SpongeBob SquarePants (character)

SpongeBob SquarePants is the titular main protagonist of the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise. He is voiced by Tom Kenny and first appeared on television in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. SpongeBob was created and designed by former marine science teacher Stephen Hillenburg, who originally used the character in an educational book he wrote in the 1980s. Thanks to success and popularity of the franchise, SpongeBob has become a household name and the face of Nickelodeon.