Spongebob Squarepants - Figures
Spongebob Squarepants defined the new wave of children's television at the beginning of the 21st century. The series's combined use of surrealist and slapstick humor appeals to children and adults alike. As a result, the show continues to air over twenty years after its premiere with no sign of ending in the near future. The Spongebob Squarepants figure "BE@ARBRICK SpongeBob Gold Chrome 1000%" captures the blend of familiar and off-the-wall that makes the series so memorable.
BE@ARBRICK SpongeBob Gold Chrome 1000% Figure
This massive entry in the BE@RBRICK series brings Spongebob's design to a new, fully minted level. The figure uses the classic BE@RBRICK model of a razor blade articulated, plastic toy bear. Spongebob's basic design stretches over the contours of the bear. His usually top-heavy appearance flips to different proportions. His white collared shirt and brown shorts take up a larger percentage of visual space. The iconic Spongebob face has been painted onto the teddy-bear like figure head. The combination of two- and three-dimensional design translates into Spongebob's foreshortened nose and squared-off buck teeth. For an extra layer of over-the-top design, a gold chrome paint replaces the standard Spongebob yellow.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK SpongeBob Gold Chrome 1000%
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Painted & articulated figure
- Height (Approx.): 700mm | 27.6"
The Spongebob Squarepants Series Story
Spongebob Squarepants is an American children's cartoon series that premiered in 1999. The series follows the adventures of the eponymous sea sponge and his friends in the underwater city Bikini Bottom. Spongebob remains one of the most iconic images of children's television worldwide.
Series Overview
The story's events take place in the ocean floor city of Bikini Bottom. Spongebob works at the city's most popular restaurant, the Krusty Krab, as a fry cook. Spongebob takes great pride in his work and brings childlike innocence and wonder to the mundanity of daily life. This greatly annoys his coworker and neighbor, Squidward Tentacles, a sullen cephalopod. Their money-obsessed boss, Mr. Krabs, takes advantage of Spongebob's gung-ho approach and drastically underpays him.
The series follows an episodic format consisting of half-hour long episodes split into two segments. Storylines typically involve Spongebob and his best friend Patrick engaging in silly, play-like activities. Common plots include the efforts of Mr. Krabs's rival, Plankton, to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula and Spongebob and Patrick's annoyance of Squidward.
Series Characters
Spongebob Squarepants and his cat-like pet snail, Gary live in a submerged pineapple. In addition to his work at the Krusty Krab, Spongebob loves jellyfishing, singing, and using his imagination. More than anything, Spongebob wants to earn his boating license and takes regular classes at the local boating school. He continually fails, causing stress for his teacher, Mrs. Puff.
Patrick Star is a portly starfish and Spongebob's best friend. He lives under a rock next door to Squidward Tentacles. His naive and unintelligent personality makes him a source of constant jokes in the show. Patrick acts very immaturely despite his age. His love of child-like activities and fun-loving nature goes well with Spongebob's imaginative plans. Though he and Spongebob have a lot in common, Patrick's quick temper and dim-wittedness make him his own distinct character.
Squidward Tentacles lives between Spongebob and Patrick in a submerged Easter Island head. Squidward dreams of becoming a distinguished musician and living a fancy life. His job at the Krusty Krab and close proximity to Spongebob cause him great misery in his daily life. Squidward's arrogant, grumpy, and pessimistic personality fails to keep Spongebob away from him. While other characters in the show dislike Squidward for his foul attitude, Spongebob and Patrick continually try to involve him in their plans.
The Spongebob Squarepants Series Development
Spongebob Squarepants premiered on Nickelodeon in May 1999. The series creator, Stephen Hillenburg, studied marine biology before taking animation classes at the California Institute of the Arts. As of January 2021, the series has 268 episodes and 511 segments.
Series Production
Creator Stephen Hillenburg began working for Nickelodeon as a creative director and later producer for Rocko's Modern Life. He developed the first concept for Spongebob Squarepants while teaching marine biology much earlier in a comic he wrote called The Intertidal Zone. He presented the idea to Nickelodeon executives with a glass terrarium filled with a set diorama and character models. Hillenburg served as the showrunner from 1999 until 2002 when the show went on hiatus during The Spongebob Squarepants Movie development. Since then, the series has spurred thirteen tv seasons, three movies, and over 35 video games.
Series Reception
Within its first month on the air, Spongebob Squarepants received the highest Nielsen Ratings of any Saturday morning cartoon. By its second year, the series became the second highest-rated Nickelodeon series of all time after Rugrats. Critics praised the show for its refreshing tone in an era of irony in animation. One critic likened the character of Spongebob as the "ant-Bart Simpson," someone optimistic, naive, and conscientious of the world around him. While the show consistently ranked highly with children, its unique appeal to adults without resorting to raunchy irreverence made it a lasting success. After 22 years, Spongebob Squarepants is the longest airing animated show on Nickelodeon.
Links
BE@ARBRICK SpongeBob Gold Chrome 1000%
Spongebob Squarepants Label