characters can be considered complex, they are also simple, creating a wealth of content for meme creators to work with.[291] Nickelodeon has manufactured a line of toys based on some of the show's most recognizable meme formats,[290] and has even included references to well-known memes in video games.[293]
Among the show's most popular memes are the mocking SpongeBob meme, referring to an image macro from the episode "Little Yellow Book",[294] an image of Spongebob appearing exhausted in the episode "Nature Pants",[295] and a particularly disheveled illustration of Squidward from "Squid's Day Off".[296]
In 2024, an Internet meme surfaced consisting of Richard Myhill's "Woe Is Me!", taken from the episode "Squilliam Returns", paired with a hamster staring up in despair.[297] Dubbed the "sad hamster meme", the trend found rapid popularity on social media platforms as a way for users to express a reflection to sadness and unfortunate situations.[298]
Fans of the show have created various pages replicating Bikini Bottom News, a news show within the SpongeBob universe, with versions of the anchors Realistic Fish Head and Perch Perkins generated with artificial intelligence.[299] Some of these pages are criticized for how they handle topics and potentially spread fear mongering as a result.
Another Spongebob meme that surfaced in 2024 is the 'Freakbob' meme. Associated with Gen Z humor, Freakbob (or sometimes Freaky Bob) is typically shown on the dialing end of a phone call. The vast rise in popularity has sparked many variations of the meme on social media.[300]
Criticism
Controversies
Sexuality
In 2005, an online video that showed clips from SpongeBob SquarePants and other children's shows set to the Sister Sledge song "We Are Family" to promote diversity and tolerance was attacked by an evangelical group in the United States. They saw SpongeBob being used to "advocate homosexuality".[301][302] James Dobson of Focus on the Family accused the video of promoting homosexuality because it was sponsored by a pro-tolerance group.[302] The incident prompted the question of whether SpongeBob is gay. Although the character has enjoyed popularity with gay viewers, series creator Stephen Hillenburg had already denied SpongeBob was gay three years earlier, clarifying at the time that he considered the character to be "somewhat asexual".[303] After Dobson's comments, Hillenburg reasserted his position, stating that sexual preference does not play a part in what they are "trying to do" with the series.[304][305] Tom Kenny and other production members were distraught that the issue had arisen.[48] Dobson later said his comments were taken out of context, and his original complaints were not with SpongeBob, the video, or any of the characters in the video, but rather with the organization that sponsored the video, the We Are Family Foundation. Dobson said they posted pro-gay material on their website, but later removed it.[306] After the controversy, John H. Thomas, the United Church of Christ's general minister and president, said they would welcome SpongeBob into their ministry. He said: "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do we."[307]
Queer theorist Jeffery P. Dennis, author of the journal article "Queertoons," argued that SpongeBob and Sandy are not romantically in love, but added that he believed SpongeBob and Patrick "are paired with arguably erotic intensity".[308] Martin Goodman of Animation World Magazine called Dennis' comments regarding SpongeBob and Patrick "interesting".[309][d] The Ukrainian website Family Under the Protection of the Holy Virgin, which has been described as a "fringe Catholic" group by The Wall Street Journal, criticized SpongeBob SquarePants for its alleged "promotion of homosexuality".[311] The group sought to have the series banned, along with several other popular children's properties. The National Expert Commission of Ukraine on the Protection of Public Morality took up the matter for review in August 2012.[311] Questions about SpongeBob's sexuality resurfaced in 2020 after Nickelodeon's official Twitter account posted an image of the character, in rainbow colors with text celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and its allies during Pride Month. Although the post did not make any assertions about SpongeBob's sexual orientation, numerous users responded on social media, claiming they already had their suspicions that he might be gay or reasserting Hillenburg's description of asexuality.[312]
In April 2009, Burger King released a SpongeBob-themed advertisement featuring a parody of Sir Mix-a-Lot's song "Baby Got Back". The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood protested the ad for being sexist and inappropriately sexual, especially considering SpongeBob's fan base includes young children.[313][314][315][316][317] In official statements released by Burger King and Nickelodeon, both companies claimed the campaign was aimed at parents.[316][317]
Other
"The children who watched the cartoon were operating at half the capacity compared to other children."
A 2011 study conducted at the University of Virginia, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggested that allowing preschool-aged audiences to watch the series caused short-term disruptions in mental function and attention span because of frequent shot changes, compared to control groups watching Caillou and drawing pictures.[319][320] A Nickelodeon executive responded in an interview the series was not intended for an audience of that age and that the study used "questionable methodology and could not possibly provide the basis for any valid findings that parents could trust."[321][322]
Several of the series' episodes have also been the subject of controversy. In a report titled "Wolves in Sheep's Clothing," which documents the increase in potentially violent, profane, and sexual content in children's programming, the Parents Television Council, a watchdog media group, claimed the season 2 SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Sailor Mouth" was an implicit attempt to promote and satirize the use of profanity among children.[323] "SpongeBob's Last Stand" (season 7) and "Selling Out" (season 4) have been accused of promoting environmentalism and left-wing politics because of their negative portrayal of big business, earning criticism from some on the political right.[324] "SpongeBob, You're Fired" (season 9) caused widespread controversy and sparked a political debate over its portrayal of unemployment.[324] After Fox News and the New York Post commented on the episode, Media Matters for America accused the two organizations of using the episode to "attack the social safety net".[325] This statement was echoed by Al Sharpton, who claimed conservatives' "new hero" to be "a sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea".[326] In 2014, Zabira Orazalieva, chairwoman of the Committee for the Protection of Children's Rights in Kazakhstan, deemed the show too violent for children, labeling SpongeBob a "self-absorbed hooligan"[327] who "regularly inflicts violence on others in his community and seems to enjoy what he does".[328][329]
In 2019, University of Washington professor Holly M. Barker stated that the show promotes "violent and racist" colonialism, since Bikini Bottom is named after Bikini Atoll, a place where natives were resettled by the US government for nuclear testing. Barker also pointed out the alleged cultural appropriation of Pacific culture in the show. Because of such content, children have "become acculturated to an ideology that includes the U.S. character SpongeBob residing on another people's homeland", according to Barker.[330] ViacomCBS eventually pulled the episode "Mid-Life Crustacean" (season 3), first aired in 2003, out of circulation in March 2021, presumably due to its ending in which SpongeBob, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs partake in a panty raid. "We determined some story elements were not kid-appropriate", a Nickelodeon representative stated. The release of a later episode, "Kwarantined Krab" (season 12), would be delayed by two years over its similarities to the COVID-19 pandemic.[331][332]
Perceived decline in quality
Various media outlets including MSN, The A.V. Club, and Vulture have reported that SpongeBob's popularity declined following the release of the 2004 film and Hillenburg's departure as showrunner.[333][334][335] In 2012, MSN cited a post on Encyclopedia SpongeBobia, a Fandom-hosted wiki, which said that many fans felt the series had "jumped the shark" following the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and that online fansites were becoming "deserted".[333]
As of 2011, episodes produced since the first film have been variously categorized by DVD Talk and DVD Verdict as "tedious",[336] "boring" "dreck",[337] a "depressing plateau of mediocrity",[338] and "laugh-skimpy".[339] In 2018, Vulture noted the most popular online memes of the series usually focused on episodes from the first three seasons.[335] That same year, The A.V. Club wrote that as the series went on, "[it] leaned hard into kid-friendly physical humor and gross-out moments that appealed to no one in particular".[334]
Nickelodeon faced criticism from fans and former staff like Paul Tibbitt when the network greenlit spinoffs (see below) after the death of Hillenburg, who had previously expressed hesitation in deriving from the parent series. "The show is about SpongeBob, he's the core element, and it's about how he relates to the other characters," Hillenburg told Television Business International. "Patrick by himself might be a bit too much. So I don't see any spin-offs."[340]
Franchise
Spin-offs
Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
On February 14, 2019, it was announced that a SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off was in development,[189] and on June 4 the title Kamp Koral was revealed.[341] The plot focuses on a 10-year-old SpongeBob and his friends at a camp in the Kelp Forest, where they spend the summer catching jellyfish, building campfires, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck.[341][342] It serves as a tie-in to the animated film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.[342] Production of the series began in June 2019.[189][341]
Nickelodeon animation head Ramsey Naito said of the series, "SpongeBob has an incredible universe to expand upon and the greenlight for Kamp Koral is a testament to the strength and longevity of these characters known and loved by generations of fans around the world." Like SpongeBob SquarePants, the series is co-executive produced by Marc Ceccarelli, Jennie Monica, and Vincent Waller. Kamp Koral is produced using computer animation rather than the digital ink and paint animation used for SpongeBob SquarePants.[342]
On February 19, 2020, it was announced that the series would be premiering in July 2020, with the official title Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years.[343] The series was also scheduled for a release on CBS All Access (now Paramount+), the ViacomCBS streaming service, in early 2021.[130][131] The series officially premiered on March 4, 2021.[344]
The Patrick Star Show
On August 10, 2020, it was reported that a Patrick Star talk show titled The Patrick Star Show was in development with a 13-episode order. Additionally, it was reported that the show would be similar to other talk shows such as The Larry Sanders Show and Comedy Bang! Bang![345][346] The series premiered on Nickelodeon on July 9, 2021,[347] with the series set to be available on Paramount+ later on.[348]
Super Bowl
After the death of Hillenburg, an online petition emerged requesting that David Glen Eisley's song "Sweet Victory"—featured in the episode "Band Geeks", which followed Squidward Tentacles as he organized an ensemble to perform the halftime show at the "Bubble Bowl"—be performed at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show. By December 24, 2018, the petition on Change.org had over one million signatures, and the Twitter account of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the event's venue, also acknowledged the campaign.[349][350][351] During the halftime show, a short animation featuring Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Mrs. Puff, SpongeBob, and Patrick Star, as well as footage of the Bikini Bottom band from the episode, was used to introduce Travis Scott for his performance of "Sicko Mode".[352] According to animator Nico Colaleo, the animation was completed in a few days.[353]
On August 1, 2023, CBS Sports announced that it would carry a youth-oriented alternate broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII on Nickelodeon, the first such broadcast for a Super Bowl.[354] Billed as Super Bowl LVIII: Live from Bikini Bottom, the broadcast incorporated SpongeBob-themed augmented reality effects and features (in addition to those seen on previous games aired by the network), and appearances by characters from the series (SpongeBob and Patrick acted as "analysts" alongside announcers Noah Eagle and Nate Burleson, with Sandy Cheeks taking on "sideline reporter" duties).[355]
Comic books
The 32-page bimonthly comic book series, SpongeBob Comics, was announced in November 2010[356] and debuted the following February.[357] Before this, SpongeBob SquarePants comics had been published in Nickelodeon Magazine,[356][358][359] and episodes of the television series had been adapted by Cine-Manga,[356][360] but SpongeBob Comics was the first American comic book series devoted solely to SpongeBob SquarePants.[356][358][359] It also served as SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg's debut as a comic book author.[357][358][359] The series was published by Hillenburg's production company, United Plankton Pictures, and distributed by Bongo Comics Group.[356][358][359] Hillenburg described the stories from the comic books as "original and always true to the humor, characters, and universe of the SpongeBob SquarePants series." Leading up to the release of the series, Hillenburg said, "I'm hoping that fans will enjoy finally having a SpongeBob comic book from me."[358][359]
Chris Duffy, the former senior editor of Nickelodeon Magazine, serves as managing editor of SpongeBob Comics.[358][359] Hillenburg and Duffy met with various cartoonists—including James Kochalka, Hilary Barta, Graham Annable, Gregg Schigiel, and Jacob Chabot—to contribute to each issues.[358][359] Retired horror comics writer and artist Stephen R. Bissette returned to write a special Halloween issue in 2012, with Tony Millionaire and Al Jaffee.[361] In an interview with Tom Spurgeon, Bissette said, "I've even broken my retirement to do one work-for-hire gig [for SpongeBob Comics] so I could share everything about that kind of current job."[362]
In the United Kingdom, Titan Magazines published comics based on SpongeBob SquarePants every four weeks from February 3, 2005,[363] through November 28, 2013.[364] Titan Magazines also teamed up with Lego to release a limited edition SpongeBob-themed comic.[365]
Films
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies produced The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, an animated film adaptation of the series released on November 19, 2004.[366] The film was directed by Hillenburg and written by long-time series writers Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer, Paul Tibbitt, and Hillenburg. He and Julia Pistor produced the film, while Gregor Narholz composed the film's score.[367][368][369] The film is about Plankton's evil plan to steal King Neptune's crown and send it to Shell City. SpongeBob and Patrick must retrieve it and save Mr. Krabs' life from Neptune's raft and their home, Bikini Bottom, from Plankton's plan. It features guest appearances by Jeffrey Tambor as King Neptune, Scarlett Johansson as the King's daughter Mindy, Alec Baldwin as Dennis, and David Hasselhoff as himself,[370] and received a positive critical reception,[371][372] It grossed over $140 million worldwide.[373] Three television films were released: SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis in 2007, SpongeBob's Truth or Square in 2009, and SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout in 2019.
