Bob the Sponge is an early version of SpongeBob SquarePants, developed in 1989 by Stephen Hillenburg for The Intertidal Zone. The Intertidal Zone was an educational book about undersea life, and Bob is a sea sponge, Hillenburg's favorite animal.
Unlike SpongeBob's current design, which is a squared-off tube sponge, Bob the Sponge was modeled after a circle-shaped species. Although Bob is not seen in the series, the designs of SpongeBob's parents are based on him.
Creation and development
Stephen Hillenburg first made Bob the Sponge in 1989, for The Intertidal Zone. Bob co-starred with Rocky the Shrimp. Bob the Sponge's appearance resembled a real sea sponge, except he wore sunglasses and had a mouth to speak with.
Bob the Sponge evolved into SpongeBoy in 1994 and later evolved into SpongeBob SquarePants. Bob the Sponge and SpongeBoy are both prototypes of SpongeBob, though SpongeBoy resembles SpongeBob more than Bob the Sponge does.
Trivia
- SpongeBob's French name Bob l'éponge can be translated to Bob the Sponge.