Stephen Hillenburg has always hated the ocean.
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg ( born August21 , 1961 ) is an American cartoonist , animator , director , producer , and writer . A former marine-biology teacher , he created SpongeBob SquarePants ( 1999 ) , which has gone on to become one of the longest-running American television series as well as the highest-rated show ever to air on Nickelodeon . Born in Lawton , Oklahoma and raised in Anaheim , California , Hillenburg became fascinated with the ocean as a child and also developed an interest in art . He started his professional career in 1984 , instructing marine biology , at the Orange County Marine Institute , where he wrote The Intertidal Zone , an informative comic book about tide-pool animals , which he used to educate his students . Besides his two Emmy Awards and six Annie Awards for SpongeBob SquarePants , Hillenburg has also received other recognition , such as the Walk the Talk award from Heal the Bay for his efforts on elevating marine life awareness , and the Television Animation Award from the National Cartoonists Society .