A sequel to the 2004 film, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, was released in theaters on February 6, 2015.[374] The series' main cast members reprised their roles.[375] The underwater parts are animated traditionally in the manner of the series—the live-action parts use CGI animation with the SpongeBob characters.[376][377] The film has a budget similar to the previous film and cost less than $100 million to produce.[378][379][380]
On April 30, 2015, Viacom announced a third film was in development.[381] In April 2018, Tim Hill was named as director, and the film's original title, It's a Wonderful Sponge, was revealed. Paramount originally scheduled a release date of July 17, 2020, later moving it earlier to May 22, 2020.[382] In October 2018, it was announced the movie will be an origin story of how SpongeBob came to Bikini Bottom and how he got his square pants. Around the same time, it was announced that Hans Zimmer will compose the music. The first poster along with a title change to Sponge on the Run was revealed on November 12, 2019,[383] with the first trailer releasing on November 14.[384] The film was later delayed to July 31, 2020 (and later August 7, 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[385][204] The film's worldwide theatrical release was later cancelled in June 2020 and it was announced that it would be released in Canadian theaters on August 14, 2020, followed by a release on premium video on demand before heading to Paramount+ in early 2021.[386][387] On January 28, 2021, it was announced that the film would be released on the service on March 4, 2021.[344]
Upcoming
In early March 2020, ViacomCBS announced that it would be producing two spin-off films based on the series for Netflix.[388] In February 2022, it was revealed that these plans had been revised to three character spinoff films.[389] The first character spinoff film, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, was released on August 2, 2024.[390] Prior to its release, the entire film was leaked on January 21, 2024, as a video upload on X (the website formerly known as Twitter).[391]
In August, 2021, Brian Robbins, CEO of Nickelodeon, stated that a new theatrical SpongeBob film is "in the works."[392] The fourth main SpongeBob film, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, was set for release on May 23, 2025,[393] but was later delayed to December 19 of that year, with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning taking its previous date due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[394]
Music
Collections of original music featured in the series have been released on the albums SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights (2001), SpongeBob's Greatest Hits (2009), and The Yellow Album (2005). The first two charted on the US Billboard 200, reaching number 171 and 122, respectively.[395][396]
Several songs have been recorded for the purpose of a single or album release and have not been featured on the show. The song "My Tighty Whiteys" written by Tom Kenny and Andy Paley was released only on the album The Best Day Ever (2006). Kenny's inspiration for the song was "underwear humor,"[397] saying: "Underwear humor is always a surefire laugh-getter with kids ... Just seeing a character that odd wearing really prosaic, normal, Kmart, three-to-a-pack underwear is a funny drawing ... We thought it was funny to make a really lush, beautiful love song to his underwear."[397]
A soundtrack album, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie – Music from the Movie and More, featuring the film's score, was released along with the feature-length film in November 2004. Various artists including the Flaming Lips,[398] Wilco,[399] Ween,[400] Motörhead,[401] the Shins,[402] and Avril Lavigne[403] contributed to the soundtrack that reached number 76 on the US Billboard 200.[404]
Theme park rides
The SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D film and ride opened at several locations, including Six Flags Over Texas, Flamingo Land Resort, and the Shedd Aquarium.[405] The ride features water squirts, real bubbles, and other sensory enhancements. In 2012, Nickelodeon teamed up again with SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment and Super 78 to produce SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D: The Great Jelly Rescue.[406] The attraction opened in early 2013 at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration.[407] It was also installed at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort Orlando in Orlando, Florida.[408][409][410] The seven-minute film follows SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy rescuing the jellyfish of Jellyfish Fields from Plankton's evil clutches.[407] On May 23, 2015, an interactive 3D show titled SpongeBob SubPants Adventure opened in Texas at Moody Gardens.[411] The show was replaced with a generic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" re-theme in 2019.[412] A dark ride shooter attraction titled SpongeBob's Crazy Carnival Ride opened at the Circus Circus Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2024.[413]
A variety of SpongeBob SquarePants-related attractions are currently located within Nickelodeon themed-areas at Movie Park Germany, Pleasure Beach Blackpool, Sea World, American Dream Meadowlands, and Mall of America, which includes the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge euro-fighter roller coaster.
