Stephen Hillenburg was born on 21st August 1961 and sadly passed away on 26th November 2018. Stephen was the creator of the much beloved cartoon character, Spongebob Squarepants he was also show runner for the first few seasons of the show and returned to that roll this year.

People from all over the internet have come out to pay tribute to Stephen as his work was a fundamental part of so many peoples childhood. Here are a selection of artwork created to commemorate Stephen as well as some written messages to the late creator (some created independently from the images) .

R.I.P. Stephen. You and your remarkable work will never be forgotten.

"RIP Stephen Hillenburg. Thank you for the inspiring creativity, fun and countless moments of laughter you've brought to so many people." - Vincent Lovallo

"R.I.P Stephen Hillenburg. You will be missed :(" - Josh Ramsay

"His mark on entertainment will endure, and his contribution to this world will always be felt. I feel honored to have worked side by side with him, and anyone who knew him or was entertained by his work should be forever grateful. I know I am. " - Joe Murray (Creator of 'Rocko’s Modern Life')

"RIP Stephen Hillenburg who brought tremendous joy and wonderful insanity into this world." - Jorma Taccone

"Rest In Peace to a legend, Stephen Hillenburg. Your creation impacted an entire generation, I know I faked illness numerous times to miss school to watch SpongeBob marathons. Thanks for the memories." - Dan LaMorte

"At a time in my life when I am extremely grateful for each and every memory of spending time with my children, I am equally grateful for the life of Stephen Hillenburg. May his memory, and his work, be a blessing." - Peter Sagal

"Rest in Peace, Stephen Hillenburg" - Andrew W. Dickman

"Stephen Hillenburg was a real inspiration for me. He took a goofy idea and turned it into one of the greatest cartoons in animation history" - Oscar Alonso

"Stephen Hillenburg’s passing caught me by complete surprise. I cannot thank him enough for enlightening my childhood with SpongeBob Squarepants. Rest easy, sir." - Alan (endangeredcds)

"Oh man, R.I.P. Stephen Hillenburg. Thanks for giving us two decades of pure fun. These characters and memes will live on forever." - Jill Gutowitz

"Thank you for creating my childhood, Stephen Hillenburg."

"Spongebob's weird humor probably did more to influence this generation's love of absurdity more than any other show and it's that weirdness that keeps us going through these dark times. Rest in peace, Stephen Hillenburg." - Sam Sykes

"Wow what a unique and fantastic character Steve created! It was my pleasure and honor to be in SpongeBob The Movie and to share some great laughs with this gentleman..." - David Hasselhoff

“He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon... His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”