Encyclopedia SpongeBobia
Register
Advertisement
Encyclopedia SpongeBobia

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, also simply referred to as Kamp Koral, is a spin-off series that acts as a prequel to SpongeBob SquarePants. It premiered on Paramount+ in the United States on March 4, 2021.[5] The show is animated in CGI. The series premiered on television on April 2, 2021,[6] with premieres regularly starting on September 10, 2021.[7]

The show depicts younger versions of the main characters from the original show. SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Sandy are campers; Mr. Krabs is the camp director; Pearl is a baby; Mrs. Puff is the scoutmaster and activity teacher; Plankton and Karen are camp chefs; and Gary is a former stray snail who becomes SpongeBob's pet.

Premise[]

The show is set at a summer sleepaway camp called Kamp Koral, located in the Kelp Forest. SpongeBob SquarePants is a ten-year-old camper who wears a red cap. Mr. Krabs is the camp director, and he stays in a cabin with his baby daughter, Pearl. Other campers include SpongeBob's friends, Patrick, Sandy, and Squidward. Squidward is slightly older than the others and works as a junior counselor. Mrs. Puff is the teacher of arts and crafts, as well as the scoutmaster who keeps an eye on the kids. Plankton and Karen are the chefs of the camp. The gang spends the summer catching jellyfish, building campfires, and swimming in a lake of goo called Lake Yuckymuck.[2]

Characters[]

The ten main characters from SpongeBob SquarePants returned for Kamp Koral, along with two new characters: Nobby and Narlene, a pair of narwhals who live in the woods around the campsite.

Kamp-Koral-characters

Main[]

Supporting[]

Incidentals[]

Episodes[]

History[]

Production[]

SpongeBob-Movie-Kamp-Koral-characters

Artwork of the campsite from the movie.

The characters and locations in Kamp Koral are based on scenes from the third movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.[8] In the movie, Camp Coral is featured in several flashbacks. All main characters that appear in them are aged up by a year in the spin-off;[8] some designs (such as SpongeBob, Patrick, and Mrs. Puff's camp outfits) remained mostly the same, whereas others (such as Squidward and Sandy's designs) were heavily updated. In the movie, Mrs. Puff was the only camp counselor, but in the series, she is joined by Mr. Krabs as the camp director.[8]

The series is being animated by a different studio from Sponge on the Run to decrease the time and cost spent on animation. It is being animated by Technicolor's animation studio, in Bangladesh, India;[9] the corporation also owns Mikros Image, which provided animation for the third movie. Executive producer Vincent Waller said in an interview, in regards to the final animation: "The main challenge was finding a crew capable of building a new world, from the sand up to the beautiful ocean/sky above our Kampers, at breakneck speed to have our show premiere in March [...] Having seen other CG TV shows, we were very worried we wouldn’t be able to hit the same high mark when it comes to the characters' acting and posing. But those challenges excited the crew, and they came up with innovations to hit the wild and varied expressions our storyboard artists were throwing at them."[8] Tom Kenny, said Hillenburg and him were a little unsure about the CGI animation in the spinoff, since the main one is 2D, but the animation crew founded a way how to do the animation in CG.[1]

Brian Robbins stated that he helped create the idea for Kamp Koral. In October 2018, Robbins became the president of Nickelodeon.[10] On his "second or third day" at Nickelodeon, he "was asked to go to a SpongeBob season 12 or 13 pickup meeting" and "asked a lot of questions." This made him realize that SpongeBob had "basically stayed the same" and inspired him and others together to come up with ideas for spin-off shows[11] and new characters.

On February 14, 2019, it was announced that an unnamed spinoff of SpongeBob SquarePants was in the works at Nickelodeon.[12][13] On June 4, 2019, it was announced that a CG-animated spinoff of SpongeBob SquarePants under the working title of Kamp Koral was officially green-lit with a 13-episode order.[14][15]

On February 19, 2020, the show's official title was given as Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years.[16] It was also announced that the voice cast from SpongeBob SquarePants would return for the spinoff series. Those cast members being: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Carolyn Lawrence, Doug Lawrence, Mary Jo Catlett, Jill Talley, and Lori Alan. It was also announced that Carlos Alazraqui and Kate Higgins would voice two new characters: Nobby and Narlene, twin narwhals.[17] On January 8, 2021, a six-minute sneak peek of "The Jellyfish Kid" was uploaded in an unlisted video on the SpongeBob SquarePants Official YouTube channel.[18] This same footage was shown on January 10, 2021 during an NFL Wild Card game playoff aired on Nickelodeon USA.[19] On January 11, 2021, one day after the official American television airing, the six-minute sneak peek footage of "The Jellyfish Kid" was reuploaded by the SpongeBob SquarePants Official YouTube channel with a video under a slightly different title this time calling it a preview.[20] Unlike the original upload, this video never got unlisted and also has a different image in the thumbnail. A promotional short titled "I'm Urchin You to Leave" was included as a bonus feature on The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run DVD and Blu-ray that were released on February 2, 2021 in Canada and on July 13, 2021 in the United States.

