The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience: A Deep Dive into the World of Bikini Bottom

by Jerry Beck

This lavish coffee table book delivers an eye-opening behind-the-scenes look at the creation of SpongeBob and all the hard work and creativity that have gone into making him one of the most popular cartoon characters of all time. Featuring in-depth interviews with the cast and crew who bring Bikini Bottom to life, The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience will also include a treasure trove of SpongeBob concept artwork and other rare and revelatory visuals that will make it an absolute delight for fans. Delving into the creation of each of the beloved characters like never before and featuring early sketches, concepts, and other material that sheds new light on the creative vision behind SpongeBob, this is the ultimate book on a true icon of animation. The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience also presents a wealth of fun inserts, pullouts, and other surprises, creating a truly interactive experience that takes fans into SpongeBob’s world like never before.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2013

About the author

Jerry Beck (born February 9, 1955 in New York City) is an American animation historian, author, blogger, and video producer. The author or editor of several books on classic American animation and classic character, including The 50 Greatest Cartoons (1994), The Animated Movie Guide (2005), Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons! (2007), The Flintstones: The Official Guide to the Cartoon Classic (2011), The Hanna-Barbera Treasury: Rare Art Mementos from your Favorite Cartoon Classics (2007), The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience: A Deep Dive into the World of Bikini Bottom (2013), Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide (2005), and Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons (with Will Friedwald, 1989). He is also an authority on the making of modern films, with his books detailing the art of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, DreamWorks' Madagascar, and Bee Movie. Beck is also an entertainment industry consultant for TV and home entertainment productions and releases related to classic cartoons and operates the blog "Cartoon Research." He appears frequently as a documentary subject and audio commentator on releases of A&E's Cartoons Go To War as well as DVD collections of Looney Tunes, Popeye the Sailor, and Woody Woodpecker cartoons, on which he serves a consultant and curator.

Early in his career, Beck collaborated with film historian Leonard Maltin on his book Of Mice and Magic (1980), organized animation festivals in Los Angeles, and was instrumental in founding the international publication Animation Magazine. In the 1990s, Beck taught course on the art of animation at UCLA, NYU, and The School of Visual Arts. In 1993, he became a founding member of the Cartoon Network advisory board and he currently serves as president of the ASIFA-Hollywood board. He co-produced or was a consultant on many home entertainment compilations of Looney Tunes, MGM Cartoons, Disney Home Video, Betty Boop, and others. In 1989, he co-founded Streamline Pictures and first brought such anime as Akira, Vampire Hunter D, and Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky to the United States. He himself compiled collections of cartoons of Warner Bros., Woody Woodpecker, and the Fleischer Studios. As Vice President of Nickelodeon Movies, he helped develop The Rugrats Movie (1998) and Mighty Mouse.

In 2006, Beck created and produced an animated pilot for Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon. That cartoon, "Hornswiggle", aired on Nicktoons Network in 2008 as part of the Random! Cartoons series. Currently, he is teaching animation history at Woodbury University in Burbank, California.

In 2004, Beck and fellow animation historian and writer Amid Amidi co-founded another blog, Cartoon Brew, which focused primarily on current animation productions and news. Beck sold his co-ownership in Cartoon Brew in February 2013 and started an Indiewire blog, Animation Scoop, for reports on current animation while continuing to write about classic animation at Cartoon Research.

Reviews

[अर्न · Rating 5 out of 5]

SpongeBob

[Shainlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth be told: I love all things Spongebob. My husband got this for me somehow. Bless his heart and nose. I didn't see them here, but he found them where he was from do I was very excited to have this book. I love it very much because it has storyboards and facts and things in it all gathered into one book. Though, I am almost sure the editor was not a die-hard spongebob fan like me. Some pictures were described wrong. Like spongebob in an outfit that says he is from "Dunces & Dragons" is really in an outfit from "The Pink Purloiner". Other pictures aren't labeled and I know exactly where they come from and feel the reader would deserve or want a label. I loved the stuff in it. I just wish the editor and person who put it together loved SBob that much too. Those tiny little infractions bother me.

There will be a picture of SBob and it will say just : picture of Spongebob with rosy cheeks when really it is a specific moment in an episode aka dressed up for the beach on "Ripped Pants" ; or one wth him in a curly Q shape when really he is suggesting names for the Krusty Krab to Pearl in "Bossy Boots". There were so many, but not to many to easily label.

The book was set at 60$ CDN.
I still love it bc it's SBob and I can fix the missing stuff and bc my husband got it for me cheaper than that. But get someone who knows the cartoon next time and cares less about money.

[Gelo Arucan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and fun book!! Filled with the rich history of Spongebob Squarepants.

Had a great time reading about the heart and soul of the show. It was great learning about all the hard work that they do to produce my favourite show.

Filled with so many wonderful merchandise as well!

A must-have for every Spongebob Squarepants fan!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely lovely book about the Spongebob Squarepants show and the characters within the show. If you're a fan of Spongebob I highly recommend this book!

[Chris Moujaes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another terrific art book - so much care was put into this book, and seeing all the behind the scenes art was just what I wanted.

[Beth Voecks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book wholeheartedly!! Great stories and art! I can't wait to own a copy of my own.

[Andriu Spinola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que todo fan debería tener y leer.
Que increíble adentrarse en el mundo de Fondo de Bikini.

[Xanthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a large book, full of wonderful little flaps and add ons. There are lots of colourful illustrations and the text includes trivia, fun facts about the main characters and a history of the show, amongst many other things. I learnt quite a few things about SBSP and co, from reading this book. Definitely one for the fans.

[MisterFweem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is almost hard to read. Not because it's difficult (it's about SpongeBob Squarepants after all) but the little add-ons, in the form of sticky notes, posters, photos, etc, make you want to be extra careful with the whole thing. How did they put this book together? This is a must-have for any SpongeBob fan, and I wish it were mine and not my son's.

[Anne Jordan-Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this, though I skipped almost everything about the making of the show, information that would just ruin the fun for me. I want to just continue to believe in Bikini Bottom and the people/creatures who live there, so none of this Truman show crap about "it's all made up." No sir.

[Miguel Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very beautiful, interesting and fun "coffee-table" book. Just information about the show and all the creative elements that go into it. I truly loved it, love to have spent time in Bikini Bottom for a bit.

[Juan Carrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge sponge bob fan this is a must have