Twenty-five years in the past, a yellow sponge beat the chances to get a job on the Krusty Krab, essentially the most beloved fast-food eatery within the underwater metropolis of Bikini Backside. That was just the start for “SpongeBob SquarePants,” whose 14 seasons made it one of many longest-running American animated collection. The SpongeBob universe expanded to incorporate two spinoff collection, three characteristic movies, a musical and a galaxy of Web memes.
Sponges
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Why, precisely, is SpongeBob a kitchen sponge? A decade earlier than SpongeBob made his massive splash on the small display, the collection creator Stephen Hillenburg wrote and illustrated an academic youngsters’s guide known as “The Intertidal Zone,” that includes a speaking sea sponge. Hillenburg modified the character right into a sq. sponge as a result of he thought it might be funnier.
Literature
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” is broadly identified for its absurd plots, nevertheless it additionally accommodates its share of literary parodies. Working example: the pair of squeaky boots hidden beneath the floorboards, à la the notorious still-beating coronary heart in Edgar Allan Poe’s macabre quick story “The Inform-Story Coronary heart.”
Fish
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” sports activities as various a spread of animation types because it does comedy types, so a sensible live-action fish and humanoid fish cartoon by some means each match seamlessly into the identical collection. The present’s artwork model attracts from earlier collection like “The Ren & Stimpy Present” and “Rocko’s Fashionable Life,” on which Hillenburg additionally labored previous to “SpongeBob.” Later reveals depicted right here, like “Chowder,” “Gravity Falls” and “Fish Hooks,” then intently adopted the visible aesthetic of “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
Cameos
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David Bowie was such a Sponge-fan that he mentioned he had “hit the holy grail of animation gigs” along with his look because the Lord Royal Highness within the episode “Atlantis SquarePantis,” the place his character even shared the enduring singer’s heterochromia.
Style
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Many style manufacturers have paid tribute to the present, together with Moschino, Patrick Mohr, Nike and GCDS, so even this yellow sponge has strutted down the runway.
One liners
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Tom Kenny
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Tom Kenny could also be finest identified for voicing SpongeBob and dozens of different inhabitants of Bikini Backside, however his prolonged C.V. additionally contains roles from “The Powerpuff Ladies,” “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “CatDog,” “Rocko’s Fashionable Life,” “Journey Time,” “Johnny Bravo” and “Rick and Morty.”
Drag
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“Am I a reasonably woman?”
Take it from Bugs Bunny — there’s a historical past of wacky drag schemes in cartoons. “SpongeBob” isn’t any exception. However many followers additionally learn SpongeBob’s love of drag as extra proof for the queer coding of the character, who was presumed homosexual, then confirmed asexual, and finally adopted as a L.G.B.T.Q.+ icon.
Delicacies
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Bob Belcher might have his personal grilled-and-bun-topped legacy, however even his each day specials can’t examine to the complicated culinary delicacy that could be a Krabby Patty, whether or not it’s a nasty patty, a reasonably patty, a retired Halloween gummy burger from the early aughts, or a king-size Extremely Krabby Supreme with the works, double batter fried on a stick.
Plankton FUN
“F is for hearth that burns down the entire city.
U is for uranium bombs.
N is for _____ _____ …”
… no survivors.
… nuclear warfare.
… narwhal assaults.
… neutralizing enemies.
“Plankton! These issues aren’t what enjoyable is all about!”
Squidward Fails
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“Why should each 11 minutes of my life be full of distress?”
Patrick savant
“Is mayonnaise an instrument?”
“It might be silly, nevertheless it’s additionally dumb.”
“The interior machinations of my thoughts are an enigma.”
“Bear in mind: Licking doorknobs is against the law on different planets.”
The quintessential fool savant, Patrick claims to know so much, regardless of his very temporary and uncommon moments of brilliance; however in terms of interplanetary doorknob regulation, SpongeBob is the self-proclaimed skilled.
Bikini Backside actual property
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“House is the place you’re surrounded by different critters that care about you.” — Sandy Cheeks
Greatest Buddies
SpongeBob and Patrick bond over their matching underwear.
SpongeBob and Patrick develop into roommates.
SpongeBob and Patrick attempt to impress Patrick’s mother and father.
SpongeBob and Patrick commemorate their relationship with a hoop.
Verify
The dynamic of those two finest mates relies on that of different well-known comedy duos like Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello.
#FOOTER
VICTORY SCREECH!!!
[alarming shrieks and howls]
Pictures by way of Nickelodeon; Getty Photos; Cartoon Community; Grownup Swim; Fox; Disney Channel; Amir Hamja/The New York Instances; Nina Westervelt for The New York Instances
Produced by Leo Dominguez, Sean Catangui, Tala Safie, Jolie Ruben and Alicia Desantis.