Video games
Numerous video games based on the series have been produced. Some of the early games include: Legend of the Lost Spatula (2001)[414] and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (2003). In 2013, Nickelodeon published and distributed SpongeBob Moves In!, a freemium city-building game app developed by Kung Fu Factory for iOS and Android.[415][416][417][418] On June 5, 2019, THQ Nordic announced SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, a full remake of the console versions of the original 2003 game.[419][420][421] The game was released one year later on June 23, 2020[422][423] and includes cut content from the original game.[424] On May 28, 2020, Apple Arcade released a game called Spongebob Squarepants: Patty Pursuit.[425] In 2021, EA Sports introduced a SpongeBob-themed level to the Yard section of its Madden NFL 21 video game.[426]
On September 17, 2021, THQ Nordic announced SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake, a new original game based on the franchise.[427]
SpongeBob SquareShorts
Nickelodeon launched the first global SpongeBob SquarePants-themed short film competition, SpongeBob SquareShorts: Original Fan Tributes, in 2013.[428][429] The contest encouraged fans and filmmakers around the world to create original short films inspired by SpongeBob for a chance to win a prize and a trip for four people to a screening event in Hollywood. The contest opened on May 6 and ran through June 28, 2013.[430][431] On July 19, 2013, Nickelodeon announced the competition's finalists.[432][433][434] On August 13, 2013, the under-18 category was won by David of the United States for his The Krabby Commercial, while the Finally Home short by Nicole of South Africa won the 18 and over category.[435]
Theater
SpongeBob SquarePants was adapted as a stage musical in 2016 by director Tina Landau. SpongeBob SquarePants, The Broadway Musical premiered in Chicago in 2016 and opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on December 4, 2017.[436] The musical opened to critical acclaim,[437] and tied for most-nominated production at the 2018 72nd Tony Awards with twelve Tony nominations.[438]
Merchandise
The popularity of SpongeBob SquarePants inspired merchandise from T-shirts to posters.[76] In 2009, it was reported that the franchise had generated an estimated $8 billion in merchandising revenue for Nickelodeon.[439] The series is also the most distributed property of Paramount Media Networks.[400] SpongeBob is viewed in 170 countries, speaks 24 languages, and has become "a killer merchandising app.".[440] The title character and his friends have been used as a theme for special editions of well-known family board games, including Monopoly,[441] Life,[442] and Operation,[443] as well as a SpongeBob SquarePants edition of Ants in the Pants,[444] and Yahtzee.[445]
In 2001, Nickelodeon signed a marketing deal with Target Corporation and Burger King, expanding its merchandising.[211] The popularity of SpongeBob has translated well into sales. In 2002, SpongeBob SquarePants dolls sold at a rate of 75,000 per week—faster than Tickle Me Elmo dolls were selling at the time.[446] SpongeBob has gained popularity in Japan, specifically with Japanese women. Nickelodeon's parent company, Viacom, purposefully targeted marketing at women there. Skeptics initially doubted that SpongeBob could be popular in Japan, as the character's design is very different from already popular designs for Hello Kitty and Pikachu.[447] Ratings and merchandise sales showed SpongeBob SquarePants has caught on with parents and with college audiences.[28] In a 2013 promotion, college-oriented website Music.com gave away 80,000 SpongeBob T-shirts, four times more than during a similar promotion for Comedy Central's South Park.[28]
Kids' meal tie-ins have been released in fast food restaurants in many parts of the world, including Burger King in Europe and North America, as well as Wendy's in North America, and Hungry Jack's in Australia. A McDonald's Happy Meal tie-in with SpongeBob-themed Happy Meal boxes and toys was released in Europe and other international markets in the summer of 2007.[448] In Australia, the advertisement for the McDonald's SpongeBob Happy Meal won the Pester Power Award because the ads enticed young children to want its food because of the free toy.[449] As a tie-in beverage for the DVD release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, 7-Eleven released the limited edition Under-the-Sea Pineapple Slurpee in March 2004.[450] Pirate's Booty released limited edition SpongeBob SquarePants Pirate's Booty snacks in 2013.[451][452]
In 2007, high-end SpongeBob-themed electronics were introduced by Imation Electronics Products under the Npower brand, including MP3 players, digital cameras, a DVD player, and a flatscreen television.[453] Pictures of SpongeBob SquarePants began to appear on the labels of 8-ounce cans of Green Giant cut green beans and packages of frozen Green Giant green beans and butter sauce in 2007, which featured free stickers. This was part of an initiative to encourage kids to eat their vegetables.[454] Simmons Jewelry Co. released a $75,000 diamond pendant as part of a SpongeBob collection.[271][455] In New Zealand, the UK-based Beechdean Group unveiled the SpongeBob SquarePants Vanilla Ice Cream character product as part of a license deal with Nickelodeon.[456] NZ Drinks launched the SpongeBob SquarePants bottled water.[457]
Build-A-Bear Workshop introduced the new SpongeBob SquarePants collection in stores and online in North America on May 17, 2013.[458][459][460] Shoppers can dress their SpongeBob and Patrick plush in a variety of clothing and accessories. Sandy Cheeks and Gary the Snail are also available as pre-stuffed minis.[461] Build-A-Bear Workshop stores nationwide celebrated the arrival of SpongeBob with a series of special events from May 17 through May 19.[462]
On July 13, 2013, Toyota, with Nickelodeon, unveiled a SpongeBob-inspired Toyota Highlander.[463] The 2014 Toyota Highlander was launched on SpongeBob Day at the San Diego Padres v. Giants game.[464][465][466] The SpongeBob Toyota Highlander visited seven U.S. locations during its release, including the Nickelodeon Suites Resort Orlando in Florida.[467]
In April 2019, Nickelodeon released a series of toys adapted from various SpongeBob Internet memes. These included "Handsome Squidward", "Imaginaaation SpongeBob", "Mocking SpongeBob", "SpongeGar", and "Surprised Patrick". Shortly after the release of the line, most of the toys sold out on Amazon.com.[468] [469]
SpongeBob has also appeared as a guest character in multiple video games, mainly Nickelodeon based ones such as the Nicktoons Unite and Nick All-Star Brawl franchises, and a crossover game with the MLB entitled Nicktoons MLB.[470] Additionally, there have been SpongeBob skins in mobile games, such as Stumble Guys[471] and Brawl Stars.[472]
In 2024, Nickelodeon collaborated with various local restaurants and fast food chain Wendy's to create Krabby Patty Kollab meals,[473] including a recreation of the Krabby Patty (which was just the Dave's burgers from Wendy's with special sauce) and various SpongeBob themed food items, including a Pineapple Under The Sea Frosty from Wendy's, along with specialized items at select local restaurants nationwide. While the promotion was popular, it was also criticized for allegedly going against creator Stephen Hillenburg's wishes of not selling themed fast food based on the property.[474]
On October 25, 2024, as part of multiple reveals at that year's MagicCon Las Vegas event, Wizards of the Coast announced a SpongeBob themed Secret Lair would be released for Magic: The Gathering (Secret Lair is the label for special limited edition cards for the game). Not much is currently known aside from it releasing in 2025.[475]
On December 5, 2024, clothing brand Uniqlo announced a collab featuring SpongeBob inspired designs by streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market. It is set to release December 12th.[476][477]
See also
Notes
- ^ Episode 175, "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!", was first broadcast on CBS.[3]
- ^ In 2015, Tom Kenny confirmed the fictitious city is named after Bikini Atoll. He denied an Internet fan theory, however, that connected the series' characters to nuclear testing that occurred on the atoll.[30]
- ^ The second half of the season was split into a fifteenth season bringing the number of episodes to 13.
- ^ Jeffery's comments were also published by the Journal of Popular Film & Television in an article called "The Same Thing We Do Every Night: Signifying Same-Sex Desire in Television Cartoons".[310] This is the article that is referred to by Goodman.
References
- ^ Meet the Creator: Stephen Hillenburg (Video). Nick Animation. July 27, 2015. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (November 27, 2018). "SpongeBob SquarePants and the Indestructible Faith of Imagination". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Why, one of the stars of the most brilliantly imagined and sustained display of surreal humor in pop culture, that's who.
- ^ Emily Yahr (October 18, 2012). "CBS sets Spongebob Christmas for November". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Casetext". casetext.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Neuwirth 2003, p. 50
- ^ a b White, Peter (October 27, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants' creator Steve Hillenburg". Television Business International. Informa Telecoms & Media. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ Hillenburg, Stephen (May 29, 2012). "Big Pop Fun #28: Stephen Hillenburg, Artist and Animator–Interview (clip)" (mp3). Nerdist Industries (Podcast). Interviewed by Thomas F. Wilson. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
- ^ Montgomery, Ashley (May 1, 2024). "The iconic SpongeBob SquarePants made his TV debut 25 years ago". NPR. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of SpongeBob SquarePants with the "Best Year Ever"". www.businesswire.com. February 12, 2019. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (March 24, 2022). "SpongeBob SquarePants, Paw Patrol, Blue's Clues & You! Renewed By Nickelodeon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (September 29, 2023). "SpongeBob SquarePants Renewed for Season 15 at Nickelodeon". Variety. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Gold, Michael (May 2, 2018). "Before the Tonys, SpongeBob Seized the Culture With Memes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Most Important Show to Generation Z and their Popular Culture". Bryan-College Station Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Fuller, Benjamin (2019). "The SpongeBob Franchise: Pop Culture Fixture, Reboot Culture Artifact". Studies in Popular Culture. 42 (1): 77–102. ISSN 0888-5753. JSTOR 26926333. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Writers: Luke Brookshier, Tom King, Dani Michaeli (October 6, 2006). "Squidtastic Voyage". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 4. Episode 75a. Nickelodeon.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants at NickSplat". Nickelodeon Asia. Viacom International. Archived from the original on August 12, 2004.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Meet the Gang!". Nickelodeon Australia. Viacom International. Archived from the original on March 10, 2008.
- ^ Writers: Aaron Springer, Richard Pursel (March 19, 2009). "Komputer Overload". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 6. Episode 118b. Nickelodeon.
- ^ a b c Wilson, Amy (February 17, 2002). "Stephen Hillenburg created the undersea world of SpongeBob". The Herald-Sun. p. 58. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants Character Guide Refresh". Nickelodeon Consumer Products. Viacom International. July 22, 2016. p. 3. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
Nowhere else could you expect to find a cast that includes a scuba-diving squirrel, Sandy Cheeks, and a waterproof supercomputer, Karen.
- ^ Writers: Aaron Springer, C. H. Greenblatt, Kent Osborne (May 10, 2002). "Krusty Krab Training Video". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 3. Episode 50b. Nickelodeon.
- ^ "Characters of SpongeBob SquarePants". Nickelodeon New Zealand. Viacom International. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007.
- ^ Sichtermann, Barbara (December 4, 2008). "SpongeBob: Das Kind im Schwamme". Der Tagesspiegel. Dieter von Holtzbrinck. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
- ^ "Mrs. Puff at Nickelodeon Universe". Mall of America. Triple Five Group. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017.
- ^ Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants. July 14, 2009. Event occurs at 9:29. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (March 21, 2003). "Critic's corner". USA Today. p. 12E.
- ^ Viacom International. "Nickelodeon UK & Ireland Press Centre: SpongeBob SquarePants Programme Information". Nickelodeon. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c "The Hype Soaking it Up' SpongeBob Actor Loves the Attention". Daily News. Los Angeles, CA. March 8, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
- ^ "Burger King SpongeBob SquarePants". QSR Magazine. June 7, 2001. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007.
- ^ Bradley, Bill (February 7, 2015). "SpongeBob SquarePants Answers 7 Big Questions And Debunks 1 Popular Theory". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ Grandy, Trevor. "The Geology of SpongeBob SquarePants: Potential of a Cartoon to Enhance Student Learning in the Geosciences". Geological Society of America. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Pittenger, Kenny (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ a b "Welcome to the Ocean Institute". ocean-institute.org. Archived from the original on November 16, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hillenburg, Stephen (May 29, 2012). "Big Pop Fun #28: Stephen Hillenburg, Artist and Animator–Interview". Nerdist Industries (Podcast). Interviewed by Thomas F. Wilson. Archived from the original (mp3) on 6M1QBJ1BZ.
{{cite interview}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help) - ^ a b Banks 2004, p. 9.
- ^ "Did You Know: Ween's 'The Mollusk' Helped Inspire The Creation Of SpongeBob Squarepants". March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ "Ween – Tribute to Stephen Hillenburg". YouTube. Retrieved December 4, 2019.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ "A Deep Dive Into Ween, the Band that Birthed Bikini Bottom". March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hillenburg, Stephen; Murray, Joe; Drymon, Derek; Coleman, Eric; Hecht, Albie (2003). The Origin of SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment.
- ^ a b c d e f g h (Neuwirth 2003, p. 50–51)
- ^ Joe Murray. "Lisa (Kiczuk) Trainor interviews Joe Murray, creator of Rocko's Modern Life". The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ (Interview). Interviewed by Lisa Kiczuk Trainor. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ Banks 2004, p. 10.