On August 11, 2021, the spin-off was renewed for a 13-episode second season.[4]

Controversy[]

Upon the Kamp Koral announcement, former series showrunner Paul Tibbitt tweeted that SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg would not have approved of a "younger SpongeBob" spin-off, calling the spin-off "greedy, lazy executive-ing."[21] Hillenburg was strongly against the idea of spinoffs, crossovers, and aging SpongeBob down to a child. According to Tibbitt: "Steve [Hillenburg] would always say to me, 'You know, one of these days, they're going to want to make SpongeBob Babies. That's when I'm out of here.'"[22] When Hillenburg first pitched the show in the 1990s, Nickelodeon wanted to send SpongeBob to school.[23] Hillenburg was strongly opposed and wanted SpongeBob to be a childlike adult: a character with a child's optimistic personality and an adult's responsibilities.[24] He felt that a show about child-aged SpongeBob went against his creative vision.[24] Therefore, he created the character of Mrs. Puff and her Boating School as a compromise.

On June 5, 2019, Rob Renzetti, another former Nickelodeon employee and creator of My Life as a Teenage Robot, said that he disapproved of the spin-off idea[25] and also retweeted Tibbitt's statement.[26] In response to a fan's question and the negative backlash, Vincent Waller asked for fans to not jump to conclusions about the spin-off series. He stated that he hopes the show will speak for itself upon its release.[27][28][29]

An incorrect rumor was spread that Hillenburg's family is working on Kamp Koral. This was revealed to be false, as none of his family members have ever worked on any SpongeBob SquarePants media before, and it is unknown if they know about the spin-off. Waller stated that he has no "first-hand knowledge" of what the Hillenburgs are doing, since they are not working on Kamp Koral. He also wrote in 2020: "I can only guess they are doing their level best to deal with the grief of losing their husband, father, brother and son."[30] In 2021, Waller made a February 4 statement followed by two February 5 statements:

Steve was aware it was being developed. Sadly he did not get to see it completed, I think it would have made him smile.[31]

When I said that last night, I was feeling it was right, but full disclosure. That time period has so much traumatic scar tissue for me. Cont.[32]

Cont. I had lost two friends to death in a short [sic] and it has kinked up my chronological memories of events into a bit of a slippery jumble for that entire block of time.[33]

Concept art[]

Inspiration drawings[]

Reception[]

The series was met with mixed reviews from critics, largely attributed to its "juvenile" humor, unpolished animation, and inclusion of things that conflicted with the original show's continuity. Allie Leatherman of Legacy Press argues the series is overplaying the slapstick for comedy purposes that children would not even find funny. She goes on to say, "The shadows are extremely harsh, the color palette is ugly, and the backgrounds are boring and lifeless. The animation makes it unclear if it even takes place underwater. The character design is alright other than Patrick, who just looks like pink mush in the shape of a star."[34] Jessica Curney of The Michigan Daily feels the series was not needed and lacks the same "spark" as the first three seasons of the original show.[35]

Trivia[]

General[]

  • Unlike The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, where the characters' young selves are voiced by child actors, the series retains their adult actors. The character designs from the show are "similar but not the same" to the designs used in the third movie.[36]
  • Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years is the first Nicktoon to be first released exclusively on Paramount+.
  • Kamp Koral is also the first SpongeBob SquarePants series to air on the Nick Jr. Channel.[37] Four episodes of the show aired on the Nick Jr. Channel on November 13, 2022.
  • As revealed in the episode "Camper Gary," the Kamp Koral series takes place one year after the events of the flashbacks in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.
  • As revealed in the episode "Kitchen Sponge" and the main show episodes "Something Narwhal This Way Comes" and "Friendiversary," the show adjusts the timeline of the main show. Sandy explains that she sent her younger self to summer camp to stop Plankton from stealing the Krabby Patty secret formula, which explains how the story of her and SpongeBob meeting for the first time changed in "Tea at the Treedome."[38][39][40][41][42]
    • Additionally, it contradicts the backstory of Mr. Krabs and Plankton in "Friend or Foe" by having SpongeBob invent the Krabby Patty while he was cooking for Plankton, and later he is the one who influences Plankton to start making chum instead.
  • Kamp Koral's setting puts many of the regular SpongeBob characters in a much closer proximity to each other since they all work or play at the same summer camp. Because of this, SpongeBob and Patrick both appear in every episode. Most of the other characters appear more frequently than in the main show, with the exception of Gary.
  • The animated Santa character who was voiced by Lewis Black in "Goons on the Moon" returns in "The Ho! Ho! Horror!" Coincidentally, another spin-off would be created with another SpongeBob character who debuted in the same episode, Squidina Star.
  • This is the first show in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise to premiere with a special.
Friendiversary 019

"Here's us at camp."


Gallery[]

Images[]

Locations[]

The series features a variety of new locations, as well as some settings based on places from the original series.

Videos[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Zachary, Brandon (2021-2-27). Tom Kenny & Rodger Bumpass Relish The "Comfort Food" Aspect Of SpongeBob SquarePants. CBR.
  2. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (2019-06-04). ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ CG-Animated Prequel Series ‘Kamp Koral’ Greenlighted By Nickelodeon. Deadline. Retrieved on 2019-07-15.
  3. ^ Baysinger, Tom (2021-03-18). How Nickelodeon Plans to Stock Up on ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’. TheWrap. The Wrap News. Retrieved on 2021-03-26. “Nickelodeon will premiere the first season of “Kamp Koral” that is currently streaming on Paramount+ this fall, which will coincide with the second season of “Kamp Koral” on the streaming service.”
  4. ^ a b ‘SpongeBob’ Franchise Gets 52-Episode Order Across Mothership Series, ‘Kamp Koral’ & ‘Patrick Star Show’ - Deadline
  5. ^ Welk, Brian (2021-01-28). 'The SpongeBob Movie' to Debut on Paramount+ at March Launch. TheWrap. The Wrap News. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  6. ^ Nickelodeon to Air 'Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years' Sneak Peek on Friday, April 2 - NickALive
  7. ^ Nickelodeon to Premiere 'Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years' on September 10 - NickALive
  8. ^ a b c d Sarto, Dan (2021-03-04). An Endless Summer of Cartoon Fun: ‘Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years’. Animation World Network. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  9. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  10. ^ Sandberg, Bryn (2018-10-01). Viacom Names Brian Robbins President of Nickelodeon. The Hollywood Reporter. MRC Media & Info. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  11. ^ Daswani, Mansha (2019-10-01). Nickelodeon’s Brian Robbins. TVKIDS. WSN. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  12. ^ Breaking News - Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with Its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever - New Shows Are "All That" and Much More. The Futon Critic. Futon Media (2019-02-14). Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (2019-02-14). ‘SpongeBob’ Spinoffs, ‘All That’ & ‘Are You Smarter Than 5th Grader?’ Revivals & More On Nickelodeon’s 2019 Content Slate. Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2019-06-04). ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ CG-Animated Prequel Series ‘Kamp Koral’ Greenlighted By Nickelodeon. Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  15. ^ Breaking News - Nickelodeon Greenlights "Kamp Koral," Original Animated Spinoff of Hit Series "SpongeBob SquarePants". The Futon Critic. Futon Media (2019-06-04). Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  16. ^ Porter, Rick (2020-02-19). 'SpongeBob' Prequel, Live-Action 'Loud House' Movie Set at Nickelodeon. The Hollywood Reporter. MRC Media & Info. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  17. ^ Perry, Spencer (2020-02-19). Spongebob Squarepants Prequel Announces Cast. ComicBook.com. ViacomCBS. Retrieved on 2021-03-26.
  18. ^ Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years SNEAK PEEK! | Coming Soon to Paramount+
  19. ^ ViacomCBS Taps SpongeBob SquarePants to Get Kids to Watch NFL - Variety
  20. ^ Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years PREVIEW! | Coming Soon to Paramount+
  21. ^ Paul Tibbitt on Twitter
  22. ^ Longreads: "The Young Man and the Sea Sponge"
  23. ^ Stephen Hillenburg, artist and animator
  24. ^ a b White, Peter (2009-10-27). Spongebob Squarepants’ creator Steve Hillenburg. TBI Vision. Retrieved on 2019-07-15. TBI Vision interview
  25. ^ Rob Renzetti on Twitter
  26. ^ Rob Renzetti on Twitter
  27. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  28. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  29. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  30. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  31. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  32. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  33. ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter
  34. ^ Allie Leatherman (March 30, 2021). Kamp Koral: Surprisingly Average. Legacy Press.
  35. ^ Jessica Curney (March 11, 2021). Kamp Koral: Spongebob’s Under Years is unnecessary. The Michigan Daily.
  36. ^ Pinkie Davis on Twitter
  37. ^ thecartooncrave on Twitter
  38. ^ https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1524808368002502666
  39. ^ https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1524812863218454531
  40. ^ https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1524816330137817089
  41. ^ https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1524821595117670400
  42. ^ https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1525109926921547778
Wikipedia logo This page uses content from Wikipedia (originalauthors). Both Encyclopedia SpongeBobia and Wikipedia are licensed under the CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported license.



Advertisement