It's a sad day in Bikini Bottoms as the cartoon world mourns the death of SpongeBob SquarePants' creator. 57-year-old Steven Hillenburg was diagnosed with ALS in March of last year and has reportedly died of complications of the disease. Nickelodeon tweeted sadness to hear of Hillenburg's passing, and today the network would be observing a moment of silence to honor his life and his work. Hillenburg leaves behind his wife Karen and their son Clay.
PHOTO: Stephen Hillenburg, the writer of a U.S. cartoon 'The SpongeBob SquarePants' poses with its charactor SpongeBob SquarePants at an event held in Tokyo. (Getty Images)