- ^ a b c Banks 2004, p. 31.
- ^ a b c Banks 2004, p. 30.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Drymon, Derek (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kenny, Tom (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ "From Boy to Bob". Nick Mag Presents: SpongeBob SquarePants. Viacom International. June 2003.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Farhat, Basima (Interviewer) (December 5, 2006). Tom Kenny: Voice of SpongeBob SquarePants – Interview (Radio production). The People Speak Radio. Archived from the original (mp3) on July 24, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Heintjes, Tom (September 21, 2012). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ Neuwirth 2003, p. 51.
- ^ O'Hare, Mark (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ Coleman, Eric (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ Writers: Stephen Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, Tim Hill (May 1, 1999). "Help Wanted". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 1. Episode 1a. Nickelodeon.
- ^ Writers: Stephen Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, Tim Hill (May 1, 1999). "Reef Blower". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 1. Episode 1b. Nickelodeon.
- ^ Writers: Ennio Torresan, Erik Wiese, Stephen Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, and Tim Hill (July 17, 1999). "Bubble Stand". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 1. Episode 2a. Nickelodeon.
- ^ Writers: Steve Fonti, Chris Mitchell, Peter Burns, and Tim Hill (July 31, 1999). "Jellyfishing". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 1. Episode 3a. Nickelodeon.
- ^ "Tim Hill biography". tribute.ca. Tribute. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
- ^ "About – Our Artists – Tim Hill". Skylight Theatre Company. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
- ^ a b c Bauder, David (July 13, 2009). "SpongeBob Turns 10 Valued At $8 Billion". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 8, 2016.
- ^ "Nickelodeon's 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Reaches A Milestone: 10 Years". Access Hollywood. July 13, 2009. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cavna, Michael (July 14, 2009). "The Interview: 'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ Henderson, Sam (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Fletcher, Alex (April 3, 2011). "Paul Tibbitt ('SpongeBob SquarePants')". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ Hillenburg, Stephen (2009). The First 100 Episodes — Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (December 13, 2014). "'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg Returning to His Show". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (November 27, 2018). "'SpongeBob Squarepants' Creator Stephen Hillenburg Dies at 57". Variety. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (March 13, 2017). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Creator Stephen Hillenburg Reveals ALS Diagnosis". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Nickelodeon [@Nickelodeon] (November 28, 2018). "The show isn't cancelled. Steve Hillenburg's creations will continue to bring joy to kids and families everywhere 💛" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (February 14, 2019). "'SpongeBob' Spinoffs Planned as Nickelodeon Chief Brian Robbins Tries to Win Back Young Viewers (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Interview with Luke Brookshier, SpongeBob SquarePants Storyboard Director". 4Mations. September 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (July 24, 2009). "Bikini Bottom Confessions". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ Wiese, Erik (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ a b Williams, Merriwether (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley#17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ Orlando, Dana (March 17, 2003). "SpongeBob: the excitable, absorbent star of Bikini Bottom". sptimes.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ "SpongeBob's Alter Ego". CBS News. December 30, 2002. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ a b Crump, Steve (March 19, 2009). "COLUMN: Do you remember Bill Fagerbakke? He's a star". Magic Valley. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Liu, Ed (November 11, 2013). "Being Patrick Star: Toonzone Interviews Bill Fagerbakke on SpongeBob SquarePants". Toon Zone. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ^ Douglas, Patrick (January 14, 2008). ""Transformers:Animated"/"Spongebob Squarepants"/"Coach" – Bill Fagerbakke (2008)". The Culture Shock. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Banks 2004, p. 33.
- ^ a b Reardon, Samantha (September 8, 2013). "Rodger Bumpass is Squidward Tentacles". The Signal. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ^ Brown, Arthur (2008). Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Cartoons!. USA: Callaloo Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-4357-3248-3. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ "What a Sponge!" (PDF). The Mini Page. Andrews McMeel Universal. July 12, 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 15, 2017.
- ^ a b Beck 2013, pp. 86–88.
- ^ a b c d Lawrence, Doug (April 2012). "Big Pop Fun #22: Mr. Lawrence" (Podcast). Interviewed by Thomas F. Wilson. Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original (mp3) on December 27, 2019.
- ^ "Jill Talley: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Basile, Nancy (January 30, 2016). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Cast: Who Does What Voice?". About.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ Lawrence, Doug (2002). F.U.N. backstage featurette, Nautical Nonsense (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment.
- ^ Lawrence, Doug (2009). "Andy interviews Mr Lawrence aka "the Slasher"". Nick NZ (Interview). Interviewed by Andy Goodman. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010.
- ^ "Carolyn Lawrence Exclusive Interview". The Star Scoop. September 17, 2009. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ^ "REFANB Interview: Carolyn Lawrence, A.K.A. Ashley Graham". Resident Evil Fan. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ^ "Mary Jo Catlett: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Pressley, Nelson (March 8, 2013). "Remember the time when Washington saved 'Hello, Dolly!'?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^ "Lori Alan: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Alan, Lori; Bumpass, Rodger (September 3, 2016), SpongeBob panel discussion at Dragon Con 2016, part 2: Rodger Bumpass and Lori Alan[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Alan, Lori (November 2015). "Lori Alan Interview". AfterBuzz TV (Interview). Interviewed by Kaori Takee. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
- ^ Lloyd, Robert (July 9, 2012). "Ernest Borgnine: From Marty to McHale to Mermaid Man". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
- ^ "Tim Conway: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 26, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "Brian Doyle-Murray: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "Marion Ross: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "David Bowie goes out to sea for 'SpongeBob'". USA Today. October 11, 2006. Archived from the original on November 30, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ "Bowie voices SpongeBob character". BBC. October 11, 2006. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ Moody, Annemarie (April 1, 2009). "Johnny Depp Teaches SpongeBob to Hang Ten in New TV Special". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ Thomas, Devon (June 17, 2010). "Victoria Beckham Lends Her Voice to "SpongeBob"". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013.
- ^ "Victoria Beckham to star in a new episode of SpongeBob SquarePants". Daily Mirror. July 15, 2010. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ Lender, Jay (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Hammond, Jennie Monica (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ Richmond, Ray (January 15, 2004). "Special Report: Animation". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 10, 2008.
- ^ a b Hill, Jim (November 23, 2012). "New SpongeBob SquarePants Song Urges Shoppers Not to Be Jerks This Holiday Season". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (November 21, 2012). "Stop Motion Casts a Spell on SpongeBob". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- ^ Priebe 2011, pp. 61–66.
- ^ a b Sarto, Dan (December 5, 2012). "A Stop-Motion SpongeBob Special Means Christmas Comes Early This Year". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ Etkin, Jaimie (June 14, 2012). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Christmas Special: Stop-Motion 'It's A SpongeBob Christmas' With John Goodman". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Debuts First Full-Length Stop-Motion Special, It's A SpongeBob Christmas!, Dec. 9, At 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT)". PR Newswire. October 31, 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
- ^ Beck, Jerry (November 6, 2012). "It's A SpongeBob Stop-Mo Christmas". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- ^ "40th Annual Annie Awards Winners". Annie Award. ASIFA-Hollywood. 2013. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 17, 2013). "Sound Editors Announce Golden Reel Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
- ^ "TV series Official Selection". Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (February 5, 2015). "Review: Off-The-Wall And Trippy Sequel 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water'". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Poland Sitemap". Nickelodeon Poland. Viacom International, Inc. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017.
- ^ :Prapuolenis, Kaz (April 6, 2017). "Kaz Prapuolenis on Instagram". Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Carr, Nicolas (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants Theme". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ^ Mar, Alex (October 1, 2004). "Avril Sings "SpongeBob"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "Avril Lavigne on SpongeBob SquarePants". Ultimate-Guitar. October 1, 2004. Archived from the original on January 4, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Barker, Rayanna (June 22, 2001). "A Conversation With Brian Ritchie". Rock Zone. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Paramount SB S15was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Poggi, Jeanine (June 4, 2013). "Netflix Deal Over, Viacom Takes Dora and SpongeBob to Amazon Prime". Ad Age. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "Is SpongeBob SquarePants (1999) on Netflix?". Flixboss. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ Rome, Emily (October 9, 2012). "Nickelodeon shows now available to watch on Hulu Plus". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ a b Hayes, Dade (July 30, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants Spinoff Kamp Koral Shifts To CBS All Access As Nickelodeon Library Shows Arrive". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ a b "ViacomCBS Debuts Expanded and Enhanced CBS All Access" (Press release). CBS. July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Where to Stream and Watch". Decider. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 1". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob – Season 1 (Animated) (Box Set) (DVD)". Amazon.co.uk. November 7, 2005. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 1". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 2". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: the Complete Season 2 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. October 23, 2006. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 2". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
- ^ Lambert, David (August 5, 2005). "SpongeBob SquarePants – 3rd Season Set Package: SpongeBob Is Cookin'!". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: the Complete Season 3 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. December 3, 2007. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 3". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 4, Volume 1". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob Complete Season 4 Boxset [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants; S4". Sanity. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 4, Volume 2". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 5, Volume 1". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 5 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. November 16, 2009. Archived from the original on November 5, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 5 (Complete) (DVD)". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ Lambert, David (July 28, 2008). "SpongeBob SquarePants – Are Ya' Ready to Complete the 5th Season? Nick/Par Announces 'S5, V2' at Last!". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants Season 6 and Other Announced Releases". TV Guide. September 9, 2009. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Complete Season 6 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. November 29, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 6: The Complete Collection (3 Disc Set)". EzyDVD. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 6". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ Lambert, David (September 12, 2011). "SpongeBob SquarePants – Nickelodeon/Paramount Announces a 'Complete 7th Season' 4-DVD Set". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 7th Season DVD". Amazon.co.uk. September 17, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 7". EzyDVD. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 7". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants DVD news: Announcement for SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 8". TV Shows On DVD. May 25, 2007. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 8 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 8". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants DVD news: Announcement for Season 9". TV Shows On DVD. July 24, 2017. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ "Spongebob Squarepants – Season 9". Sanity.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Tenth Season". Paramount Home Media Distribution. October 15, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2019 – via Amazon.com.
