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Animation cel used in production of SpongeBob SquarePants

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Nickelodeon
Description (Brief)
Animation cel used in the production of the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The hand-inked, three-part animation cel depicts SpongeBob SquarePants at the Krusty Krab holding a spatula in his hand. The cel is comprised of two animation cels atop a painted background. The top cel is of the sink counter only and at bottom of cel is marked "S/B #109/ UL -4" in black marker. Cel #2 is the character Sponge Bob with " B6" written in black marker at the bottom of the cel. Third layer is one hole punch paper with painted background.
Premiering on Nickelodeon in 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants became one of the most popular and successful animated children’s television series of all time over its 13 seasons (as of 2022), numerous feature and television films, video game, Broadway musical, and other adaptations. The show was created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg based in part on his unpublished 1989 educational comic book The Intertidal Zone, written to teach children about aquatic ecosystems. The animated series features the deep-sea denizens of Bikini Bottom, including SpongeBob, an earnest, happily oblivious, and unapologetically silly sea sponge. Heavy on slapstick and sight gags, the show nevertheless introduced kids six to 12 to the diversity of human motives, the complexities of social interaction, and big-picture thinking. As illustrated in this cel, SpongeBob loves his job—wielding a spatula and flipping burgers at the Krusty Krab Diner.
Location
Currently not on view
1999
ID Number
2018.0110.02
accession number
2018.0110
catalog number
2018.0110.02
Object Name
cel, animation
Physical Description
paint (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 11 in x 13 in; 27.94 cm x 33.02 cm
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Popular Entertainment
Food
National Museum of American History
Subject
Children's television programs
Comedy
Animation
Record ID
nmah_1888673
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-efc3-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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