Loading....
Ocean Futures Society is honored to be selected as a recipient organization for donations honoring the tremendous legacy of Stephen Hillenburg.
Stephen Hillenburg, was the creator of the iconic animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Stephen passed away on Monday, Nov. 26, from his battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS).
The long-running Nickelodeon show aired its first episode on May 1, 1999, and continues to air. SpongeBob SquarePants follows the aquatic adventures of an ever-optimistic sea sponge and his pals who live under the sea. Its childlike sensibilities and wry humor made it the most widely distributed property in Viacom history, seen in more than 208 countries.
Jean-Michel Cousteau and Ocean Futures Society had the privilege of working with Steve to create “The Case of the Sponge “Bob”.
As a child growing up in Anaheim, California, Steve was influenced by the films of Jacques Cousteau. Eventually, he studied marine sciences and graduated from Humboldt State University in 1984.
Hillenburg's background in marine biology and his love of the sea and all its creatures led him to create the comic book, The Intertidal Zone, which he used to teach students at the Orange County Marine Institute in Dana Point, California. His love of drawing and animation soon led him to the worlds of animation, entertainment and television.
Since its inception, SpongeBob has spawned two feature films: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which Hillenburg co-wrote and directed, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. Last year, SpongeBob: The Musical opened on Broadway to great reviews and earned a dozen Tony Nominations.
Steve is survived by his wife Karen Hillenburg, and son Clay; mother Nancy (Dufour) Hillenburg; and brother Brian Kelly Hillenburg, his wife Isabel, and nieces Emma and Hazel.
In his remembrance, Jean-Michel Cousteau said, “Steve was remarkably creative, and successfully combined his creativity with his interests in the ocean and his love of children. He will be missed by his legions of fans throughout the world.”
In 2004, when the first SpongeBob movie was released, Steve and Jean-Michel Cousteau joined forces to create a behind-the-scenes, stranger-than-cartoons look at some real ocean characters, in the OFS Creature Feature videos.
Donations to the Ocean Futures Society STEPHEN HILLENBURG MEMORIAL FUND will further the ocean educational programs of OFS.
Address Line 1 | City, State Zip Code
Questions? Contact Email or call Cell Phone
Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society is a tax-exempt non-profit organization, under the section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and therefore all charitable donations are deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
Having trouble donating? Contact us at contact@oceanfutures.org or call 805-899-8899.