- ^ "Spongebob Squarepants – Season 10". Sanity.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Eleventh Season Widescreen, 3 Pack, Dubbed, Amaray Case on DeepDiscount". DeepDiscount.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Eleventh Season". January 5, 2021 – via Amazon.
- ^ "Spongebob Squarepants – Season 11". Sanity.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Twelfth Season". January 12, 2021 – via Amazon.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Twelfth Season [DVD]". DealsAreUs.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Thirteenth Season". Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Amazon.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Fourteenth Season". Retrieved September 16, 2024 – via Amazon.
- ^ a b Cavna, Michael (July 14, 2009). "Absorbent And Yellow And Beloved At 10 Is He". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Nickelodeon Taps Patrick Creadon and Christine O'Malley to Produce First-Ever SpongeBob..." Reuters. January 19, 2009. Archived from the original on August 25, 2014.
- ^ a b Goldman, Eric (January 9, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants Meets Johnny Depp – TV News at IGN". Tv.ign.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ Moody, Annemarie (April 1, 2009). "Johnny Depp Teaches SpongeBob to Hang Ten in New TV Special". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ^ a b Bubbeo, Daniel (July 13, 2009). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' celebrates 10 years of nautical nonsense". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 17, 2009.
- ^ "'SpongeBob' documentary on its way". United Press International. January 19, 2009. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Celebrates 10 Years of Pop Culture Icon SpongeBob SquarePants". PR Newswire. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- ^ "Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash Weekend – Raving Toy Maniac – The Latest News and Pictures from the World of Toys". Toymania.com. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on December 19, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ Lambert, David (April 21, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants — To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants Debuts in July's 100-ep Marathon, Then on DVD". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Lambert, David (April 28, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants – 'First 100 Episodes' 5-Season DVD Set Arrives with New Extras this Autumn". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants — The First 100 Episodes (Seasons 1–5)". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013.
- ^ Shaffer, R.L. (September 21, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes DVD Review". IGN. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Zahed, Ramid (July 24, 2009). "Soaking in Festivities". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- ^ "Ricky Gervais, Will Ferrell and Robin Williams pay tribute to SpongeBob SquarePants". Daily Mirror. July 1, 2009. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Maclntyre, April (October 14, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants Truth or Square, Friday Nov. 6". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013.
- ^ Lambert, David (August 11, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants — Truth or Square Officially Announced: Package Art, Extras & More!". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2015.
- ^ a b c Brown, Tracy (February 11, 2019). "'SpongeBob Squarepants' to celebrate 20 years with the 'Best Year Ever' and a new movie". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Zachary, Brandon (February 14, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants Spinoffs in the Works From Nickelodeon". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Foster, Elizabeth (May 30, 2019). "SpongeBob gets artsy for 20th anniversary". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ a b "Nickelodeon and The Pantone Color Institute Launch SpongeBob Yellow and Patrick Star Pink in Commemoration of SpongeBob's 20th Anniversary". Business Wire. May 30, 2019. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c Owen, Rob (July 10, 2019). "Behind the Business of 'SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c Milligan, Mercedes (February 12, 2019). "Nickelodeon Celebrates 20 Years of 'SpongeBob SquarePants' with "Best Year Ever"". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
- ^ Taylor, Anna (February 15, 2019). "Cynthia Rowley Creates SpongeBob SquarePants Birthday Wetsuit". Dan's Papers. Archived from the original on February 16, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "How Kanye West changed sneaker culture: Nike, Adidas don't need athletes to sell sports shoes now they've got celebrities". South China Morning Post. August 10, 2019. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Stubblebine, Allison (March 12, 2019). "SpongeBob Got A Haute Couture Makeover At Amsterdam Fashion Week". Nylon. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Crenshaw, Madeleine (March 14, 2019). "This Edgy Fashion Collection Is Inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants". footwearnews.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "Kyrie Irving, Nike Go Under the Sea with SpongeBob". licenseglobal.com. July 24, 2019. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Jacqueline Laurean Yates (July 18, 2019). "HipDot launches 'SpongeBob Squarepants' cosmetics collection". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Fasanella, Kaleigh (July 17, 2019). "A SpongeBob SquarePants Makeup Collection Is Here – and It's Surprisingly Wearable". Allure. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Keveney, Bill (February 11, 2019). "'SpongeBob' goes live-action to celebrate 'Best Year Ever' 20th anniversary". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 18, 2019). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' 20th Anniversary To Pop Confetti At San Diego Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Millgan, Mercedes (July 10, 2019). "Celebrate SpongeBob with Nick's 'Best 200 Episodes Ever' 30-Disc Set". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 14, 2020). "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On the Run Takes Over Infinites Early August Slot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ a b "SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS AND PATRICK STAR TO HOST NICKELODEON KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS 2024, KICKING OFF LANDMARK 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS". PR Newswire. May 22, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Buenahora, Andrés (October 2, 2024). "Krabby Patties Enter the Real World: 'SpongeBob SquarePants'-Themed Dishes Coming to Wendy's and Over 250 Other Restaurants". Variety. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Alexa, Laurén (October 11, 2024). "2 New 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Collections Coming to DVD". Animation World Network. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Nickelodeon.(rating of Nickelodeon's cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)". Multichannel News. August 23, 1999. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014.
- ^ "Number 101". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015.
- ^ "Nick Retains Saturday Crown". Broadcasting & Cable. June 18, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c "The Stretch". Rocky Mountain News. Denver, CO. September 15, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013.
- ^ Moore, Frazier (July 9, 2001). "Sponge Soaks Up Laughs On TV.(Living)". The Cincinnati Post. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
- ^ Stauffer, Cindy (May 17, 2002). "Grown-ups embrace a wacky, square sponge; There's just something about this sweet kids' cartoon that's attracting an adult audience. Local fans can't get enough of SpongeBob". Lancaster New Era. Archived from the original on November 8, 2013.
- ^ Moore, Frazier (October 21, 2002). "'SpongeBob' rises from sea to peak of ratings: Nickelodeon show top-rated among kids aged 2 to 11". Charleston Daily Mail. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Ryan, Suzanne C. (August 14, 2003). "'Oddparents is Soaking Up Popularity of 'Spongebob'". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014.
- ^ Oei, Lily (October 28, 2002). "'Fairly Odd' number puts 'SpongeBob' in second". Daily Variety. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014.
- ^ "Sorry, SpongeBob: Disney Channel Knocks Nick From Top Ratings Perch". The Wrap. March 28, 2012. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ Lieberman, David (November 29, 2011). "Nickelodeon's Ratings Decline Is No "Blip"; Is Viacom Or Nielsen To Blame?". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Jannarone, John (May 2, 2012). "Viacom's SpongeBob Crisis". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ Gardner, Eriq (June 12, 2012). "Analyst: Nickelodeon Might Be in Danger of Being Dropped by Some TV Distributors". HollywoodReporter.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (May 3, 2013). "Viacom CEO Defends Nickelodeon's Netflix Deal Again". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (February 2, 2013). "Viacom CEO: Netflix Content Is Not Hurting Nickelodeon Ratings". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (February 2, 2012). "Viacom CEO: Netflix Content Is Not Hurting Nickelodeon Ratings". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (April 22, 2013). "Viacom and Netflix to Scale Down SVOD Deal". Variety. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ Roettgers, Janko (May 23, 2013). "Adios, Dora: Netflix is starting to take Viacom shows offline". paidContent. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants (1999)". ca.flixboss.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ "Dora, SpongeBob Swap Sides in Fickle Web-Video World". The Wall Street Journal. June 4, 2013. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ Moscariloto, Angela (June 4, 2013). "Amazon Inks Streaming Deal for Viacom Shows Like Dora, SpongeBob". PCMag.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ Barr, Alistair (June 4, 2013). "Amazon writes biggest streaming video check for Dora, SpongeBob". Denver Post. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ "Amazon swipes SpongeBob from Netflix in most expensive deal yet". The Mercury News. June 4, 2013. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ Huff, Richard (December 14, 2009). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' one of Nickelodeon's longest-running shows after nearly a decade". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013.
- ^ "5 of the best". Sunday Tribune. January 15, 2011. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014.
- ^ Labrecque, Jeff (January 3, 2011). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' buckles up for ninth season". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Kit, Zorianna (January 3, 2011). ""SpongeBob SquarePants" renewed for ninth season". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 8, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Levine, Stuart (January 4, 2011). "'SpongeBob' receives ninth season pickup". Variety. Archived from the original on November 30, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Bryant, Adam (January 3, 2011). "SpongeBob SquarePants Renewed for Ninth Season". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Ng, Philiana (January 3, 2011). "Nickelodeon's 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Renewed for Ninth Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Trammell, Kendall (May 5, 2019). "SpongeBob and the 7 life lessons he taught a generation". CNN. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (December 9, 2011). "Soaking Up Attention". Time. Archived from the original on December 29, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ Fries, Laura (July 14, 1999). "Review: 'SpongeBob SquarePants'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ Millman, Joyce (July 8, 2001). "Television/Radio; The Gentle World Of a Joyful Sponge". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ Zeller, Tom Jr. (July 21, 2002). "How to Succeed Without Attitude". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ Levine, Bettijane (April 7, 2002). "Adults Find Their Inner Sponge". LA Times. Archived from the original on March 2, 2003. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
- ^ Champagne, Christine (August 31, 2016). "Two Critics Pick The All-Time Best TV Shows. And They Know You Already Hate Their List". Co.Create. Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- ^ Eng, Joyce (August 8, 2009). "What's on Obama's Must-See TV List?". TV Guide. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
- ^ "From Bikini Bottom to pop icon; SpongeBob turns 10". Reuters. July 14, 2009. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
- ^ Busis, Hillary. "President Obama likes SpongeBob, hates the Kardashians". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ "The 37th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2013.
- ^ "Winners of the 41st Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
- ^ Montgomery, Daniel (April 28, 2018). "2018 Daytime Emmy winners: Full list of Creative Arts Awards winners and nominees". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ "32nd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2004)". Annie Award. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008.
