'SpongeBob' creator Stephen Hillenburg dies at 57

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stephen Hillenburg, who created SpongeBob SquarePants and the absurd undersea world he inhabited, has died at age 57, Nickelodeon announced Tuesday.Hillenburg died Monday of Lou Gehrigh's disease, also known as ALS, the cable network said in a statement. He was 57.Hillenburg had announced he had the disease in March 2017.An Oklahoma native with a love of both drawing and marine biology, Hillenburg conceived, wrote, produced and directed the animated series that began in