United Plankton Pictures, Inc./Summary

Background : This is the vanity card of Stephen Hillenburg, marine biologist-turned-creator of SpongeBob Squarepants, which soon became the longest-running Nicktoon. On November 28, 2018, Hillenburg was presumed dead after a short complication from cancer, at the age of 57. However, his legacy in SpongeBob history continues.

1st Logo
(1997)

Nickname: "Early SpongeBob"

Logo: On a white background, there is a crudly-drawn picture of SpongeBob over a sand colored background with blue swirls in rows covering it. "Created By" and "Stephen Hillenburg" are sandwiched top and below respectivley

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme.

Availability: Only found on the original cut of the SpongeBob pilot, produced in 1997. This version never aired, and was only released to Nickelodeon employees on a VHS entitled "The Best of NickToons 1998". Copies of this original edit circulate online.

Editor’s Note: The style of this card is a preview of the more familiar logo below.

2nd Logo
(May 1, 1999-)

Nicknames : "Friends of the Sea", "Holding Hands", "The Underwater Logo", "The Plankton Logo"

Logo : On a moving ocean background with a reflection of light (which is also seen on one part in the SpongeBob intro), we see some crudely drawn sea creatures [similar to the one in the original pilot], woth one of them being a less detailed drawing of Plankton (a character on SpongeBob), holding hands.

are below, both written in the "Krabby Patty" font.

Variants : A slightly redone version of the logo premiered in 2012. The ocean background is now greenish-tint, the Plankton creatures are drawn more smoothly, and the logo has been expanded to a 1.85:1 widescreen ratio. It was first seen on the SpongeBob SquarePants special "It's a SpongeBob Christmas".

FX/SFX : The background rippling.

Music/Sounds : The closing theme.

Availability : Very common. It's currently seen on SpongeBob SquarePants, Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show The normal SD version is seen on every over-the-ending credits of the episodes currently airing on both Nickelodeon and NickToons. When the episode Wet Painters/Krusty Krab Training Video aired from 2002-Octrober 2006, due to an editing mistake on Nick's part, the Klasky-Csupo Robot logo was shown in place of this on airings with split-screen credits. On November 30, 2011, on an airing of the episode "Pest of the West", it was replaced with the Rainbow S.r.l logo. However, it doesn't expect to appear in its theatrical movies.