- ^ "37th Annual Annie Nominations". Annie Award. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010.
- ^ "38th Annual Annie Nominations". Annie Award. Archived from the original on September 6, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ "Annie Award Nominations — A Real Race For Once". TheFilmExperience.net. December 4, 2012. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ "40th Annie Award nominees and winners list". Los Angeles Times. February 2, 2013. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "Children's in 2007". British Academy Children's Awards. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ "Children's in 2012". British Academy Children's Awards. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ "15. SpongeBob SquarePants". IGN. September 28, 2006. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- ^ "The Top 25 Animated Shows for Adults". IGN. July 15, 2013. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon: SpongeBob SquarePants". IGN. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ "TV Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time". TV Guide. July 30, 2002. Archived from the original on April 4, 2005.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (June 1, 2010). "The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years: Here's our full list!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Cartoons – Results". Channel 4.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Cartoons – The Show". Channel 4.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (August 14, 2007). "All-TIME 100 TV shows: SpongeBob SquarePants". Time. Archived from the original on October 22, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
- ^ "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Greatest Cartoons of All Time". TV Guide. September 24, 2013. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller; Sepinwall, Alan (September 1, 2016). "Why 'Deadwood' Is a Top-10 TV Show of All Time". The Ringer. Perfect Privacy, LLC. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- ^ Ashbrook, Tom (September 9, 2016). "The Greatest American Television Shows, Ranked". WBUR. WBUR. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ Snook, Raven (July 6, 2009). "Yellow fever: SpongeBob figure to debut at Madame Tussauds". Timeout. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Singer, Bret (July 15, 2009). "SpongeBob Debuts at Madame Tussauds". Parent Dish. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ a b Huff, Richard (December 14, 2009). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' one of Nickelodeon's longest-running shows after nearly a decade". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "Madame Tussauds is Bonkers for SpongeBob". Mom Trends. July 11, 2009. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ a b Kingsley, Patrick (May 27, 2013). "How SpongeBob SquarePants became massive in Egypt". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ a b c Malsin, Jared (January 15, 2013). "Is SpongeBob SquarePants the New Che Guevara?". Vice. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Meet Egypt's unusual Tahrir icon: SpongeBob SquarePants". Al Arabiya. May 28, 2013. Archived from the original on May 28, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Cormack, Raphael (March 26, 2013). "SpongeBob SquarePants takes over the Middle East". Prospect. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Brooklyn, Egypt, And SpongeBob". Midan Masr. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "The New Mascot of Egypt: SpongeBob SquarePants". Tavern Keepers. May 28, 2013. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013.
- ^ a b "Russian soldiers march to SpongeBob SquarePants theme song". Metro. February 19, 2013. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ a b "Russian soldiers sing SpongeBob SquarePants theme tune as they march". The Telegraph. London. February 18, 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Baer, Jack (February 4, 2019). "Where was 'Sweet Victory?' Brief SpongeBob SquarePants appearance at Super Bowl halftime show disappoints". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Alexander, Julia (February 3, 2019). "Spongebob Squarepants' 'Sweet Victory' finally gets a Super Bowl tribute". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "WATCH: Dallas Stars give fans the 'Sweet Victory' SpongeBob halftime show we all deserve". Fox Sports. February 4, 2019. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Dator, James (February 5, 2019). "The Dallas Stars gave us the 'Sweet Victory' Spongebob halftime we missed at the Super Bowl". SB Nation. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Desjardin DE, Peay KB, Bruns TD (May 10, 2011). "Spongiforma squarepantsii, a new species of gasteroid bolete from Borneo". Mycologia. 103 (5): 1119–23. doi:10.3852/10-433. ISSN 0027-5514. PMID 21558499. S2CID 15849227.
- ^ ANNUNZIATA, BRUNO B.; CAVALCANTI, THAYNÃ; SANTOS, GEORGE GARCIA; PINHEIRO, ULISSES (September 19, 2019). "Two new Clathria (Axosuberites) Topsent, 1893 (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida) from Northeastern Brazil". Zootaxa. 4671 (4): 500–510. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4671.4.2. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 31716030. S2CID 203882016. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Zhang, Ruiyan; Zhou, Yadong; Xiao, Ning; Wang, Chunsheng (May 27, 2020). "A new sponge-associated starfish, Astrolirus patricki sp. nov. (Asteroidea: Brisingida: Brisingidae), from the northwestern Pacific seamounts". PeerJ. 8: e9071. doi:10.7717/peerj.9071. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 7261123. PMID 32518717.
- ^ Jaworski, Michelle (May 2, 2022). "'It was a love letter to the franchise and what did Paramount do? They blocked it': Outrage as 'SpongeBob' fan film removed on YouTube". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ Coulson, Josh (May 3, 2022). "SpongeBob SquarePants Fan Movie Rehydrated! Goes Live, Gets Copyright Takedown During Premiere". TheGamer. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c Romano, Aja (May 1, 2019). "20 years into Spongebob Squarepants, Spongebob memes rule internet culture". Vox.
- ^ a b Greenspan, Rachel E. (September 19, 2019). "Your Guide to the Best Spongebob Memes Across the Internet's Sea". Time. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ Gold, Michael (May 2, 2018). "SpongeBob SquarePants Is 20 Now, and a Favorite Meme". The New York Times.
- ^ Diaz, Ana (September 9, 2021). "A SpongeBob SquarePants meme made it into Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl". Polygon.
- ^ Madison Malone Kircher (May 17, 2017). "WhAt Is Up WiTh ThAt WeIrD, NeW SpOnGeBoB MeMe?". Intelligencer. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Wheeler, André-Naquian (April 27, 2018). "The 'Tired Spongebob' Meme Captures Our Cultural Exhaustion". i-D. Vice.
- ^ Bryan, Chloe (April 8, 2018). "Why is SpongeBob so damn meme-able?". Mashable.
- ^ Glaze, Virginia (March 13, 2024). "What is the sad hamster meme on TikTok? Viral video explained". Dexerto. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Hayes, Allie (February 28, 2024). "'This is me if you even care': The 'Sad Hamster Meme' is TikTok's adorable new way of expressing their inner feelings". The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "The rise of the TikTok news anchor". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ "FreakBob is calling…I ain't answering". Daily Dot. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- ^ "US right attacks SpongeBob video". BBC News. January 20, 2005. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
- ^ a b "SpongeBob, Muppets and the Sister Sledge writer suffer criticism". USA Today. Associated Press. January 22, 2005. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
- ^ "Camp cartoon star 'is not gay'". BBC News. October 9, 2002. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (January 28, 2005). "SpongeBob Asexual, Not Gay: Creator". People. Archived from the original on March 20, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
- ^ "SpongeBob isn't gay or straight, creator says". Reuters. January 29, 2005. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
- ^ Chang, Pauline J. (January 28, 2005). "Dobson clarifies Pro-Gay SpongeBob Video Controversy". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on August 31, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
- ^ Till, Francis (February 4, 2005). "Ministry celebrates SpongeBob: Gay, happy, yellow, orange, whatever, he's welcome". National Business Review. Archived from the original on June 27, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
- ^ Dennis, Jeffery P. (June 2003). "Queertoons". Soundscapes. 6. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ^ Goodman, Martin (March 10, 2004). "Deconstruction Zone – Part 2". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
- ^ Dennis, Jeffery P. (Fall 2003). "The Same Thing We Do Every Night: Signifying Same-Sex Desire in Television Cartoons". Journal of Popular Film & Television. 31 (3): 132–140. doi:10.1080/01956050309603674. S2CID 192238843.
- ^ a b Marson, James (August 15, 2012). "Ukraine's Morality Police Probe 'Gay' SpongeBob". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ Ali, Rasha (June 13, 2020). "Nickelodeon's Pride Tweet Reignites Debate On SpongeBob's Sexual Orientation". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "CCFC to Nickelodeon: Did You Approve the SpongeBob SquareButt Burger King Commercial?". Common Dreams. April 9, 2009. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Kelleher, Katy (April 8, 2009). "SpongeBob Meets Sir Mix-A-Lot In New Burger King Ads". Jezebel. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Newman, Craig (April 13, 2009). "Burger King pushes flat butts and SpongeBob to kids, hires buttheads to do it". Suntimes. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014.
- ^ a b Douglas, Joanna (April 8, 2009). "Is the Sir Mix-a-Lot Burger King commercial too much for kids?". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ a b Ekberg, Aida (April 15, 2009). "SpongeBob + Sir Mix-A-Lot + Burger King = Offensive Commercial?". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on December 9, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Rabin, Roni Caryn (September 12, 2011). "Is SpongeBob SquarePants Bad for Children?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Lillard, Angeline; Peterson, Jennifer (2011). "The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on Young Children's Executive Function". Pediatrics. 128 (4): 644–649. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1919. PMC 9923845. PMID 21911349.
- ^ Rochman, Bonnie (September 12, 2011). "Study: Fast-Moving Cartoons Like SpongeBob May Impair Kids' Focus". Time. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "Study: Some cartoons are bad for children's brains". CNN. September 12, 2011. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Brown, Eryn (September 12, 2011). "SpongeBob impairs little kids' thinking, study finds". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Fyfe, Kristen (March 2, 2006). Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: A Content Analysis of Children's Television (PDF) (Report). Parents Television Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
- ^ a b Bond, Paul (November 4, 2013). "SpongeBob's Firing Sparks Political Debate (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
It's not the first time SpongeBob has waded into social commentary, though usually when it does, it bugs the right and supports the left. In episodes dubbed "SpongeBob's Last Stand" and "Selling Out," for example, environmentalism is glorified and large businesses are demonized.
