Anaheim, California 1969
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg at age 8 had an overgrowing fondness for the ocean and its life forms that dwell within it. Stephen often spent his time watching films by the French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.
"The sea, the great unifier, is man's only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat."
Stephen's little brother, Bryan, was often bewildered by Stephen's glowing enthusiasm in the ocean. Stephen didn't care, he loved oceanography too much.
"When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself."
"Stephen! Young man, I told you to stop bringing in dead fish from the tide pools!"
"It wasn't dead when I found it."
This was often heard around the house, Stephen always dug up what he found and brought it home.
1970
Stephen developed his interest in drawing fairly young. His grandmother being a truly gifted painter, it makes sense that the gift was passed on. He drew his first drawing in third grade and showed his teacher, who was stunned by she was born witness to. The drawing depicted a bunch of army men kissing and hugging instead of fighting. This was of course in the middle of the Vietnam war, so it makes sense that he thought of this, and his teacher commended it.
"This is really well done Stephen!"
Later in the 1970's, Stephen was taken to the International Tournée of Animation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where he saw "The Killing of an Egg" by Dutch animator Paul Driessen.
"Wow..."
Stephen snorkled for the first time when he was 15, which reinforced his love for the ocean. After working a go nowhere job as a fry cook and lobster boiler at a fast food restaurant in Maine, he chose Marine-science to be his major when he attended Humboldt university, leaving art to be his minor even though several peers disagreed and claimed art was his first best destiny. After finishing his undergrad work, he realized he should be in art. Soon after working various jobs, he created an educational comic strip named "The Intertidal Zone" about the animal life of tidal pods, one of which he included a character named "Bob the Sponge". This is where we pick up...
"When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself."