The Plug Talk on Instagram: "🧠 The Secret Origins of SpongeBob SquarePants Most people think SpongeBob began as a lighthearted cartoon for kids, but the truth runs far deeper. The concept started in 1989, when a marine biologist named Stephen Hillenburg began sketching sea creatures for an educational comic called The Intertidal Zone. After Nickelodeon executives discovered his work in 1996, Hillenburg was pushed to turn the educational project into a full series — but many say the final versio