- ^ Weisman, Aly. "SpongeBob Gets Fired From His Job Amid 'Harsh Underwater Economy' And Sparks A Real-Life Political Debate". Chron. Archived from the original on December 9, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "PoliticsNation: SpongeBob and the poor?". MSNBC. October 31, 2013. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
- ^ Hartley-Parkinson, Richard (September 28, 2014). "SpongeBob SquarePants is a 'self-absorbed, violent hooligan', says Kazakhstan". Metro. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ Chasmar, Jessica (September 28, 2014). "SpongeBob Squarepants promotes hooligan behavior, says Kazakhstan". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ Harding, David (September 27, 2014). "SpongeBob: Children's character is a bully, corrupts minds, warns Kazakhstan". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ Roisin O'Connor (October 13, 2019). "Spongebob Squarepants promotes 'violent and racist' colonialism, university professor claims". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ^ Oneto, Petey (March 26, 2021). "SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes Pulled Over Storyline Concerns". IGN. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Kwarantined Krab (S13EP12 Nickelodeon Fri April 29, 2022)". April 27, 2022. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Berr, Jonathan (May 4, 2012). "Viacom should pull the plug on SpongeBob". MSN. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Nellan, Dan (January 17, 2018). "Let's trace the rise, fall, and much later rebirth of Spongebob Squarepants". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
- ^ a b Jackson, Laurel Michelle (May 11, 2018). "How Did SpongeBob SquarePants Become the Most Meme-able TV Show?". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
- ^ Hrab, Roy (November 13, 2008). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Who Bob What Pants?". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013.
- ^ Hrab, Roy (March 13, 2011). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Great Patty Caper". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ^ Rhodes, Mina (February 6, 2008). "SpongeBob SquarePants: To Love A Patty". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ^ Mavis, Paul (October 13, 2008). "SpongeBob SquarePants — WhoBob WhatPants?". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
- ^ McKay, Karelle (March 7, 2021). "'SpongeBob' Fans Are Not Excited For Patrick Star Spinoff, Feel It Dishonors Creator's Memory". The Things. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Nickelodeon Greenlights Kamp Koral, Original Animated Spinoff of Hit Series SpongeBob SquarePants" (Press release). Nickelodeon. June 4, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (June 4, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants CG-Animated Prequel Series Kamp Koral Greenlighted by Nickelodeon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Announces Voice Cast for Kamp Koral: Spongebob's Under Years, First-Ever Spongebob Squarepants Spinoff" (Press release). Nickelodeon. February 19, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ a b Welk, Brian (January 28, 2021). "SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run to Debut on Paramount+ at March Launch". TheWrap. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ Nellie Andreeva (August 10, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants Spinoff Series The Patrick Star Show Set At Nickelodeon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ Will Thorne (August 10, 2020). "SpongeBob Squarepants Spinoff The Patrick Star Show in the Works to Nickelodeon". Variety. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ Denise Petski (June 17, 2021). "Nickelodeon Unveils Trailers For SpongeBob SquarePants Spinoff The Patrick Star Show & Middlemost Post, Sets Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Brian Steinberg (March 4, 2021). "Nickelodeon Set to Expand SpongeBob SquarePants With Patrick Star Series". Variety. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ Dill, Jason (December 21, 2018). "This is how a SpongeBob song would sound at this year's Super Bowl". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Donaghey, River; Schwartz, Drew (November 30, 2018). "Over 50,000 Fans Want the Super Bowl to Play This 'SpongeBob' Song at Halftime". Vice. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Hughes, William (November 30, 2018). "100,000 fans demand SpongeBob be allowed to play the half-time show at next year's Super Bowl". TheAVClub.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Radulovic, Petrana (February 3, 2019). "The Super Bowl halftime show just made tribute to Spongebob's creator". Polygon. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Colaleo, Nico [@NicoColaleo] (February 4, 2019). "Also in the short clip itself, the animation is different cuz this was literally done a week ago with only a few days to create …" (Tweet). Retrieved February 13, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "SpongeBob, slime to highlight Nickelodeon Super Bowl telecast". ESPN.com. August 1, 2023. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nickelodeon and CBS Sports reveal details for slime-filed Super Bowl LVIII alternate telecast". ParamountPress.com. February 2024. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "'SpongeBob Comics': Cartoon Phenom Makes Comic Book Debut". ICv2. November 11, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ a b Langshaw, Mark (November 11, 2010). "'SpongeBob' comics on the way". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g ""SpongeBob SquarePants" Comic Debuts in February". Comic Book Resources. January 25, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g Boom, Richard (January 25, 2011). "SpongeBob Comics #1 debuts from United Plankton Pictures". Broken Frontier. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ "Tokyopop Does Nickelodeon". ICv2. June 2, 2003. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 18, 2012). "Steve Bissette Returns To Comics With SpongeBob SquarePants". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ Spurgeon, Tom (January 3, 2012). "CR Holiday Interview #14 – Steve Bissette". The Comics Reporter. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants Magazine 100th Issue". Titan Magazines. August 19, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants Magazine @ Titan Magazines". titanmagazines.com.
- ^ Hutchins, Rob (March 22, 2013). "SpongeBob LEGO limited edition magazine launches". Licensing. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' Opens Nationwide on Friday, November 19". PR Newswire. November 10, 2004. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "APM Film and Television Composer Gregor Narholz Signs on to Score Activision's X-Men(TM) Legends Sequel". PR Newswire. March 9, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ "APM Film and Television Composer Gregor Narholz Signs on to Score Activision's X-Men(TM) Legends Sequel". Activision. March 9, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ "Gregor Narholz Scores X-Men". IGN. March 10, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ Johansson, Scarlett (2005). The Absorbing Tale Behind The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment.
- ^ "The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, The". Metacritic. CBS. Archived from the original on March 6, 2005. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (June 5, 2014). "Paramount Avoids Fifty Shades by Moving Up SpongeBob SquarePants Sequel". The Wrap. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Film Planned for 2014". WN.com. March 4, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
- ^ Webb, Charles (August 20, 2012). "Is Paramount Prepping an Animated 'Legend of Korra' Movie?". MTV. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (February 29, 2012). "SpongeBob kicks off new Paramount Ani division". Bill Desowitz. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
- ^ Chozik, Amy (March 4, 2012). "Return to Big Screen for SpongeBob". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ^ Goodwin, Liam (February 28, 2012). "New SpongeBob SquarePants movie will be released in 2014". Filmonic.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (February 29, 2012). "Paramount to Release 'SpongeBob' Movie in 2014". Animation World Network. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ^ Paramount [@Viacom] (April 30, 2015). "@ParamountPics is in development on sequels to existing franchises: @WorldWarZMovie, @JackReacher & @SpongeBobMovie – TD" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2015 – via Twitter.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 24, 2018). "Paramount's 'The SpongeBob Movie' To Soak Up Mid-July 2020". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ Telling, Gillian (November 12, 2019). "SpongeBob Is Back! The Man Behind the Voice, Tom Kenny, on Returning for a Big Screen Adventure". People. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ^ SpongeBob Movie [@SpongeBobMovie] (November 13, 2019). "The search for Gary is on! Check out the official poster for #SpongeBobMovie: Sponge on the Run and don't miss the trailer tomorrow!" (Tweet). Retrieved November 13, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 2, 2020). "Top Gun Maverick Flies To Christmas Corridor, SpongeBob Eyes Late Summer, Quiet Place II To Debut Labor Day". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run Skipping Theaters to Launch On Demand and CBS All Access (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ Paramount Canada [@ParamountCanada] (July 30, 2020). "The happiest place on earth is a pineapple under the sea! Paramount Pictures Canada is excited to announce that THE #SPONGEBOBMOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN will open exclusively in Canadian theatres on August 14th" (Tweet). Retrieved July 30, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (March 4, 2020). "It's a SpongeBob SquarePants World at ViacomCBS". Media Play News. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (February 15, 2022). "SpongeBob Universe Expands With Three Paramount+ Spinoff Movies, New Theatrical Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Carolyn Giardina (April 25, 2023). "Netflix Animation Reveals In Your Dreams, a New SpongeBob Adventure and Additional Nimona Voice Casting". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Abdul Azim Naushad (January 22, 2024). "SpongeBob SquarePants Saving Bikini Bottom: Has the New Sandy Cheeks Movie Leaked?". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ "Streaming On: Kids and Family with Brian Robbins". YouTube. Google Inc. August 24, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ Brian Welk (April 27, 2023). "Paramount Gets Animated with CinemaCon Presentation". IndieWire. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (October 23, 2023). "Mission: Impossible 8 Jumps To 2025; A Quiet Place: Day One Goes To Summer In 2024 Theatrical Shake-Up Due To Actors Strike". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights". AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob's Greatest Hits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ a b Bubbeo, Daniel (November 5, 2006). "FAST CHAT TOM KENNY". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
- ^ "Lips, Shins Kick Back With 'SpongeBob'". Billboard. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ "Flaming Lips and Wilco Featured on New SpongeBob Soundtrack". Paste. October 13, 2004. Archived from the original on December 26, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ a b Stock, Rosina (June 24, 2009). "Nickelodeon Celebrates Pop Culture Icon SpongeBob SquarePants decade". Media News International. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
- ^ D'Angelo, Joe. "Flaming Lips, Wilco, 'Commercial Weirdo' Avril Lavigne Head Up 'SpongeBob' LP". MTV. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ Dufour, Matt. "SpongeBob Soundtrack Boasts Shins, Wilco, And Flaming Lips Songs". The Fader. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ Mar, Alex (October 1, 2004). "Avril Sings "SpongeBob"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Music From the Movie and More". AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ "Chicago | Plan a Visit | Now Playing in 4-D". Shedd Aquarium. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ Arrant, Chris (September 25, 2012). ""SpongeBob SquarePants" 4-D Attraction Coming Soon". Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ a b "SpongeBob goes 4-D at the aquarium". Mystic River Press. May 17, 2013. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D: The Great Jelly Rescue". Eye on Orlando. Archived from the original on May 3, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Brigante, Ricky (April 23, 2013). "SpongeBob SquarePants makes a splash at Nick Hotel with new 4D movie, Bikini Bottom Breakfast, and more entertainment". Inside the Magic. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Roseboom, Matt. "Nick Hotel debuts new SpongeBob 4D movie and Bikini Bottom character breakfast". Orlando Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Moody Gardens. "Moody Gardens Announces Launch of New One-of-a-Kind SpongeBob SubPants Interactive Experience" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
Visitors will be able to interact with the Nickelodeon characters on a digital stage as they have never been able to do before.
