Los Angeles Comic Con: Remembering Stephen Hillenburg with Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke
It’s been 20 years since the late Stephen Hillenburg introduced the world to Spongebob Squarepants (originally Spongeboy). The legacy of his amazing vision continues and we got to hear more about it at Los Angeles Comic Con.
Londyn Jackson moderated the panel with two main voice-over talents Tom Kenny (Spongebob) and Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick). When asked about the fandom of Spongebob and the impact it’s had on pop culture then and now, Kenny responded with, “Now 20 years later it’s become where it’s really mind blowing. You’ll see (fans who are) grandparents, parents, adult kids, and their kids. It makes you feel like you’re a bazillion-years-old.”
Later they discussed Hillenburg and how he was a renaissance man; a surfer, a sculptor, ocean science enthusiast, and a environmental advocate. But his vision was the biggest and most brilliant thing of the show. Kenny and Fagerbakke talked about his infectious personality. Kenny talked about how he felt his voice was only a chromosome of the genius that Hillenburg put together.
Fagerbakke remembered how human and organic Hillenburg was in a story about his audition for Patrick, it wasn’t in the usual sterile environment of two rooms separated with glass. They sat together in a conference room where Hillenburg had Kenny’s voice prerecorded on an old cassette deck and asked Fagerbakke to contrast the voice.
Kenny and Fagerbakke fondly remembered how Hillenburg spent the first three seasons inside the voice-over room with them to be able to work with them directly with notes and quick sketches. It showed how organic he was as an artist. He cared more about the work, and didn’t think about the money or the fame.
They talked about how his personality was so genuine and infectious, you wanted to please him. The Spongebob world was all Hillenburg, Kenny always felt like he was just trying to do right by his vision. He just wanted to get a smile out of him and if he made him laugh, that was a gift.
As of July 2019, Spongebob Squarepants has been renewed for a 13th season, ensuring Hillenburg’s vision continues to make us laugh.