- ^ "MOODY GARDENS NEWEST INTERACTIVE ADVENTURE GOES 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA – Moody Gardens". Retrieved November 27, 2022.
- ^ "Sally Dark Rides unveils animatronic at IAAPA Expo in Orlando for SpongeBob's Crazy Carnival Ride". www.gottagoorlando.com. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Antonucci, Mike (March 20, 2001). "Triple Play Baseball has some annoying errors". Knight Ridder. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ Stecker, Erin (June 5, 2013). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' debuts new app – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (June 6, 2013). "Nick Launches Building 'SpongeBob' App". Animation. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Announces SpongeBob SquarePants 'City Building' App". BroadwayWorld. June 6, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ "Build Your Very Own Bikini Bottom Through Nickelodeon's Worldwide Release Of Brand-New Mobile Game, SpongeBob Moves In". PR Newswire. June 6, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ Lanier, Liz (June 5, 2019). "Classic Spongebob Squarepants Game Getting Remake, Multiplayer Mode". Variety. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ Moyce, Chris (June 5, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom getting remastered for PC and consoles". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Tailby, Stephen (June 5, 2019). "Are You Ready, Kids? SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated Announced". Push Square. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Bailey, Dustin (April 16, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom hits Steam in June". PCGamesN. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Romano, Sal (April 16, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated launches June 23". Gematsu. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated Release Date Announced". Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ Brown, Shelby (May 28, 2020). "SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit is the ultimate new Apple Arcade game for fans". CNET. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ Peters, Jay (January 8, 2021). "Madden 21 now has a SpongeBob SquarePants field". The Verge. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Borthwick, Ben (September 20, 2021). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an all new 3D platformer coming to consoles and PC". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (January 23, 2013). "Nick Launches 2013 Short Film Contest". Animation World Magazine. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 7, 2013). "Nick Launches SpongeBob SquareShorts Contest". Animation. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob Square Shorts Competition – $2,500 + Trip". FilmTheNext.com. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 7, 2013). "Nickelodeon Announces First-Ever SpongeBob SquarePants Global Film Competition, 'SpongeBob SquareShorts: Original Fan Tributes'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Hutchins, Rob (July 22, 2013). "Nickelodeon reveals finalists in SpongeBob Squareshorts film comp". Licensing.biz. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Announces Finalists For First-Ever SpongeBob SquareShorts Global Short Film Competition". The Futon Critic. July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
- ^ Liu, Ed (July 19, 2013). "PR: Nickelodeon Announces Finalists for First-Ever "SpongeBob SquareShorts: Original Fan Tributes"". Toonzone. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Announces Winners for First-Ever 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Global Short Film Competition". TV by the Numbers. August 9, 2013. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ Deb, Sopan (November 22, 2017). "With a Singing SpongeBob, Nickelodeon Aims for a Broadway Splash – The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ Chen, Wei-Huan (February 16, 2018). "'SpongeBob' musical underscores nautical nonsense of art vs. entertainment". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ "2018 Tony Award Nominations: SpongeBob SquarePants and Mean Girls Lead the Pack". Playbill. May 1, 2018.
- ^ Hampp, Andrew (July 13, 2009). "How SpongeBob Became an $8 Billion Franchise". Advertising Age. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Hinckley, David (July 13, 2009). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' gets closer look on VH1 with 10th anniversary documentary on Nickelodeon hit". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "MTV Networks' Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group Puts a Digital Spin on Classic Hasbro Games Featuring Dora The Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants". PR Newswire. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Onyett, Charles (September 10, 2008). "The Game of Life -SpongeBob SquarePants Edition Review". IGN. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Ward, Kate (November 28, 2009). "Hasbro lets us operate on SpongeBob. Which TV character would you like to get inside?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "ANTS IN THE SquarePants". Hasbro. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "YAHTZEE Jr. SpongeBob SquarePants Edition Card Game". Hasbro. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Strauss, Gary (May 17, 2002). "Life's good for SpongeBob". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ Kageyama, Yuri (January 24, 2007). "SpongeBob Goes Trendy to Win Japan Fans". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ "Spongebob con l'Happy Meal McDonald's". Megamodo (in Italian). May 17, 2007. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Stark, Jill (October 5, 2007). "Maccas takes out 'pester power' prize". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Meitner, Sarah Hale (March 2, 2005). "Slurpee Galaxy Expands With Nod To 'Star Wars'". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants Pirates Booty $1 at Target". Totally Target. April 30, 2013. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "SpongeBob SplashPants Sweepstakes 5/31/13 1PPD4-14". Sweetis Sweeps. March 22, 2013. Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Veneziani, Vince (September 27, 2007). "Nickelodeon's NPower Lineup Of Electronics". TechCrunch. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Expands Healthy Food Initiative with Green Giant". Promomagazine.com. May 31, 2007. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ "High Fashion Hits Bikini Bottom". Viacom. January 14, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Weston, Shaun (May 22, 2013). "SpongeBob SquarePants Vanilla Ice Cream". Food Bev. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ Weston, Shaun (June 3, 2013). "SpongeBob SquarePants Spring Water". Food Bev. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ Dedman, Christie (April 4, 2013). "Build A Bear SpongeBob SquarePants coming May 17". AL.com. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "Build-A-Bear Workshop Makes a Splash with New SpongeBob SquarePants Collection". Business Wire. May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "Build-A-Bear welcomes the SpongeBob gang". Retailing Today. May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Edel, Ray (May 15, 2013). "Make a splash with new SpongeBob SquarePants Collection at Build-A-Bear". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Mierzejewski, Ali (May 15, 2013). "Build-A-Bear Workshop Meets Bikini Bottom with New SpongeBob SquarePants Collection". Toy Book. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Burden, Melissa (July 12, 2013). "Toyota creates one-of-a-kind SpongeBob Highlander". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on July 13, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ Ayapana, Erick (July 15, 2013). "Custom Spongebob Squarepants 2014 Toyota Highlander Sets Sail". MotorTrend.com. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
- ^ Busis, Hillary (July 12, 2013). "SpongeBob Square...Car? Check out the cartoon's new 'concept vehicle' – EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ Brindusescu, Gabriel (July 12, 2013). "Toyota to Unveil 2014 Highlander SpongeBob Edition [Video]". Auto Evolution. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ Barari, Arman (July 13, 2013). "SpongeBob-Themed Toyota Highlander by Nickelodeon". Motor Ward. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ Harbison, Cammy Harbison (April 24, 2019). "A new line of Spongebob Squarepants Masterpiece Memes figurines bring all your favorite SpongeBob memes to life". Newsweek. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^ Hamilton, Xavier (April 24, 2019). "Nickelodeon Releases Official Spongebob Meme Figures". Complex. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ Abraham, Peter. "Nicktoons MLB video game debuts next week". www.boston.com. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ "Stumble Guys - Patch Notes 0.74 - SpongeBob SquarePants is Back!". Stumble Guys. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants shows up in Brawl Stars for a special takeover". Supercell. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Buenahora, Andrés (October 2, 2024). "Krabby Patties Enter the Real World: 'SpongeBob SquarePants'-Themed Dishes Coming to Wendy's and Over 250 Other Restaurants". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Cifarelli, David (October 11, 2024). "Here's why 'SpongeBob Squarepants' fans are upset about Wendy's Krabby Patty". masslive. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ "Magic: The Gathering's 2025 Lineup Features Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, And SpongeBob". GameSpot. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ "Uniqlo UT Officially Launches SpongeBob x Cactus Plant Flea Market Collection". Hypebeast. December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "Uniqlo UT x CPFM collab page". Uniqlo. December 5, 2024.
Bibliography
- Banks, Steven (September 24, 2004). SpongeBob Exposed! The Insider's Guide to SpongeBob SquarePants. Schigiel, Gregg (Illustrator). Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon. ISBN 978-0-689-86870-2.
- Beck, Jerry (2013). The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience: A Deep Dive Into the World of Bikini Bottom. USA: Insight Editions. ISBN 978-1-4357-3248-3.
- Neuwirth, Allan (2003). Makin' Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies. Allworth Communications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-58115-269-2.
- Priebe, Kenneth A. (2011). The Advanced Art of Stop-Motion Animation. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4354-5704-1.
- Lenburg, Jeff (2006). "Hal Leonard". Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television's Award Winning and Legendary Animators. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-55783-671-7.
External links
- Official website
- SpongeBob SquarePants at IMDb
- SpongeBob SquarePants at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- SpongeBob SquarePants at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
| Television series |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-universe |
| ||||
| Production | |||||
| Episodes | |||||
| Films |
| ||||
| Albums | |||||
| Attractions | |||||
| Other media | |||||
| In popular culture | |||||
| Seasons 1–3 | |
|---|---|
| Seasons 4–6 | |
| Seasons 7–9 | |
| Seasons 10–14 | |
| Current |
|
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- 1990s American animated comedy television series
- 1990s American satirical television series
- 1990s American sitcoms
- 1990s American surreal comedy television series
- 1990s Nickelodeon original programming
- 1999 American television series debuts
- 1999 animated television series debuts
- 2000s American animated comedy television series
- 2000s American satirical television series
- 2000s American sitcoms
- 2000s American surreal comedy television series
- 2000s Nickelodeon original programming
- 2010s American animated comedy television series
- 2010s American satirical television series
- 2010s American sitcoms
- 2010s American surreal comedy television series
- 2010s Nickelodeon original programming
- 2020s American animated television series
- 2020s American animated comedy television series
- 2020s American satirical television series
- 2020s American sitcoms
- 2020s American surreal comedy television series
- 2020s Nickelodeon original programming
- American animated sitcoms
- American children's animated comedy television series
- American children's animated musical television series
- American children's television sitcoms
- American television series with live action and animation
- Animated television series about animals
- Animated television series about fish
- Animated television series about squirrels
- American English-language television shows
- Nickelodeon sitcoms
- Nicktoons
- Television series by Rough Draft Studios
- Television series created by Stephen Hillenburg
- Television shows adapted into comics
- Television shows adapted into films
- Television shows adapted into plays
- Television shows adapted into video games
- Television shows set in the Marshall Islands
- Underwater civilizations in fiction
- Surreal comedy
- Internet memes